looking to squeeze a 98-VF4 into garage. Height minimums I can achieve removing parts

[countryguy]

Would anyone happen to know a minimum height I can achieve on a 1998 Haas VF4? This needs to get under our Garage Door headers? I have 95" on the rear garage door, and 82" on the front. My Son and I are upgrading and I just cannot tell how low I can get the haas vf4 once Z is all the way down. Wondering if I can take off the motor? or anything else for that matter to get as low as Possible.... Below is an image from my Haas sales guy.


.
An help greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
GC

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[countryguy]

Been reading the manuals. I'll chat w/ the Sale Tech guys on this idea: Attached a 5 page PDF extract from full manual of pages 86-90 which show unbolting the entire transmission and lowering down. Pic below of the page showing the end result of this process w/ a mini crane. I can come over the top w/ my gantry.



The manual here: https://diy.haascnc.com/sites/defaul..._June_1998.pdf

Wondering if this could be a way?
Thanks,
GC[/QUOTE]

[Machineit]

Have never put one in a garage, but do a little measuring before you try. If you are putting it in a standard two car garage you will have no room to move. Get the measurements for the machine then add 3 feet to the rear, about 3-4 feet to the sides and 5 feet or so to the front. Now can you even turn around? Used to have a VF-4 and they are big and heavy, tough to get into a garage.

Mike

[countryguy]

Thanks Mike. We have a 4 car from a previous owners car restoration exploits. Lucky us. Plenty of room.. but he did not put in very high garage doors.
Would anyone have a comment about just pulling off the column as a solution?

[Machineit]

Very good then. You will be able to turn around. I bought a new VF-4 in 98 and loved it. Good luck.

Mike

[erikfriesen]

Not sure about a vf4, but I think the highest part on a vf2 may be the counterbalance.

[haastec]

Thanks Mike. We have a 4 car from a previous owners car restoration exploits. Lucky us. Plenty of room.. but he did not put in very high garage doors.
Would anyone have a comment about just pulling off the column as a solution?

No I would not recommend removing the column.

Remove head covers, disconnect the gore tube (Flexible cable carrier), depressurize and disconnect nitrogen counterbalance cylinder ( if equipped). Then if additional clearance is required, remove Z-Axis motor and possibly the spindle motor or spindle motor/gearbox assembly. This should get you down to about the casting for the column. Measuring a 97 machine it's 87" to the top of the casting and that is with the leveling feet.

[Machineit]

You know once in a while i get accused of thinking out of the box. So, that being said, it may be worth talking to a contractor and see about removing a section of the garage face to get the machine in and then having it repaired back to normal.

I have not seen your garage door/doors, but you might also have one door, (if there are two), modified and made into a 10 ft door. I you are spending all that money for a big VF-4 and all that goes with it, it may be a very good investment in the long term. Plus, some day for one reason or another, it will be taken back out of that garage too.

How about a picture of the door?

[erikfriesen]

If the original builder put the header in high and built down to the door opening, its easy, otherwise its relatively major.

[haastec]

You know once in a while i get accused of thinking out of the box. So, that being said, it may be worth talking to a contractor and see about removing a section of the garage face to get the machine in and then having it repaired back to normal.

I have not seen your garage door/doors, but you might also have one door, (if there are two), modified and made into a 10 ft door. I you are spending all that money for a big VF-4 and all that goes with it, it may be a very good investment in the long term. Plus, some day for one reason or another, it will be taken back out of that garage too.

How about a picture of the door?

.
I am sure changing the garage door will cost more compared to tearing down the machine and re-assembling, but I agree that this is definitely worth considering especially when factoring in the added value of having a bigger garage door. MORE BIGGER TOYS!!!

[Nicklinux]

I just recently had to squeeze VF1 in my garage and it was not as easy as I originally thought..
Like you, I first looked at the drawings from haas and was 100% sure that machine will fit without any problem.. that smile from my face disappeared as soon as I moved machine closer to the door..
I measured clearance of my garage door and it was 97.5". When machine finally came I was surprised to find out that Z axis was not all the way down ! I couldn't power up machine and move z axis down since I don't have 480v in my garage.. so I end up removing Z axis cover, motor and plastic drag chain that runs to the top of the z axis.. I was not able to remove z axis motor.. for some reason it got stuck and I couldn't see what was holding it.. so I end up leaving it alone and just spin the motor by hand.. took me a while but I was able lower my axis down to where it could fit in the garage..
If you buy new Haas machine they have special bracket for Z axis to keep it secured during transport of the machine.. if you remove that bracket you can actually come down even lower than specified shipping high.. the guy I bought my machine from used two pieces of 2x4 to secure spindle..


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[countryguy]

Everyone! Thanks so much for all the suggestions! Yes, Yes, and yes! My Son is 20. He and I have been CNC geeks now since he was 16. This is his career path. Now In the College of Creative Study and is a 3D CaD/Cam wham-bam, guru already. Both solidworks and Fusion. (dad gloat!). I'd like him and I to make this happen no matter what.

Again, a 4 car heated garage. ...and why I bought the house after the 10 acres. :-) toy farm. things seem to just sprout up in there?

phase 1: I am going to be going at the front Garage door header to achieve 90 or 92" (how tall are "skates" btw ?? ). This is for the front 12' wide door at 82" high now. (ouch). Easy trim removal on outside front. A few placed braces, swath out a section of header wide enough to go thru. Re'assy I could even take it up considerably per suggestion!

phase 2; the rear door is 95" high and only 95" wide. I have room to go about 106" wide. Told I need about 102-3" for VF4 width! Calling the Garage door folks tomorrow. I will do the work to resize the opening. They can hang it and trim it back out. Someone shot a cross-bow arrow thru anyway. (Not me ghost).

thanks for the advice on the column! simply no idea if a good idea or not!

Here is a neat diagram of VF sizes and how to achieve that height. Pic and PDF attached.

[Turbo442]

Thanks for that drawing, I will file it away. I had 2 standard 8' wide by 7' tall garage doors on the front of the shop. I raised the header up a foot on both doors. Now both doors are up a foot (8' x 8') and its much nicer running my forklift in and out as well. I paid some one $900 to raise both headers, and the insulated doors were about ~ $1000 ea with openers from Lowes. The Lowes doors were nicer than the doors Home depot was selling at the time. When I brought my VF2 in it was on the original red shipping fixture and we laid down the E-chain. I probably did not need to drop the e chain with the 8' door height but oh well.

[extanker59]

Excellent! Nice work. Informative and interesting.
Thanks