Car Lift

[carmen142]

Hello Everyone

I was just wondering how many of you guys have a car lift in your garage? I would love to get one but like all things in life money is always the problem. Those that do have one what kind or make is it? I have a 3/4 ton truck a 1/4 ton jeep my car a 41 Plymouth and I am working on a 5/4 M715 Jeep. So what you recommed I look at?

Thanks

Carmen

[maverick]

Ill probably be getting myself one this year, and because of headroom issues in my garage, Dannmar's Max Jax seems like the best option for me.

[Plymouthy Adams]

  carmen142 said:

Hello Everyone

I was just wondering how many of you guys have a car lift in your garage? I would love to get one but like all things in life money is always the problem. Those that do have one what kind or make is it? I have a 3/4 ton truck a 1/4 ton jeep my car a 41 Plymouth and I am working on a 5/4 M715 Jeep. So what you recommed I look at?

Thanks

Carmen

the average garage is attached to the house..no room for a lift..I suggest a minimum ceiling of 13 foot ..so a unit to be used out of doors that can roll in and out of a garage is probably your better bet...but even then the one thing most makers of these portables don't tell you that the average finished garage door of 83 inches will not accommodate the lift when on the wheels..barely make it sliding if you are lucky..now to severely bust your bubble yet again, the smaller lift will not be of use to you with the large truck..the jeep and Plymouth will work..so you move up to the 9000 lbs capacity and as such larger footprint...however..it is the single best tool I have in the shop and I know a number of people who have a simialr model that keep it out of doors 24-7/365

[Plymouthy Adams]

an added item of interest to those folks who have no headroom nor room to expand to a detached garage..consider a pit...couple of folks I know have these also..while not nearly as confortable place to work and an inconvience of in and out etc...it can still afford some access to the undercarriage and drivetrain repair..however I do not think the cost/effect will be that good of a value overall..but with no headroom..still an option

[martybose]

I just had some exhaust work done on my 47, and mentioned that I was thinking about a lift. He showed me the new 2-post lift he had just installed for automotive work, looks like a very nicely built unit!

http://bendpak.com

Marty

[Plymouthy Adams]

I highly recommend that you check local codes on concrete..and the actual recommendations of the lift maker..especially on a two post..there are minimum requirement...I know I poured my floor for my lift specail and probably erred on overkill but hey..repairing concrete after the fact is no fun task..if you survive a lift foundation failure..

[Dodgeb4ya]

You need to figure out what you need to do with a lift-storage, exhaust work, trans ect-a 4 post is good. The 4 post is easiest to get the car on too and no concrete requirements, you don't even need to bolt it down though probably should. 2 post is good for all suspension, engine, lifting bodies off ect. . There are several different types-2 or 4 post, MaJax ,High lift 4 post, single post storage, encased single post in ground, scissor lift and on and on. 7000lb to 40,000lb on up. For home use a 9000 lb lift- you have a 3/4 ton PU. Once you get one your buddy with his 3500lb Dodge will show up so the requirement of the 9000lb lift is a must! You share don't you? 2 post requires at least a 5-6" concrete slab. Foot print loss of floor space is an issue too.

You should buy a ALI/ETL certified lift. Safety and quality is good for you. I have 3 lifts and a fresh air in ground pit for working on all my old MoPar stuff. A little over kill but more the better.

I have the 12,000 Lb Rotary and 14,000 Lb Bendpak 4 post lifts, one with 2 rolling jacks. The 20' long extra height 4 posts with 2 rolling jacks works the best for me-posts are out of the way so I can drive /move cars anywhere under the lifts. Most lifts today marketed in magazines and online are Chinese. Be careful to really check them all out. These companies come and go so you want to be able to get service and parts at a later date if necessary. For the money/variety of lifts and excellent service Bendpak out of So. Cal is the best IMO. Their lifts now are manufactured in that far east country but Bendpak has been around a long time and their people will be there for you.

Rotary ( Oldest USA lift manufacturer) sells their USA made commercial lifts $$$ (I have one and its a high quality H-Duty lift) and now another cheaper import lift line, called the Revolution lift. Marketed to the light duty home use market. Have fun and spend lots of time to be sure to get what you want!

Bob

Edited February 28, 2012 by Dodgeb4ya

[Don Coatney]

My wish list includeds a lift.

As I see it the advantage of a 4 post is plug in and go with no floor anchors. Disadvantage is less under car accesability due to the ramps. Doing a 4 wheel brake job (as well as other wheel work) requires the car to be jacked up while on the lift. This is doable but requires an additional step.

Advantage of a 2 post is easy accessibility while under the car as there are no ramps. Ease of wheel work as the car is elevated from the frame and the wheels are free floating when the car is elevated. Disadvantage is safe floor anchors MUST be installed. Also prior to lifting the car the lifting arms must be positioned and this requires getting on your knees. That is a problem for a lot of us old folks as we have worn our knees out over the years. Promotion pads help but that is not the best fix.

[carmen142]

Let me just say that I am not brave enought to get under a lift that is way up in the air. My may goal is packing wheel bearings, changing tires, adjusting brakes, those types of things. As I get older 61 last week I have become very carefull about what I do. While changing oil I know that I will need to get under the car, but let me assure you that in addition to what safety feature may come with any life I will also have car jackets under each of the four corners.

Carmen

[Dodgeb4ya]

If you want a lift it will and has to go up in the air to use it! Have your lift professionally installed and buy a safe good quality one and if it is a 4 post bolt in down. If you are nervous about a car being stabil and have the money buy a 4 post and a rolling jack. These lifts are the safeest as long as you drive the car on correctly! 2 post lifts have some shake once up-but thats just the way it is and is safe assuming the operator of it is not an idiot and careless. As you know lifts are used every day in shops with very few issues.

Bob

[martybose]

I've already been checking up on lifts, that's why I'm interested in the BendPak. I've got a 6 inch slab, lots of floor space, the BendPak XPR-10A is a 10,000 pound-rated, clear floor, certified 2 post asymmetric unit that is 145" tall. I already know that I will have to get it professionally installed due to weight of the components, and with the safety locks engaged I won't be worried about going under it. Even the swing arms automatically lock. All it needs is 220V single phase, which I already have.

Hopefully I'll be able to get one ordered later this year.

Marty

[knighthawk]

what are the options for a roll away hoist ? It would be nice to push it off to the side for more floor space, pull iit out to change a motor or tranny ?????????????/

[Dodgeb4ya]

Bendpak offers casters for their 4 post lifts so you can roll it around unloaded as do other companies.

[BeBop138]

I have a Kwik Lift---a poor mans lift---requires some manual work---but gets the bottom of tires 20 inches off the ground---not a perfect way to go but better than jack stands. Just pull it up on the web---good pics......Lee

[chopt50wgn]

I had a Quik-lift that went up 52". The pain was that not everything would clear the arms as you drove in. I had to build ramps on either side that were 3" high so as you drove on the under carriage cleared.

The ramps were always in the way, you tripped over them..........long story short........I sold it last spring.

[52b3b Joe]

I just installed a used 4 post 14,000 lift from a friends exhaust shop. Couldn't go wrong for $750!! I love it, but it takes a lot of room. And it was a PAIN to install with two guys.

[laynrubber]

I have a lift but it isn't set up yet. I added onto my garage with the intention of having a lift so the new garage has 12 foot ceiling. Thought about a scissor lift because of the price but the whole idea of a lift was to able to store 2 cars in the new garage and 2 in the old.

I ended up purchasing a DanMar 7 from Princess Auto at a price that was $100 over the store cost.....wanted it gone and i was at the right place at the right time.

Just need to finish the garage and then assemble the hoist.

[mossback44]

I have a 2-post assymetric Ford-Smith lift that I bought about 20 years ago. I installed it myself in my old shop and then moved it into my new shop a few years ago. Installation is pretty simple for people with the skills generally found on this site. However, the components are heavy enough to require equipment to lift and position them (unless you have some really strong friends).

I'd love to have a 4-post lift too, but would recommend a 2-post if you're only going to have one lift as they are more versatile. I also recommend the assymetric style as it offers much easier access to the inside of the car on the lift.

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[LAKOTA169]

I have a friend that has 2 lifts in his garage. One is a 4 post that he parks a on, and another below. The other might be a Quick-lift. he said it will bring the car up about 4 feet. The only problem he had with the 4 post was, when he measured everything for height and installed the ceiling in hes garage, he forgot about the car antenna. If you look at the pic, you can see where he cut a small hole in ceiling for the antenna. My car is on the other lift closest to the camera. We were bleeding the brake lines.

[meadowbrook]

I had a Mohawk 7000 lb two post lift installed in an add on garage I built for this purpose. In my case the concrete floor was supposed to be at least six inches thick. It was $6000 installed.

I chose the Mohawk on a recommendation from my mechanic. It's built like a tank and has been trouble free for almost 10 years of regular use.