School Me on Lifts Please

[ZipZap]

Building a new house and I will have a deep and tall garage. I want a 4 post lift that will clear my F-250, so 84" minimum. It will also serve as my work lift, so it will need to accommodate bridge jacks for suspension work.

Any experience here?

TIA

[Black94lt1]

I have a regular 4 post (A7000-SS) but you probably need one of the extra capacity models. This is the company I bought mine from, mostly because they are local, their main business is service and installing commercial lifts, and the offered delivery and installation for a very reasonable price

parking lifts (http://aresco.org/Parking_lifts.html)

[m and t's77]

Why not a two-post lift,if you are doing anything other then an oil change or muffler work that's the way to go.Get a couple of pogo sticks for being safe.

http://i21.geccdn.net/site/images/n-picgroup/95691.jpg

[RedLS1GTO]

Why not a two-post lift,if you are doing anything other then an oil change or muffler work that's the way to go.

:iagree:

4 post is good for storage and not much else.

[Superstreet]

Why not get a 4-post lift? Yes, they are good for storage too, especially if you have limited room, but you can do almost everything with a 4-post lift that you can a 2-post lift. I have the cross-frame jack which does great for servicing wheels.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Superstreet/Lift%20jack_zpsyiwvpvux.jpg

Also, you can bolt down a 4-post lift and it can be maneuverable with caster wheels.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Superstreet/IMG_0222_zps4b87qzdv.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Superstreet/2015%20Full%20view_zpsztqqwflv.jpg

[RedLS1GTO]

You don't see 4 posts in mechanic's shops. There's a reason.

Work like this would be pretty much impossible on a 4 post.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Howe%20Race%20Car/IMAG0560_zps02a2i2rj.jpg


If you want to do a lot of suspension work, etc a 2 post lift just gives WAY better access. If you change your oil, take off a wheel on occasion, and use it for storage a 4 post will work just fine. Storage great. Work, not so much.

[Craig]

Anyone have a Quick Jack system?

[ZipZap]

Why not a two-post lift,if you are doing anything other then an oil change or muffler work that's the way to go.Get a couple of pogo sticks for being safe.

http://i21.geccdn.net/site/images/n-picgroup/95691.jpg

:iagree:

4 post is good for storage and not much else.

Not sure I can get a two post lift that I can park my truck under and still clear the ceiling in the garage.

[Superstreet]

What are your specific intentions for the lift?

Most people aren’t going to build a car/race car, but are shade-tree mechanics.


Garage Journal forum is a great resource. :cert:

[RedLS1GTO]

Anyone have a Quick Jack system?

Yep. Handy little lift.

Between the 2 of us that work on the cars, there are 3 quick jack systems. 1 3500 and 2 5000s. We have 1 that is 110v and 2 that are the 12v.

The older lifts leak f'n everywhere out of the fittings, but other than that are pretty decent. The newest version (not sure when the change happened) has much better fittings and a few other little bugs worked out. The pump looks like a much better unit as well.

My car isn't usually at the shop pictured above. Usually it's at my house. There are 2 heights that it can be set at with the lock bar in place. I store it on the lower lift height when I'm not working on it and raise it up the rest of the way if needed. Obviously not as easy for under the car type of work as a full size lift, but I've managed to do about everything, including putting in a new transmission, on the Quick Jacks. As a bonus, the 12v go in the trailer to be used at the track.

"Full up" position:

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Howe%20Race%20Car/354_zpsvifyazs9.jpeg

"Middle" position:

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Howe%20Race%20Car/PART_1445714640473_.IMG_20151024_152325_zpsh7hqleig.jpg

[ZipZap]

What are your specific intentions for the lift?

Most people aren’t going to build a car/race car, but are shade-tree mechanics.


Garage Journal forum is a great resource. :cert:

I built my race car on a car dolly. Any lift will be better than that!:hurray:

[Superstreet]

I built my race car on a car dolly. Any lift will be better than that!:hurray:

:rofl: :rofl: Nowhere but up. :lol:

[RedLS1GTO]

Not sure I can get a two post lift that I can park my truck under and still clear the ceiling in the garage.

I have a 10' ceiling. It's nothing but attic above so I could easily make more room up if I needed to. If you see the pictures above, my issue is with a door. I don't have room for a 2 post unless I go with a rollup $$$ door as well so for the time being I'm using Quick Jacks.

For those big jobs, I toss it in the trailer and head to the shop.

[The_Dude]

I have a 10' ceiling. If you see the pictures above, my issue is with a door. I don't have room for a 2 post unless I go with a rollup $$$ door as well so for the time being I'm using Quick Jacks.

For those big jobs, I toss it in the trailer and head to the shop.

I have a scissors lift and a Kwiklift, but am thinking of one of these.
Dannmar MaxJax™ Portable Two Post Car Lift | Best Buy Auto Equipment (http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/2-post-portable-car-lift-system-dannmar-maxjax-p/dannmarmaxjax.htm?mm_campaign=4e1bf3c70b9690aed7baa14a24441011&keyword=maxjax&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=dannmar-lifts_maxjax&gclid=CjwKEAjwwbyxBRCS74T049iEp0wSJACkO5v1M88UZ7voLhY8Rd5YKQuA893w6XMTBIclpQrauYrBdRoCkAbw_wcB)

[RonC5]

I have an 8.5' ceiling, with would need a tray section over the car. I figure $2500 for the permits, sign-offs and modifying the rafters. Add in $3500 for the lift and another $2500 for the roll up door and side mount opener, I am at approx. $8500 +/- for the whole project. Been looking at the Quick Jacks, but what has been keeping from pulling the trigger is anything that needs to be done requires sliding on the floor from the front or back. Is that really an issue or am I putting too much emphasis on that?

[RonC5]

I have a scissors lift and a Kwiklift, but am thinking of one of these.
Dannmar MaxJax™ Portable Two Post Car Lift*| Best Buy Auto Equipment (http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/2-post-portable-car-lift-system-dannmar-maxjax-p/dannmarmaxjax.htm?mm_campaign=4e1bf3c70b9690aed7baa14a24441011&keyword=maxjax&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=dannmar-lifts_maxjax&gclid=CjwKEAjwwbyxBRCS74T049iEp0wSJACkO5v1M88UZ7voLhY8Rd5YKQuA893w6XMTBIclpQrauYrBdRoCkAbw_wcB)

A friend has one and loves it. I have used it to install the Corsa's on the Z and to change the fuel pump/sender on my truck.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/RonC5/bed%20lift_zpsuw96ls2s.jpg

[RedLS1GTO]

... anything that needs to be done requires sliding on the floor from the front or back. Is that really an issue or am I putting too much emphasis on that?

Notice the creeper hanging on the wall.

It's a must for Quick Jacks IMO.

[Kevin_73]

I have a 10' ceiling. If you see the pictures above, my issue is with a door. I don't have room for a 2 post unless I go with a rollup $$$ door as well so for the time being I'm using Quick Jacks.

For those big jobs, I toss it in the trailer and head to the shop.

My garage only has a 9' ceiling, and the garage door was at about 7 1/2' in the up position. There was no way to install a lift without changing the garage door.
I found a high lift garage door conversion online.
I don't remember the exact price, but it was somewhere around $200-$300. It would have been a pretty easy install, except for the fact that there were no studs in the wall where the new hardware had to mount. Once I had the new studs installed and the sheetrock repaired the kit installed in a couple of hours. Now the garage door is only about 6" below the ceiling when in the up position.
I have the same lift that Superstreet posted above.

[RedLS1GTO]

I have a scissors lift and a Kwiklift, but am thinking of one of these.
Dannmar MaxJax™ Portable Two Post Car Lift*| Best Buy Auto Equipment (http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/2-post-portable-car-lift-system-dannmar-maxjax-p/dannmarmaxjax.htm?mm_campaign=4e1bf3c70b9690aed7baa14a24441011&keyword=maxjax&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=dannmar-lifts_maxjax&gclid=CjwKEAjwwbyxBRCS74T049iEp0wSJACkO5v1M88UZ7voLhY8Rd5YKQuA893w6XMTBIclpQrauYrBdRoCkAbw_wcB)

I looked at those but came up with a problem. Max lift is 45". I lifted the car 45" on the 2 post and it was really a pretty useless height. That's not high enough to stand... too high to sit.

It really doesn't give you much that you can't do with the Quick Jacks. I think Ron found both things with the bed lift and exhaust where it would be a big help. I don't plan on either of those anytime soon...

[chevyman_ky]

the dealership I last worked at had rotary lifts both 2 post and 4 post with jacks. 4 post good for most jobs but not all, fuel pumps, trany work not to easy on 4 post. 2 post was 12 1/2 foot tall 4 post about 6-7 foot tall could lift up a good size truck. if I had the room in my shop I would go with a 2 post.