New Garage: Car Lift Suggestions (1 Viewer)

[LakeLaurashawn]

Afternoon Mud: I am in the process is building a new house. . . While the process is painful, looking for advice on a car lift in the garage. My goal is to have a 3-car garage with the 3rd car portion having a taller roof line to accommodate a car lift. In doing so, looking for advise on the four prevailing types of lifts:

1) two post
2) overhead
3) floor plate
4) four post

Goal is to perform general service on my sedan, car, truck, side-by-side and of course the FJ40. Not looking for a commercial / heavy use application but want a solution to support the cars and fit well within the garage area. Of all the cars, the heaviest weighs about 5k lbs and has a wheelbase of 14' (crew cab / long bed truck)

I would want the space to store a car when not being serviced. Meaning park a single car within the lift area; remove the parked car to service a different car as needed.

Attached in an image of the front of the house. The roof line of the 3rd car garage is opened up so it can lift a car 6-feet.

What does the group use to lift their cars
What are the pros and cons

Thanks in Advance
Lake

 

[southern son]

I would think a good two post, asymmetrical lift would be good for what you’re asking it to do. We have two of these in our shop now and they’re the most versatile. Just be sure you have enough room on either side of the posts between the walls to navigate around it when working. That’s probably the biggest mistake I’ve seen people make when putting them in single stall spots.

 

[pb4ugo]

You'll probably get a better response in the workshop and home improvement section.

 

[cwwfj60]

I agree with @southern son thats what I prefer in a commercial setting and what I have in my shop.

Reason for that is you can do pretty much any service on them, pull wheels easily, suspension, etc.

I really prefer the type with overhead cables versus the floor plate. The floor plate gets in the way, prohibits you from pulling a transmission with a rolling trans Jack.

Drive on four post are easy and usually cheap these days. Also, they make those that have wheels so they aren’t permanent anchored into the ground, although I don’t have experience with those.

Problem with drive on is your wheels and suspension is still loaded so you can’t easily work on brakes or pull your wheel. They make these with Jacks but they get expensive.

The drive on typically has a higher overall height and are better for storage of another car beneath. You could still fit a small car under a two post.

When you make your decision be sure you install it far enough away from the closest wall that you can pull an axle shaft out

 

[cwwfj60]

One more point, the two post arms are handy for lifting stuff, you can pull a body with them, or you can load something heavy like a tool box into a truck bed by hanging straps from them….not intended purpose but I find myself doing this a lot.

 

[CondeCruiser]

I have a 9k lb 2 post overhead and love it.

 

[-MaTTi-]

 

[MOTOV8R]

Concrete strength and specs are important for two post lifts. Make sure to read up on what is required within the manual for the lift. If your concrete has not been poured you will want to make sure to give the contractor the specs. If it has been poured you’ll need to verify it meets requirements.

 

[UZJ40]

In my opinion, 4 post lifts are only good for a few things - oil changes, exhaust work, inspections, and storage of the vehicle.

A 2 post can do all of those things plus a lot more. Although, they are typically not used for long term storage. You probably wouldn't be able to fit a small SUV under a vehicle that was up on the lift.

One more thing - 4 post lifts have a huge footprint, even when not being used. They are extremely bulky, so if you don't have a large shop, it may be a deciding factor. For example, my 2 post lift is in my main work area. When I have a vehicle in that space but not lifted, it's still easy to move around it, open doors, look in the engine bay, etc. With a 4 post, you will be maneuvering around/on the lift as you work. It really makes a big difference.

 

[1911]

The roof line of the 3rd car garage is opened up so it can lift a car 6-feet.

A two-post lift has a pretty big height requirement; my Dannmar 10,000 lb asymmetric lift is just over 12' high.

 

[jmylie]

I did not have much room but wanted a lift I could move out to the driveway.

Stratus Commercial Grade Open Center Portable Mid Rise Electric Safety Lock Release Scissor Car Lift SAE-MS8000X

Stratus Auto Equipment the best place to purchase car lifts, scissor lifts, 2 post lifts, 4 post lifts etc.

stratusautoequip.com

I store it in the garage and drive my 40 onto it.

Works for me and no installation cost.