| Author | Message | ||
| Bill Steele (Glassman)
Junior Member Username: Glassman Post Number: 130 Registered: 4-2002 |
The secret is to go down, not up! Don't put a lift in when all you have to do is dig a pit. Mine is 3' Wide 8" Long and 6" Deep. Put a ladder ( Mine is steel ) on one end, and you can stand up under your car. It's the cats pajamas, and my pit will keep beer at a nice constant temperature. | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 619 Registered: 3-2002 |
Todd, my garage looks about the same size as yours. Mind if I ask what the final bill was on your lift? I'd probably have to install a new opener also for the extra ceiling clearance. | ||
| pete gorrell (Rufus)
New member Username: Rufus Post Number: 21 Registered: 2-2002 |
Living downtown, I'm lucky to have my own double garage... and it isn't tall enough to install a regular lift. I'm toying with the idea of installing four snowmobile lifts in the floor, one at each corner, with a central hydraulic pump (4x1500lbs=enough for a car). This wd get the car up far enough for me to use a creeper, and to install jackstands for safety. Anyone tried anything like this? Tx for your thoughts... | ||
| Henryk (Henryk)
Member Username: Henryk Post Number: 328 Registered: 8-2001 |
Doug: I would never store a car on a lift, regardless of how many posts it has. The whole idea of a lift is to work on a car. My lift is always free.....you never know when you will need it. I tinker with several cars, change oil on my daily driver, and help good friends with checking their car, etc. One is very lucky, indeed, when one can predict when the lift will be needed. If one have to stack 2 cars to store them, then, maybe, one should consider a bigger garage. My garage is 40' X 106'......no need to store cars on top of each other. | ||
| Doug Meredith (Doug308)
Junior Member Username: Doug308 Post Number: 221 Registered: 2-2001 |
Would you 2 post guys use your lift as storage as well with one on top and one underneath? The rack will be used for maintenance when needed and possibly future storage. | ||
| Henryk (Henryk)
Member Username: Henryk Post Number: 327 Registered: 8-2001 |
William: Is that a Daytona? Very nice. | ||
| Henryk (Henryk)
Member Username: Henryk Post Number: 325 Registered: 8-2001 |
I bought a 2-post lift, so that I DON'T have to use hydraulic jacks, bottle jacks, jack stands, concrete blocks, and wood. Lawrence has verified my suspicions; that a 4-post lift would not serve my needs. One obviously still needs the very items one is trying to avoid! That "....there is little danger", is NOT acceptable to me. | ||
| William Badurski (Billb)
Junior Member Username: Billb Post Number: 107 Registered: 6-2001 |
 Here's a photo of my car on the twin post lift. As you can see, access is great with this type of hoist. | ||
| William Badurski (Billb)
Junior Member Username: Billb Post Number: 105 Registered: 6-2001 |
I'd agree with Henryk's comments. I've had a two-post 7500 lb. hoist which is bolted to the floor, in operation at my house for 14 years with no problems. It gives great access to everything. In my case, the manufacturer recommended a minimum thickness on the concrete footings, so if you go this route check into that before buying. | ||
| Lawrence Coppari (Lawrence)
Member Username: Lawrence Post Number: 404 Registered: 4-2002 |
I have an Eagle 4 poster and have been using it for 4 or 5 years. I frequently raise the car off the lift while working on it. If you do it properly, there is little danger. Do the raising before you raise the entire car with the lift. Try shoving the car in the raised position with the lift on the ground and all wheels still on. If there is any movement chock the wheels that are still on the ground. I generally use a floor jack and bottle jacks set across the two sliding supports that go from one track to another. At times I use the Ferrari scissor jack for the initial raising generally with the jack on a track. No problem. Just pay attention to what you are doing. I don't ever leave it on any hydraulic mechanism. I always support it by wood blocks or jack stands after raising it with a hydraulic or scissor jack. I won't get under a car that is on the ground that is supported only by a hydraulic jack. My 328 will go up onto my lift with no problem. The lift is not bolted to the floor. I am very happy with it. | ||
| david a haney (David512bb)
New member Username: David512bb Post Number: 19 Registered: 1-2002 |
I have a Double Park 4 post lift. It has a set of casters that can be used to move the lift with or without a car on it, if necessary, but only in the lowered position for safety. The fact that the lift can be moved is very convenient for pressure washing the bottom of the car. And, the use of the jack plate feature, makes brake and spindle work very easy. Just my 2 cents worth. | ||
| David Burch (Merlyn)
New member Username: Merlyn Post Number: 28 Registered: 8-2002 |
If you are looking for the Mercedes Benz of lifts try Nussbaum. They are made in Germany, and no more expensive than others. I have a two post asymetrical. Over 15 years,no problems. | ||
| V.Z. (Ama328)
New member Username: Ama328 Post Number: 19 Registered: 11-2002 |
Russ, how do you handle the situation Henryk brought up, namely working on innards that require wheel removal ? Been looking at this a bit lately, checked the Eagle website, am kinda interested in a 4 post withe casters/wheels, but did wonder about how to get further inside the car for maintenance... | ||
| Henryk (Henryk)
Member Username: Henryk Post Number: 321 Registered: 8-2001 |
I would never trust a 3500 lb car on a lift with wheels. In the first place, it must be braced much stronger than a fixed lift, thus, adding materials, labor, and final cost. Besides, this lift would be a drive-on ramp type, so you will have to jack the car up in the corner, with a separate jack, if working on the axle: now you have a fixed point, with the rest of the car on wheels......VERY dangerous. When I reviewed them, I felt the ramp was just too obtrusive. I have a 2-post fixed (bolted to the concrete) Mohawk, 9,000 lb lift, with NO problems in the 2 years that I have had it. It is the BEST lift made. When I move, I just remove the bolts. Drilling new bolt holes would take only 20 minutes, and you have, again, a fixed, STABLE lift. Unless others can convince me, I see NO use in a four post lift vs the 2-post, unless you are only working on the exhaust. | ||
| Todd Gieger (Todd328gts)
Member Username: Todd328gts Post Number: 257 Registered: 6-2002 |
Mine is not bolted to the floor and it is fine...check it out...http://server.ferrarichat.com/~ferrari/ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/21/165105.html?1037515249 | ||
| Peter Topman (Peter_topman)
New member Username: Peter_topman Post Number: 13 Registered: 8-2002 |
Here's my lift experience. (not a good one) I bought a Lift from Lifts Unlimited. To make this short : 1. The lift arrived late. 2. Parts were missing. 3. The lift was built incorrectly and a new column had to be shipped out. 4. Some of the parts were rusting prematurely. 5. The accessories package arrived an additional 6 weeks later ! 6. The lift had to be reworked to operate correctly. 7. I later found this company has law suits against them. see this as proof: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=258483&page=1 | ||
| Russ Moore (Rem9)
Junior Member Username: Rem9 Post Number: 105 Registered: 6-2001 |
Doug, I have a 4 post lift and have had no problems for the past 4 years. It's an Eagle SS-7000 and was the unit I determined to be superior after checking out a number of them. I have used it for all cars in the collection and even my F-250 diesel pickup and my wife's Explorer. It is very stable even though it's not lagged into the floor which was an early concern. I don't have the wheels but you could contact Eagle and I am sure they would give you some references. If you have the power available I suggest the 220 volt pump as opposed to the 120 or 12 volt unit. You can use a welding outlet if that's handy to the location. When I installed the lift, my daughter and I did it in one day. Pretty straight forward. Let me know if I can answer any other questions. Glad to assist. | ||
| Doug Meredith (Doug308)
Junior Member Username: Doug308 Post Number: 220 Registered: 2-2001 |
Looking to invest in a 4 post lift. Questions on the options. Anyone have their lift on the casters that most mfg. offer? Advantage: dont have to bolt into your concrete floor exposing holes if you ever move and want to take it. Disadvantages:not as stable? Any other options from a been there, done that perspective? |