4 Post Lift Recommendations

I now have 2 Challenger 4 post lifts (9000 lb model) with 220v motor. i went with challenger because somewhere along the way, i got the impression they were made in usa. maybe the motor is made in usa, but the steel is most likely not made in usa. they are robust, good quality, not flimsy at all, and cost more than the cheapest lifts out there. i recommend the brand and model. CL4ps i think is the model. Costco had a great special on them years ago, but not recently.
bendpak requires air pressure to disengage the locks, which seems annoying and inconvenient. with the challenger, you just have to move a lever

i know there are lots of other brands out there. they are probably more similar than different. the only one that is very different is the Autostacker. it does not have columns at all, which frees up space in a tight garage. but it has a separate control unit, which will take up space, so in the end i did not go with this more expensive lift. (It also has a flat platform with no access to the bottom of the car).

although I am a do-it-myself person for everything, i just could not justify the effort in hauling and installing one of these. installation of one for me was just recently something like $1300, which is not cheap!

 

Great info and thank you for sharing all of the details.

 

@jsumnertx did you have to do anything with your garage door, ie, a high lift kit?

I have been thinking about putting a 4-post lift in one side of my car barn, but I'll need to do something about the garage door -- I have about 9' clearance under the door when it's rolled open and sitting overhead on the tracks. I can gain about 12" more if I put a high lift kit on the door to raise it higher, but not sure it's worth it to gain just an extra 12-14".

 

I've been doing the math for the locks too, which is not something you want to miss! It's amazing how many things need to be taken into consideration, including floor slope. My garage floor has a standard 1/8" per foot slope so there is about 3" height difference front to back. I have been measuring floor to fixtures on the high end since that has the least amount of vertical space, but that is conservative since the high point of cars are generally in the middle or rear and there could be a notable difference between hood height and roof height on a car.

Right now I could stack two 308/328 cars without an issue, or put my 328 on the bottom and my S2000 on the top as long as the S2000 convertible top is lowered. There is more flexibility if cars are backed on the lift since that would put the low part of most cars under the door but not sure I want to be backing a manual transmission car onto the ramps regularly.

I need to get more specific about the headroom gains a high lift kit would buy me and maybe take car shape into account. I am finishing up a jackshaft opener install in one bay of my car barn today and will make some measurements to see what gains I can get on the other side where a lift could go.

What's your impression after living with the lift -- is it a hassle to get the 308 out for a drive? Right now I like the flexibility of having four cars spread across four bays. I drive them all about equally. The lift will let me store a 5th car but with less flexibility/convenience.

I'll put a pic of the high bay (with 328) below. I believe the distance between the ceiling and the garage door torsion spring drums is going to define what gain I can get with a high lift kit.

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I have two 4-post lifts, and also a low rise 2-post lift for working on the car. access to the cars on the 4 post lift is a bit of a pain - i have to move the car underneath, lower the lift, and then attach the very heavy extended length ramps. this last part, the ramps, is the biggest frustration. yes, it only takes a minute to do, but they are heavy. Ideally, the lift would have ramps that stay on the lift, but those kind of lifts need to be raised really high to drive a car underneath without hitting the ramps, so not practical for almost anyone
i seriously considered a different kind of lift - the Autostacker - because it does not need ramps at all. but that lift has its own issues, with a large separate control console, and the lift cross arms, that might get in the way. and it is expensive

in the end, a 4 post lift is only a good idea for me, because without them, i would have no where to put my cars! i would much rather have more garages, but that is not in the cards right now. hoping to get rid of the kids cars and the wife's car in the near future...

 

I wish I had that garage ceiling height. Mine is 9'9" near the front and 9'7" near the back of the garage to the ceiling. The motor is 7" tall for the door/chain so at most I could get 9 feet clear. Is it basically not feasible to get a lift with only 9 foot max space since you said the lift has to go above the lock and then down to secure? I'm looking to put two sports cars (coupes) on it...about 52" and 54" heights each.

 

Thanks that's really helpful! I was hoping I could stack my Nissan GTR and Z, but seems I would need to put a shorter car on that stack. Guess it's more reason to find a super low Fcar lol. 355 Challenge if I'm lucky this year!

 

So rebuilding my 40 x 40 shop after a fire. 14' eves no space issues here. Had a 2 post lift. Now considering a 4 post so I can move it around "if needed". Is it gonna kill me moving around underneath a 4 post for routine work on my 488? Oil, brakes etc? Yes. I'll get a bridge jack, maybe a rolls royce to park up there and Ferrari underneath...so if measurements aren't an issue? Recommendations?
Thanks
Brett

 

I think many underestimate how low a garage can be and still stack two cars. They have a nice formula on Advantage Lifts to make it easy to determine.
https://realgaragelife.com/pages/4-post-car-lift-stacking-formula

Plenty of space to work under a 4 post if you buy a high lift version. This one has 6'10" under the lift deck on top position.
https://realgaragelife.com/products/advantage-dx-9000xlt

 

I prefer 2-post lifts personally. That's just me. Others seem fine with either. Just more clearance with a 2-post and less aggravation (for me)

 

I purchased the BendPak MD-6XP for my 1978 308 GTS. It works great and can be moved around, if needed. I sit on a chair while doing a full major service, moving the A/C compressor, replacing water pump, etc.


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Love my John deere....love the pic on the lift

 

After a lot of research I purchase a Advantage DX-9000-HD seven weeks ago, should show up next week I hope.
My top pick for 9,000 lbs. and below. You don't need air to operate it. Comes with a 110v motor, so slow to rise but can be ordered with 220v.
Made in China but so are the rest of the lifts in the 9,000 lbs. and below.

If you have the room go with a 14,000 lb. 4 post lift without air. Will be a much nicer lift for the money.

 

I bought an Atlas 8000 3 years ago and have been very happy with my purchase. Also had the seller put it together for me, can't remember the added cost though. Normally I have covers on both, but wanted to show they fit with either car on top. Ceiling is just shy of 10ft.
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