car lift owners-preparation suggestions?

I have an Eagle 4 post lift which I use for service and storage in the snow days of winter. I have a 12' ceiling which works out well. Standard 4" concrete floor with no other support. If you go for a 2 post lift you need at least a 6" deep concrete floor. Also you should get the a-semetrical type where you can open your doors with the car on the lift. That way you don't need to worry about where you park to get out of the car. When I got the 4 poster I got the wheel option so I can move it around and even take it outside to steam clean the undercarriage and motor. Also go for the 7000lb. capacity. my .02 here

 

Ijust installed a 2 post asymtrical 10,000 lift in my new Ferrari shop at the house (36'x30').

I had 8" concrete floors poured but I was told 5" is fine. You need a minimum of 12' ceilings, not 11'11" but 12'!

A 4 post lift is great for parking, but is extremely limited it what it can do on a modern mid-engine Ferrari.

Neither system is better than the other, they are just different.

You need a minimum of 12' off the front for installation and a minimum of 3' off the side from the wall if you actually want to work on both sides.

I initially was going to install on the far side of this 3 stall shop, but quickly realized the center was the best option.

Good luck, once you decide what you want your lift to do for you, that will determine the lift you need.

Chris

 

I also recommend a 2 post asymtrical lift. You should talk to your installer for the best location for the posts. I got my lift from a local dealer that does many commercial sites. The advantage was that the cost was about the same as mail order and they installed it in about 3 hours. They have all the right tools and knowledge to do it right. The only thing that they did not do was the electrical connection. I hard wired it but they said that I could have used a heavy duty 240 volt extention cord. I do not think I would use it for long term stacked parking, because of possible damage from the top car's suspension being in an extended position all the time.

 

Whoops: to late to add the structural reinforcement that would have made a 2 post lift really secure. An extra 3*3*1 foot of concrete under each post and some rebar reinforcement would have prevented any possibility for the 2 post lift to have capacity issues.

 

Get the SS7000 4 post lift from www.teamlift.com. With a 4 post lift you can use it to work on your car and for storage whereas a 2 post lift can't be used for storage. Just order the jack trays and you can do brake and suspension work as good as with a 2 poster . I have one in my garage and park my M5 under my Boxer. It cost $2600 for the lift, shipping and installation by a local commercial lift maintenance company they contracted with.

 

Like Frank, I am going for a 4-post lift but from www.autolifters.com. The model number is M6. The lifts are commercial grade and come with jack trays, drip pans and optional caster set so the lift can be moved from one bay to the other or turned sideways against the forward wall for storage etc...Probably a bit more expensive but worth it in the long run, especially if there is an earthquake. The engine on my 308 comes out the top so I don't have to worry about 'drop out' clearance when doing a major on my car. I'm wondering if a mid-engine drop-out would still be possible anyway? Anybody?
It comes in 115v or 220v versions. I'll be going with the 220v because of the lower amperage draw per leg.

Just about ready to break ground on the shop. All I can do is 28' wide by 34' deep. I'll probably put in a main door 18' wide. When I'm done working on the 308 I'll just run it up to the top, lock the lift and park my 240 underneath. I'll try for a ceiling height over 12' if possible to ensure clearance for my truck.

DJ

 

I have been thinking of adding a lift in my garage. The ceiling is tall enough, but the garage track will have to be moved up, closer to the ceiling. I can't picture how the track & motor will look, does anyone have a picture of their garage door opener that has been mounted 'flush' with the ceiling?

Thanks -

John

 

All the two post lifts I looked at had to be permanently anchored to the floor. I wound up getting an Eagle SS7000 four post lift. It just sits on the floor, and with the optional casters can be moved around easily. With the jack tray, I can lift the car up to do wheel and suspension work just fine. Drip trays that fit between the rails keep any oil, water, etc. off of the car on the bottom.

There may be a clearance problem if you have a large component (like an engine) that needs to be removed from the bottom. A two post definately provides more working room, but overall I'm very pleased with my four post.

Like brm, I don't think storing a car with the suspension fully extended sounds good. Also, a four post lift just seems more stable than a two post. They may be perfectly safe, but I just couldn't get the fear of the concrete cracking and the car tipping over out of my mind.

I went with roll-up doors for my garage. They store in about a two-foot area directly above the door, so I don't have to worry with the door or tracks interfering with my vehicle even with the doors fully open.