[Don]

A number of past Threads on car lifts, recap on selection considerations from Classic Car.com. Those that have made the purchase may have additional points to mention.

http://www.classiccar.com/

Tech: Selecting a Four-Post Car Lift:

" Sometimes when garage space becomes a premium the only place to go is up. A large number of lift manufacturers have appeared over the years selling over/under lifts primarily for the purpose of vehicle storage, rather than repair. Choosing one of these lifts is serious business. If the lift fails, not only will the car on the lift be damaged, whatever (or worse, whoever) is parked under it will also find itself in trouble.

The most common type of storage lift is of the free-standing (portable or semi-portable) four-post runway style, and that is the style we are looking at today. The second type of lift is the repair lift, most commonly a two-post design which is anchored into the floor.

There are seven primary attributes to look at when purchasing a four-post lift.

Capacity: Common capacities are 7000 and 9000 pounds and are suitable for most classic car applications. For those of you into military vehicles or heavy trucks, four-post runway lifts are available that can accommodate from 9000 pounds all the way up to 120,000 pounds (in case you find yourself restoring a 1952 M48 Patton).

Frame Construction: Lift frames can be either channel or boxed. Channel frames -- while lighter and less expensive -- tend to flex under load. Boxed frames will be resistant to flexing under load, and will add stability to the lift. Additionally, the thicker the fame material the less flex there will be under load. All-steel construction is preferred.

Floor Mounts: Lifts can be either free standing (portable) or be mounted temporarily to a concrete garage floor (semi-portable). A lift that is designed specifically not to flex or spread while under load may have no need for floor mounting bolts, but the cost of a few extra bolts would likely be worth the peace of mind. Anti-spread bolts or rods may be used to further strengthen a lift, especially when the lift uses channel frame construction.

Safety Latches/Locks: Safety locks are either captive or of a pressure tab style. With the pressure tab style, the lock rests on an detent tab, rather than slides into a hole as with a captive lock. Captive safety locks will not un-latch when lateral movement is applied to the lift. In other words, an accidental bump will not disengage the captive locks, making this type of lock superior to safety catches that rely purely on downward force to maintain the lock. Ideally, safety latches should be located on all four columns.

Runway Reinforcement: The runway or driving deck should be reinforced and have a non-skid surface. A non-reinforced runway can warp and bend under the load, creating additional stress on deck welds and potential premature failure.

Hose Connections: Hose connections should be allowed free movement, as to avoid kinks or other hose interference. A reverse-flow restrictor should also be used in the event of hose failure. With a flow restrictor, the lift will slowly lower itself to the ground or to the first available lock should the hose burst or fail while the locks are not fully in place.

Accessories: Take note of any accessories that may be available for the lift. Caster kits, drip pans, upgraded jacks, adjustable ramps, and more can be often purchased separately. "