Car lifts

[cobrakiwi]

I am considering a car lift for the garage mainly for storage but to be able to work on my cars as well, what I want to here from you all is the pros and cons between a 4 post and 2 post lifts. I like the idea of the 2 post as this would make the cars easer to work on. But how is storing a car on the 2 post?
Thanks to all that chime in.

[Kramer]

FWIW, I chose the 4post lift for a few reasons:

1. my garage is normal and I was worried about concrete thickness if I went with a two post(I heard they need a thicker floor than standard builders putin place)

2. If you really want it for storage, 4post are better

3. I am sure you can use a 2 post for storage, however I can't think it is good for the suspension to hang that long.

4. On the better lifts you can buy jack trays that allow you to do wheel work, etc. I have my car on jack stands on my lift with all the tires off to do some wheel well work.

Kramer

[jwd]

I copied this from another forum:

4 post advantages:
-easy drive on drive off
-free standing, no need to anchor down
-can easily be moved with optional wheel kit
-can be used to store two cars in one space
-by building or buying center decking (to fit between the ramps), the lift can be used for motorcycles, lawn mowers, etc.
-the decks are a good place to put tools, parts, etc when working underneath your car

4 post disadvantages:
-takes more floor space than 2 post
-you need to use jack tray for suspension work

2 post advantages:
-uses less floor space
-good for suspension work since the suspension is unloaded as you lift
-better access to underside of car due to lack of ramps

2 post disadvantages:
-must be anchored down, if not done correctly can lead to a disaster, especially the asymetrical lifts, concrete must be 6" thick
-need to position the lift arms each time you lift
-access to interior can be impaired by doors hitting posts and lift arm placement
-definately NOT to be used for storage

[1bad66]

4 post all the way

[CHRIS DAMSCH]

4 post and happy here.

[flwolfman]

I have a two post lift and love it for working on the car. I would NOT use it for storage at all. Regards.

[Wayne Maybury]

Do a search, this has been dicussed here several times.

Wayne

[James Baldwin]

depending on the kind of car you have, swinging the arms under sidepipes does not work well on cars that sit low like ERAs.

[Ron61]

When I was looking at lifts I only looked at the 4 posts. But I had to go with the Kwick Lift Ramps as it was just to expensive to have my garage door changed out and the motor moved higher into the ceiling. I just felt the 4 posts were safer and easier to work with if you got a good one.

Ron

[mike knight]

I have two fours in my garage and they are great. One comment that I have is that the lifts I purchased are a little on the narrow side for the older full size cars. If you like the big old caddies, buicks etc. pay attention to the widths of the various manufacturers. Mine are Eagles made in the USA.

[Nantucket427]

http://www.backyardbuddy.com/

[ng8264723]

If you do a lot of work on your car then a 2 post is best. It allows the most access. If storage is needed then a 4 post

[wizard man]

the best way to go is a single post from american custom lifts ask for brad i have vhad it four three years and no problem if i knew how to post i would sorry

[Tangible Toys]

Hey cobrakiwi,
We looked into lifts,we use the 2 post lift for our service side,but we bought a four post to put the cheetahs on waiting for build! they are GREAT you can push them around,try that with a bolt in unit!!!

[REAL 1]

Rotary Lift with jack trays. You can get casters to move the lift around also.

One of the best.

[Midwest Classic]

I use a four post from backyard buddy. Spent a lot of time looking for one and checking out different lifts. Don't go cheap you are working under this thing and don't need it to fall. You can get the casters for the lift as well as the jack stand to raise the car when doing brake work. It is really fool proof when someone wants to borrow the lift. Two posts have their plus points but you have to get the arms at the right points to prevent a problem. If you go two post buy a good tripod jack that you can use to support the car from tipping, even the big shops use them

Robbin
Midwest Classic

[Bill Wells]

I posted the following on Club Cobra several times in response
to questions re comparison of 4 post and 2 post lifts :

I have a Rotary Lift two post assymetrical column hoist
and a Stinger brand 4 post drive on hoist. some quick comparisions after about 109 yrs using
ea:

TWO POST: generally requires much more ceiling height, 6-8" of floor
thickness, is bolted to the floor, comes in symmetrical or assymetrical
column choices, to my knowledge requires 220v (30 amp for mine), is more
limiting generally in frame clearance for pick up points ( low slung cars,
side pipe cars, small framed cars etc might need to be driven onto pieces of
wood for the 'two swing arms' to fit under the pick up points) . a great
lift if you are going to constantly detail the underside of your car, front
fender wells behind the wheels and frequently r/r your wheels and tires or
do a significant amount of suspension work. columns generally require, on
most of the hoists, ceiling hts of 10-14 feet depending on lift capacity and
brand. you have much more freedom for access of all undersides of the car as
it is not blocked by rails that your car sits on with a 4 poster. symetrical
columns place the car door at about 50/5o front to rear so caution needs to
be used when opening the doors so they dont hit the columns. assymetrical
places the car at 1/3-2/3 prox so the doors will miss the columns if car is
placed properly and depending on the car. for my 57 Bird this hoist
works great for attention to undercarriage detail etc for shows as
suspension/wheels are free hanging. for my cobra replica and 65 mustang with
side pipes it aint so hot as placement of the arms is difficult and can
squeeze the suspension pieces. also, if you are going to store a car
underneath it, the free hanging tires reduces the height of the car going
underneath as the top might hit the rear wheels driving on vs a 4 poster
where you have more clearance.

FOUR POST: much easier to use, just drive on. should require only standard
4" of concrete. can be bolted to the floor but does not need to be. wheels
can be ordered that attach on temp basis allowing hoist to be moved with or
without a car on it. can be powered with 110 or 220 power. column heights
are less than 7' , usually 6' . low slung cars can get on , if needed there
are longer drive on removable ramps available allowing cars of only 3"
clearance, or with pronounced front air dams to still clear. 'jacking trays'
can be ordered allowing you to jack up the car while on the hoist using a
bottle jack and then jack stands for brake/susp/tire change work etc. at
full lift ht you have more 'headroom' underneath for storing another car
there ,see reference above to wheels hanging down on a 2 post. this is my
hoist of choice .

CAUTIONS : remember to allow plenty of clearance overhead so car does not go
boom into obstructions : things generally over a car stall such as garage
door track (move it to the side), ceiling lights, low ceiling with door
lower when opened (get a 'high lift kit' and snug it up to the ceiling).
however, you can still fit many two cars in a lowered ceiling. my 2 poster
is under a 11-1/2' ht and my 4 poster under a 9-1/2' ht and i can still park
many combos of two cars over each other. in fact, i fit 5 cars into a 3 car
garage by stacking 2 over 2. remember when measuring for clearances to
measure the highest points, top bow or ht is higher than windhshield header.
a stock antennae adds a couple of more inches. i put power antennaes on 2
of my cars to get more clearance. sometimes a car can be backed onto the
ramp getting more garage door clearance, ie, longer hood fits better under
the door when opened than short front end and windshield. also, most mfrs
tell you to measure the ht of each vehicle and add 4" (normal 4 post cross
member dimension) to determine clearances. many of them forget to tell you
to add another 2" for clearance AND the ability to raise the car up off the
stop enough that the locking pins will clear the safety stops. I fit a new
Taurus and /or new model Mustang under either my 65 Stang or Cobra replica
under the 9-1/2' ceiling ht, while the lift can not go to full ht due to the
ceiling interference, i can still duck down enough to walk around under the
car, ala a little hunchbacked. 6 footers would have to hunch more, but you
do not need 10' or more ht to fit in a hoist. my guess is 10-1/2' ceiling ht
with no overhead obstructions is great for most car applications. 11' to
11-1/2' and you could probably lift a panel truck to full 6' lift capacity.

good luck with your choice. once you get one you will wish you had done it
sooner. no more aching backs working on tires or waxing, just raise/lower
the car to your preferred ht and work straight armed in front of
you....working /detailing underneath ? just get a stool or chair on wheels
and lower the car above you to an easy to reach ht while scooting around on
the chair underneath....Bill