2 Post Car Lift

[L.M.Lind]

I am planning on purchasing a 2 Post lift for my garage, due to ceiling height (9'9"), I will need the floor plate design lift. American has these on special for $1695 + shipping. Anybody using this type of lift with their Cobra? All comments appreciated! Len

[Bill Wells]

i have a 2 post lift and a 4 post lift. my 2 post is the floor plate design of another mfr, see pics in my photo gallery. 4 poster is easier to use for low clearance cars, side pipes et al. each has different strengths and weaknesses. research both before you buy is my recommendation. previousl i posted the following in comparing the two hoist styles :




I posted the following on another car club website some time ago in response
to a question re comparison of 4 post and 2 post lifts.

I have a two post assymetrical column hoist
and a 4 post drive on hoist. some quick comparisions after about 8 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 show car 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 exhaust 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 Wells

[L.M.Lind]

Thanks Bill! I do appreciate the detailed info! It has helped in my decision. Len

[chopper]

FWIW, I was looking at these about a year ago, but decided against it due to a number of reasons, the most important being that my house builder told me the floor wasn't stressed for it. However, I was looking at this Gemini lift:

http://www.geminilift.com/gpo9A.htm

I looked at several and this one has a minimum pad height of 4 inches, which would just barely fit under both the Cobra and the wife's Miata.

One other item of note. I have a 10' 6" ceiling in the garage. The standard dimension of this lift is 11'11", designed to fit under a 12' ceiling. I did talk with the manufacturer and they CAN make it shorter, for an additional fee. The additional fee is due to the fact that they have to manufacture some non-standard parts for both the side supports and the cables connecting the two lifting arms. I'm not sure how much the additional charge would be. They also have a shorter design:

http://www.geminilift.com/gp9F.htm

This is designed to fit under the shorter ceilings, but the price is that the cables run along the floor as opposed to overhead. Some folks don't want the area under the lift obstructed by this channel. Maybe this helps some.

[Gatorac]

A 2 post lift takes up a lot less space in the garge. It's better for swapping wheels. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. I have one of these.



Best investment I ever made. I use it constantly. It fits under an 8' ceiling.

autolifters.com

When you call ask for the "internet special deal". They paid most of the shipping charges for me.

[jhaynie]

How difficult is it to jack the car up on a 4 post lift?

[Bill Wells]

jhaynie, re jacking on a 4 post lift :

it is no big deal, get one or two 'jacking plates' or 'jacking trays' that are optional from the lift mfrs . mine slide on the side rails fore /aft for needed positioining. then a bottle jack or two underneath the jacking points on top of the jacking tray and jack it up. best then to use jackstands too for safety sake. for as infrequently as someone would probably need to do that, it is not a hassle at all, just a little extra work vs a 2 post lift where everything hangs loose.

[dalola]

Check this out as a space saving alternative. I just purchased one, and really like it so far. It may not be ideal for Cobras and very low ground clearance cars, but man is it handy, without taking up lots of space. When not used, my SVT Focus parks right over top of it! One could always cut some concrete to recess it in the floor to gain drive-over clearance, or run some ramps along side as well. At any rate, it was exactly what I've been looking for, and thought some of you may find it appealing as well.

http://www.bendpak.com/DB-Interfaces...9&ProductID=47

Dave

[dalola]

Here's a pic with my Focus on it, about half lift. It will go up 48" total, about when the roof of the car approaches the ceiling of the garage.
~Dave

[Lew Ledyard]

Dave:

That lift looks great. Especially if you change wheels/tires often. I have seen those placed in a recess in the garage floor so they are essentially flush. Has anyone tried these on a Cobra? Do the jacking points line up? I know the Porsche guys use them.

[GeoMass]

I am glad I joined this club. Just by reading what has been posted on this thread has helped me to decide what I needed to do with the garage and lift.

This is a great place!!!!

[dalola]

Lew,

It's really ideal for maintenance, as everything is easily accessed. The only restricted area is the center, but even it is somewhat accessable. About the only thing that would impossible would be RWD transmission R&R.

I can't imagine it wouldn't adapt to Cobra lift points. The arms are adjustable, as well as the lifting pads. It even comes with truck adapters. I had an F-150 4x4 on it, fit great.

Here's another pic with my mower on it! How's that for versatility!
~Dave

[ToyCollector]

I have a two post Rotary SPOA9 assymetrical. Pictures can be seen in the gallery. Arms fit under my old SPF fine and every other vehicle I have except my race car, which I just jack up a bit with a hydraulic jack and then swing arms under.
Best single accessory for the garage, next to a compressor.

[B. SMITH]

WHAT ARE THE PRICES OF THE SMALL AND MID LIFT SCISSOR STYLE LIFTS? ARE THEY ON DISCOUNT ALSO?

THANKS,, B. SMITH

[excelguru]

Nice mower.

[L.M.Lind]

Yes.... I ordered a Bend-Pac XL-9 today, 2 post floor plate model for $2100 delivered to Houston. Thanks to all posts! len

http://www.bendpak.com/DB-Interfaces...6&ProductID=62

[dalola]

B. Smith,
My MD-6XP cost $1565 delivered, from Garage Equipment Supply. www.gesforless.com They had the best prices, and were great to work with. They carry the whole Bend-Pak/Ranger line.

E-Guru,
Thanks. She'll beat any Cobra in a grass cutting race!

~Dave

[speed220mph]

If cost is no object, here's the king of lifts; Hunter's four-post lift with jacks front and rear. This is the most versatile lift I've ever used, but prepared to lay out the $$$$.

[speed220mph]

Here's the photo I intended to attach:

[B. SMITH]

I JUST ORDERED A DUAL RAM, SCISSOR LIFT FROM WWW.NORTHERNTOOL.COM

$1599 DELIVERED FREE. NO TAX. ITEM #144732. WITH MAX. 53" LIFT.

AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I FOUND IT WILL GIVE ME THE MOST LIFT IN THE SMALLEST SPACE FOR THE LEAST MONEY. OTHER SITES HAD IT FOR $2000. IT IS THE HEAVIEST OF THE PORTABLES, WEIGHING #1200 LBS. IT ALSO HAS 2 RAMS INSTEAD OF ONE. THE ELECTRIC PUMP-HYDRAULIC IS 120 VOLTS BUT I ENDERSTAND THAT 12 V MAY BE AVAILABLE.

THE WAY IT IS BUILT, IT WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE SIDEPIPES BUT YOU WILL NEED 2 WOODEN 2X8'S ON THE FLOOR TO MAKE SURE THE LOW COBRAS CLEAR WHEN DRIVING ON.

BE CAREFUL BECAUSE THERE IS A LIGHTER SINGLE RAM 29" MODEL THAT LOOKS SIMILAR THAT OTHER COMPANIES SELL FOR ALMOST THE SAME MONEY. I NEARLY MADE THAT MISTAKE.

LIFTS ARE GREAT, B. SMITH