Do you own a garage lift?
08-02-2008, 10:31 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Member Since: Jun 2007
Location: Where it's always hot as Hell-South Louisiana.
Posts: 7,666
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Do you own a garage lift?
If so, what brand do you own? Are you happy with it, the pro's & con's.
Where did you buy it?
Not trying to be nosey, but what should I budget for a lift in my new garage? The garage will be a double with a lift on one side only.
Also- how much clearance do you have from floor to ceiling at your lift? What would you consider a minumum ?
Thanks guys, Mike J.
Where did you buy it?
Not trying to be nosey, but what should I budget for a lift in my new garage? The garage will be a double with a lift on one side only.
Also- how much clearance do you have from floor to ceiling at your lift? What would you consider a minumum ?
Thanks guys, Mike J.
08-02-2008, 10:41 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Oct 2004
Location: Haymarket Virginia
Posts: 8,615
Likes: 0
Received 56 Likes
on
30 Posts
I've got a backyard buddy 4 post. I love it and use it often!
My ceiling height is 11ft and i can fit my vette on top and another car under it. Keep in mind if you put a lift in that you're gonna need to raise your garage door closer to the ceiling.
My ceiling height is 11ft and i can fit my vette on top and another car under it. Keep in mind if you put a lift in that you're gonna need to raise your garage door closer to the ceiling.
08-02-2008, 10:48 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Member Since: Jun 2007
Location: Where it's always hot as Hell-South Louisiana.
Posts: 7,666
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
I understand that idea, but do you simply add more panels on the door, or more tracks?
08-02-2008, 10:52 PM
#4
Advanced
I too have a Backyard Buddy 4 post lift. I have 9 foot ceiling which is adequate to get two low cars (corvette, miata) or just the hood of my Jeep cherokee under, which is enough room to clear my garage door to close. My recommendation is to buy American e.g. the Backyard Buddy or similar. Steer away from the Chinese made crapola.
08-02-2008, 11:32 PM
#6
Team Owner
I have a 2 post 11000 lb. lift (see avatar). It is 132" to the top, so I used a truss ceiling.
08-03-2008, 12:35 AM
#8
Racer
I just had a BendPak HD-9 installed. I have a short, narrow, but tall garage and chose the BendPak due to its dimensions and safety features. It has some safety features some of the others do not. I had my garage door track modified. Used the same door, just changed the track so the door hugs the ceiling. Installed a new motor (Liftmaster Direct Drive: http://www.amarr.com/residential/doo...ect_drive.html) that mounts on the wall by the door instead of above the door. I am very pleased with mine. Here is the BendPak site: http://www.bendpak.com/products/auto...fts/hd-9st.php
Also, check out the Automotive Lift Institute site for further info on what they do and the lifts they have tested / rated: http://www.autolift.org/standards.htm.
Once you decide on a lift, get the deminsions and lay it out with chalk or tape on your garage floor so you'll know exactly where it will sit. That way you may be able to make adjustments to get the max room out of your garage.
Good luck!
Also, check out the Automotive Lift Institute site for further info on what they do and the lifts they have tested / rated: http://www.autolift.org/standards.htm.
Once you decide on a lift, get the deminsions and lay it out with chalk or tape on your garage floor so you'll know exactly where it will sit. That way you may be able to make adjustments to get the max room out of your garage.
Good luck!
08-03-2008, 09:39 AM
#10
Safety Car
My buddy has a Bendpak. My advice is do not get the Standard width. While the numbers are right the space between the tires of a C6 is only about 1/2 inch per side. My buddy has already torn 2 tires up, Get the wide lift if you go with a 4 post Bendpak.
08-03-2008, 09:47 AM
#11
Drifting
Member Since: Jan 2007
Location: Melbourne FL
Posts: 1,878
Received 169 Likes
on
92 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09 & '11
I have a 4-poster from Greg Smith Equipment. I also have their Direct Lift Pro Jack 3500 that slides between the ramps and makes it really easy to lift the C6 to remove the wheels - matches up to the pucks (if you insist) perfectly. And also eliminates the need for jack stands. See it under "4-Post Lift Accessories" on their home page. The jack is expensive at $495 + shipping, but it's positively worth every penny. - and it can be adjusted to fit any 4-poster
08-03-2008, 10:13 AM
#12
Also, check out the Automotive Lift Institute site for further info on what they do and the lifts they have tested / rated: http://www.autolift.org/standards.htm.
Once you decide on a lift, get the deminsions and lay it out with chalk or tape on your garage floor so you'll know exactly where it will sit. That way you may be able to make adjustments to get the max room out of your garage.
Good luck!
I second this, go to the Automotive Lift Institute and ensure you're buying a certified lift. You do not want to be working under 3000+ plus of car and have something go wrong.
I also used the caulk method to lay out my lift.
Bend-Pak, Challenger, Rotary, Mohawk - there are many good lifts. Personally I am often working alone so I bought a 4 post 12K pound lift (I also own diesel trucks) - these have their drawbacks requiring a jacking plate and jack or in my case rolling air over hydraulic jacks.
Ryan
Cocoa, FL
08-03-2008, 10:50 AM
#14
Safety Car
Member Since: Jan 2006
Location: Miami FL
Posts: 4,598
Received 69 Likes
on
45 Posts
2020 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16,'17,'18-'19-'20-'21-'22
I have a used 2-post lift in my laboratory at work, and it lifts my C-10 diesel pickup truck with ease. The ceilings are 17 feet, but 12 would be plenty even for the truck. The garage door is a 12 foot steel roll-up, so no overhead door problems either.
08-03-2008, 12:29 PM
#15
Safety Car
Another consideration is your own height. If you are over 6' tall and want to be able to work upright under your car you will need taller ceilings than almost any residential garage will have.
08-03-2008, 12:52 PM
#17
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Sep 2002
Location: Cumming, GA
Posts: 1,133
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Youll hear many recommendations for the top dogs in the lift industry. After my research, I purchased a Super/Superior 4-post USA lift (Superlifts.com). They sell a US and import version. There are many build differences between the two including a life time warranty of the USA version.
My garage is a 3-car (2 doors) with 10' 3" ceilings.
To lift and stack you will need to raise the tracks and add an additional panel if you continue to use the existing opener. A company makes an opener that mounts on the wall above the opener (sorry I forget the name) but I was advised against purchasing one from several garage companies due to the reliability.
On the single garage door bay, I can stack two Vettes and work under it with no issues. By moving the lift to the two bay side, I can lift the Vettve much higher as the garage door opener is not directly above the lift.
If I recall, to purchase a "good" lift, accessories, installation, and the required prep work, plan on approx $4k. You could spend much less, but...
Side notes:
Some companies offer aluminum ramps for an additional cost ($50 if I recall). They weight approx 20 lbs each vs. the steel version of weighting in at 50+ lbs. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but when you are loading/unloading from under your vette it is much easier and safer to work with the lighter version.
For removing the wheels while the car is on the lift, I highly recommend a "Bag Jack". The jack sits on the cross member and lifts the car with an air bag. This is instead of a bottle jack.
My garage is a 3-car (2 doors) with 10' 3" ceilings.
To lift and stack you will need to raise the tracks and add an additional panel if you continue to use the existing opener. A company makes an opener that mounts on the wall above the opener (sorry I forget the name) but I was advised against purchasing one from several garage companies due to the reliability.
On the single garage door bay, I can stack two Vettes and work under it with no issues. By moving the lift to the two bay side, I can lift the Vettve much higher as the garage door opener is not directly above the lift.
If I recall, to purchase a "good" lift, accessories, installation, and the required prep work, plan on approx $4k. You could spend much less, but...
Side notes:
Some companies offer aluminum ramps for an additional cost ($50 if I recall). They weight approx 20 lbs each vs. the steel version of weighting in at 50+ lbs. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but when you are loading/unloading from under your vette it is much easier and safer to work with the lighter version.
For removing the wheels while the car is on the lift, I highly recommend a "Bag Jack". The jack sits on the cross member and lifts the car with an air bag. This is instead of a bottle jack.
08-03-2008, 04:26 PM
#20
Burning Brakes
I have a ProPark 7000 from Direct Lifts. I bought it for working on cars before I bought my C6. It included two 3500# rail jacks. It has a 6 foot lift height. I can't fit it into my garage, so I will be building a new garage soon.
Definitely get the aluminum ramps. I got the stock steel ones and the first time I used them I realized it was a mistake not to upgrade to aluminum.
John
Definitely get the aluminum ramps. I got the stock steel ones and the first time I used them I realized it was a mistake not to upgrade to aluminum.
John