Can I get some recommendations on 4 post lifts? I saw a used Challenger 40EFX for sale locally and it got me thinking. I had my knee scoped about 2 weeks ago and it sure would be nice to have a lift in the garage. Between my ’69 Vette project, my son’s ’70 Mustang, my ’38 Dodge street rod and my ’67 C-10 daily driver I could get a lot of use out of one of these. I think I would definitely want a 4 post. I know there must be some opinions out there.

Some of the questions I have are:

What features to look for?

What should I expect to pay?

Any brands top steer clear of?

Thanks in advance, Tom

 

Whats your ceiling height? Be sure to measure with the garage door in its up position...

 

Don't know what is best for your application but the biggest concern I would have is the strength and thickness of the concrete floor.
Most of the manufacturers have installation requirements on their web sites.

 

Good pints - I can call my builder to get garage floor thickness. I know I have some measuring to do.

 

Really not an issue with a 4 post lift. Big issue with a 2 post.

Greg.

 

Stay clear of Backyard Buddy. They don't honor their warranty.

 

Lowest concrete is 2500 psi, that's compressive strength of a clinder 12" high and 6" in dia.
You can thicken your floor/pad for a few feet around your projcted mounting points to be safe.
Although some do not use it, it is very important to use steel reinforcement, basically, the more the better. Steel 6"x 6" mesh with some #5 bars @ 12" is more than enough.
You are better to reinforce thinner concrete than to use thicker with little steel.
Make sure base is compacted fill.

2 post for most mechanical work most versatile
4 post for exhaust work and storage

 

I have an Eagle 7000 pound narrow 4 post and it is sitting on a 3" thick concrete floor in a shed that was built 60 years ago. It's not bolted down at all and is stable and solid. I've had it about 10 years. Eagle is a nice quality piece of equipment with a reputation to match. However, I've seen 2 other brands that look EXACTLY like the eagle that I have. The nice thing about a 4 post is that you can get the caster set for it so that you can lift it up onto it's wheels and roll it around the garage real easy. They also are a very stable platform to work off of. My dream lift would be a 4 poster with casters and 2 pneumatic jacksets. (I guess all I need is the casters and jacksets since I already have the lift but those jacks are $$$$$$$$$)


-Justin

 

I have a 4 post from Direct Lift and I'm very satisfied with it. I've had it a couple years now. I use it for work on my vettes and for storage. It lets me park 2 vettes in one bay. My ceiling height is 9' 9" and I have a little less than a foot to spare to get the lift high enough to drive the second vette under. Be carefull of your garage door though I have to back in the top car or the door would hit it when open.

I don't see that slab thickness is a big issue with a 4 post lift. With the car on the lift you still have 4 contact points just as your four tires would have. I think I remember the lift weights about 1500 lbs so it's not adding that much.

As for as work goes on the cars go there hasn't been anything I couldn't do because I have a 4 post verus a 2. If the wheels need to come off I just use jack stands on the rails to support the car. And I don't find that the rails hamper access at all plus an added benefit of the rails is they make nice place to set your tools and parts while working. Oh and the thing about working on the car with only 4' 6" under it isn't so bad either, I just use an old office chair on rollers and sit, it's works great.

The model I have is the Pro Park 7. I got the caster kit, drip trays, and jack tray with mine.

Here's a link to their website. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

http://www.directlift.com/

Hope this helps,
Steve

 

I have been considering the Pro Park 7 from Greg Smith Equipment Sales in Delaware. I am a little ways up here in North New Jersey. They say they will deliver to a residence. I am curious how you got the package off the truck? They say you need a fork lift or equivalent. Usually those carriers need to drop it off quickly and get moving to the next delivery.

Joe

 

Thanks guys, great information. Good to hear that you can position a jackstand on the rail to get the wheels off - that is critical. There is a good chance my wife and I will move back up to CO as soon as my youngest son heads off to college (in a little better than 2 years) so whatever I've got has to be able to be moved.

 

Joe,

I picked up my lift in Dallas and brought it home on my trailer. Once home I uncrated it and off loaded it piece by piece with my engine lift. The hardest pieces to handle are the rails but I was able to do everything by myself. It took me about 4 hours to put it all together and get it adjusted. Not too bad a job but a second person helping would be a benefit especially with the rails.

If you have too pick up the rails by hand it's going to take at least 2 farily strong guys. They are bulky and hard to handle as well as weighing I guessing 2 or 3 hundred pounds each. I'm thinking if the truck driver would give you 15 or 20 minutes you could unpack all the parts and off load it by hand. Or yeah, you'll need a fork lift.

Steve

 

What do you think your lowest useable ceiling can be. Would a 10ft ceiling be acceptable?

 

10 ft should work. Figure from the floor to the top of a Vette is about 50". That will still give you almost 6' under the car with it all the way up.
I also have the Direct Lift, mine from Greg Smith Indianapolis. Had it delivered to my wife's place of work where they had a loading dock and forklists available. Went over with my son and work van and broke the packageing down and loaded it all up on top and inside of the van. Took about an hour, it's packaged good, stuff bolted together. ONE trip home. It was a big load! Talk about top heavy! Son helped me unload the parts and we called it a day!
Had a little 4 wheel dolly that I was able to get the rails onto using a 2X4 as a lever. Got everything in place and called the son back over just to help lift the rails onto the crossbars. Assembled all the rest by myself.
Don't know how I ever lived without it!!

The struts at the posts were just something I was able to add just for my piece of mind. Also notice the mirror on the wall. Helps to see the tires as you pull onto the lift.

 

I have a Backyard Buddy and like it a LOT. It's well made. I haven't had any problems at all, so I can't speak for their warranty. I haven't heard about the warranty of other either, so I don't know if Backyard Buddy is worse or better.

What I like about the Backyard Buddy is that the posts are completely INSIDE the ramp guides. The posts are completely closed with lock slots only. Other lifts have open posts with guides that run up and down inside the posts, not the other way around. If you're going to be lifting heavier vehicles than your Corvette (like I do), then post strength should be something you should check into closely.

 

I think my ceiling is only 8ft. I am worried that I wouldn't be able to fit a car under the Corvette when lifted. That would negate most of the reason for buying the lift. I need to be sure.

Anyone using a lift with an 8ft ceiling garage?

 

8" might be pushing it depending on what you want to park underneath. My autolifter 4 poster is in a 10' garage that has had the garage door changed to a high lift so it clears when a car is all the way up. When my corvette is all the way up I have 63" of clearance under.

 

I hate to say but I don't think you are going to be able to stack two cars with just 8'. At least not two vettes because they are about 48" tall, at least both C3's and C5's are. I calculated with my lift that I needed at least an extra 12" in addition to the total height of the cars to be parked. The extra height is for the thickness of the rails, some clearance to get the lower car under and at least with the Pro Park 7 you need to lift the top car a few inches above it's resting point to be able to set the height locks. And the locks are about every 4" apart so it kinda depends on how that turns out too. For 2 vettes I really think that anything less than 9' just will not be enough.

Steve

 

My ceiling is 9'1". The c2 height is a little more than a c3. I think I am close to the limit for stacking. 8' is going to be too low for stacking anything but maybe a couple of GT40's.

 

Crap!