Yea, I want one, and I'm sure lots of you do too. Anyone ever heard of these guys?

http://www.completehydraulic.com/cl7000bpa.htm

They sell them on ebay too. Chances are they are most likely not built in the U.S., but for a home shop, what do you guys think?

Joe

 

The bases of the posts have to be bolted to the floor. For home use, I prefer a 4-poster which just sets on the floor with no bolts required.



Pay no attention to the German or Japanese cars in this picture.

 

i would trust the 4 post more........ two posts, you wuld be relying on the floor bolts for any type or moment shifting ..... the bolts could easily snap if the weight of the car isn't center right...

cryzko
detroit

 

Well If nicks falls te only thing that is worth worrying about is the bike

 

Well heck if you're emberassed I'd be glad to take that Miata off of your hands. Those cars are a blast! Lotsa fun.

 

Don't tell anyone, but I replaced them with another German car. I'm keeping the 'Vette, though.

 

Nick, Where did you get the 4 poster from? I like that setup..That 2 poster looks like a B*&ch to get off the truck.

 

They are in Kansas. I saw it at a street rod show in Oklahoma City and ordered it shortly thereafter. They built it with a custom stop on it so that I could get the exact height I needed to park the Miata above the Porsche 944. As I recall, it was about $3300, but that was around 10 years ago. At the time I bought mine, the company was still owned by the original owner, and he delivered it to my house and set it up in my garage. Excellent service. It appears he might have sold the company because they now advertise as Stinger by Axe.

Here's a link to their website:

http://www.stingerlifts.com/

 

I sold it 5 years ago. However, I still have access to one. My 85 year-old father drives one. He's very cool.

 

Not sure of that company but we have a two post. We went w/ the 2 post because it allows brake jobs, tranny, and suspension work MUCH easier. Some 4 post lifts offer equipment to allow you to jack up the car while on the lift to gain access. We have the 12,000 lift and has worked GREAT for the past 8yrs.

 

Looking to store the car or to work on the car?

For working on the car definately go 2 post.
For storing the car 4 post is your best option.

 

I would rather a 2 post, great for working on the car. My father also needs to store his 911 cab for the winter. I was thinking of a 2 post, then fab up some steel runners to drive up onto. Would ramps like that work? I would probably rig up something that secures to the lift points, i could see it getting very unstable without some sort of rigid support.

 

Two post, asymetric lifts are definitely the way to go, if your floor was designed for it. I have a 9,000# AutoLifters truck lift installed in my garage (that I desinged to hold the lift). At a minimum you need a 3,000 psi 6" concrete pour with wire mesh or rebar reinforcement.

Also, the illustrated lift has a bar that runs along the floor. This will become a source of nuisance as you stumble over it, spill you dirty oil, can't wheel your creeper/tool box over it, etc. The better way to go is with a "clear floor" design that routes the crossover overhead. This then requires over 12 feet of headroom.

 

I would not rely on standard garage floor cement to support a two post lift. I am sure that there are some engineers that will chime in on this, but I don't think that the garage floor is strong enough to bolt this type of lift down. I have a four post lift and have done a lot of work on my cars with it, beats laying on the ground under any condition. Roger L. Gibbons

 

Buy one! You'll love it.
A few months ago I purchased a lift and it is one of my favorite tools. I should have gotten one sooner!
Initially I wanted an asymetric 2-post lift but when I called to inquire about them I was told that I needed to have at least 5-1/2" reinforced concrete where the lift would be mounted. My concrete slab wasn't up to the task so I opted for the M-80 4-post lift from AutoLifters out of Kansas. http://autolifters.com/m80.html
A mechanic friend of mine has both a 2-post and a 4-post in his shop and he said that he uses the 4-post 80% of the time. I'm sure that each has it's advantage.
My 4-post lift can be moved. This summer I left it outside, under the carport which allows me to take advantage of the cool breeze and natural lighting. Washing/detailing my cars, trucks, and motorcycles while on the lift is easier on the back since you don't have to bend over to clean the tires/rims, etc.
This winter I will move the lift forward, into my shop. Once you raise the lift to it's highest point, the floor space in that area is only obstructed by the four legs.
You can raise the tires off of the ramps by using a jacking tray that fits between the ramps or use a small floor jack under the edge of the car frame.
With a 4-post lift, turn-plates, and appropriate alignment tools you can fiddle with your alignment settings.
As mentioned earlier, it can be used to lift a motorcycle. I have 24" wide ramps so either the kick-stand or center-stand works well to stabilize the bikes.
I've even used it to lift my riding mower so I could pressure wash under the deck and remove/sharpen the blades.
It's also very handy for use as a temporary work bench. At the end of a good weekend wrench-athon we pull up the bar-stools, break out the beer and it serves as an excellent make-shift bar!!!

 

My brother has two two-post lifts in his garage. He does a lot of work on cars, so he had the floor poured extra thick. The bolts are huge - 3/4" at least, and they go into expanding plugs that wedge into the concrete. I've put my vette on one, the only problem is they are nose-heavy and the lifting point is too far behind the front wheel, so you have to be careful it doesn't fall forward. The rear end actually lifted on me when I was replacing my trailing arms! Get one that has been certified by a test facility (like UL listing for electrical stuff), some companies save a couple hundred bucks by skipping that step. Joe

 

I've got a Rotary 4-post. Love it. Its built like a tank.

 

the best would be a 4 post with a hydraulic axle jack (or 2 axle jacks) that slides in the middle.

 

We've got 3 4 post lifts. 2 of them with secondary jacks to lift the axles. Also have 3 2 post lifts I like the four posts with jacks alot more than the two post. If you do get a two post, go asymetrical otherwise you will have to be very careful not to dent, ,scratch, or crack doors. A car with little ground clearence will have trouble getting on to some four post lifts.