Hey Guys,

I'm thinking of getting a 4 post lift for my garage. Does anyone have any suggestions of what to buy or what NOT to buy?

Any other alternatives to work under my car?

 

Do a search for member "69L71" he had a mishap with a four post lift.

 

We have a Backyad Buddy. Looking at all the others at shows it was the best built compaired to the others. Remember you get what you pay for! In 3 years we have not had any problems with it and I use it all the time working on cars at home.

 

Another mid-term puchase...

 

I have a 2 post 9K lbs Rotary that i purchased used for $500. Actually I bought 3 of these when Penske left K Mart a few years ago. They came with an additional pump, motor and reservoir.

If I were to buy another hoist I would recommend the 2 post clear floor, assymetrical. Any name brand should do.

Most of the 4 post lifts have limitations. You still need to lift the car to get a wheel/tire off, meaning you have to purchase the "extras" to get full functionality.

 

Take a look at www.Kwiklift.com I have one and love it. I park on it all the time.

 

I have a cytech doublepark and love it to death. The two post and single post lifts won't allow you to store the vehicle for any period of time. (You're not supposed to leave the wheels at full extension longterm.)

I bought a jack bridge and have four cheapie bottlejacks and four jackstands. This has been all I needed from a lifting perspective. I've done engine swaps, full rear end disassembly, tranny R&R's and have never run into a situation where I wished i'd had a different style of lift.

Further, don't kid yourself on brand differences. ALL 4 post lifts are manufactured similarly. The minor differences in design don't alter performance. Of the four or so brands that make lifts, they all are 98% the same from a design standpoint. The only people complaining about the inadequacies of a certain brand's lift are it's competition.

That said: Use care as this particular tool is DANGEROUS. Periodic tightening of bolts and lubrication of moving parts is recommended to reduce wear and prevent accidents. I've had one situation where a latch release on one corner didn't tuck out of the way, causing that cable to lose tension. I caught it in time, but it served as a reminder that this is a tool that's abilities shouldn't be taken lightly.

That said, there's nothing like pulling the car in, lifting it in the air, and changing the oil in your 'business clothes'. There also nothing like waxing the lower half of the car while you're standing upright. (or rotating tires)

It's the single best tool I own.

 

We just purchased a compact M4 lift from autolifters of america. We love the thing, especially since our garage is small and this fits very well in our limited space. We still get two cars in there, one on the lift and one beside it. It was fun to put together and install, but with three of us working on it, without a clue, it took us about 6 hours total from a pile of parts to a completed and working lift. I wouldn't be without it now!
Brad

 

The parents have a BendPak 12K lb 4 post lift. I love it and miss it since I moved away and my car decides to protest. We got the 12K lb one because it wasn't much more and it offers some peace of mind.

If you get one make sure you have some friends nearby to help with the setup. I dunno about the other brands but this puppy was HEAVY and moving the ramps/posts/etc around while aligning everything can be back-breaking and dangerous.

Dale

 

I just installed a 10K two-post clear floor lift in my home garage/shop. This thing is great. I got 10K so I could lift by Ford Excursion Diesel tow vehicle. This lift is symetrical / assmetrical.

Check out www.gregsmithequipment.com, there are in Indy and the 10K lift cost me $1995, I also got the 30 inch height extension for additional $250.00.

A local installer installed it for $350.00


vettmike

Anderson, SC

 

I put an Eagle 2-post asymetric 10k in my shop...would not live without it.

I'd have to echo the other statements about SOME limitations on a 4-post. I know some guys who have them and love them. Then again, others I know have grown to hate the 4-post design and wish they had opted for a 2-post.

Since my car is not "normally" left in the air for extended periods, it isn't a big deal letting the suspension hang free. If I want to compress it, I just drop it down for a while.

 

Thanks for the response.... I have to take some measurements to see which one will work best in my garage. I plan to store/work on my '85 so I need to have enough room underneath to park my winter ride. The way I see it, this will be cheaper than adding another bay to my garage, and it will help with work on the cars... Thanks again.

 

I've got a Bend Pak 7k lb 4-post lift in my shop... It's a very nice lift for doing certain things but as a general rule I don't really care for it. I would much rather have a 2-post and here's why. You own a 4-post drive on and need to do brakes, or rear work, or (in my case) pull the engine out of a C5... Mmmkay... Gotta use a bridge and jacks to get the vehicle where you need it; in other words you have to jack up the car AFTER you lift it which pretty much defeats the purpose for me. That C5 engine swap? Forget it on a 4-post because the entire driveline comes out the bottom and you have to lift the body off of it. Won't work on a 4-post. I don't store my cars on a lift so that's not an issue. The issue for me is ease of getting at EVERYTHING I have to.
-Jeb