2 Post Lift
Thread Starter
SUBVETTE
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,841
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From: San Diego CA
2 Post Lift
Has anyone installed a 2 post lift in their garage? If so, can you share your experience with the install? I am wondering if the standard concrete slab in a residential garage is thick enough for mounting the post base bolts or if one has to reinforce that slab area to support the load.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 236
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From: Tallahassee
I installed a Maxjax 2 post lift in my garage a couple of years ago. The manufacturer recommends a minimum of 4" thick 2500 - 3000 psi concrete. When I had mine poured, I had it poured thicker (6") in the area where the posts went. I was told at the time that most garages are poured 3.5 - 4 " thick. You can consult your builder to be certain of your thickness. If it is not up to spec you can have footers installed to compensate.
Tim
Tim
Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: Greensboro NC
2015 C6 of the Year Finalist
You need at least 4" to be safe. You will probably need to just drill a hole to check your garage slab thickness. They are inspected, but I know some builders 'cheat' a little.
If yours isn't thick enough you can cut out 2' x 2' sections of your floor where you plan to install a lift and dig it out and pour it thicker with reinforcement bars.
You don't want to take any chances with your life or your car.
If yours isn't thick enough you can cut out 2' x 2' sections of your floor where you plan to install a lift and dig it out and pour it thicker with reinforcement bars.
You don't want to take any chances with your life or your car.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,107
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From: Wichita Falls, TX
I installed a Maxjax 2 post lift in my garage a couple of years ago. The manufacturer recommends a minimum of 4" thick 2500 - 3000 psi concrete. When I had mine poured, I had it poured thicker (6") in the area where the posts went. I was told at the time that most garages are poured 3.5 - 4 " thick. You can consult your builder to be certain of your thickness. If it is not up to spec you can have footers installed to compensate.
Tim
Tim
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 236
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From: Tallahassee
I love it! I originally bought it because of its mobility, but I have only moved it once since the install. I have lifted my C5, my wife's Mustang and my Silverado ext cab with no difficulty. Install is a breeze and can be done by 1 person in a few hours.
Tim
Tim
Thread Starter
SUBVETTE
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,841
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From: San Diego CA
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,036
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
I installed a Maxjax 2 post lift in my garage a couple of years ago. The manufacturer recommends a minimum of 4" thick 2500 - 3000 psi concrete. When I had mine poured, I had it poured thicker (6") in the area where the posts went. I was told at the time that most garages are poured 3.5 - 4 " thick. You can consult your builder to be certain of your thickness. If it is not up to spec you can have footers installed to compensate.
Tim
Tim
I will be purchasing a MaxJax to put in the garage of my new house. The garage will be 20 ft wide but for some reason houses built in the South have expansion joints criss crossing the floor and are built on a slope so I have one long joint running lengthwise down the middle of the garage and one running widthwise across the middle. I know the lift posts can't be installed over the expansion joints so will have to work around them. When not using the lift I want to have two cars parked in the garage with enough room to easily open the doors.
Vette will be on the right side. I think I will need to have the right side post as close to the wall as possible. How close to the wall do you have yours and what is the distance from the outside edges of the two posts? I suspect the left side post will have to be moved out to get it off the expansion joint.
Bill
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From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
At age 72, I'm in the process of building a new home to die in. (last home ever) Downsizing the living space to 1800 sq ft, but adding a 800+ sq ft extension with 12 ft ceiling on to the oversized 2.5 car garage to be the workshop.
The slab in the area of the lift is 6" of 3500psi with rebar and has 2' deep footers at the points where the lift mounts. I'm using the CJ 10,000 OHA lift from Complete Hydraulic. The overkill on the mounting is a whole lot better than the possible kill or damage to me or any vehicle. This is not a place to cheap out and go with minimum specs.
The slab in the area of the lift is 6" of 3500psi with rebar and has 2' deep footers at the points where the lift mounts. I'm using the CJ 10,000 OHA lift from Complete Hydraulic. The overkill on the mounting is a whole lot better than the possible kill or damage to me or any vehicle. This is not a place to cheap out and go with minimum specs.
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I have installed about a dozen lifts over the years, which by no means makes me a professional, but none of them fell. 
At my home I just finished installing my second lift, but I had the floor poured with this in mind, so where the lifts are located I went about a foot deep and spread it out to 6" in a 4' square. Using fiber mesh cement so rebar is not needed. That surpassed manufacturers recommendations for a 10,000 lb lift and the install was done in a weekend without killing myself to get them done.
One thing I have learned from installing them in other locations is how to tell if the concrete is strong or not by how it hammer drills out. I have had my original business start up in a very old building, and even though the concrete was plenty thick enough, it was very brittle and I had to cut out pads and repour those area's.
You can tell if it's brittle if the hole does not drill clean, meaning it if flakes apart around the edges of the hole. Newer-stronger cement will drill like your drilling threw wood, nice clean and sharp edges.
That has been my experience with it, and again I'm not a professional lift installer, but I hope that helps. Good luck with your install.
At my home I just finished installing my second lift, but I had the floor poured with this in mind, so where the lifts are located I went about a foot deep and spread it out to 6" in a 4' square. Using fiber mesh cement so rebar is not needed. That surpassed manufacturers recommendations for a 10,000 lb lift and the install was done in a weekend without killing myself to get them done.
One thing I have learned from installing them in other locations is how to tell if the concrete is strong or not by how it hammer drills out. I have had my original business start up in a very old building, and even though the concrete was plenty thick enough, it was very brittle and I had to cut out pads and repour those area's.
You can tell if it's brittle if the hole does not drill clean, meaning it if flakes apart around the edges of the hole. Newer-stronger cement will drill like your drilling threw wood, nice clean and sharp edges.
That has been my experience with it, and again I'm not a professional lift installer, but I hope that helps. Good luck with your install.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 236
Likes: 45
From: Tallahassee
Bill,
My posts are 36" from the walls. They can of course be placed closer or further as needed. However, keep in mind that the posts have wheels on the backside so they may be tilted back to roll around. Distance between my posts is 120" (to outer edge of post), this allows me to use the lift on my C5 vert, my Silverado ext cab, wife's Mustang, or my C6 vert without moving the posts. BTW that is another great feature, buy additional anchors for more versatility.
Also, the Maxjax is a 6,000 lb max capacity lift, with max lift height of 48".
As Doug @ ECS stated using fiber reinforced concrete means you won't need rebar reinforcement.
http://www.maxjaxusa.com/specifications.html
Hope this helps.
Tim
My posts are 36" from the walls. They can of course be placed closer or further as needed. However, keep in mind that the posts have wheels on the backside so they may be tilted back to roll around. Distance between my posts is 120" (to outer edge of post), this allows me to use the lift on my C5 vert, my Silverado ext cab, wife's Mustang, or my C6 vert without moving the posts. BTW that is another great feature, buy additional anchors for more versatility.
Also, the Maxjax is a 6,000 lb max capacity lift, with max lift height of 48".
As Doug @ ECS stated using fiber reinforced concrete means you won't need rebar reinforcement.
http://www.maxjaxusa.com/specifications.html
Hope this helps.
Tim
Last edited by tim32311; Nov 26, 2013 at 06:00 PM. Reason: Incorrect measurement.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,036
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Bill,
My posts are 36" from the walls. They can of course be placed closer or further as needed. However, keep in mind that the posts have wheels on the backside so they may be tilted back to roll around. Distance between my posts is 120" (to outer edge of post), this allows me to use the lift on my C5 vert, my Silverado ext cab, wife's Mustang, or my C6 vert without moving the posts. BTW that is another great feature, buy additional anchors for more versatility.
Also, the Maxjax is a 6,000 lb max capacity lift, with max lift height of 48".
As Doug @ ECS stated using fiber reinforced concrete means you won't need rebar reinforcement.
http://www.maxjaxusa.com/specifications.html
Hope this helps.
Tim
My posts are 36" from the walls. They can of course be placed closer or further as needed. However, keep in mind that the posts have wheels on the backside so they may be tilted back to roll around. Distance between my posts is 120" (to outer edge of post), this allows me to use the lift on my C5 vert, my Silverado ext cab, wife's Mustang, or my C6 vert without moving the posts. BTW that is another great feature, buy additional anchors for more versatility.
Also, the Maxjax is a 6,000 lb max capacity lift, with max lift height of 48".
As Doug @ ECS stated using fiber reinforced concrete means you won't need rebar reinforcement.
http://www.maxjaxusa.com/specifications.html
Hope this helps.
Tim
Tim, thanks for the info. I will be using it for the Vette, Malibu and Tahoe. I would like a regular two poster but there just isn't enough room in the garage to have that second post permanently mounted in the middle of the garage. I think I will mount the right side post about 12 inches from the concrete base that supports the wall. With the wall being set back a little bit from the inside edge of the concrete I think I should have enough room to move the post into and out of its chosen location.
Bill
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 236
Likes: 45
From: Tallahassee
Good luck with it Bill. Play around with the dimensions / location for optimal placement of posts for the vehicles being lifted (another nicety of being able to roll those 300 lbs. posts around).
Tim
Tim
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,285
Likes: 16
From: Nashville TN
FYI: the fibers put in concrete are to control cracking and do not increase the strength. To increse the strength you either need rebar or wire mesh.
Also there is a big difference between a 6" monolithic slab and a 2'x2'x6" footer. If you do a footer it either needs to be big enough and deep enough to resist overturning or it needs to be tied into the existing floor slab with dowels.
This is probably not as critical when lifting a 3k lb Vette, but lifting a 8k lb truck is a different story.
Just be careful and check with the mfg before installing the lift. They should be able to review your installation.
My 2 cents
Also there is a big difference between a 6" monolithic slab and a 2'x2'x6" footer. If you do a footer it either needs to be big enough and deep enough to resist overturning or it needs to be tied into the existing floor slab with dowels.
This is probably not as critical when lifting a 3k lb Vette, but lifting a 8k lb truck is a different story.
Just be careful and check with the mfg before installing the lift. They should be able to review your installation.
My 2 cents
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 236
Likes: 45
From: Tallahassee
FYI: the fibers put in concrete are to control cracking and do not increase the strength. To increse the strength you either need rebar or wire mesh.
Also there is a big difference between a 6" monolithic slab and a 2'x2'x6" footer. If you do a footer it either needs to be big enough and deep enough to resist overturning or it needs to be tied into the existing floor slab with dowels.
This is probably not as critical when lifting a 3k lb Vette, but lifting a 8k lb truck is a different story.
Just be careful and check with the mfg before installing the lift. They should be able to review your installation.
My 2 cents
Also there is a big difference between a 6" monolithic slab and a 2'x2'x6" footer. If you do a footer it either needs to be big enough and deep enough to resist overturning or it needs to be tied into the existing floor slab with dowels.
This is probably not as critical when lifting a 3k lb Vette, but lifting a 8k lb truck is a different story.
Just be careful and check with the mfg before installing the lift. They should be able to review your installation.
My 2 cents
Tim
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,164
Likes: 3
Has anyone installed a 2 post lift in their garage? If so, can you share your experience with the install? I am wondering if the standard concrete slab in a residential garage is thick enough for mounting the post base bolts or if one has to reinforce that slab area to support the load.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,527
Likes: 34
Out door here in Hawaii, the lift and all ferrous material will suffer the same fate just like the pick up's tail end, the BBQ and the lift's footer plates in your picture.
I would not get under anything lifted, who knows what condition the anchor bolts are in, right?
I would not get under anything lifted, who knows what condition the anchor bolts are in, right?