Richard Ames

Lift salesperson who sells car dealer service departments recommends a two post lift for working on and for storing vehicle on a short term basis.

Most posts seem to recommend 4 post for storage. If you only have room for 1 which would you get? I have two 1988 35th Anniversary Edition Corvettes besides the C7.

Z06 1of38

Four post lift with two sliding bridge jacks.

Rooster OG

^^ Yeah, four post for storage.

Foosh

The reason 4-post is better for storage is so you don't leave the tires and wheels dangling with the suspension extended for long periods of time. They're also safer.

2-post is better for removing tires, changing brake pads, suspension parts etc. However, with the sliding bridge panels, you can jack the car on a 4-post.

rkhegler

I have a two post lift. Great for working under and around the lower portion of the car, especially when changing oil, tire issues, brakes and other under carriage stuff.

glava2876

Like many have said, the 4 post gives you storage, plus repair access with the sliding jack bridges that allow you to get the wheels off.
Another advantage is that you don't have to lag them to the floor, which is why most 4 posts have a wheel system included that allows you to move them around in your garage if you have the room -which I don't so decided to lag.
The two post would definitely give more open repair access, but the 4 post works best for me.

jdsaengine

From what I've read on the two, you may have to reinforce your concrete slab in residential garage for a two post since it carries more weight on each post.

And 4 post you don't necessarily have to bolt it to the floor, making it available to move around.

Personally I would put in 4 post

drobbins

Hey Folks,

I've just finished building a garage and I'm thinking about lift options.
Problem is the garage door opener will be in the way.
The garage is 24' deep and I "may" be able to get the car in deep enough to avoid this but probably not. Haven't tested yet, the slab isn't even cured.
Some of the pics I see don't even show a garage door opener, do you just go without? I've considered that as an option. It's a 2 bay garage and I could just make one bay a manual opener.
Anyway, lookin for input

Dave

08G8V8

Folks change them out to a Liftmaster that attaches at the side.

http://www.opendoorremote.com/8500-w...or-opener.html

WelderGuy

You can get a kit that will move the door track up to the ceiling so you'll have room for the lift. Google garage door high lift



Also: http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/all-...erience-2.html

drobbins

thanks for the info folks.
this should work perfect
the builder made a mistake and built the foundation walls a block too high which just got me a higher ceiling. at first I didn't like it but now it looks like a fortunate mistake, my favorite kind

JoesC5

I have two 4-post lifts in my 20' wide X 24' deep garage. 2 vs 4 post....... the width of my 4-post lift is 101" over the posts and 106" over the power unit on one of the post.

A typical 2 post lift is 135" over the posts and 142" over the power unit. That power unit can be a problem in a two car garage if it's right in the way of opening the doors on a car in the next stall.

I can completely open the door on my Z06 and not touch the side of my DD 4 door sedan or a post on the lift and vice versa.

I took the two steel end plates(not part of the lift but part of the "shipping box", and modified them and welded them together creating a truss with two 1/8" X 1/2" steel straps as truss rods. I then added two 1/2" square bars on each side to act as alignment guides so I could easily slide the "jacking tray". I restored my 56 using the 4 post lift. When I was through working on it for the day, I just raised the lift and backed the C5 that I had at that time, under the 56.

Drip trays solve the problem of leaking cars on the 4 post lift.

I change the oil on all my cars. I just side a drip tray under the engine(my 4-post lifts use a C channel as a vertical part of the ramps, so I have a lower lip on each side to support the drip trays. I then place my plastic oil drain container on the drip tray and I don't have to have a special floor supported container like with a 2 post.



As you can see, my garage door is a 16 footer with the door opener in the middle between the two stalls.

I did raise my door tracks(and opener) to clear the sloped rear of the 64 coupe. 10' 6" ceiling height.

Widgeon5

I got my lift primarily for working on the cars. I got a Rotary 2-post which gives excellent access for that purpose. One thing I would do differently is get the 3-piece telescoping arms. The 2-piece ones don't easily accommodate all cars, including the C-7 Corvette. (I have a work-around that is satisfactory for it.) My version specifies a 12-foot ceiling, but mine is only 11' 8". It fits, but I had to cut two 4-inch circular holes in my drywall ceiling to allow the pistons to go to full extension. As previously explained, I had to raise my door tracks and change the opener to a Liftmaster which mounts on the front wall. I have stored cars (SUV's are too tall) briefly 2-deep with this lift, but beware the one on top dripping fluids. My floor is just the typical 4-inch concrete pour, but the Rotary rep said it was adequate. I always try to balance the car accurately fore and aft, as the floor failure mode (hopefully never) would be from bending forces causing the bolts to pull out of the floor, not the vertical load.

wrecker3

Get a side mount garage door opener.

HAD2HAV2

I've had my 4 post for 6 years (notice a 35th on the top). Make sure you have a battery tender because the car on top tends to stay up more often than down.

I found away to raise the truck bed up leaving the frame on the floor using the lift to make changing the fuel pump easy on my S-10.

L8ter

Anyone have a picture of the sliding bridge Jack in use?

Richard Ames

The person I am buying the cars from has a four post with a bridge jack. You can go to Bendpak or other lift company web site and see the jack. To me working around the bulk of the sliding bridge jack could be a bit of a challenge.

I will have a roll up door and 12ft ceilings so height is not an issue for me.

glava2876

I may have miss stated mine. I have a heavy steel sliding tray that I can put my jack in. A bottle jack or small floor jack will fit.
The other thing I like when using for storage are the 4 sliding plastic trays that I can put below my drippy Z28.

Z06 1of38