Anyone have a lift in their garage?

Hey Everyone, By the end of the year i should have my own house. It's been my mom's, but she's moving into my recently-deceased grandparents house. There won't be much of a purchase price, but i do want a loan to make some improvements, mostly for a garage, and a big one at that. I think i settled on a three-car like a buddy had built. 40' X 60', plenty of room inside. I'd also like a concrete pad in front and off to one side. And i want a lift. I'm tired of crawling and sliding under things. Especially after i worked in a few shops and i realized how much easier a lift makes things. What i'm not sure of is what type. 2-post or 4? Sources? I have a friend who deals in Snap-On i want to talk to. Also enough contacts at part stores who can get me jobber pricing. Ideas? Experiences?

Thanks, Don W

Reply to
Don Wallish
Loading thread data ...

Don Wallish did pass the time by typing:

All depends on what you want to do. The two post models give you access to both axles and the underbelly without any real interference but are a bit more of a balancing act than four post/ramp style jacks. The four posts are good for working on frame and axles but getting under the vehicle is a pain in the butt and you need seperate axle jacks. Those are more for alignment and suspension shops. Plus if you have big tires the frame jacks on the four post might not reach without blocking.

I'd go with a two post model myself.

Reply to
DougW

For the love of God, don't buy it from SnapOn, unless you simply want to pay four times more for it. Go to

formatting link
They deal in Rotary lifts, the only brand that I recommend. For about $3000, you can get a darn nice one.

Jerry

improvements,

Reply to
Jerry Newton

Jerry Newton did pass the time by typing:

ooo

formatting link
like!

Reply to
DougW

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

I have been thinking about this for awhile, but have not gotten one yet. (would have to do a lot of work to the garage before it would fit) - but have seen a few of the $3000.00 lifts - they are very slow & noisy - making it very time consuming for those situations during which you go up & down, up & down, up & down (I do that a lot). The ideal thing to do, in my opinion, would be to find a used 2 post lift (controlled by air) from an old garage that is closing or something. You would have to dig a deep hole in the floor - but the difference is well worth it. I put my time in a few gas stations, and then a couple of Ford garages in my young & foolish days and I have missed the old style lifts since then. I want one ever so bad............

Reply to
Carlo

What about building in a maintenance pit. that way you really odn't have to worry about lifting really high...

Reply to
SB

Here are a few more to look at:

formatting link
Chris

Reply to
c

I may end up doing that as a last resort. Back in 1964 I went through factory training @ Bear for wheel alignment, balancing, brakes & frame straightening, etc. They had pits. I soon found out it is the opposite problem of no lift. If you are not working under the vehicle, you have to walk around it and down into the pit for tools ...............& of course you have the wrong wrench, so you have to go back & get the correct one (for me, sometimes several times). There is no substitute IMHO for a good lift. I did find a pair of floor jacks at Harbor Freight (for $99.00 ea) that will lift 31.5" - with a piece of a 4x4, that would almost be 3'. I just need to get some tall jack stands now. I am thinking that it is not exactly 5'4'' (my height) - but it will have to do for a while.

Reply to
Carlo

Having been in the car repair business for almost 30 years, I've used lifts of almost every size and configeration. I've had lifts that would barely lift a VW bug and lifts that would put a 40' motorhome 6' in the air. I'm getting ready to build a shop at home also, and IMHO the Rotary

7000lb twin post above ground is the way to go. First, it's about the cheapest you can get, and way big enough for homeowner use. Second, it allows complete access to the underside of the Jeep, unlike those in-ground single post lifts, so it's no problem to remove the t/case or tranny. Third, you can lift anything up to and including an extended cab pickup. Can't do that with the old style single post without bending something(driveshaft, frame, etc.) Fourth, the only special construction you need to install it is that the slab you put it on has to be 12" thick in the 8' square area where you will put the lift, and the garage has to be wired for 220. Besides, I think the EPA has a thing or two to say about the old style, pnuematic/hydraulic, in-ground lifts(can you say permit?)

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1 TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51

Reply to
Old Crow

agree, single post really sucks. Does the rotary move up & down at a reasonable rate? or do you hit the "up" button, go in the house, have a cup of coffee, come back & it's still going up?

Reply to
Carlo

Carlo did pass the time by typing:

The rotory I used a few months back was fairly fast. Wasn't going to win any race but then it's not like a few extra seconds was going to kill me.

Your not going to be able to go get that cup-o-joe anyway, quite a few require two hands to operate for safety reasons. Especially when lowering.

Reply to
DougW

sounds like a plan to me................the cup of coffee........I said that facetiously

Reply to
Carlo

Carlo did pass the time by typing:

You should see some of the lifts I've seen. Safeties removed because it was slowed letting the car down or kept on catching. Wish I could find that link but there is one with a truck cab smooshed to the rafters probably because someone bypassed the safety. Or maby they just didn't like the truck.. I dunno.

I think my yard is trying to kill me. Ten bags of grass and leaves, a full dumpster of garbage and still more to do. :(

Yay, the weekend!

Reply to
DougW

I'm pretty lucky in that dept. My wife grew up on a peach orchard & therefore her relaxation is to do yard work - mow the lawn, repair & set sprinklers, etc.

Reply to
Carlo

Thanks for all the info everyone. I've settled on the 2-post a-symmetrical style. I'm checking a few places and comparing.

Thanks again! Don W

Reply to
Don Wallish

I picked up a used single-post from a gas staion that was being torn down, for $50. I put it in my Dad's driveway. It sucks to do a clutch on one of these, but it can be done. We put two drive-on "storage hoists" in the garage, cost about $1700 each. I wouldn't want to use one of these for a repair shop, they take about 4.5 minutes for a full lift, but for a hobbyist, they are great.

Reply to
Paul Calman

Being a tad on the overweight side, I really like the asymetrical lifts. I can get in and out of the car fairly easy. It *is* really wierd to see them lift a truck with so much of it hanging off the back of the lift, but I haven't dropped one yet.

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1 TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51

Reply to
Old Crow

I like Eagle lifts. They are fairly reasonable and they are made in Texas I believe. Now all I have to do is make my garage taller. :-)

Reply to
Peter Parker

Yeah I liked using my buddy's lift. He had a 15' tall garage behind his house. Made a lot of work much easier. He said it cost him $3500 for the 2-post lift and $650 to have it installed in a few hours. later, dave AKA vwdoc1

a-symmetrical

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.