Dustin

iTrader: (13)

What car lift do you have and how much did it cost?

I was looking at a 2 post lift but not sure how safe it would be and who would want their car on a 2 post. What would be the disadvantage to owning one of these as opposed to a 4 post lift?

One like this is what I was looking at: Link

Camaroholic

iTrader: (1)

I think that's the same one I have. They rebrand lifts like crazy, so it's tough to tell who the 'real' manufacturer is (see http://www.geminilift.com and look at their GP-9F - mine isn't a Gemini, but it's EXACTLY like that). $1550 is a good deal, IMO, for that lift (I paid more than that for mine). I also paid $300 for professional installation. WORTH EVERY PENNY. He had it bolted to the floor, adjusted the safety stops, cables & hydraulics hooked up, etc - in under 2 hours. All I had to do was get power to it.

The floor plate is a pain when pulling the tranny, but my ceiling height is only 11' where the lift posts are. Most full height (non floor plate) lifts are 12' tall. My lift has had all of my cars on it (including my Suburban). I also double-park with it (right now, 98Z is on the lift, my 94Z is right underneath).

Attached a pic. Pardon the mess.

Dustin

iTrader: (13)

Is that enough height to work under. I am 6'2" so I wouldnt want to be hunched down and by the end of the day have a sore back......

Camaroholic

iTrader: (1)

My shop is 30x30 with a 13' or so wide door. A 4 post would have taken up too much room (wouldn't have been able to park 2 cars side by side in it - in that pic, my 79Z pulled in straight, but my 98Z has to go in at an angle because of the not-quite-double door). I didn't build my shop, it came with the house (err, it's the reason we bought the house ). It's got a 6" reinforced slab as well.

That said, the garage door rails go above where the car goes on the lift (you can barely see the rail above the right tail light), and while I shortened the rail that hangs over the car (hadn't done it yet in that picture, that was right when I got the lift installed), I haven't moved the garage door rail enough to take the car to 'full height'. I can't stand straight up, but it's close... sometimes I throw down a padded mat and stand on my knees, but usually I'll work standing up. Yeah, do whatcha gotta do, but hey - I ain't rolling around on the floor any more.

Dustin

iTrader: (13)

Yah I know what you mean. I am getting sick of laying on the ground to work on a car that is on ramps and a jack, lol. These 2 post lifts are inexpensive and I have a nice place it will fit right into with a 20ft ceiling. Thanks Camaroholic!

SspeedChic

iTrader: (1)

My parents have a lift in their shop... i'm not sure which brand... its a drive on, 4 post.

Dustin

iTrader: (13)

I think a 4 post just might be too big for the shop now that I see how wide they are.

LS69TA

iTrader: (30)

4 post would be good if you had the room, but you're limited to what you can do to the car with it on there, unless you have the little jacks that slide between the ramps. I'm going with the 2 post when I get around to building a shop. Unless I build a big shop and have both. 4's just take up too much space.

Stang Man

iTrader: (1)

We've got a 4 post Eagle Lift in our garage, too.

I love the ease of the 4 post, don't have to get on the ground and slide the arms under the cars(which, ours are usually so low it takes 2 people or a jack to get the arms under it anyways.)

The only thing I dislike about the drive on 4 post lift is the fact that you can't change tires or do brake work easily...gotta heave that 1 ton jack up there and get to work(thank God for weight-lifting!)

Dustin

iTrader: (13)

Haha, then I definitely need the 2 post!

BP

Two post is the only way to go. That price is good but a lot of places will deliver them and install them for not much more money. Make sure you get a good warranty!

sleepersilverado

iTrader: (1)

ditto 2 post is the only way to go much more versital (sp). but you need some height were as a 4 post you dont need much height but you need more room. a 2 post is safe as long as you know what you are doing. also with a 4 post you still have to jack the car up on the lift to take the tires off. dont buy the one you posted they suck and are cheesey whe have those at work. camarohollic yours looks similar to thr rotory i have at my parents house judging by the outriggers. i like our rotory 100 times more than the one you linked to.

Dustin

iTrader: (13)

Thanks for the info.

5w20

iTrader: (21)

I personally like 2-post lifts more. To me they allow you to work on the car easier because they dont take up as much room underneath the car. One time I pulled a tranny (on a civic which is mounted transversly) on a 4-post lift and lets just say that I wouldn't want to do that again. I think the only reason a 4-post lift is needed is for alignments, well not even now that I think about it. Our new alignment machine is a 2-post. This is the way we have it setup at my shop. Plus as Stang Man said ealier, wheel and brake stuff is a pain on the 4-post.

Stang Man

iTrader: (1)

The reason I like the 4 post is we use ours for storage also, so it is VERY easy to pull a car on or off.

The best way to do it is to have both!

Arron

xaon

iTrader: (12)

4 posts are good for storage and exhaust work.

Once you've racked up a car on a 2-post lift a few times, it becomes second nature... especially if you're racking the same kind of car all the time. I can have an f-body up in the air on a 2-post just as fast as i can on a 4-post.

02SOMZ28

I'll race you!! My Eagle is a Solid well contructed 4 post. We routinely use it to expand the garage to a 5 car configuration. It's simple operating - even my wife can do it (She is a bit of a gear head).

I went with the 4 post for several reasons:
1. That 5th parking space
2. I't portable. With the wheel kit, I can move to a different spot in the garage, or even outside.
3. No bolts in the floor (But I could if I wanted to)
4. With the addition of simple bottle jacks, you can do most anything a two post can.
5. It fits in a regular height garage. (Half my shop is 12 foot ceiling, the other is 8 foot)
5. Safety - a two post can could come down if weight was too far off center.

As for the comment about Eagle - I have a light duty lift. I would not recommend it in a commercial shop, it just isn't built for constant use. But the price is very attactive.

As for changing wheels, I could turn the lift sideways, drive across the rails, and lift that way. But that would be a PITA, so I do it onthe ground with the floor jack. (Kinda like NASCAR, just slower)

When doing work on the lift, those ramps also make a great place to set parts.

All that said, I wouldn't mind a wo post as a second lift, truly the best of both worlds.

I'm in NW Houston if anyone wants to see it in operation.

-Ross-

iTrader: (2)

I have a Crafstman 3-ton floor jack.

I'd probably invest in a lift if I had the vertical room in my garage, but I don't.

Pavlock Performance

iTrader: (39)

hey dustin, hurry up and get that lift set up so i can come over there and be a scrub lol...

Dustin

iTrader: (13)

Ha, thats what Im planning on!