Buying a lift soon need advice

[sulfurburner]

Hey guys, first off I just wanna say I LOVE THIS SITE. heh, now that thats outta the way, here's what I'm lookin at. I've been doin some research and been kickin around the idea of buyin a lift in the next couple months. I figured I'd get some expert advice from you all as I'm not real sure what I need. my shop is 30 x 40 14' walls. the heaviest thing I have to lift is my 1 ton dually, which scales in right under 8k lbs. right now I'm just lookin to see what you all would recomend, brand/style wise. any and all help/advice is much appreciated.

 

[Piper]

Welcome to the site. Lotsa great info and friendly banter. I'd suggest that you do a search on this topic as it's been discussed many, many times. There'll be all sorts of "4 post better than 2 post" and vice versa. Study up and then you'll have a better idea.

Piper

oh, fwiw, I have a 2 post mohawk system 1

 

[Nutty 5.0]

You really should search as there is so much on this topic that most will overlook posting. And like said above, first you should decide 2 or 4 post and go from there. I have both and as someone that works on cars all the time, the 2 post is my preference. You have the height and most lifts require 4" of concrete and some of the bigger lifts which you may want to consider with your 1 ton dually require 6".

 

[brownbagg]

i say a 12000 lb lift

 

[sulfurburner]

yeah I've been reading and reading, I know I want a 2 post for sure. but wanted to see what some of you guys that have em prefer, I found a company called panther challenge that has some pretty good prices. the floor thickness is my biggest concern, my slab is 4", I dont know what psi rating.

 

[krooser]

4" is plenty... my concrete is the same...3500# with fibermesh. I have friends with lifts mounted in old shops with old concrete of unknown specs... not one has come down.

BTW, I have an old 9K Weaver and I've had almost 9K on the lift without any problems. But it has leaf chains instead of cables and big cylinders (3") and is fabbed from 1/2" and thicker steel.

You had better do some real shopping around if you wnat to hang that dually on your lift... most cheap, over-rated "economy" lifts won't do the job. Look at what the local pro shops use and use that as a guideline. Fancy claims, pretty pictures and on-line opinions are no match for some "hands on" evaluation.

 

[mike23]

I have a 10,000 Rotary assemetrical two post lift and it is great. With the assemetrical lift you will not be beating your doors on the post.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

I come from the other school of thought, Ive been working in shops, owned my own shop for years, bought and installed my own lifts as well for others and employers, and Ive got an American made leaf chain (not cable) 12k 4 post in my shop behind the house. Contrary to the other posters on this thread, Id take a 4 post over a 2 post, almost to the point Id rather not have any lift, than have a 2 post. You do give up a substantial foot print in your shop with the 4 post, but in my opinion, its well worth it. Unless you pulling subframes or transmissions out of FWD cars, I really don't see any reason to own a 2 post (except maybe cost). They are a PIA to put the car up, and I find them less than comfortable, with something the size of you dually up on it. Go put your truck on somebody's 9k 2 post and grab on to the back bumper and pull down on it, let go and watch it bounce and tell me that makes you comfortable.

My first 2 post was a 9k Mohawk, most here would agree that is the Cadillac of 2 posts (leaf chain/twin cylinder, American made, overbuilt), from an engineering stand point, so I'm not coming from the school of cheap, uncertified, off shore flimsy lifts.

Then with the 4 post, there is the 18' long by 20" wide drive on runner / work platform I have for my tools and parts while I'm working on the vehicle. The whole lift turns into a work bench. And its easy and safe to get into the car when its in the air, a 2 post is a PIA to get door open and crawl into when its in the air. Food for thought, nothing more.

The last new 2 post I installed for hire, after I got there and started installing the lift, I asked the guy why he didn't buy a 4 post, he said to me, " I dunno", a year later I was back there removing the 2 post and installing a new 4 post... he loves his 4 post and his only regret was that I wasn't there to talk him out of the 2 post before he bought it.

One other note, I installed the Mohawk in a 4" floor, its maiden lift, one post's concrete "popped", just as the car came off the floor, so proceed with caution with a two post install, another advantage to the 4 post, it doesn't have the horizontal load pulling on it, that a two post does. I had to "remove" the lift, get saw and cut out two large "pads" dig it out, pin it, and re-pour it. Its been up and working daily for 8 years now in a commercail shop, no problems, but it would have been if it would have waited to "blow" when the car got to the top.

 

[e-tek]

^^^^^Great post - thanks for your POV.

 

[mechamunch]

I come from the other school of thought, Ive been working in shops, owned my own shop for years, bought and installed my own lifts as well for others and employers, and Ive got an American made leaf chain (not cable) 12k 4 post in my shop behind the house. Contrary to the other posters on this thread, Id take a 4 post over a 2 post, almost to the point Id rather not have any lift, than have a 2 post. You do give up a substantial foot print in your shop with the 4 post, but in my opinion, its well worth it. Unless you pulling subframes or transmissions out of FWD cars, I really don't see any reason to own a 2 post (except maybe cost). They are a PIA to put the car up, and I find them less than comfortable, with something the size of you dually up on it. Go put your truck on somebody's 9k 2 post and grab on to the back bumper and pull down on it, let go and watch it bounce and tell me that makes you comfortable.

My first 2 post was a 9k Mohawk, most here would agree that is the Cadillac of 2 posts (leaf chain/twin cylinder, American made, overbuilt), from an engineering stand point, so I'm not coming from the school of cheap, uncertified, off shore flimsy lifts.

Then with the 4 post, there is the 18' long by 20" wide drive on runner / work platform I have for my tools and parts while I'm working on the vehicle. The whole lift turns into a work bench. And its easy and safe to get into the car when its in the air, a 2 post is a PIA to get door open and crawl into when its in the air. Food for thought, nothing more.

The last new 2 post I installed for hire, after I got there and started installing the lift, I asked the guy why he didn't buy a 4 post, he said to me, " I dunno", a year later I was back there removing the 2 post and installing a new 4 post... he loves his 4 post and his only regret was that I wasn't there to talk him out of the 2 post before he bought it.

One other note, I installed the Mohawk in a 4" floor, its maiden lift, one post's concrete "popped", just as the car came off the floor, so proceed with caution with a two post install, another advantage to the 4 post, it doesn't have the horizontal load pulling on it, that a two post does. I had to "remove" the lift, get saw and cut out two large "pads" dig it out, pin it, and re-pour it. Its been up and working daily for 8 years now in a commercail shop, no problems, but it would have been if it would have waited to "blow" when the car got to the top.

Thanks for the info! I'm sure it'll help a lot of folks trying to solve their own internal 4-post vs. 2-post debate.

 

[dawg]

only thing a 4 post is good for is oil changes and storage.
those friggin ramps are alway in your way.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

only thing a 4 post is good for is oil changes and storage.
those friggin ramps are alway in your way.

Like I said, takes up a substantial foot print in your shop, most standard home garages' clearly are not big enough for the lift itself, let alone anything else. If you tight on space, probably a bad choice.


Dawg, I'm guessing the rack you used didn't have rack jacks to get the car off the ramps ? If that is the case, I will agree that oil changes are the most common use for that setup. On the other hand, a four post without rack jacks, is like gun without bullets, not much need for one without the other.

What is interesting, when I bought my first 4 post, my shop had a Mohawk 2 post (bought new, maybe 2 years old), and as soon as the 4 post went up, that 2 post sat idle period. I had 4 guys working for me at the time, they fought over the 4 post, even when the 2 post was empty. Granted, we where doing allot of fleet work, mostly one ton vans, and Ford step vans, not Saturn's and little cars. So it may have been an subliminal survival instinct as to why my guys didn't like the 2 post, or it may be the advantages I pointed out. I dunno ? I'm just stating the obvious.

One other thing Ive not seen anyone mention on this forum, is how easy it is to screw up lifting a car on a two post ? Which is really rather difficult to do on a 4 post, unless you just drive off the thing. My guys dropped my 72 Centurion Convertible on my 2 post, I wasn't present to see how they screwed up placing the arms, but they dropped it sideways on the passenger door/fender/quarter panel, it slid from left to right, once again, something you cant do on a 4 post.

And then there is stability, if you working on 3k cars all the time, I suppose the 2 post is pretty safe, if you working on something heavy, I personally don't like being under a 2 post.

Like I said in an early post, wanna sell yourself on a 4 post, take that crew cab dually and put it up on a 9k, grab the back corner of the bumper and pull down on it, if it doesn't make you nervous, your survival instincts are not working. Vehicles do fall of 2 post lifts.

I will admit, in my next shop, I will have a 2 post, but it will sit idle most of the time, while I wear out the 4 post. I will only buy it for the specific work I cant do on the 4 post, so maybe a 4 post is a luxury. Clearly if you doing front wheel drive work-engines, transmissions, K-frames, suspension, not the lift for you. I have 2 front wheel drives, but as far as work goes I dont do any transmission work on FWD's, I personally loath front wheel drives, but Im lucky in that I can really pick and choose my work (mostly 4WDs, Full Size SUVs and small tractors, skid loaders)

Just food for thought, some guys can save themselves the needless process of buying a 2 post only to wind up with a 4 post. Just like allot of other tools, for some they are the bomb, others, not so much. Depends on what your doing. Ive seen guy progress from 2 post too 4 post, but never the other way around?

 

[mike23]

Once you get a car or truck up on a two post put a jack support under a bumper or piece of frame and it will be rock solid. Will not shake or wobble. You can get a cheap one for around $50.

 

[scarman]

I have a Gregg Smith Atlas 9 two post lift and I love it. Great price and service.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I believe that you are allot less likely to drop a car off of a 4 post lift, but I still wouldn't get under until the locks are in. Here is a video of a 4 post lift failure. It does happen, but I bet that van was loaded.

Chris

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[Cobra4B]

^ That's scary...

Question... how do you do wheel/tire brake work on a 4-post? Most of my auto work is on our race car and requires the wheels/tires off.

It seems that w/ a 4-post you have to get a hydraulic jacking accessory and put the car on jack stands on the lift... doesn't that defeat the purpose of a lift?

Plus on a Corvette to get the transmission/rear out you have to drop the rear cradle/suspension etc.

 

[jamesgpeck]

This is a mobile lift. Anybody ever use one? I have not.

http://naautoequipment.com/MSC-6K_mobile-single-column-lift.html

 

[Spaggs]

Buy a Mohawk and never look back! It is the safest lift you can buy. You owe that to yourself.

Spaggs

 

[JerseyJim]

^ That's scary...

Question... how do you do wheel/tire brake work on a 4-post? Most of my auto work is on our race car and requires the wheels/tires off.

It seems that w/ a 4-post you have to get a hydraulic jacking accessory and put the car on jack stands on the lift... doesn't that defeat the purpose of a lift?

Plus on a Corvette to get the transmission/rear out you have to drop the rear cradle/suspension etc.

I guess it's a matter of deciding just what you want the lift for. If the primary reason for the lift is to work on cars rather than store them... You probably want a two post. For me, storage is an important issue and a four post represents an excellent compromise. While a sliding jack (or other type of jacks) is required to get the wheels off the runway, the true value to me is being able to work on the car while standing. Kneeling or crouching is not a pleasant experience anymore.

I know many other car guys who have purchased lifts over the years... Most have purchased four posts for the same reason that I did. Many of the guys who initially purchased two posts ended up buying a four post later on. Their experience and my research made it an easy choice and I haven't regretted it for a moment.

 

[TheGrooveking]

I remember using a Stewart Warner Alemite 4 post in high school, it had two yellow 4" beams that tapered near te ends that ran the length of the unit and mounted to two separate beams that when across from left to right, one in the front and one in the back. These had their own separate safetys, so it was reassuring to know that there was an extra set just in case. But for doing brake jobs or wheel work, you would slide them over to under the framer or suspension and then engage the pins that held them in place and lower the tread runners. Worked well, but what was really nice was when you were really pulling on something or fighting with something under the car, when it was on the treads it wasn't going anywhere.

 

[6768rogues]

Although I do all sorts of work on my cars from time to time, the most common use of my 2 post lift is to change my oil and rotate my tires, followed by brake work. The two post works great, especially if I want to have several tires off the car at the same time. I have also raised cars up to paint under rocker panels, which would be almost as hard on a 4 post as on the floor. Yea, it is more work to get the car in the air, but it works well for all that I have to do.