Atlas 4 Post Lift Leaning

[Zedder]

I had a 4 Post Lift installed a few weeks ago and not bolted down. I mentioned to the installer that I didn’t like how the rear post was leaning due to the floor being uneven and he said that it was fine as is. I didn’t have a car to put on it at the time, but when my 67 Camaro got delivered a few weeks later and I put it up, I didn’t feel comfortable at all (see pic below without a car on the lift).

I measured my floor and there is a 3.5 inch drop between the columns from front to Back and there is 3/4 inch difference between the 2 rear columns with the low column furthest from the wall. So, I am getting it bolted down by another installer in a few weeks. I’ve read the manual and it appears to me that I simply have to fix the 2 rear columns do they are on the same plane and I can leave the 3.5 inch drop front to rear as long as it is bolted down. Can anyone more experienced confirm this?

 

[king nero]

Can't really see it in the pic, but 3.5" is more than I'd be confortable with...

 

[infinkc]

I would try and have it leveled out. 3.5” is a pretty big slope.

 

[MrSurly]

Check the install manual. I’m fairly certain that it says words to the effect that the floor must be level.


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[Chevy-SS]

I put a Challenger 4-poster in my garage a few years ago by professional installers (not bolted down). I had a small issue where one of the safety latches hung up and I almost lost my truck off the lift. I had it bolted down the very next day. They used small wedges under the posts to level them out where necessary.

These things (lifts) are dangerous. You can search on the internet and see episode after episode of bad things happening, so it's best to be extra careful.

You may be able to make some sort of adjustment to level the ramps out, by using blocks or other method(s) to raise the lower end(s). I would think this would be OK so long as it was securely bolted in place. Of course, check with a qualified installer.

Main thing is - be safe!!!!! You want that thing rock-solid.

 

[66Caprice]

Yes you need to get something under those back legs to level them out. My 4 post is on a 1/2 inch thick plate for the front legs to level it up. Like mentioned already. It will go up and down. But eventually those locks and legs will bind up and get stuck. Try to level it up as much as possible on all four legs. Your installer sounds like a lazy *** d___!

 

[glentre]

My three year old four post Eagle lifts are installed unbolted on a floor with a slope front to back but level side to side. When first set up, the front locks would engage well before the rears and if raised higher so the rears would engage and then let down on to the locks, the ramps would be sloped to match the slope of the floor. Adjusting the cables in the two rear columns fixed the problem and now the lifts raise level and the locks all engage at the same time. Maybe not all four post lifts have this kind of adjustment at each of the columns and would require shims to resolve the slope condition.

Glen

 

[Dakota00]

Zedder, have a look at my thread, might be some useful info for your dilemma. I was dealing with a 6.5" slope on 20 feet! https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=242267

 

[Zedder]

Thanks Guys!

Dakota...I’ve read your thread a number of times. Nice job! I’m having 1/4 inch base plates laser cut this week to fix most of the front to back slope and all of the side to side slope.

 

[Dakota00]

Thank you!

Smart move on getting some base plates made. My buddy was dealing with a similar situation as yours. He got some base plates made up as well, plus some metal shims too. The shims were used to straighten up the posts that were leaning. With that said, I was able to get his lift nice and true, once everything was bolted down.

 

[Zedder]

Hey Dakota, do you think you could get your buddy to send you some pics of his instal with the plates so you could post them here? Would love to see them!

 

[logical]

I had almost that much slope because my garage is L shaped and to get both doors to the same level outside it just kinda had to be that way. It was the right thing to do since in MI we need melting snow on vehicles to drain toward the outside. It was even as much as 1/2 inch off within one of the plates.

I did shims out of glass reinforced composite material. The layers are glued and drilled for the bolts and aren't moving. Compressive strength is actually higher than concrete....kind of like big square, four hole washers. By using partial layers I could sort out the overall slope and the issue within the 4 plates. I know not everyone has a big stack of composite lab test plaques laying around but I did so why not. The downside is the runways are about 8 inches above my driveway so I had to get long ramps...and had to bolt it down, which I planned to anyhow because it really wont fit anywhere else and is too tall to move outside.

Id rather deal with those things than have a wonky, wiggley lift.

Sent from my garage.

 

[Zedder]

Thanks Logical...that is very helpful! Did you assemble your lift and then put the spacers in? If so, how did you raise the column foot that high? My casters only raise the foot about 1/2-3/4 inch and I'm not sure how I go about lifting higher since it is fully assembled? Thanks!

 

[logical]

Thanks Logical...that is very helpful! Did you assemble your lift and then put the spacers in? If so, how did you raise the column foot that high? My casters only raise the foot about 1/2-3/4 inch and I'm not sure how I go about lifting higher since it is fully assembled? Thanks!

Honestly I forget the order I did things in. I did the install myself using a cherry picker/engine hoist. If I had to do what you need to do with that I'd probably wrap and clamp a sling around the post midway up and use the cherry picker to lift one corner. I think I made my stacks first and probably placed the posts on them early in the process.



Sent from my garage.

 

[Zedder]

Thanks!

 

[logical]

This isn't much help but was my install thread

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...&share_fid=20318&share_type=t&link_source=app

Sent from my garage.

 

[boatshoes]

Thanks Logical...that is very helpful! Did you assemble your lift and then put the spacers in? If so, how did you raise the column foot that high? My casters only raise the foot about 1/2-3/4 inch and I'm not sure how I go about lifting higher since it is fully assembled? Thanks!

I strapped my crossbeams to the posts and was able to lift an entire end with a floor jack and some wood as seen here on the left

 

[Zedder]

Thanks! Never thought of that. I think I can make that work!

 

[nikojo]

I like that!

 

[Zedder]

I had some time yesterday to investigate a little further. I bought a 360 degree laser level and measured the slope at my columns. At the front I have 1/4 inch From the wall column to center column. At the rear it is 3/4 inch wall to center. Front to back slope is 3 3/8 inches between the columns. My manual states that columns must be on the same plane and that the slope can’t be more than 1/8 inch per foot, which would be 1.6 inches between columns, or it must be bolted down.

I had these full size 1/4 inch thick base plates laser cut and I’ll use them to take the size-to-side slope away. Since I am bolting it down, I don’t have to take the front to rear slope away, but will use 1 1/2 inches on each rear post to make it more level front to back.

I also need to move the lift away from the wall so that the bolt holes are 6 inches from the slab edge. As you can see, this cuts into the bay a good amount, but still leaves me about 4 inches of clearance on each side of my SUV when entering the garage.

 

[infinkc]

Nice, lift manufacturers should really sell those spacer plates. If it were me I wouldn’t be too concerned if you move the lift closer to the wall, since 4 post are designed not to be bolted down. The bolts are there for just securing it down and not for major support like a 2 post. My garage I would move it.

 

[napa68]

Mark,

FWIW, you should contact the company you bought that from. I'm sure they'd like to know about the installer and his advice. It's a liability to say the least.

How 'bout some pics of your Camaro on that new lift?

Tim

 

[Zedder]

Hey Tim!

Yeah, once the new installer checks it over I will for sure. I’m still pretty pissed off about the whole thing. Too afraid to put the Camaro up there again! How about one of it under the lift!

 

[muckdp]

If it were me I wouldn’t be too concerned if you move the lift closer to the wall, since 4 post are designed not to be bolted down. The bolts are there for just securing it down and not for major support like a 2 post. My garage I would move it.

Yeah, same here. It wouldn't bother me to have it closer to the edge of the slab in this scenario.

 

[Zedder]

Yeah, same here. It wouldn't bother me to have it closer to the edge of the slab in this scenario.

I'm just afraid that if I get too close to the edge, the slab will crack or break off.

 

[glentre]

For those who install spacer plates under their columns on a four post lift that is not bolted down, it might be wise to tack weld the spacers to the columns. My four post lifts show signs of the columns moving on the floor after a few years of loading cars on and off them. I think this is caused by the front wheels of the car bumping the ramps while loading in the full down position.

Glen

 

[king nero]

I'm just afraid that if I get too close to the edge, the slab will crack or break off.

Do you have the same concern if you would drive your vehicle at that location, that the slab would break?

Remember that that you're basically talking the same weight ( the car + the weight of the lift), but with a substantial larger footprint (4x the baseplate of the lift vs. 4x the contact patch of the tire).

 

[Zedder]

Do you have the same concern if you would drive your vehicle at that location, that the slab would break?

Remember that that you're basically talking the same weight ( the car + the weight of the lift), but with a substantial larger footprint (4x the baseplate of the lift vs. 4x the contact patch of the tire).

I'm not concerned with the load on the floor itself. It is the stress cone created by the anchor that is the issue. Too near the edge of the slab and you do not have enough material to handle the stresses and the concrete cracks or breaks away.

 

[king nero]

Then only use the bolt holes on the "inside" of the base plate if that's your concern. This will give you an additional few inches of margin.
The primary function ofthe anchors is shear, not tensile forces, and using only 2 of 4 (?) anchors will be more than sufficient.

 

[Zedder]

Thanks...I thought about that. I should have enough room even with it 6 inches from the wall.

 

[jferrante]

I just installed mine, garage slopes to center and decent slope front to back. They sell wedges to level the legs as well which is what I used and will now bolt it to the floor.

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[Zedder]

Got the plates powder coated and put some in place today. This set-up gets the front and back posts on the same plane and reduces the slope from front to back to 3 inches. I have more plates, but I’m going to wait until the installer weighs in on whether I need to lessen the slope given that I am bolting it down.