What are your must have items after getting a two post lift?
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Ramblin Man
Well-known member
An oil drain container, a support stand to help you hold things. Depending on how deep of work you do,a ****** jack, and maybe other shop epuipment.
My greatest need seems to be protection for my head as I am banging it a lot under the vehicles.
Edit: Study carefully the center points of your vehicles for safe lifting. A study on that subject is a worthwhile effort, IMO.
My greatest need seems to be protection for my head as I am banging it a lot under the vehicles.
Edit: Study carefully the center points of your vehicles for safe lifting. A study on that subject is a worthwhile effort, IMO.
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Jack stands. I know other guys have pooh poohed it, but l believe in safety first. I put jack stands under all 4 arms of the lift, take the weight off of the arms, and when working on a long heavy vehicle an additional one under the front and back to steady it. I do center the vehicles by weight. I put up with the "hassle" of having to work around them by knowing that if something breaks on the lift, the vehicle isn't coming down on me. Anything mechanical can break. I would rather go overboard on safety than not be safe enough. Just my humble opinion.
I worked on airplanes all my life. When something goes wrong on an airplane you can't pull it over and park on a cloud, so safety first was drummed into us. This is why l always think about safety.
I worked on airplanes all my life. When something goes wrong on an airplane you can't pull it over and park on a cloud, so safety first was drummed into us. This is why l always think about safety.sweetk30
Well-known member
MOHAWK ..... MADE 4 HR'S NORTH AND EAST OF ME . lisle oil drain bucket and trans pan drain funnel kit . LIS11102 look for deals with the BIG square trans pan drain funnel option that sets on top . and i have over 20+ years in shops and i will only use this unit . . . tried a lot of othrs but just keep coming back to the lisle brand .
few screw jacks to stabilize the longgggger vehicles . and a JACK UNDER VEHICLE tag to hang on the dump valve to keep from DUMPING the vehicle off the lift .
good trans jack on wheels and lifts to almost 6ft tall . i got a unit almost like a GREY automotive unit but 400 less in price . wish i had just paid the extra for the GREY unit for the much tighter head unit on top .
and a good selection of lift pad spacers is a must for fine adjustment . and maybe even some custom units with rubber pads . i made mine with used rock pit conveyor belting and there holding up GREAT .
also lift them 3-6" up and STOP . rock the vehicle to check balance . if they fall its just 3-6" and no real harm . . . . take it from a guy who nose dived a ford ranger with a snow plow on the front doing a 4 tire change and didnt set the lift for the extra nose weight . . . .
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Handyandy23
Well-known member
I agree with the stands / supports, just not in the way 22george uses them. I've got a pair of "tall" tripod style ones on a jack screw rather than teeth like a traditional jack stand. I think mine are Torin Big Red. You put the car up to where you want, let it down to the next safety latch, and then put one stand at the front and one at the back. Spin them up until they touch for added stability.
I really only use them with longer vehicles like my truck, but depends what I'm doing. With a longer vehicle if you're wrenching at one end or the other, it tends to rock quite a bit. The support stands take away that rocking.
Also like someone else said, oil drain pan with the extending neck. I spent my first couple oil changes holding a drain pan in my hands trying not to get splashed. They make ones with smaller buckets than the huge pro ones that don't cost too much.
I'd also say a good work / trouble light if you don't already have one. With a car up in the air, no matter how good your shop lighting is, the bottom side is still dark. I upgraded to the DeWalt 20V tripod light, which is great under the lift. You can point it up and light up the whole underbody.
I really only use them with longer vehicles like my truck, but depends what I'm doing. With a longer vehicle if you're wrenching at one end or the other, it tends to rock quite a bit. The support stands take away that rocking.
Also like someone else said, oil drain pan with the extending neck. I spent my first couple oil changes holding a drain pan in my hands trying not to get splashed. They make ones with smaller buckets than the huge pro ones that don't cost too much.
I'd also say a good work / trouble light if you don't already have one. With a car up in the air, no matter how good your shop lighting is, the bottom side is still dark. I upgraded to the DeWalt 20V tripod light, which is great under the lift. You can point it up and light up the whole underbody.
Jack stands. I know other guys have pooh poohed it, but l believe in safety first. I put jack stands under all 4 arms of the lift, take the weight off of the arms, and when working on a long heavy vehicle an additional one under the front and back to steady it. I do center the vehicles by weight. I put up with the "hassle" of having to work around them by knowing that if something breaks on the lift, the vehicle isn't coming down on me. Anything mechanical can break. I would rather go overboard on safety than not be safe enough. Just my humble opinion.
I didn't say. My jack stands are all the 2 ton tripod stands.
sberry
Banned
Oil bucket and a ****** jack. That looks like a nice rig up.
Jbullfrog
ALLIANCE MEMBER
A hard hat is beneficial. A light on a stand or stick to metal that can point up.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
As others have pointed out, an oil drain and screw jacks (supports). I don't care for the tripod models as they take up too much space.
After that, it really depends on what type of work you're going to tackle. A transmission jack with fuel tank adapter is a very handy thing to have.
You may want to consider getting new rubber lifting pads for the hoist arms if you're going to be lifting cars on their pinch welds to prevent damaging the car. That Mohawk lift is bullet proof and built like a tank.
I have one at work. 
After that, it really depends on what type of work you're going to tackle. A transmission jack with fuel tank adapter is a very handy thing to have.
You may want to consider getting new rubber lifting pads for the hoist arms if you're going to be lifting cars on their pinch welds to prevent damaging the car. That Mohawk lift is bullet proof and built like a tank.
I have one at work. I orderd the Lisle 11102 drain, their transmission drain pan and no-splatter pad and two Sunex 3/4 ton support stands. I have a lot of Milwaukee M18 stuff, so I'm looking at their tripod lights. Had not thought of that. I'm going to see how much the Mohawk rubber lift pads are when I talk to them tomorrow.
Thanks for the advice!
Thanks for the advice!
sweetk30
Well-known member
all GREAT pics from a 20+ year wrench turning guy who just buys the stuff that WORKS and is quality .
as to rubber pads most lifts all use solid rubber pads . go find a chunk of conveyor belting and cut it up and make your own pads . 3-4 layers of rubber and fabric will hold up FOR almost ever . its how i redid mine and they dont tear up or pinch apart lifting on the pinch welds . and here is the flat head bolts you can use to keep it real low profile . https://www.mcmaster.com/screws/elevator-bolts/ or just a few carriage bolts will do .
and my 8ft fisher snow plow has it for a snow foil / snow roller over 10 years now no problems .
if you cant find any let me know i have over a 100ft of it 36" wide out back yet .
as to rubber pads most lifts all use solid rubber pads . go find a chunk of conveyor belting and cut it up and make your own pads . 3-4 layers of rubber and fabric will hold up FOR almost ever . its how i redid mine and they dont tear up or pinch apart lifting on the pinch welds . and here is the flat head bolts you can use to keep it real low profile . https://www.mcmaster.com/screws/elevator-bolts/ or just a few carriage bolts will do .
and my 8ft fisher snow plow has it for a snow foil / snow roller over 10 years now no problems .
if you cant find any let me know i have over a 100ft of it 36" wide out back yet .
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sberry
Banned
****** jack. I got half a dozen brackets rig ups with it, someone mentioned fuel tanks. You can have the truck all the way up and the jack has enough headroom to lower the stuff out under, absolutely 3rd hand, does a lot of awkward lifting. The name is ****** jack but it's really a rolling jack on wheels with an add on ****** adapter.
Got slots, holes, brackets on the adapter and made for the jack. One guy here said he used his for oil pan, good dual use of space.
Coffee can with bits of hardware we made or collected.
Got slots, holes, brackets on the adapter and made for the jack. One guy here said he used his for oil pan, good dual use of space.
Coffee can with bits of hardware we made or collected.
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sberry
Banned
Hey, I like that belt over plow idea, really good.
The hoist bay looks good. It's coming around. Don't be scared to move stuff.
The hoist bay looks good. It's coming around. Don't be scared to move stuff.
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sweetk30
Well-known member
mbshop
Well-known member
I will second the hard hat ! It just takes one moment of lapsed memory to lay your rear on the ground with blood pouring out of a big dent in yer head. No, you cant ask me why i came up with this !
anndel
Well-known member
Your brain and common sense to work safely.
Changing the oil on the Frontier this morning was pretty easy with the truck in the air. No more rolling around on my back on the floor/creeper!
Tried out the jack stands. They work great. Very happy with all of the lift stuff I got.
The funnel pad is really cool. No splashing oil, no concern about dropping the drain plug down the hole and convenient spot to let funnels and filters drain out into the collection container. The Lisle waste oil drain is highly recommended here on GJ. I am very happy with it!
Tried out the jack stands. They work great. Very happy with all of the lift stuff I got.
The funnel pad is really cool. No splashing oil, no concern about dropping the drain plug down the hole and convenient spot to let funnels and filters drain out into the collection container. The Lisle waste oil drain is highly recommended here on GJ. I am very happy with it!
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Handyandy23
Well-known member
Thanks for the tip on that pad, just ordered one off Amazon for my drain pan. Never seen that before but it makes total sense.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Nice setup Steven.
After a while you'll wonder why you ever put up with rolling around on a creeper for so many years.
Like others have mentioned oil drain, which it looks like you already have and pole jacks, which also looks like you have covered. Personally I like the pole jacks over the tripod style as the tripods take up too much floor space and become trip hazards.
I would also recommend a hydraulic transmission jack down the road as they can be used for so many things other than just transmissions.
After a while you'll wonder why you ever put up with rolling around on a creeper for so many years.
Like others have mentioned oil drain, which it looks like you already have and pole jacks, which also looks like you have covered. Personally I like the pole jacks over the tripod style as the tripods take up too much floor space and become trip hazards.
I would also recommend a hydraulic transmission jack down the road as they can be used for so many things other than just transmissions.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I have the NAPA one and really like it but that's the only one I've had any personal experience with so I really can't be of any help for comparison's sake.
Paco (fnieto) has one that looks very similar to mine but slight differences and it looks very nice. You may reach out to him and ask his opinion on his.
sweetk30
Well-known member
lisle bucket funnel has cross ribs to keep drain plug from going down the hole . never lost one yet in all my years using one or mine .
and if you didnt take off the black drain cap and the oil will drain down faster .
nice anti splash pad . that might be my next item to buy . . .
and if you didnt take off the black drain cap and the oil will drain down faster .
nice anti splash pad . that might be my next item to buy . . .
sweetk30
Well-known member
should have got this one . https://products.grayusa.com/list/id/htj-1000 much better quality head on top over the american forged foundry unit i did get just like it 95% wise .
the grey was around 400 more at the time and in the end the head quality is what kills the deal if i did it over again .
the grey was around 400 more at the time and in the end the head quality is what kills the deal if i did it over again .
travisn1
Well-known member
Never seen the drain pan splash thing, definitely getting one. I got one each of the tall jacks stands, variety is good. Along with an oil drain catch.
I also got one of these for each post to hold lug nuts when removing wheels:
https://www.harborfreight.com/tool-...c-tray-with-screwdriver-holder-red-69319.html
One of these up in the ceiling:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D5LM9TY/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I put a stripe of electrical tape on the far post in two spots: one to know when the lift is all the way down (it's quiet and slow), then one just before the first latches catch so I know when I can stop holding the release lever down.
I also got one of these for each post to hold lug nuts when removing wheels:
https://www.harborfreight.com/tool-...c-tray-with-screwdriver-holder-red-69319.html
One of these up in the ceiling:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D5LM9TY/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I put a stripe of electrical tape on the far post in two spots: one to know when the lift is all the way down (it's quiet and slow), then one just before the first latches catch so I know when I can stop holding the release lever down.
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PhantomEB
Well-known member
I am anti hoist due to not a 30x30 or bigger. But one day I would like one so definitely following this thread.
Definitely would do the extended oil drain and safety jacks. Never saw the reason for ****** jack that high, why not undo your lower bolts while it’s raised, then lower to do upper bolts and raise the hoist while keeping transmission down on the ground?
Other thing I would have is a tool cart with trays.
Definitely would do the extended oil drain and safety jacks. Never saw the reason for ****** jack that high, why not undo your lower bolts while it’s raised, then lower to do upper bolts and raise the hoist while keeping transmission down on the ground?
Other thing I would have is a tool cart with trays.
Why work on the ground, when you can work standing up? ****** jacks work for other stuff too, they're very useful for gas tanks and diffrentials, for instance.
javyLSU
Well-known member
I have that Lisle anti-splash mat, and it’s been fantastic. Just being able to set the drain plugs and oil filters on the mat while the oil drains is enough to make me happy, but not having any oil splatter out is really the icing on the cake. It also does a good job of catching any extra stuff in the oil that you wouldn’t know about by just dumping the oil straight into a barrel.
It's much easier to do rear wheel drive transmissions up high. It also makes it easy to get bell housing bolts from behind the trans with long extensions.
A couple of you said hard hat, that's overkill, and adds at least two inches to your height, so you hit more often. They make "bump caps" specifically for situations like this. Lighter,more comfortable, and enough to save your scalp.
This link is to a good discussion about head protection.
https://www.ergodyne.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-a-bump-cap-and-a-hard-hat/
This link is to a good discussion about head protection.
https://www.ergodyne.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-a-bump-cap-and-a-hard-hat/
ItsJustJoe
Member
Congrats on the lift! Looks like the basics are covered nicely, and I also will be picking up one of those splash pads.
All have been good recommendations - I would only add a rolling stool. Just because you CAN work standing doesn't mean some jobs wouldn't be easier/more comfortable sitting.
I can't post links or pics yet, but search for Whiteside Adjustable Creeper - can be used like a normal creeper, or can be used as a stool with back support.
All have been good recommendations - I would only add a rolling stool. Just because you CAN work standing doesn't mean some jobs wouldn't be easier/more comfortable sitting.
I can't post links or pics yet, but search for Whiteside Adjustable Creeper - can be used like a normal creeper, or can be used as a stool with back support.
PhantomEB
Well-known member
I hear you, why I am not into two post hoists now.....I am only in a 24x24. One spot is always open for DD or something that needs to be worked on quickly, and other is my project side.