14' Ceiling High Track Conversion - 7' Door

[Sawbladz]

I am planning to purchase a 4 post lift for my garage to allow me to stack my sports cars above a 2dr Bronco. I will be getting a Peak 407HP which will allow a lifting height that clears the Bronco with a car on the lift.

My garage currently has a <10 foot ceiling but the trusses are 14' high. The builder attached 2x4's vertically to the truss and suspended horizontal 2x4's to support drywall at the lower elevation. I plan to remove this low ceiling and finish the drywall all the way up to truss level with insulation/vapor barrier.

The garage is about 19x24 and has 2 garage doors sized 7'highx8'wide. To accommodate the high lift 4 post hoist, I will be changing the garage door tracks and adding a shaft style opener. My concern is that since my ceiling height is basically double that of the garage door height, the door will remain basically vertical in the open position. Is this a concern? I see companies like DDM Garage Doors offer high lift kits but typically they only raise the radius a small amount which still allows the majority of the door to be on the horizontal track which seems more stable.

Does anyone have a similar track arrangement they could share photos of?

 

[Sumboodie]

Common in commercial applications.

Like at work it's a 30ft tall ceiling and only 14ft tall doors. They just open straight up.

 

[wssix99]

You need a follow-the-roof track kit. Yes - having all the weight of the door on the springs is a problem. These kits come with special drums that mechanically address this, along with specially sized springs.

Just find out the door manufacturer, throw away all your old hardware, and get a new follow-the-roof track kit from them. (You can't just bend what you have like an erector set. The entire set of lifting hardware is different.)

 

[Fav Onefour]

I don't have experience with the DDM style conversion. It is an interesting idea. I'm not sure that they would give you any extra stability. That part comes from proper hardware and installation.
I've seen tons of straight vertical doors in industrial applications. They are simple and your overhead is not blocked. My biggest concern is your true headroom at the opening. The tracks on those typically require more height than 14' on a 7' opening.

I'm also trying to figure out why the builder went through all that trouble with the current setup. Not that it matters, but it is odd. The drop ceiling must have been more money and time. The doors seem small for a space that large. I'm guessing width was limited by the double opening and required framing. The questions lead me to wonder if there is some other limiting factor to simply installing a taller rail system?

 

[wssix99]

Sorry - I missed your pictures when I originally read this post. I assumed you were dealing with scissor trusses. (I also can't imagine why your builder would have dropped this ceiling... Something must be going on. You might want to investigate that further and see if other surprises are hiding behind the drywall.)

If you have floor trusses or flat bottoms above, you would need a high lift track. They do have higher high lift tracks, depending on your needs. As I mentioned above, the drums will be shaped with special conical sections to progressively handle the weight through the door's travel.

You will also need to move your lift further back in the room. (You can't put it right up against the door and you will end up having an arrangement where the ramps will probably be completely inside the room.) 4 post lifts still need the loads centered somewhat. If not, the posts will lean/bend and the locks will not engage properly. (And the lift will lean with the load at height.)

 

[Sawbladz]

I'm going to have to cut a larger hole in the ceiling of the garage so that I can stand up on a ladder and check it all out. Based on the elevation of the rest of the house trusses and the shape of the building it makes sense that there is nothing up there. I have looked at it from the attic but couldn't get too close to that part of the house from where the access hatch is located.

When I get time this weekend I will open it up and get the required details from my garage doors to start investigating the high lift kit. Once these details are confirmed I will move forward with the lift. Might even end up using the 4post with caster kit as scaffolding for drywalling the ceiling.

 

[Sawbladz]

Cut a hole and figured out the explanation for the lower ceiling height. Looks like the front 6 feet of the garage has trusses at that lower elevation, then it goes up over 5 feet.

I updated my drawing to adjust for it and it will still work. Lift can be near the door if lifting the Miata over the GT4 or vice versa. If lifting the Bronco or parking it under I will use the dollies and move the lift back away from the door.