2 post lift and vehicle alignment suggestions

[roadrunner255]

Hello All,

I have 3 different size vehicles and was wondering what others are doing when aligning different width vehicles, side to side.

I was thinking spray painting a couple of lines in the floor for each vehicle.

Maybe I'm just over thinking this.

Thanks!

 

[wssix99]

I like the idea and have done this on my 4 post lift. (I don't have a floor that I can mark up for the 2 post.)

This is what the pros do and use all day long. No crime in copying the idea...

 

[MileHighRover]

You're overthinking it.

 

[firebirdparts]

It's a tight squeeze in there and quite easy to see where you are.

 

[no704]

You are on the correct path. I used to run the R&D shop at a van upfitter. Primarily lifting the same vehicles, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota mini vans. Painted Three “T”s on the floor in different colors. Lining up the outside of the front tire and the contact patch. These were measured out for optimal placement of the van. Worked great and made lifting a breeze.

 

[roadrunner255]

Amazon has 1/8" stripping tape, considering that for marking. Between the mini, rav4, and 2500 ram. It would make life easier.

 

[TonyG109]

When I installed my lift, I found that side to side alignment was critical in order for the lift arms to align with the lift points correctly on certain vehicles. This seemed especially to be an issue with smaller vehicles.

So after much thought, this is what I came up with...I put a line on the floor down the center of the lift bay from the garage door to the back of the bay. I then mounted a rectangular convex mirror on the back wall (portrait style) pointed slightly downward. When driving into the lift bay I simply look forward at the mirror and line the center of the vehicle up with the line. Most vehicle have a centered emblem, license plate or something to line up with the image in the mirror. No need for different marks for each vehicle. Perfect every time for every vehicle!

The tape was some 1" wide heavy duty tape I bought online that has held up amazingly well. The mirror was the painful part. I don't remember the cost, but I probably forgot for a reason!

Here's the view out the windshield driving in.



Here is the license plate lined up with the center line as I pull in.



I frequently have family and friends who pull their vehicles into the lift bay. This makes it easy for anyone to get it right the first time!

 

[gizardlizard]

I bought a 30 dollar line laser from Amazon, mounted it on top of my lift and ran a switch for it on the lift column. I turn on the switch and it puts a 1/8” line on the hood of the vehicle. I have a bump stop system on the floor for the forward and back. Perfect every time. My Rotary lift has three stage front arms and two stage rear arms. Cars are super easy but wide framed mega cab type trucks are a *****. The rear arms are so long, I can’t be off 1 inch or I can’t hit the frame.

 

[roadrunner255]

What are the dimensions of the mirror?

Several sizes on Amazon.

Thanks

 

[drmarkr]

What are the dimensions of the mirror?

 

[TonyG109]

What are the dimensions of the mirror?

Mine is 20" x 30" but you can probably get away with a slightly smaller one.

This has nothing to do with centering the vehicle, but I also put a smaller 4" x 6" convex mirror on the inside of the garage door. This gives me the ability to check the headlights, tail lights, turn signals, etc. using the big mirror up front and the little mirror in the rear using the rear view mirror while sitting in the drivers seat. The 4" x 6" is the type available at any auto parts store.

 

[LopezBart]

An old trick is to hang a small ball from a string so it hits the windshield in the center when you're in the right spot...for multiple cars, more balls are needed.

 

[TonyG109]

As I recall, I bought the mirror from Uline, part #H-4096. $115, ouch! That's why I put the cost out of my mind. (There's probably a cheaper alternative out there.) But honestly, I'd do it again. I sometimes have to cut the wheel hard exiting the garage to avoid backing into a parked car and the mirror helps me see how close I am to the lift arms and door opening. Very handy with the full size pickup truck.

 

[TonyG109]

An old trick is to hang a small ball from a string so it hits the windshield in the center when you're in the right spot...for multiple cars, more balls are needed.

This got me thinking after looking at the pictures I posted using the tape on the floor. I could probably put a piece of tape perpendicular to the centering tape to indicate when to stop. This would be vehicle specific so multiple pieces of tape would probably be needed.

Edit: I just noticed wssix99's picture posted above, post #4. This shows the perpendicular lines for different model planes!

 

[roadrunner255]

I have a window in front of the bay, mirror idea may not work.

May just go back to lines on the floor, what I was originally doing with tape.

I have racedeck flooring the 1 foot snap together type.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[jsaw]

Watch the outside rear view mirrors and keep them the same distance from the lift posts

 

[roadrunner255]

How far are folks pulling their trucks in?

On my Chevy Avalanche 2500, I pulled it in so the drivers door mirrors were just past the 2 post columns.

Both ram 2500 and Avalanche weight about the same 7400lbs.

Thanks

 

[olytdi]

Watch the outside rear view mirrors and keep them the same distance from the lift posts

This

 

[TonyG109]

How far a vehicle is pulled in can be vehicle specific as well as lift specific (symmetric vs asymmetric, wide vs standard width). I have an asymmetric lift so with smaller cars, putting the mirrors about 1' past the uprights usually works for me. For my crew cab 8' bed pickup, I keep pulling forward until the driver's door just clears the upright when opened, otherwise I can't exit the vehicle! This also just happens to be about the perfect balance point. Also as gizzardlizzard mentioned, the lift arms play a role here. He has 3 stage arm which will cover a larger range than 2 stage arms. So with 3 stage arms, you probably don't have to be as accurate with vehicle placement as with 2 stage arms, which I'm dealing with.

Typically with an new vehicle, I pull the vehicle in until the shortened front arms just clear the rear of the front tires. This seems to just about always work, but of course, you can't really see this from inside the vehicle so it may require me to exit the vehicle a time or two to get it right.

 

[roadrunner255]

Thanks, I have a bendpak XPR-10A-LP asymmetric two-post lift with Low-Pro™ arms and columns turned at 30 deg, makes it easier to open the doors.

My new Ram 2500 hd crew cab with a 6'2" bed, was about the same length as the Avalanche.

 

[olytdi]

How far a vehicle is pulled in can be vehicle specific as well as lift specific (symmetric vs asymmetric, wide vs standard width). I have an asymmetric lift so with smaller cars, putting the mirrors about 1' past the uprights usually works for me. For my crew cab 8' bed pickup, I keep pulling forward until the driver's door just clears the upright when opened, otherwise I can't exit the vehicle! This also just happens to be about the perfect balance point. Also as gizzardlizzard mentioned, the lift arms play a role here. He has 3 stage arm which will cover a larger range than 2 stage arms. So with 3 stage arms, you probably don't have to be as accurate with vehicle placement as with 2 stage arms, which I'm dealing with.

Typically with an new vehicle, I pull the vehicle in until the shortened front arms just clear the rear of the front tires. This seems to just about always work, but of course, you can't really see this from inside the vehicle so it may require me to exit the vehicle a time or two to get it right.

Yes, front to back will be different for different vehicles. What I do, once the vehicle is centered side-to-side, is get out in neutral and brake off and simply push the vehicle forward or backward to the proper place. There's a lot of difference when one vehicle is a Golf and the other a Silverado 1500!

 

[TonyG109]

Yes, front to back will be different for different vehicles. What I do, once the vehicle is centered side-to-side, is get out in neutral and brake off and simply push the vehicle forward or backward to the proper place. There's a lot of difference when one vehicle is a Golf and the other a Silverado 1500!

Ha! Your situation is the same as mine! I have a GTI and the long bed RAM. It's a world of difference in positioning. I have done the neutral/push thing, but my floor slopes slightly out the garage door. I once witnessed the GTI slowly, very slowly, creeping towards the closed garage door! It's the only time and the only car I saw do that. I must have had the tires aired up really high or something...

 

[Shadowdog500]

I use a laser.

Pulling into my lift isn’t a straight shot and I’m usually still turning when the front of the car is between the posts. As a result it’s rarely straight and centered when I first pull in so I decided to mount my laser level on my pallet rack at the back of my shop and positioned it so it shoots a verticall line right between the posts. If you have the laser on the center of the dash and on the center of the back seat while looking through the rear view mirror the car will be perfectly centered and perfectly aligned every time.

This is the laser I use.

 

[roadrunner255]

Thanks all!

Found this post from the car wizard that shows what you mentioned.

Car wizard 2 post lift

 

[racecougar]

Man, the thread title had me thinking of a completely different type of 2-post lift / vehicle alignment situation.