2 post lift placement

[pantex]

Just built a 30x40 shop, wondering how far from front wall to place a 2 post lift.
Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[jloehlein]

Is the shop 30' deep or 40' deep? My shop is 30' deep and I have an asymmetrical 2 post lift. I put the center of the columns 13.5' from the front wall. I've got some 32" deep workbenches on the front wall and when I lift my extended cab, long bed truck there is a comfortable amount of space all the way around it.

 

[pantex]

It's 30' deep.. Buying a symmetrical lift, Thanks

 

[rburke65]

One door....2 doors....

 

[lakeroadster]

Here's how I determined location of the lift:

1. What is the capacity of the lift you are buying?
   
2. Take that information and assume the largest vehicle that will fit on the lift. (perhaps that would be a crew cab full size pickup).
   
3. Give yourself 3 feet from the front of that vehicle to the nearest obstruction in the front of the vehicle.
   
4. Look at the suggested lifting points for that vehicle... here: http://thsauto.weebly.com/uploads/4/3/6/1/43610783/lifting_points_guide.pdf
   

 

[like2wheel]

Might want to consider if you ever have to remove an engine, a cherry picker is about 6' long.

I also have 30' to work with, so I plan on leaving that much room up front.

 

[padroo]

Might want to consider if you ever have to remove an engine, a cherry picker is about 6' long.

I also have 30' to work with, so I plan on leaving that much room up front.

Couldn't you put the vehicle on the lift backwards if you wanted to pull an engine?

My garage is 32 x 40 deep. I always wish it would have been four feet deeper. My 1989 Town Car and my 2006 Dakota are a tight fit end to end.

 

[lakeroadster]

Might want to consider if you ever have to remove an engine, a cherry picker is about 6' long.

I also have 30' to work with, so I plan on leaving that much room up front.

Put the car up on the lift to remove fasteners, wiring, hoses etc. Lower the car to the ground, roll it backwards, then pull the engine with the engine hoist.

For most of the maintenance that is done to the vehicle it's not ideal to have the workbench 6 ft away from the front of the car... that's just that much more walking back and forth.

 

[astroracer]

Pay attention to your open overhead garage door. Any vehicle that is all the way up on my lift blocks the door from opening all the way. It hasn't been an issue but it is a pain to have to raise and lower the vehicle to fully open the door. I plan to re-work the tracks but haven't gotten to it yet.
Mark

 

[lakeroadster]

Ideally, on a free span pole barn... have them do the tracks like this:

 

[astroracer]

Yup, that's what I plan to do.

 

[WhiffySpark]

Put the car up on the lift to remove fasteners, wiring, hoses etc. Lower the car to the ground, roll it backwards, then pull the engine with the engine hoist.

For most of the maintenance that is done to the vehicle it's not ideal to have the workbench 6 ft away from the front of the car... that's just that much more walking back and forth.

Just do the whole job with the car on the lift backwards. I do it every time I pull a motor to have more room. I have one on the lift now backwards

 

[vette66bob]

I have Carrige Doors on the lift side of the garage, no worry of overhead opening doors interfering.

 

[duwem]

Symmetric or asymmetric lift...

 

[KDXSR5]

I have Carrige Doors on the lift side of the garage, no worry of overhead opening doors interfering.

Pics?

 

[dwysywd]

Symmetric or asymmetric lift...

FYI Post #3 says symmetrical

 

[RWorth]

another thing to consider is post placement in relation to open space in the garage, you're not always working on the lift, most of the time the lift post towards the center of the garage is "in the way".

 

[Falcon67]

Might want to consider if you ever have to remove an engine, a cherry picker is about 6' long.

You can maneuver a picker with 48" clearance in front, with motor and trans. Done it. Lots. Sometimes with less.

To the OP question - I'd put it at least 12' off the back wall if you want to maximize space in front of the posts. Mine is 11' 6" and I could put a pickup (F150 Super Crew) nose in and have room to work along the back wall. I'm only 23 4"' deep so in that scenario I'd have things hanging out the door.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mine is 16'6" off the front wall to center of column and 4'6" off the side wall to the base, probably close to 5' to the actual outside of column/post. This is a 34' deep shop which still gives me about 5' from my workbench which is 30" deep to the front of a truck on the lift. FWD cars I have much more as they are placed further back on the lift.

Mike.

 

[srleen2]

My garage is 30'. I have the lift about 13' from the back wall. Pics attached to show you the layout. Workbench is about 2' deep

I pulled the straight 6 out of my '55 chevy with the trans attached and had plenty of maneuvering room, I even had the car on the lift about a foot or so when pulling the engine

 

[sharps5090]

Nice 55. How tall is your lift?

 

[lakeroadster]

Just do the whole job with the car on the lift backwards. I do it every time I pull a motor to have more room. I have one on the lift now backwards

Symmetric or Asymmetric?

 

[Falcon67]

16' bumper to bumper car in a 23' 4" hole

 

[motofool33]

subscribed gonna be trying to place my lift soon

 

[boosted-delslow]

I put my lift about 15 foot off the back wall in my garage. I think that is a good distance because once you put a tool box or bench that is 30 inches deep or so you are down to around 12 feet and when you are picking up longer trucks it is nice to have some room in the front. Also as someone else mentioned if you plan on pulling any motors using a engine hoist you need room to roll it back once you get the engine lifted up. The one major plus though to having a two post is that on a lot of cars it is easier to pull the motor through the bottom and a lift defiantly makes that a lot easier.