2 Post Lift Placement

[SloMango]

Hey long time lurker but finally building a 30x40x12 similar to the picture below. I will have two 12ft doors on the gable end(30ft.) This is as wide as I can possibly build due to permitting. I will have two feet sections in between the doors and wall. If I center the lift with the doors that only leaves me two feet between the post and wall. If I move the lift over to three feet that throws the lift off center of the door and it’s kills my OCD. I have measured everything multiple times and I would still have enough room to pull an axle even two feet off the wall when you count the lift arms etc. I need to know by Friday what I should do as they are pouring the concrete and the footings for the lift must be dug by then. Hope this post makes sense. Thanks

 

[dante2]

If you make your base footings larger then it gives you the option to move over if you change your mind about being off center. Mine are 4'x4' under the lift posts.

 

[xjfish]

I went through the same predicament, although I have a larger door in lift bay. I went against my OCD and installed lift off-center to door. I do not need to saw the steering wheel entering, but rather enter somewhat tight to left side of door opening. I'm happy with where I placed it and appreciate the "extra" working room on the wall-side of lift.

We since moved a drive-on 4 post alignment lift at work. Boss also has OCD and insisted it centered in door of tightish bay it was moved to. It ***** working on the wall side.

 

[aggie113]

Besides wanting space to walk around the column, I made sure to give myself enough room to be able to pull out an axle when a vehicle was on the lift.
Learned that lesson the hard way at a DIY shop that I was working on a car on and couldn't pull the axle out because of the damn wall getting in the way
But I don't have OCD and the single garage door is about 1 and 1/2 car widths.

 

[CraigStu]

Heck it's a 12 wide door. Or 144". How would driving an 80" vehicle through it onto a lift that is 12" off center be a problem? 144" door minus 80" vehicle leaves 64" total clearance or 32" clearance on each side. Move the lift and vehicle over 12" and that leaves 20" clearance on the narrow side and 44" clearance on the wide side. Put the lift in the right hand bay and your 20" clearance is on the driver's side of the vehicle. Seems very easy to me. Or are these 12 ft TALL doors?

 

[JohnX14]

Is it too late to consider a single 18' wide door? That'd be my preference.

 

[Houe]

Is it too late to consider a single 18' wide door? That'd be my preference.

This is the way I'd go too, but I'm guessing that it is too late in this scenario.

 

[dave*99]

Do you really need a 12' door on a lift bay? I have a 10' door and if it fits on the lift, it easily fits through the door. How about a 10 and 12 or a 10 and 14?

I had a single 16 on my last house. I looked at putting a lift in that bay many times. The lift post in the center would have been an issue. I added another bay with a 10' door instead.

 

[CraigStu]

OP where are you?