4 Post Lift Must Haves?

[Gizzygone]

I’m still debating whether it’s worth the cost of a 4 post lift in my small garage. In doing so, I’m trying to consider all costs.

Back story: I’m just trying to make oil changes a little easier, and get my car out of harms way from the kiddos when mom parks in her stall for the winter.

I only have 9.5’ of ceiling space, so I’ll never really be able to park anything under the lift, but tools/toys/strollers will nicely.

I’m not expecting prices to go down anytime soon… so I feel like I should decide sooner than later.

I have considered all the major options: bendpak is the only one that checks all the boxes: (so no need to sell me in Wildfire, Advantage, challenger, etc).

I already need to consider a jack shaft opener: but I can get by with manual opening for the time being.

What about the plastic drip trays: $90 seems steep for flimsy plastic parts.

Casters? They seem useful But $400?

 

[finn]

The Advantage has casters, drip trays, a jack tray, and aluminum ramps as standard equipment. I wouldn’t get a lift without those accessories, especially the aluminum ramps.

 

[Gizzygone]

The Advantage has casters, drip trays, a jack tray, and aluminum ramps as standard equipment. I wouldn’t get a lift without those accessories, especially the aluminum ramps.

How useful do you find the jack tray?

 

[finn]

Again: I understand that: but their 9000hd is too small (dimensions-wise) to accommodate my truck for service.

I have the 9000, but also have an SS11000 to compliment it. The SS handles my F350 crew cab dual wheel 8’ bed.

 

[pbon]

I bought the casters but have never moved mine. They would be convenient if I did, though.

 

[jmiller_2308]

How useful do you find the jack tray?

I also have an Advantage lift and find the rolling jack tray to be very useful. At the very least it is an additional drip try but it is very useful as a place to set tools when underneath as well as when using it to jack or lift something up that is under the car.

BTW: It can be convenient to use the space under a lifted car to store stuff but make sure that the space is usable. My ceiling is 11.5' and with my 1936 Buick on the lift for winter there is only 5' of clearance under the ramps. I can walk under it but I have to stoop. Depending upon how tall your stored vehicle is you may have to stoop, or crawl, to use the space and I think that wouldn't be too useful. Alternatively, place 2x supports and plywood between the ramps and store the kids stuff up high with the car underneath.

 

[Gizzygone]

I also have an Advantage lift and find the rolling jack tray to be very useful. At the very least it is an additional drip try but it is very useful as a place to set tools when underneath as well as when using it to jack or lift something up that is under the car.

BTW: It can be convenient to use the space under a lifted car to store stuff but make sure that the space is usable. My ceiling is 11.5' and with my 1936 Buick on the lift for winter there is only 5' of clearance under the ramps. I can walk under it but I have to stoop. Depending upon how tall your stored vehicle is you may have to stoop, or crawl, to use the space and I think that wouldn't be too useful. Alternatively, place 2x supports and plywood between the ramps and store the kids stuff up high with the car underneath.

Yea, it’s on my pros/cons list: I’m tempted to post another thread today to try and clear up my thought process here…

The 4 post seems like a great tool, but I’m starting to wonder if it’d be more of a hindrance for my needs?

It’s quite an investment to have buyers remorse!

 

[pbon]

I would not buy an expensive lift to store garage junk. Build a loft or hang stuff on the walls. Buy one to use it. If it is just for storage and your have 9.5 ceilings, it will get in the way unless you have an old Lotus that is about 2’ tall. No fun banging your head on one of these things.

Can you cut out your ceiling? I did for my 4 post. Many have done this, with all sorts of variations, but it won’t work in some garages.

 

[finn]

In justifying mine, I looked at the approximate cost of adding floor space to the garage. It was almost a no brainer, in my case, to purchase a couple of lifts, both because of time and cost. The garage expansion option only exists if you have room on the property to increase the footprint.

I also agree that the smallest /most inexpensive lift that will fit your vehicle is more than adequate if it’s just for storage.

Also, my first two houses had limited garage space and lifts weren’t really an option back then, since most everything was commercial grade, size, and price. Imported lifts simply weren’t available yet. A small shed to house the yard equipment and kid’s bicycles and toys really helped uncluttered the garage.

We also avoided accumulating a lot of the junky, space hogging battery powered sit on toy cars, etc that kids quickly outgrow.

 

[Gizzygone]

I would not buy an expensive lift to store garage junk. Build a loft or hang stuff on the walls. Buy one to use it. If it is just for storage and your have 9.5 ceilings, it will get in the way unless you have an old Lotus that is about 2’ tall. No fun banging your head on one of these things.

Can you cut out your ceiling? I did for my 4 post. Many have done this, with all sorts of variations, but it won’t work in some garages.

This is the blunt input I need! I can’t really cut much out of the ceiling (I could gain another 6-7”…. probably not worth all the engineering).

What I get hung up on is putting the lift to work: I have it in my mind that a 4 post would be a game changer for basic maintenance/work…. And I love the idea of getting the car up and out of the way from my wife (who can be careless at times).

Factor in the ever-rising costs and I have it in my mind that now is the time to jump on one… even though it likely might not fit what I think it will do for me?

 

[Yankeefarmer]

WhenI was younger, I would have loved to have one for doing maintenance and repairs, but my shop had ceilings too low to benefit from one. One day I got old and found that it was too uncomfortable to get on and off a creeper that would hardly roll on the uneven concrete floor. I realized that the thing that I most wanted was a nice shop where I could continue to maintain and play with cars and farm machinery. So I built a new shop to accomodate a lift that could handle my F250.

Since getting it, I used the casters to move it all around the building as a work platform to install the HVAC ductwork. It served as storage for 3 yard vehicles while my son and his family moved in with us awaiting completion of their home. With the wood platforms I built to span the space between the runways while using it as a work platform I used it to service under the mower deck of my zero turn. It also makes a great workbench for fixing things like my son’s lawn mower and the drive unit for my milling machine- heavy items that it lifts to workbench height.

And yes, it has even served its original purpose when I replaced the rear diff cover on my F250, and had to replace power steering lines and ****** cooling lines on my wife’s Ranger pickup. The jack tray has been used when working on my Model A, and serves as a support for a drain pan when doing fluid changes.

 

[racecougar]

You really need to answer for yourself how you intend to use the lift. If you're not parking another car under it, and the car you're parking on it isn't a "leaker", drip trays may not be all that important. That said, most 4-post lifts automatically come with a set. Same goes for casters. If you have nowhere to move the lift to, which is likely the case here, you don't need a set of casters. If you have a larger shop where you'll want to move the lift around, that's a different story. Once again, most 4-post lifts come with a set. I've only moved mine once in the past two years, but I like having the ability to move it to different areas of the shop if I so choose.

My "must-haves":

1. Drip trays. I stack cars with mine, and I don't want any fluids from the top vehicle wrecking the paint of the vehicle beneath.

2. Ramp-mounted lighting. Easy add-on that drastically improves visibility and efficiency when working on vehicles on the lift. Flick a switch and the whole underside of the vehicle is illuminated.



3. Bridge jack. Way less sketchy than a bottle jack on a jack tray. I did that for awhile, then bought a couple of bridge jacks.

 

[Gizzygone]

You really need to answer for yourself how you intend to use the lift. If you're not parking another car under it, and the car you're parking on it isn't a "leaker", drip trays may not be all that important. That said, most 4-post lifts automatically come with a set. Same goes for casters. If you have nowhere to move the lift to, which is likely the case here, you don't need a set of casters. If you have a larger shop where you'll want to move the lift around, that's a different story. Once again, most 4-post lifts come with a set. I've only moved mine once in the past two years, but I like having the ability to move it to different areas of the shop if I so choose.

My "must-haves":

1. Drip trays. I stack cars with mine, and I don't want any fluids from the top vehicle wrecking the paint of the vehicle beneath.

2. Ramp-mounted lighting. Easy add-on that drastically improves visibility and efficiency when working on vehicles on the lift. Flick a switch and the whole underside of the vehicle is illuminated.



3. Bridge jack. Way less sketchy than a bottle jack on a jack tray. I did that for awhile, then bought a couple of bridge jacks.

Can you tell me about the lighting setup?!

 

[jmiller_2308]

Can you tell me about the lighting setup?!

Check out this thread for ideas on 4-posts. There are also more pictures of that type of lighting including the one I did with references to where I got the parts.

4 post lift, what would you change?

For those that already have a 4 post lift, what would you change or do differently? I have an older relation that is building a shop, he's decided on a 4 post lift, and now intends to bolt it to the floor (instead of having it moveable with casters). For those that have done this, what would...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[racecougar]

Can you tell me about the lighting setup?!

4 post lift discussion

Got my 4 post installed a few weeks back and I've slowly been playing with it. Both with vehicle storage and a maintenance items I've been putting off on our vehicles. The one I got was an Advantage DX-9000-XLT. I'm considering lighting for under the lift platform as well as on top of the...

www.garagejournal.com

Lift modifications Thread- Lets see them!

That IMO is a great benefit of a 4 post. As you are working on a vehicle you have a built in table to place in use tools without having to roll a cart or anything into place. And to crawl under when said tools lands in between the ramps... But I'd rather have my 4-post

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Glemon]

Drip trays and ramps and jack tray for sure, when I was looking the cheaper jacks threw that stuff in free, the more expensive ones were about $1000 more, plus several hundred for the accessories.

The castors came with mine, if you have a small garage you will probably never mover your lift around.

I have about 9'8" of clearance. I can get my low slung sports cars above and below, or even sportscar and Lexus sedan. You might need to raise you garage door tracks to make it useful.

I like the idea of raising the car over kids toys and yard stuff. When I had young kids they drove me nuts with taking the toys in and out of the garage, and past my car, on a regular basis.

If you can't do a lift, other storage solutions should be considered, hanging stuff from walls and rafters, or a platform up in the rafters for stuff you don't use much if the structure will support it.

 

[Gizzygone]

Drip trays and ramps and jack tray for sure, when I was looking the cheaper jacks threw that stuff in free, the more expensive ones were about $1000 more, plus several hundred for the accessories.

The castors came with mine, if you have a small garage you will probably never mover your lift around.

I have about 9'8" of clearance. I can get my low slung sports cars above and below, or even sportscar and Lexus sedan. You might need to raise you garage door tracks to make it useful.

I like the idea of raising the car over kids toys and yard stuff. When I had young kids they drove me nuts with taking the toys in and out of the garage, and past my car, on a regular basis.

If you can't do a lift, other storage solutions should be considered, hanging stuff from walls and rafters, or a platform up in the rafters for stuff you don't use much if the structure will support it.

I’m actually leaning against the drip trays: $90 just seems like a cash grab. Might just use some of the scrap plywood laying around for that purpose…

Jack Tray is on the list; but I’m still on the fence about ordering a bridge jack, or trying to live without it.

Airbag jacks seem like they’d be a nice addition with the jack tray: lift the cars up from the rear lift, place jack stands, then repeat at the front lift point.

 

[racecougar]

Depending on what vehicles you work on, you may find that there is no where to place a jackstand over the runways. Note the C10 in my image above. The frame rails lie within the opening between the runways.

 

[Gizzygone]

Depending on what vehicles you work on, you may find that there is no where to place a jackstand over the runways. Note the C10 in my image above. The frame rails lie within the opening between the runways.

Good Point… so do you have two bridge jacks?

 

[racecougar]

Good Point… so do you have two bridge jacks?

Yes. Keep in mind that is only necessary if you want to pull all four wheels at once (like for tire rotations), and that you could do the same with two jack trays. I got by with a bottle jack & jack stands on a jack tray for awhile. The bridge jacks are way less sketchy though.

 

[CraigStu]

Have you thought about a 2 post lift? They will probably be a little wider than a 4 post (but they are available in different widths)(and the width is only at the posts) and they are less expensive and 10x more useful.

 

[Higgins]

I’m still debating whether it’s worth the cost of a 4 post lift in my small garage. In doing so, I’m trying to consider all costs.

Back story: I’m just trying to make oil changes a little easier, and get my car out of harms way from the kiddos when mom parks in her stall for the winter.

I only have 9.5’ of ceiling space, so I’ll never really be able to park anything under the lift, but tools/toys/strollers will nicely.

I’m not expecting prices to go down anytime soon… so I feel like I should decide sooner than later.

I have considered all the major options: bendpak is the only one that checks all the boxes: (so no need to sell me in Wildfire, Advantage, challenger, etc).

I already need to consider a jack shaft opener: but I can get by with manual opening for the time being.

What about the plastic drip trays: $90 seems steep for flimsy plastic parts.

Casters? They seem useful But $400?

If you need to move it around, just purchase 4 HF furniture dollies - solid surface. place them under the metal runways, put the lift down and the 4 posts will lift. Works great!

AL

 

[Gizzygone]

If you need to move it around, just purchase 4 HF furniture dollies - solid surface. place them under the metal runways, put the lift down and the 4 posts will lift. Works great!

AL

Interesting…. That’ll save quite a penny while having multiple uses….

I’m going to have to look into this! My only concern is would be the smaller wheels, but I suppose I could always make my own dolly with larger wheels too….

 

[boatshoes]

If you need to move it around, just purchase 4 HF furniture dollies - solid surface. place them under the metal runways, put the lift down and the 4 posts will lift. Works great!

AL

I think you've misrepresented this a bit. The runways go down due to gravity, and the 4 posts won't be lifted against gravity just because the runways are lowered. Most wheel kits are pivoted on the posts and that's what causes the posts to lift. Just putting 4 dollies under the runways won't lift the posts by themselves. I had to strap my posts to the crossbars to move it around with a floor jack and dollies.

 

[Yetti37]

Magnetic parts trays for holding lug nuts/bolts. Picked up 4 of these for $8 at Harbor Freight so that I don't lose lug nuts when removing wheels.





I would like to get a bridge/rolling jack but until that happens, I used some scrap wood to store my QuickJacks in the center of the lift. Makes it easier to get them in place when needed.

 

[Gizzygone]

Magnetic parts trays for holding lug nuts/bolts. Picked up 4 of these for $8 at Harbor Freight so that I don't lose lug nuts when removing wheels.





I would like to get a bridge/rolling jack but until that happens, I used some scrap wood to store my QuickJacks in the center of the lift. Makes it easier to get them in place when needed.

I’ve considered ordering the quick jacks in addition to the 4 post (seeing as theyre on sale at Costco)

But storage would be an issue…