4 Post Lift Planning - Garage Door Height

[TX63CONV]

Check me on (a) my math and (b) my anxiety:

I am planning a detached garage build with 10' ceilings. Based on my calc below, this just barely fits. I do have 8 inches for garage door and track (which can be slimmed down). Is there anything I am missing or not thinking about? Am I going to be nervous every time I lift my car up? How tight can the garage door be to the ceiling?

The one thing I don't have in my calculation is where the locks on the lift are--I haven't decided on lift. I know this changes the equation significantly. Is the answer to just build 10.5 ceilings?

 

[just_Mike]

Hello TX63CONV,
I am coming down the home stretch on my "shop". I have 4-post lifts for seasonal vehicle storage. I purchased lifts which allow almost 7 feet of headroom beneath it. Nothing worse than having to duck when walking under it (I am just over 6' tall), or being bent over while doing an oil change. The height in your plan seems pretty tight- you haven't allowed for anything hanging down (lights, for example). I would think 11' ceilings would serve you better. Another consideration is the width of the lift. Parking your daily-driver below a lift, or more importantly, driving in and out between the posts is something to think about. Also, my doors are 9' x9'. I have side-mounted door openers as well, no overhead clutter.

Hope this helps.
Mike

 

[pbon]

Since you are building the garage, build it so it can fit a 4 post with a car on top and enough height underneath to walk. This will cost more but make the lift do much more useful unless your only use for it is to store a low car on top and a low car underneath.

 

[TX63CONV]

Thanks! These are all considerations and I will be doing some maintenance routinely. These are toy cars and the daily will be parked in the house garage (actually more likely outside). My original plan was a metal building with 16' walls however, those plans have changed and the detached will need to be more in line with the new home build.

Based on needing 6' of head room (I am only 5'7) i would need 12' ceilings. (72+6+52+4+8 = 142)

I have side jack garage door on my current house and it works great. @just_Mike you mention "no over head clutter". I assume your walls are pretty tall if your 9' door is not hugging your ceiling.

 

[pbon]

Most of us with 4 post lifts used for service in home garages change the door lift to jackshaft so there is no chain and motor in the middle. The car obviously goes up between the door lift rails without issue. You just need a roughly 9x20 opening in the ceiling. I did this with my current 4 post and lost 1/3 of the upstairs space (giant platform up there now and I can put stuff on it). Sometimes this can be built into the rafter design and other times the walls need to being higher.

I had a 2 post with 10.5’ ceiling and could put my 1999 M3 in the air 6 feet. But with a 4 post you have the wheels on the runners and the runners are 4-6” tall so you need more height. You may be short but others in the garage may not be and whacking your head on a runner hurts. Same goes for 2 post lifts used arms, of course. But runners are much bigger and longer.

 

[mikedodge]

I'd go for that extra 1/2" of ceiling space. You'd probably end up regretting if you didn't. If you're not using them to work on the cars much or at all don't worry about walking underneath them. But that could be a selling point down the road.

 

[Junkman]

I have an 11' high ceiling, and it isn't enough even when I have my Corvir on the lift as high as I can go without hitting the ceiling. The space under the lift isn't enough to stand up comfortably. Reassess your height before it becomes an expensive mistake. I also have a 10' door to allow for anything that I might own in the future.

 

[logical]

I'd go higher if at all possible, but keep in mind you only need that max height where the lifted car roof is. If your lift is 4 feet away from the door it might only be an issue for the first few feet of the vehicle where the hood (or deck lid, or truck bed) is.

 

[TX63CONV]

I'd go higher if at all possible, but keep in mind you only need that max height where the lifted car roof is. If your lift is 4 feet away from the door it might only be an issue for the first few feet of the vehicle where the hood (or deck lid, or truck bed) is.

This is probably another question for a separate thread as I was planning to have my lift as close to the door as possible in an effort to maximize the space behind the lift. Your point is still valid in that the hood/deck lid is lower than the roof of the car.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

If you are building a new building, make it tall enough from the start. I told my designer I wanted 15’ high ceilings in the 2 bays where vehicles would be. That was based on 7’ high for my F250 plus 7’ underneath for whatever vehicle I might park underneath, plus a 6” allowance for the lift cross beams and runways, plus 6” contingency. Tonight I’ll havetwo 80 inch tall vehicles stacked there.
We used scissor-type trusses with a lower chord, so the walls are only 11’ high, but there is ample depth at 15’ high to accomodate the two stacked vehicles. My garage doors are 9’ tall.

 

[logical]

Another completely separate factor/possibility...if this is new construction and wood stick framing...and your trusses run front to back...you can just specify a scissor or cathederal truss instead of standard design.



I did this in my house under construction in one bay.

 

[Byrdnyrd]

Tx63,
I have 12’ ceilings in my garage with a BendPak HD-9 4 Post lift. I store my Miata on the upper deck With the lift at full height and have room to spare. My door tracks go right up to the ceiling.

Do whatever you need to do to get a lift— it’s life changing!!

If you need pictures, just PM me.

Cheers,
BN

 

[racecougar]

I concur with everyone else: address the ceiling height now, while you have the opportunity to. I'd suggest moving to 12' ceiling height.

For some perspective, this is a 12'7" ceiling, and the runways are raised such that there is 79" beneath them (storage height; working height would be lower). Give yourself some breathing room and bump that ceiling height up.

 

[Mikes61]

This is probably another question for a separate thread as I was planning to have my lift as close to the door as possible in an effort to maximize the space behind the lift. Your point is still valid in that the hood/deck lid is lower than the roof of the car.

Be careful with this thought. The garage door going up will hit the car when it’s on the lift.

 

[logical]

Be careful with this thought. The garage door going up will hit the car when it’s on the lift.

Really? Mine's defective I guess. I have 12'7" or so and didn't even do a side mount opener. Seriously though, unless your vehicle overhang the length of the lift I don't think that's likely.

 

[kngelv]

You need at least 12' ceilings and definitely a jackshaft opener with the door track as close to the ceiling as possible. Also an 8' door. This allows the lift to roll outside for cleaning and whatever. I just built a garage with 12' ceilings and love it. The pic below is sort of an optical illusion. I can go all the way up and still have another 18" before hitting the ceiling.

James

 

[TerryH]

My 2 cars are about 3" shorter in combo than your #1 cars and it works with my 10' ceiling with some room to spare. Unfortunately I can't quite get to the top lock. Garage door clears fine with either car on top as long as they are backed on the lift. Taller ceiling would be really nice but the shop existed for 30+ years before I got the lift.

 

[r00a005]

Check me on (a) my math and (b) my anxiety:

I am planning a detached garage build with 10' ceilings. Based on my calc below, this just barely fits. I do have 8 inches for garage door and track (which can be slimmed down). Is there anything I am missing or not thinking about? Am I going to be nervous every time I lift my car up? How tight can the garage door be to the ceiling?

The one thing I don't have in my calculation is where the locks on the lift are--I haven't decided on lift. I know this changes the equation significantly. Is the answer to just build 10.5 ceilings?

I didn't look at your calculations, but I can relate what I did. I had my garage designed so one bay had "high lift" rafters (designed by the appropriate engineer), and had high lift garage door tracks installed in that bay. I have been able to use the lift for my GTO, and smaller SUVs like a forester, but I hesitate putting my f150 on the lift.

 

[dave*99]

With a new build, you should go at least 12' 6" on ceiling height.

Search GJ for threads about lifts, you will find hundreds of posts from folks suffering with a 10' ceiling.

 

[Higgins]

Hello TX63CONV,
I am coming down the home stretch on my "shop". I have 4-post lifts for seasonal vehicle storage. I purchased lifts which allow almost 7 feet of headroom beneath it. Nothing worse than having to duck when walking under it (I am just over 6' tall), or being bent over while doing an oil change. The height in your plan seems pretty tight- you haven't allowed for anything hanging down (lights, for example). I would think 11' ceilings would serve you better. Another consideration is the width of the lift. Parking your daily-driver below a lift, or more importantly, driving in and out between the posts is something to think about. Also, my doors are 9' x9'. I have side-mounted door openers as well, no overhead clutter.

Hope this helps.
Mike

Side door openers will help the situation!

The one thing no one mentions is once the vehicle is on the lift and the locks - lock. You will need an additional 6 inches to lift the vehicle so you can lower the lift

Don't forget to take into consideration any ceiling lights into your height requirements.

 

[logical]

Side door openers will help the situation!

The one thing no one mentions is once the vehicle is on the lift and the locks - lock. You will need an additional 6 inches to lift the vehicle so you can lower the lift

Don't forget to take into consideration any ceiling lights into your height requirements.

My Bendpak needs maybe 2"... but yes, it's not zero.

 

[dudley123]

My Bendpak needs maybe 2"... but yes, it's not zero.

same 2-3" max to get off locks. I always mark the top lock level to make sure you don't go too far!

 

[e46Pitt]

I built my garage with scissor trusses, and have 9' walls (to match the house) and have 13' clear in the center to allow for a (future) lift. i have side lift openers and the doors follow the ceiling

 

[tomshep]

You need to figure out how to get 12' of clearance, at least in the center by getting the framing done to help. I have 12'6" and an HD9. I am parking Mustangs and I probably have 12" to play with for clearance when I stack them.

Tom