4 post lift question

[BrandonGeez]

Hello everyone,

I have a bit of an issue that I am hoping you guys can help me with.

Background:
I have a 20x30 shop that I use to park my F-150 in for hail storms. Unfortunately, between all my other stuff and the truck there is no more room in there. I am looking to purchase an old Mustang in the near future but am worried about not having the space to park it.

Solution:
My solution is to get a 4 post car lift to park the Mustang on and the F150 under when need be. The F-150 wouldn't be in the shop constantly, just when storms roll in.

Problem:
My issue is that the tallest 4 post lifts that I can find only have 80" of clearance under them at full lift. I eventually want to install a suspension lift on my F-150 which will raise it to around 84" tall (according to my calculations and talking to others with lifts on the F150 forum). The only lifts I have been able to find that are over 80" are the next extreme and go over 100" (for ambulances and RVs). I don't need that much and of course those lifts are double the price.

Possible solution?:
So now to my question, can I install the 4 post lift on some kind of 5" thick spacer/riser to gain the extra height or would that be a bad idea? Any ideas where I could find a spacer/riser that would work?

Thanks all. I look forward to reading your responses.

 

[astroracer]

The 1st question I will ask is, do you have enough ceiling height to raise everything up to clear the truck now?
Mark

 

[BrandonGeez]

ceiling height is around 20ft. I haven't done all of that math yet. TBH, I have been stuck on the first issue with getting it high enough to clear the truck. On quick math using 84" and adding 51" (standard height for a 69 Mustang is 50.5") gives me 135" which is 11.25'. Of course that is 84" from the clearance #s and not calculating in the thickness of the ramps that the car would be sitting on which I do not know.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Sure, you can put it on spacers. I've done it with pads made of plywood that are about 3" thick with no issues. Note that raising the lift will make getting the Mustang on the lift a little more difficult, and will require spacing up the ramps with using some boards or something similar as well.

 

[Moosefire]

Interesting question. Although I dont have the answer you're looking for I would say to think about the material of choice if you go with a riser. Metal would be best but very costly, plywood or some dimensional lumber would be cheap, but it not only compresses, but absorbs moisture also which could also have it's own set of problems.

Also, dont forget to take into account the thickness of the lift itself, which is probably 6 inches more or less... but if you actually have 20' of clearance it shouldn't matter, you'll be fine.

If you go the riser I'd suggest welding a box together out of .25 or thicker material. Although it probably doesnt need to be that thick (the lift columns arent that thick) but better safe than sorry. Also, make sure they bolt together with quality hardware, dont want it coming apart and shifting on ya.

Good luck with your decision!

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[firebirdparts]

The Atlas ST-7000 is supposed to lift a car 12 feet. So they say.

 

[BrandonGeez]

Thanks for the replies guys. Stuart, I figured that would be an issue as well but something that could probably be fixed with some ingenuity. haha.

Good points on the spacer material Moose, steel would be preferred or some kind of sturdy composite material but I am not sure where to find something that would fit my needs.

firebird, the Atlas would work but it is about $2k-$3k more than the ones that lift to 80". That's unfortunately a bit out of my price range since I am not a garage and just a hobbyist.

 

[ghnl]

I bought a DirectLift ProPark9 because I wanted a lift large enough for my F250 yet with ramps that'd also fit my small cars (MG, Alfa). It is listed as 84" lift. And their ProPark8 Long is listed as 86" lift. http://www.directlift.com/Four-Post-Lifts-C9.aspx

One thing that is not for certain - are those measurements the height of the top of the ramps or the clearance underneath. I suspect they mean the former.

 

[BrandonGeez]

The PP8L has 81" clearance under and the PP9 is 79 1/4" clearance under. 81 is getting closer but not quite there yet. haha. Thanks ghnl

 

[Stuart in MN]

It will depend on how damp or wet your garage is, but I've had zero issues with the plywood spacers I mentioned earlier. No compression either, at least not enough that I would be able to measure. If the floor gets wet, use treated wood instead.

 

[LX-Markham]

Let the air out of the tires when you want to bring in the F150

 

[rsanter]

How about a lien to cover to park the truck under for a storm.
You can use it as a patio or outdoor work area when the truck is not there

 

[Don1357]

It will depend on how damp or wet your garage is, but I've had zero issues with the plywood spacers I mentioned earlier. No compression either, at least not enough that I would be able to measure. If the floor gets wet, use treated wood instead.

Or good old concrete. Dirt cheap and its strength is in compression. Even the cheap stuff is what, rated at 2,500 PSI? A foot square would be that times 144?

 

[Matt M PA]

I don't know how the garage will be laid out....but would it be possible to back the truck in and just have the bed (or hood) under the lift? Ya know? And still have enough length to close the garage door?

 

[Gear Box]

There’s 83” under my advantage XLT 9000. Then make some buildup spacers like Stuart said.

 

[Viper98912]

Your problem is all the junk in your garage taking up square footage...

 

[BrandonGeez]

Lol, lots of responses, where to begin. Thanks guys.

Water shouldn't be an issue (other than humidity) Stuart, I am in Texas but my slab is well above grade so I have yet to see much water get in the shop.

Matt: Unfortunately with the shell on my truck, that wouldn't really work. Good idea but with my set-up and the fact that I can't take the shell off every time I need to park the truck in the shop (since it's just me) that won't be a viable option for me.

Rsanter: I have contemplated doing some kind of overhang or carport but short of the cheap plastic ones (which I am pretty sure would get destroyed in the winds we get) I am thinking a lift is a cheaper route.

Gear box: Just looked at that lift you suggested, that might be the way to go. Tallest one I have seen for under $5k and may only have to bring it up an inch which is better than having to have a 4" spacer.

Viper: Yes and no. Shop is only a 20x30. I have racks around the walls and am trying to keep the center open for storing the truck but I need all my tools. Can't work on all my projects without tools. LOL.

 

[ghnl]

I had a thought (they seem to occur randomly). Is the Mustang mobile? If so, for those times when you want to put the pick up in the garage can you move the Mustang out, put the truck on the lift and then the Mustang back in under the truck?

 

[CraigStu]

Why not just forget the lift kit for the truck?

 

[BrandonGeez]

I had a thought (they seem to occur randomly). Is the Mustang mobile? If so, for those times when you want to put the pick up in the garage can you move the Mustang out, put the truck on the lift and then the Mustang back in under the truck?

It will be mobile (don't have it yet, haha. preplanning). I thought about that as well but the problem is the truck will mainly be indoors for inclement weather (hail advisory). The truck is my wife's daily driver so if I were to put the truck on the lift and then the mustang under, my wife (if I'm not home) would have to move the mustang, drop the lift, pull truck out and so on and so forth. Trying to make it the least invasive on my wife as possible since I know she would not be a fan of dropping the lift. She has a fear of lifts and even cars on jack stands.

The hurdles we go through for the ones we love. LOL

 

[BrandonGeez]

Why not just forget the lift kit for the truck?

How dare you!. LOL