4 post or 2 post lift?

[Next]

If you could only get one, what would it be?


Uses would be just general stuff, changing oil, restoring an older car or two, adding accessories....

 

[jonjon1]

2 post clear floor hands down, now there is an exception, if it was for storage only and I had to lift it on a regular basis, then a driveon 4 post would be my pick..

They both have their place, for working on a vehicle, 4 post clear floor assymetric..

For the money my vote is the forward dp10 {I like this lift a lot and have used many}, if money was not a concern I like the rotary shock wave

 

[Rx7 Vinnie]

I'm in the same predicament..... 2-post only fits one car in the garage and do service work or 4-post and fit 3 cars and have no room for work.

 

[c39er]

4 post with jacks.

 

[WhiffySpark]

You can use a 2 post for storage

 

[jonjon1]

You can use a 2 post for storage

definitely, just not as convenient as a drive on, but I do it once and a while..

 

[Jazzman442]

I was in the same place 2 years ago. Wanting a lift and could not decide what kind. I finally bought a 4 post. Here is why:

I have kids and 4 post is much safer that a t or 1 post lift.

I can move the 4 post any time.

There is nothing I can not do with a 4 post that I would need a 2 post. I have heard all the arguments I can do everything I need with my 4 post.

Storage when not in use is priceless. Lifts just about anything I can get on it.

I got a Certified one. Was a requirement for me.

Can drive on and not have to line it up and bend over to find the lift points.

I got the 4 post
Sliding jack
Jack Plate
Casters
Steal Cover plates to make a solid deck. I just got 2.


Be careful when You buy one. You will suddenly have a ton of new New friends.

LOL

 

[Forever Fixin]

Made the choice 2 years ago. Ended up with a Dannmar 10cx. Couldn't be happier, but I just use it to work on stuff. If your using it for storage a 4 post may be a better choice. Agree with the guy above on the making of new friends part, make sure they bring beer.

 

[gipraw]

4 post is the choice for me. One of my main concerns was limiting my ability to damage other people's vehicles. I don't have to worry about proper lifting points on anyone's car to get it up the air to work on the underside. Also feel safer having my kids underneath to help with a 4 post.

 

[tdkkart]

Safety was a big one for me, 2 post lifts scare the hell out of me.
So far I've been able to do everything I wanted on my 4 post lift.

 

[SILVERPLATE]

I did the four post with a jack. Mostly storage and light maintenance. No regrets.

 

[jonjon1]

wow, I never really thought about the safety issue of a 2 vs 4 post lift, that is interesting so many people took that into consideration.

My father has a couple lifts, and he has a really nice 4 post, he has a sliding air jack for the rails {has what looks like an air bag out of a tractor trailer on it}, and he used to work of that lift all of the time, until he got his 2 post. I know "everything" is possible with both lifts, but a 2 post for me is really much easier to do "everything".

For instance, I recently did the lift kit on my JKUR, I was pushing and pulling and banging on all kinds of stuff the jeep didn't budge on the lift, I was working on the front and back at the same time {you kind of have to on that one since the front sway links are the stock rears}, this would have been an issue with a 4 post unless I had two carriages {they are expensive}...

I started that project by pulling the jeep on the lift, ripping off all 4 stock wheels, front and rear bumpers, and the grill. then the tires didnt go back on until everything was done. I had to lift the front and then let the axle hang way down to get the larger springs in, I had to use a ratchet strap to pull the axle straight with the wheels on it to adjust the track bar, all of these things would have been much more time consuming and difficult on a ramp lift.

But lastly I am in a small bay, having a post in each corner would inhibit a lot of mobility in my garage.

I do imagine how nice it would be to not have to bend down and set the pickup points, but honestly, I can use the exercise and it literally takes me less than a minute both sides, if I want to change the risers maybe 2 minutes and I am pushing the button going up. But I lift the same stuff all the time, my vehicles for the most part, and I know where to lift them from, not much thought goes into it at this point in the game.

Even on stuff I dont lift all the time I can get it set up pretty fast, my uncle brought over his camry, the fuel pump was going bad, I pulled it in, got out and set the drivers side {I put leds lights on my lift arms}, wen to the other side and set that side {thats the side with my pump on it} and then lifted it up, before the first lock kicked in I shook the car it was stable and went all the way up, high enough to walk under it and I am 6' 5"..


If someone is buying a lift for storage or just for oil changes and basic odds and ends, or they have super low ceilings, thin floors, etc etc etc I think 4 posts are great. But if you are looking to do efficient service, I think 2 post is a no brainer...

 

[wantacoe]

4 post drive on with jack. Getting harder every day to bend over to set the arms. Plus the 4 post won't damage the bottom of a car.

 

[countryroad82]

If you plan on body off restos a 2 post is a life saver. I prefer a 2 post due to the fact I can get to more of the car IMO.

 

[wantacoe]

That is true, both of them have their pros and cons. I say buy one of each, you can't go wrong.

 

[rodsnratfinks]

2 post! So much more flexible/accessible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[aaronrkelly]

Ive been around both - for me the 2 post is the winner hands down for the type of work I do.

After using it for a short time setting up a 2 post doesnt take any more significant time vs the 4 post.....and probably much quicker if your doing something at the wheels as you set it up one time and lift......vs moving jacks and lift points on the 4 point.

 

[LuvAZ]

To the OP,
Which type of lift to buy can be better answered once you've identified what you're looking to do w/it.
Having owned 3 different types of lifts- a 4 post, a mid rise scissor lift, and now a 2 post, I can tell you there's pluses & minuses w/each.

So, the 4 post may be a better choice if you are looking to store a vehicle (I stored a classic car during the winter when I lived in NH. It let me turn a 2 car garage into a 3 car. During the 3 other seasons, it was a service lift & was great for oil changes. Doing brakes & rotating tires (probably the 2nd biggest service use next to oil & filter changes) was another story. You need a sliding bridge jack and even then you're lifting either the front or back, not both (unless you get 2 bridge jack set ups $$)!

I'll move on to the 2 post now as you didn't ask about the mid rise scissor lift.
First off, I no longer need to have any winter storage as i moved back to Scottsdale.
Knowing that my top 3 uses are oil changes, tire rotation, and brake jobs; I opted for the 2 post. This type of lift provides the easiest access to my 'top 3'.
No bridge jack like on the 4 post, so front to back tire rotations are much quicker & easier on the 2 post.

Hopefully that helps you make an educated decision between 2 or 4 post.
As far as brand goes, I've seen a lot of guys here go for brands such as Mohawk, Rotary and Bendpak.
I bought my 4 post Direct lift ProPark 7 and my 2 post Atlas BP8000 from Greg Smith Equipment.
I installed them myself, not too tough. Spent the better part of a day on the installation.

Here's a link to previous discussions as this has come up before:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=215986

HTH,
Will

 

[scout80]

There is nothing I can not do with a 4 post that I would need a 2 post. I have heard all the arguments I can do everything I need with my 4 post.

Dad has a 4 post in his barn that I've used a few times to work on my truck, and once several years ago while visiting, I bent an axle housing. Given that I live 3,000 miles away from my parents, I felt it had to replaced there rather than when I got home. I pondered it for a while, and I couldn't come up with any decent way to lift the chassis enough and support it, then support the axle while removing it from the vehicle, and then easily remove it from the truck then repeat in reverse to get the new axle in. Just seemed like the 4 post got in the way at every turn, and I ended up doing it on the garage floor instead, on a few jack stands.

That right there convinced me that the 2 post was the only way to go for serious repair/fab work, and I also thought about how insanely difficult it would be to raise the body off a chassis with a 4 post.

Now all this said, I'll be in the market for a lift myself in a few months, and I'm back at that 2 post vs 4 post debate in my head (and really leaning towards just buying both, lol), and wondering if there is something that we didn't think about back then? I do like the convenience of the drive on ability of the 4 post, and it does make sense for a lot of routine maintenance kind of things, as well as the ability to roll it outside....would be REAL handy after a day in the mud

 

[ryan77]

I like my 4 post, I've done everything from ****** swaps to strip body off frame, in my current move I have my 4 post stored away, i needed a lift to rebuild my front axle(dana 60) and went to a buddies to use his 2 post, it took forever to find jack points and balance it out, we were up and down on our hands and knees and the thing was wobbely, he did have some nice crutches to stabilize it, but still I'm spoiled with my 4 post, just drive on and hit the button, and for super low cars its better as well, my buddy has a nisson 350z and has to drive the car on blocks of wood to get it high enough to get the 2 post arms under the car, that process gave me a headache.

 

[RedRabbit]

I did the four post with a jack. Mostly storage and light maintenance. No regrets.

I'm just wondering, how do you get the cars out? And beautiful cars btw.

 

[scout80]

I would imagine through the door right behind the cars...

 

[TONE]

I would imagine through the door right behind the cars...

No way?!!!!

lol

 

[shampoop]

2 post! So much more flexible/accessible.


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+1

4 posts imo have very few strengths vs a 2 post setup. Actually now that I'm thinking about it, other than alignments (which don't matter at a home shop) I can't think of any area where a 4 post lift. is better than a 2 post lift.

Biggest difference IMO is that actually working on the car on a 4 post lift is a complete PITA compared to a 2 post and there are a lot of things you can do on a 2 post but can't do on a 4 post.

also, I have no idea what people are talking about mentioning damaging a car with a 2 post lift. Unless you have no idea what you're doing it's a complete non issue. They're also not unsafe. If your balance points are questionable, lift the vehicle a few inches and try to bounce it, a little insurance that it's stable.

 

[dirttracker18]

Dad has a 4 post in his barn that I've used a few times to work on my truck, and once several years ago while visiting, I bent an axle housing. Given that I live 3,000 miles away from my parents, I felt it had to replaced there rather than when I got home. I pondered it for a while, and I couldn't come up with any decent way to lift the chassis enough and support it, then support the axle while removing it from the vehicle, and then easily remove it from the truck then repeat in reverse to get the new axle in. Just seemed like the 4 post got in the way at every turn, and I ended up doing it on the garage floor instead, on a few jack stands.

That right there convinced me that the 2 post was the only way to go for serious repair/fab work, and I also thought about how insanely difficult it would be to raise the body off a chassis with a 4 post.

Now all this said, I'll be in the market for a lift myself in a few months, and I'm back at that 2 post vs 4 post debate in my head (and really leaning towards just buying both, lol), and wondering if there is something that we didn't think about back then? I do like the convenience of the drive on ability of the 4 post, and it does make sense for a lot of routine maintenance kind of things, as well as the ability to roll it outside....would be REAL handy after a day in the mud

Not starting an arguement but just asking.

Having been in the industry for a while in a previous life and having used both two and four post lifts, I fail to see how you could not do, on a four post lift, something you did on the ground on jack stands?

I actually prefer a four post on most jobs myself but that's personal preference. Ultimately one of each would be best but if I had to choose it would be a four post in my personal shop.

 

[ryan77]

yea me too, I do suspension work on my 4 post all the time, using the jack trays I drop rear ends, lower the 4 post to my tailgate height and roll it on the truck...easy, pull a-arms and struts and have a nice spot to arrange my tools and have a nice point to jack aginst, do engine and ****** swaps all the time...easy, exhaust and frame repair you name it, I even use it as a loading dock for lawntractors, and in the off season store quads, mowers and bikes up high, my buddy once removed a rearend with his two post, and when he detached the rearend the truck almost floped off the front since the weight was removed from the rear, gotta be careful with the 2 post, where as you can just drive on and go for it on the 4 post without balancing it or crawling on your knees.

 

[sublimate]

Actually now that I'm thinking about it, other than alignments (which don't matter at a home shop) I can't think of any area where a 4 post lift. is better than a 2 post lift.

1. Storage
2. Quick oil changes
3. Pulling engines

 

[RedRabbit]

I would imagine through the door right behind the cars...

I just saw that door. Mea Culpa mea culpa mea maxima culpa

 

[James-W]

If I were to get a lift it would be a 4 post lift. I have used both and I like the 4 post better for most things.

 

[scout80]

Not starting an arguement but just asking.

Having been in the industry for a while in a previous life and having used both two and four post lifts, I fail to see how you could not do, on a four post lift, something you did on the ground on jack stands?

This was quite a few years ago that I did this, so I'm going off fuzzy memories by now, but I seem to remember there being support beams that went between the....wheel trays? that got in the way of rolling jacks under the axles for support, and we weren't about to try to man handle a 600+ pound axle out. I also seem to recall that his bridge jacks wouldn't go high enough on their own to lift the frame up with the tires installed, so that killed the thought of just putting the wheels back on the hubs, and rolling the axle out (not to mention, that adds another few hundred pounds to the assembly that we have to control rolling down the ramps, while attempting to keep the axle from flopping over when the knuckles twist....dad hasn't been in all that great of shape, and I'm not exactly a big guy myself).

Thinking about it now, there were probably spacers that could have been had for the bridge jacks that Dad doesn't have, seeing as how he never got into the lifted 4x4s like I did, that may have solved that last issue. And we probably could have come up with better ramps or something else to help get it out of there, but ultimately it just seemed like a whole lot more hassle than it was worth for something I could accomplish in less than an hour on the ground. At the time, it just seemed like it would have been a whole heck of a lot easier on a 2 post - lift truck and remove all the front bits except the spring u-bolts. Lower truck onto a couple dollies under each rotor, pull spring bolts, raise truck off axle. Reverse for installation.

Like I said, I'm curious if maybe we just didn't think of something...there's been plenty of times when I get rolling on something, and end up wanting to WAY over engineer it, and someone else comes along with suggests something so stupid simple that I can't believe I never thought of it. Maybe dad just has some kind of goofy lift that isn't like "normal" 4 post lifts, so this kind of stuff isn't normally an issue. And I still can't picture it in my head how people are using the 4 post lifts to remove bodies from frames either. Maybe I've just been looking at them all wrong, and the 4 post really is the way to go.

 

[WhiffySpark]

1. Storage
2. Quick oil changes
3. Pulling engines

4 posts are a nightmare for pulling motors. I won't even consider a 4 post for that.

You should try dropping a cradle on a 4 post to pull a trans out

 

[pattenp]

I like 2 post because they make suspension work easy. I can't imagine installing this lift kit on a 4 post.

View media item 50764

 

[shampoop]

1. Storage

Might give you that one. No tire flat spots on a 2 post, but from what I hear leaving the suspension at full droop like a 2 post does is bad as well. I wouldn't consider it much easier unless the person in question is very old maybe or in very poor health?

2. Quick oil changes

Not really. Only takes a tiny amount of time to set the lift arms on a 2 post lift. There are very few cars that are difficult to set up. Plus the engine bay on top is less accessable than a 2 post because the car is a foot or two higher when you drive it up those ramps.

3. Pulling engines

[/QUOTE]

Mmmm. Can you be more specific? Maybe something I'm not considering? Because a 4 post doesn't sound like it would be better in any way for pulling engines. Just a lot more stuff in your way and less access to the car.

 

[gipraw]

also, I have no idea what people are talking about mentioning damaging a car with a 2 post lift. Unless you have no idea what you're doing it's a complete non issue. They're also not unsafe. If your balance points are questionable, lift the vehicle a few inches and try to bounce it, a little insurance that it's stable.

I mentioned it. I work on a ton of high dollar vehicles. There is no benefit for me to have a two post versus a four post for my customer's vehicles since I am only cleaning and doing fluid changes for the vast majority of them. Because of that, I prefer the four post for safety reasons. While the chance is small that I would make a mistake, I prefer to totally remove that chance. I am also old with bad knees and getting low to swing/align the arms would ****.

In another year or two I will probably add a two post for my own vehicles, plus the occasional customer car.

Now I just have to wait for the install.

 

[Falcon67]

I haven't had the ability - and won't for a while now thanks to the house AC unit - to get a lift, but I decided long ago on a 4 post. Even with an 8' ceiling. Right this minute I wish I had one. The wife's race car has been down for a while. It's parked in the primary spot on jack stands. Try squeezing a F350 dually *** end first through a 16' door with a Mustang taking up half the space. If the car was on a 4 post, using casters I could have easily moved the car to the east side of the shop out of the doorway.
1) storage under
2) ease of entry/exit
3) jack tray makes up for pretty much any limitations vs a 2 post
4) If you donna like it there, can move it over here
5) If I pour a pad out front, I could just roll it out for work on big stuff like the trucks

 

[Badhabit]

My shop is 24' wide and I just did not want a big post in the middle of the floor as it would be hard to open the car door on the right side of the car. I went with a 4 post and for my shop it works great. I just wish I could have fit a larger 4 post in as I cannot lift some of the pickups as they are too long. In a perfect world I would have one of each but I am satisfied with my 4 post 95% of the time. I earn a living out of my shop by the way but have another stall where the crew cab duallys can sit on jack stands.

H

 

[carsandcapp]

My particular affliction is for air-cooled Porsche's. They have oil lines ringing the underside of them and are easily crushed by a misplaced arm on a 2-post lift. I have seen it first-hand and it can results in a multitude of bad things. Lines can be fixed or replaced (at high cost), but getting 35 year old oil lines dismounted from a 911 is NOT typically easy.

This reason, among several others, convinced me the 4 post was the way to go. Additionally, some of the larger 4-post lifts are wide enough to allow for an engine drop from a 911. Unfortunately, that would not work in my garage.

I have the bridge jack and with the tallest adapters, I can get the wheels off the platforms for full wheel work.

 

[Falcon67]

Hahahaha - on me.

I've been parking the 18' car hauler with the car on it in the shop. Lazy, don't have to load it for race weekend. Well - it takes up about the same space in there as a 4 post. With the F350 parked next to it, there's almost no floor space next to the truck and it's hard to get around the trailer. Using some cardboard boxes to mock up where a 2 post would sit, the 4 post idea pretty much went out the door. Any of the 9K clear floor lifts will fit, with the upper bar clearing the rafters by a few inches depending on position. They are also just wide enough to slide the trailer between the posts (arms run up) if I'm accurate in parking - maybe 2~3" on either side.

I would only be able to send the Mustang up the full lift range, but some up is better than no up. This got to be a bad want after putting the 351C back in the Mustang and having to jack the nose way up to wedge the ****** Super Comp headers back in the car.

So my revised advice would be to stake out where you'll put a lift and see how it fits with your work. What looks good on paper.... etc.

I haven't had the ability - and won't for a while now thanks to the house AC unit - to get a lift, but I decided long ago on a 4 post. Even with an 8' ceiling. Right this minute I wish I had one. The wife's race car has been down for a while. It's parked in the primary spot on jack stands. Try squeezing a F350 dually *** end first through a 16' door with a Mustang taking up half the space. If the car was on a 4 post, using casters I could have easily moved the car to the east side of the shop out of the doorway.
1) storage under
2) ease of entry/exit
3) jack tray makes up for pretty much any limitations vs a 2 post
4) If you donna like it there, can move it over here
5) If I pour a pad out front, I could just roll it out for work on big stuff like the trucks

 

[67CarGuy]

I've only ever used a 2-post, but if I were using a lift for more than an 8 hour work day, I'd go with a 4 post. Even with a 2 post, even for a short amount of time, I'm still always unsure that I'm safe under the vehicle.