A few garage/lift setup questions

[KillNThrill24]

I've been researching a new lift setup for my garage for awhile now, and every new Google search would yield results from this forum. So I decided, I might as well create my own account here haha. I'm SO glad forums are still very much active, because F-book just isn't anywhere near the same...

Onto the questions! I recently moved out of my parents house and into my own. I have 2 garages here (the biggest selling point to me of course lol). A smaller, 18.5w x ?l (I measured width only just to be sure both my gt500 and cobra would fit in there), and a 30x30 main garage. The smaller one is likely the original to the house and structurally kind of shows. It's not bad, but its definitely old. The larger garage is probably around 10yrs old or less. I love it. When I lived at home, I rented a "shop", and my dad and I had it decked out with our big equipment, and had split purchased a symmetric 10k bendpak lift for it. Fantastic lift. I ended up moving too far away to want to go there daily, so I gave it to my parents and their friend. So now I need one for home because I'm 100% over rolling around on the cold concrete after being spoiled with the lift haha.

I bought the bendpak from bestbuyautomotiveequipment, so I started searching there and branched out. My current issue is the "ceiling" height in the current garage. It's an open ceiling, with the joists/rafters at only 10ft. The garage itself is much higher, probably around 18-20ft at the peak if I had to guess. I have some pictures on my phone, but admittedly haven't uploaded a picture to a forum in years and don't remember how to, but if needed I absolutely can figure it out.

At the moment, I'm thinking I should get a lift, and if its a top plated lift mount it between the rafters, and start using it because man I miss having a lift. Those with garages like mine... What have you done? I'm a visual learner so pics are most helpful lol. Do I need to get an engineer involved and look into scissor trusses? I know that will also involve relocating the 2 garage door openers and tracks... I'm most stuck on what to do here.

As far as the lift... I loved the bendpak, but I'm also not one to buy the same thing twice. I like to try different things.. I'm between a Forward Lift I10, Dannmar D10CX, Challenger LE10, maybe another Bendpak, and even a Dannmar D9x (floor plate style). All are ALI certified, I absolutely refuse to use anything that isn't. Especially being alone in the garage 90% of the time, the other 10 the fiancee is out there but still, I'm not risking it. What would/did you guys go with and where did you buy them from? I have a trailer, but dealing with the freight dock was a total pain here. And what other's did I not include that I should consider? I'd love a Rotary or Mohawk, but for a weekly used garage lift, I can't justify those funds. I need it to be able to lift a cclb diesel F350.

Sorry for the novel, I just like to be as informative as possible! Thanks, and hope to learn a lot here!

 

[Coloradical]

Interested in the answers as well. I too am new and happy for this forum. Only thing I can comment on is the pictures, if you download the Garage Journal app it will sync to your phones album for uploads. It’s really really easy.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[firebirdparts]

If you have trusses now, it's basically the same situation exactly as this recent thread (and 200 other threads)

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=406612

You knock out a car length or car width of trusses and replace that with "something". Personally I am not a fan of scissor trusses, but they are an option. You can get the building open all the way to the roof if you use simple rafters and a beam at the ridge to hold them up.

 

[wssix99]

I'm 100% over rolling around on the cold concrete after being spoiled with the lift haha.

Well, you should blast away the slab and put in a radiant floor while you are at it!

I bought the bendpak from bestbuyautomotiveequipment, so I started searching there and branched out.

If you get another BendPak, you should buy direct from them. You skip the middle man and get the same pricing.

At the moment, I'm thinking I should get a lift, and if its a top plated lift mount it between the rafters, and start using it because man I miss having a lift.

That's a real PITA. Why not just start with a 4 post lift? You won't have to bolt it down (if you don't want to), which will allow you to get the casters, roll it around, and then move it to another location and use it as a storage lift/second lift once you get a new roof?

(Full disclosure - I have both a 2 post and a 4 post and I'm a big fan of the ease of use for the 4 post. Less **** to deal with; balancing, auxiliary jacks, etc.)

Those with garages like mine... What have you done? I'm a visual learner so pics are most helpful lol.

Start drawing!!! Make a floor plan, site your lift, and put your vehicles situated on that lift on the plan. Depending on the weight distribution of the vehicles, you may need to move the lift around. (An asymmetrical will give you some additional wiggle room, if it's like the BendPak's where you can move the center of gravity around.) Once you know where your lift needs to go, draw your existing trusses on top of that and see if you have any issues. That... should answer your question.

Do I need to get an engineer involved and look into scissor trusses?

No, the truss company will provide this as a part of their service. You'd just need a contractor to permit, rip off, and then replace your roof.

I know that will also involve relocating the 2 garage door openers and tracks... I'm most stuck on what to do here.

You'll want a follow-the-roof track system with torsion springs and then torsion spring door openers. (You may have to get new doors or a door/opener company may be able to retro-fit what you have.)

As far as the lift... I loved the bendpak, but I'm also not one to buy the same thing twice. I like to try different things.. I'm between a Forward Lift I10, Dannmar D10CX, Challenger LE10, maybe another Bendpak, and even a Dannmar D9x (floor plate style). All are ALI certified, I absolutely refuse to use anything that isn't.
Especially being alone in the garage 90% of the time, the other 10 the fiancee is out there but still, I'm not risking it. What would/did you guys go with and where did you buy them from?

You are wise to go the ALI route. People on this site are going to tell you whatever in their garage is "best". Some companies wave the American Flag and tell their customers that ALI certification is a scam and that seems to sway people, also.

I have BendPaks but that's mainly because their 2 post lift has some unique dimensions that best fit my structure. From my experience, if I were to start over from scratch, I'd look for the system with the best/easiest-to-use locking mechanism. My biggest pain is when a lock grabs as I'm lowering a vehicle and the thing starts to tip. (This, of course, very bad.) I'm always on the lookout and contorting around posts and bending over to make sure things are lowering level.

The other thing you are going to run into now is the steel tariffs. Lifts have a lot of steel in them! BendPak had a huge price increase this past fall and the other brands will be affected as the market prices rise across the board. I haven't shopped them all, but I'm sure they are all playing their cards here differently.

 

[LPD ret]

Check into side mount garage door openers. I have these https://www.liftmaster.com/garage-door-openers/c/wall-mount-garage-door-openers

My garage door tracks follow the contour of the scissor truss like the diagram that wssix99 posted.

 

[wssix99]

Check into side mount garage door openers. I have these https://www.liftmaster.com/garage-door-openers/c/wall-mount-garage-door-openers

There have been major issues with these and a "phantom" opening problem: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=365279&highlight=liftmaster

Several years into it, the manufacturer says they have it fixed now with a silent recall (of sorts). We'll see... (I just got my second, and hopefully final, set of replacement controllers this week.)

 

[LPD ret]

There have been major issues with these and a "phantom" opening problem: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=365279&highlight=liftmaster

Several years into it, the manufacturer says they have it fixed now with a silent recall (of sorts). We'll see... (I just got my second, and hopefully final, set of replacement controllers this week.)

I read those posts. Mine are 3 years old and I think they are the 6500 model without the WiFi hub thing. Mine have never opened unexpectedly.

 

[CraigStu]

Also w/ tracks like in the diagram above be aware that you need the motor sized correctly. W/ normal tracks that go horizontal, as each door panel goes flat, it's weight is no longer being lifted, it is just being moved. W/ the track matching the roof angle, the motor never gets that break-it is lifting the entire door the whole way up.

 

[493 scamp]

I had my lift delivered to my work address and arranged with a local towing company with a rollback truck to unload the lift and take it to my garage. A floor jack and engine hoist and blocks of wood allowed me to move around and unpack myself.

 

[wssix99]

Also w/ tracks like in the diagram above be aware that you need the motor sized correctly.

The motor is sized for the door and the springs are sized for the tracks. Even without an opener, the high-rise or follow-the-roof tracks feel like a normal door. The full weight is balanced by the springs and you can open it with one hand.

 

[ratdoggy]

If you get another BendPak, you should buy direct from them. You skip the middle man and get the same pricing.

I'm curious as to the thinking on that. If I don't get a price break why not deal with the middle man. If you have any kind of issue he's the one to make the service call. If he makes a couple bucks off the sale he just might be more willing to help...If I was saving a substantial amount of money maybe I'd buy direct

 

[wssix99]

I'm curious as to the thinking on that. If I don't get a price break why not deal with the middle man. If you have any kind of issue he's the one to make the service call. If he makes a couple bucks off the sale he just might be more willing to help...If I was saving a substantial amount of money maybe I'd buy direct

Fair point if one is purchasing service with the lift. BendPak's shipping/packaging is notoriously horrible and my experience was consistent with that. (Their shipper even lost one of my entire 4 post lifts...) Every lift was damaged or scuffed in some way and missing parts. Calling them up directly was really convenient for my self-install and the replacements/parts usually arrived in 2-3 days.

A lot of the pain I experienced was related to living in the middle of the country and having to share trucks with other shipments. By the time the truck got to me, my lifts and parts had been kicked around and speared by way too many forklifts. (Not a single operator followed BendPak's blocking instructions, either...) If a middle man is ordering full truckloads of lifts and stocking them locally - doing a local deal might deliver a better quality product. Otherwise, if the middleman is just doing paperwork and shipping directly from California - I'd just deal direct.

 

[KillNThrill24]

Sorry for the delayed reply... I installed the app on my phone then struggled to get it to work because the signature the app provides uses a link, and you can't post links until 5 posts lol. Anyway, I greatly appreciate the responses!! You guys are awesome and have given me a lot to think about.

I've also considered a 4 post in the past, they're definitely safer to work under. It's something I'll talk about with the lady.

It turns out my neighbors are carpenters by trade (father and son, dad's been doing it 30 years), and they both think that making an open location where the car will lift shouldn't be a problem. They haven't physically looked at it tho, so I'll curb my enthusiasm until they do.

Garage door issue... Thanks for the tips! I'll look into those options.

Steel tariffs.... Double edged sword for someone like myself. They're increasing prices on items, but increasing my paychecks too (I'm a steel worker, keep rolling out that high strength steel baby!).

I appreciate the advice from everyone here. Hopefully I'll get the ball rolling soon on this after I finish a compressor project I picked up today. Hope to learn a lot from this place. And the app makes it so much easier to browse and comment!