Another Help me place my 2-post lift thread.

[Qbfree98]

Good Morning!
I'm wrestling with the placement of my 2 post lift. Please give me some feedback the placement. The building is a 30'x50'x14' with a lean-to 10'x50'x9' on the right side. The lift I'm looking at is a Atlas PV12PX (12k) for my DYI hobbies. The "blue" figure is my crude representation of the lift and is not to scale. The lift is reportedly 12'6" from outside to outside and drive through is 9'1". I would like to pull through one end of the shop and access the lift and then have the other half of the shop open to move my tractor/lawnmower, etc. in and out without much of a hassle. What do you guys think?

 

[manwithtools]

Looks reasonable. I'm going to shoot for 14' from entry garage door to C/L of lift columns. This should give room to walk behind the vehicle and give plenty of room in front for activities you describe.

 

[carcruse]

It helps to make a layout showing where everything in the garage (workbenches, compressors, welders, drill presses, other vehiclesetc.) are going before choosing the lift placement.
Unless you are going to use it everyday, I would move it more to the left some and maybe back slightly. This would make it easier to get things around it to the back of the building and give more room if any of the above items will be along the right wall opposite the lift. This would require a slight jog to get to it when entering the building but that shouldn't be much of a hassle.

 

[CraigStu]

For same reasons as carcruse I'd offset it. But I'd move it to the right to get it further from the left side door. You have a huge shop but still don't want to clog it up when the inevitable vehicle sits on the lift for weeks waiting for a part. Taking 12'6" out of 30' only leaves <9ft on each side so I'd move it maybe 3-4ft to the right. Put the right post 4' or 5' from the right wall and that leaves you 12.5' to 13.5' from the left post to the left wall. I might even set it at a slight angle so getting to it involves a slight right turn but a left for lineup isn't needed.

 

[dave*99]

Look up the floor plan in the owners manual of your lift. Draw that rectangle in your print. Locate one column far enough from a side wall so you can walk through. 18-24" Move a garage door over to center up with the lift. If you can't move a door, then angle the lift to point at the door. Do not locate the lift any deeper into the garage than dictated by the manufacturers floor plan. You will appreciate having a dedicated defined space for the lift and not having to move other items around to access it.
My Rotary 2 post lift needs 24' depth. My cars are 16-17' long. Pickup is 19' There is plenty of room around the vehicles using this plan.

 

[Joemctag]

For same reasons as carcruse I'd offset it. But I'd move it to the right to get it further from the left side door. You have a huge shop but still don't want to clog it up when the inevitable vehicle sits on the lift for weeks waiting for a part. Taking 12'6" out of 30' only leaves <9ft on each side so I'd move it maybe 3-4ft to the right. Put the right post 4' or 5' from the right wall and that leaves you 12.5' to 13.5' from the left post to the left wall. I might even set it at a slight angle so getting to it involves a slight right turn but a left for lineup isn't needed.

I might do the same. Lift not being “square” with the building wouldn’t be cool with alot of people but to me it makes alot of sense the way you suggest.

 

[mike93lx]

Where are the control cuts in your slab? Any other cracks?

You'll need to make sure to keep those in mind and stay the distance away specified by rhe lift manufacturer

 

[dave*99]

I might do the same. Lift not being “square” with the building wouldn’t be cool with alot of people but to me it makes alot of sense the way you suggest.

I agree. Angling the lift is not my go to plan. I would have planned the lift footprint and any need for benches or tool boxes along the side wall first. Then align a door for a straight drive into the lift bay. But if the door ain’t moving, maybe the angle is the compensation.
I’d rather see 2 doors on the front of this shop. A lift bay door and a general use door.

 

[CraigStu]

I recommend an angle because I once worked in an old shop where there was a lift 3ft offset from a door. It was far enough in from the door that it wasn't a huge problem but we had small damage like a scraped wheel, or a dented rocker panel about once per year. Each time I suggested remounting the 2 post (maybe 10 new bolt/stud holes) at an angle but management never did. Oh it will look weird. Yeah, OK, you just keep fixing customer cars so your shop doesn't look weird.