Best mirror for driving on a lift

[Finally]

Hello all,

I just installed a 4 post lift and wanted see ideas of the different types of mirrors and locations you all installed. thanks

 

[olds70supreme]

I have a drive-on lift. I used a cheap mirror from walmart and mounted it up high on top of some wall cabinets, angled downwards at the correct angle by some 2x4's (one on each side, but at an angle).

Robot or human?

 

[CraigStu]

I have more or less permanent ramps in my garage and I got one of those mirrors you hang on a door. 14x48' maybe. I porpped it in front of the ramp and messed w/ alignment until it owrked out. But there it is on the floor often in the way. Then it fell over and cracked I put clear packing tape on it so I wouldn't end up w/ chunks of glass falling out on the way to the dump. Then realized I could see through the tape well enough. But it is still in the way so I will be following this thread. I see the round convex ones but they are all $100 or more and I don't want to see the entire inside of the garage.

 

[Maxcustody]

I got it at uline it is a 26” convex. Zoom in and you can see it better.

 

[solo machinist]

I made a few of these mirrors for work, using mylar and steel studs. The studs are flexible enough to keep tension on the mylar to keep it flat. it took two people pulling on opposite sides, then taping it place. It took a little while to make it wrinkle free.
Work had bought huge mirrors to hang above people in their work area, to check for working lights all around new lift trucks.
I asked about their sanity hanging glass mirrors above people. I told them about mylar.

 

[Finally]

Thanks you all for the replies. Seems there are a few options and I have some more research to do for sure.

 

[durk_2007]

Look at the mirror on an alignment rack convex like a hospital hall

 

[rsanter]

You can also use video survalence cameras that are ties to a screen or your phone

 

[sschung]

I found I couldn't see the mirror well enough from the distance I had and I lacked the room for a bigger mirror. I ended up buying a dual camera baby monitor. That way I can put them anywhere and fairly close to see the tire alignment. It's not perfect as they generally don't have a wide angle so you need to get one with good resolution. It was still better than the mirror. I put magnets on them and use them for other things, primarily as a view on the ladder locks disengaging on the far posts.

My wife as a spotter is still the best!

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Cordless dash cam with a magnet seems like a viable option too.

 

[racecougar]

Another large convex mirror user here. Pretty sure I bought it from Grainger.

 

[-Stew-]

Stick your head out the window and look at the tire placement.

 

[jaw22w]

I take a little bit different tack for parking on my 4-post lift. My dog love tennis balls. They are all over the place. I simply hung one from the ceiling at the exact center of my lift at the far end between the posts. Drive the center of the hood under the ball.

 

[glentre]

Because of the cabinets on the back wall, I couldn't mount any permanent mirror. I just used a cheap Wallmart acrylic mirror taped to the cabinets at a locator dot on the cabinet door so I can attach and remove it when not in use.

Glen

 

[Finally]

So, I had a few mirrors around the house and I tried them around the garage. I really didn’t like them, so, as Stew mentioned, I drove 4 different cars on the lift, aligned them first, then hung my head out the window. This was the most comfortable to me after all that. Thanks for the replies. One issue that makes it harder for me is that my bay is a drive through, meaning I have a garage door 15’ in front of the lift. So, forward placement of the mirror is not possible anyway.

 

[Viper98912]

Son of a, why didn't I think of that? I'll need to try this, trying to center on the lift is sometimes slightly challenging (and not always easy to stick your head out the window with three pedals)