Car lifts and space

[jbitter_99]

First time poster. Lots of great info here

I have 9.5 ft ceilings (ugh) in a 3 car garage. Would like to put lift in to store 2 cars in 1 spot. The cars stacked on top of each other are 113”....1” shy of 9.5 feet. Ceiling is dry walled with trusses underneath
Rule of thumb I read as car + car + 6-12” = height needed
Am I SOL or are there any other solutions?
Thanks

 

[CombatNinja]

Buy shorter cars. Problem solved.

Sorry to be a smarts, but you are indeed SOL unless you can raise the ceiling. What is above the garage? Storage, nothing or living space?

 

[jbitter_99]

Yeah thought about shorter car lol. Master bathroom is above garage. I thinking it’s a no go. Unless I build a new detached garage!

 

[slidehammer]

First time poster. Lots of great info here

I have 9.5 ft ceilings (ugh) in a 3 car garage. Would like to put lift in to store 2 cars in 1 spot. The cars stacked on top of each other are 113”....1” shy of 9.5 feet. Ceiling is dry walled with trusses underneath
Rule of thumb I read as car + car + 6-12” = height needed
Am I SOL or are there any other solutions?
Thanks

By definition, the lift arms of a 2-post fit within the vertical height of a regular car when it's on the ground. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to swing the arms under the car.

This means that in theory a 2-post should require zero additional clearance. If the heights of both cars, measured from the floor to the roof, sums to 113", you should be able to stack them within a 113" vertical distance.

In reality, suspension droop from the upper car will add to your minimum clearance. You could always remove the rear wheels.

 

[jbitter_99]

By definition, the lift arms of a 2-post fit within the vertical height of a regular car when it's on the ground. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to swing the arms under the car.



This means that in theory a 2-post should require zero additional clearance. If the heights of both cars, measured from the floor to the roof, sums to 113", you should be able to stack them within a 113" vertical distance.



In reality, suspension droop from the upper car will add to your minimum clearance. You could always remove the rear wheels.

Are 2 post lifts adequate for storing a car for long periods or best used for just working underneath car? I am looking to do the former

 

[countrysquire]

On a four post lift, you will have to add the thickness of the ramps plus however much you have to lower it for it to rest on the safety locks, if that makes sense.

 

[tdott]

I wouldn't store on a 2post, also you need to take into account the height needed to lift off the safety locks for most setups.

IMO 9.5" is a no go if you want to double stack.

 

[jbitter_99]

Thanks everyone. Thought it would be a no go. Might have to store car outside with good all weather cover

 

[sz0k30]

I see 9.5 ceilings. Unless you also have swing out rather than roll up garage doors, where do they factor into the equation?

 

[rburke65]

I’m thinking you’ll have to raise the roof or raise the ceiling.

 

[firebirdparts]

It is conceivable to do with a 2 post lift modified to lift by the wheels. Or as Jay Leno does it, 4x 1 post lifts, one at each wheel. Two post lift wheel adapters are commercially available.

The upside here is you might gain some clearance depending on the shape of the two cars. The downside is that you don't have a drip tray on a 2 post lift, and you don't have much room for that either.

I would say it's possible to do with some difficulty.

 

[DetachedGarage]

Thanks everyone. Thought it would be a no go. Might have to store car outside with good all weather cover

Is the ceiling 9.5" or is that to the garage door? Do you gain any height by doing a jackshaft style opener and a high mounted garage door track?

 

[jbitter_99]

Is the ceiling 9.5" or is that to the garage door? Do you gain any height by doing a jackshaft style opener and a high mounted garage door track?

9.5 is height to ceiling. Garage door open is lower and I would get a different high mount garage door opener to maximize space

 

[DetachedGarage]

9.5 is height to ceiling. Garage door open is lower and I would get a different high mount garage door opener to maximize space

Yeah... you might be SOL. Shorter cars or new garage...

 

[AlexHamm]

You could lower the floor where the car will be parked

 

[thickhead]

Bendpak PLT-6S or PL-6SRX? These stacker lifts might work for you.

 

[jbitter_99]

You could lower the floor where the car will be parked

I’m thinking this or build detached garage are my only options

 

[69XR7]

I have 9.5 ceilings in my garage also. I went through the same process. There were too many limits and compromises. Ultimately, i built a detached garage which allowed me to do 12’ ceilings.

 

[DodgeHellcat]

I have a 10"8" ceiling. I would like to purchase a BenPAK HD-9 and stack my two cars. The car on top is 50" and the lower will be 54". I am doing a jackshaft style opener and a high mounted garage door track? Will this work?

 

[lynnbilodeau]

Don't know about the BenPack HD-9.

To the OP. You can't stack the two cars you have. It can be done at 9.5 with shorter cars.

Although my ceiling is just over 10 foot, I COULD stack everything in the pics below at 9.5 ft. Tight fit, but it can be done.

As you can see, there is some extra room over the Benz and the Bimmer.

 

[clinebarger]

Are 2 post lifts adequate for storing a car for long periods or best used for just working underneath car? I am looking to do the former

Yes....They are! I don't trust cheap chinese lifts at all no matter the configuration.

I worked at really large auto restoration garage that stored cars on Rotary & Ammco 2 post lifts.....Some for years at a time. We had to wipe all the dust/dirt out of the posts & wipe the axle grease (rust preventer) off the hydraulic rams before letting the cars down.

The carriages that the vehicle sits on have locks just like 4 post lifts.

 

[firebirdparts]

A two post lift could hold a car up forever. However, you'd get suspension hang, and if the car is correct, that ought to twist your control arm bushings. They don't rotate, they deform. So that just seems "bad" for long term and in this case with the OP, if you don't have an inch to spare, then the suspension hang would probably eat up more than that inch also.

 

[aggie113]

If the car on top is going up for a while and we are only talking a few inches... could you do something like take the wheels off and put the car on jack stands that keep the brake rotors off the ground, or maybe something like this product:

?