Ceiling Height

[Short Track]

I'm renovating my garage. I heard 12' clear is a good height for a lift.

However, I plan to add a lift, and work under my Suburban. Not sure a 2 post, or 4 post. But something where I can pull the wheels, and do suspension work on my Suburban.

What is the min ceiling height?

I'm 6'3", and I want to be able to stand up straight under the lift.

 

[JJThrasher]

Well you're 6' tall and you're suburban is 6' tall, so 12' plus whatever you'd like for some clearance.

 

[bczygan]

Suburban is 74" high, but that is from bottom of tires, so there is some space between that and underside.

You need to check how high lifts will go and also what height clearance THEY need, as I believe some need just over 12'. And will you ever have a rooftop rack on the vehicle?

Bill

 

[lbperry]

Better make sure the lift you install will raise the bottom of the vehicle above 6' 3". I'm 6'3". My buddy has a lift and when raised to full height, it'd doesn't clear my head. It's a PITA to work on a car in a perpetual crouch or clank my head regularly.
Good Luck,

 

[James-W]

As has been mentioned, check with the lift manufacturer to see what the recommended height is. But also check with your local zoning people to see what they will allow you to build. Where I live, for a garage, the maximum height from the ground to the peak of the roof is 18 feet 6 inches.You may have similar restrictions so keep that in mind.

 

[SlideonKais]

I'm in the same situation, im 6'3 and a full time mechanic at an Acura dealership. At full lift, I'm still ducking or tilting my head to dodge obstructions, at our height, I believe it might just be something to get used to

 

[RWorth]

I have 12' and I'm only 5'-6 and sometimes it's close. I agree with find the lift and go with their recommendation.

 

[493 scamp]

A 2 post lift with crossbar at top will also limit how high you can lift. Full sized vans are the worst to work under. I am just shy of 6' and have worked under lifts for 37 years. I find cars that sit low and are raised without any height adapters to be pretty low as well and thats most of our work. Once you get under a truck you can stand up in many spots but you have to duck under the lift arms,axles,etc. I have had many cuts on my head from running into things and I wear a hat which tends to make matters worse. The hat bill in a crouched position hides things like axles,lift arms,tires,tailpipes and my bifocals
are useless because you are looking up. Also my Atlas 9OHS lift at home missed the bottom of my trusses by 1" at 12'. This lift is assembled on the ground and flipped up into place.I got lucky and the placement allowed it to swing up without hitting. My home lift is slightly lower than the Rotary I use at work. You might consider a rolling chair and not lifting fully at your height. A base plate lift that has no cross bar at top might be the way to go as well.

 

[Ironcrow]

13 feet is you can do it. Most two posts lifts are around 12 feet plus or minus, and you want room for ceiling lights, garage doors, openers etc.

 

[glentre]

If you go with a four post lift and want to use it for storage, you will need to determine the height of the car you will be parking under the lift as well as the one on top. Then determine the height of the lift ramps from the manufacturer plus two inches or so safety. Add these numbers together to find the total height required from floor to ceiling, including drywall thickness or whatever material you want on the ceiling.

I had to select an extended height lift because I have a Yukon and two antique cars which are much higher than today's models. Banging my head is not a problem because these vehicles are all taller than me. My ceiling is designed to be 13' 0" at the back of the garage. With the floor slope, it will be about 13' 3" at the doors.

At 6'3" and a suburban on the lift, a 12' ceiling seems too low which you can verify by doing the numbers. Also, add in the dimensions of any ceiling lights over the lift as well as the garage door opener. In short, do the math before you decide what height the ceiling needs to be.

Glen