Drive On or Back On

[LX-Markham]

Another thread sparked this idea, and I've seen some pics of people who do, but I didn't want to derail the other thread.

Who backs their car onto their 4-post lift? And why?

*not mine

I consider myself reasonably skilled at reversing, but I wouldn't challenge my skills at trying to back onto my lift.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Unless it's a matter of how well the car fits into the ceiling above, I don't know why a person would back on - just seems like a lot of extra work.

 

[manwithtools]

Could be that the reverse orientation allows the garage door to be fully open with the car on the lift. Forward orientation might not allow that.

 

[LXCam]

I find it easier to line it up perfectly centered. Drop the mirrors down and there ya are.

 

[jumpstart]

Mines backed on the lift. I have more room around the door end of the lift. Too much junk I guess. I was doing engine and transmission work, so I was under it for a bit, then lowered it for engine work.

No more work to back it on.

View media item 91394

 

[66Caprice]

It depends on what I am doing. But there is more natural light when I back on. I in fact just this last Wednesday painted a bright orange stripe down both ramps to help center my cars when I do back on.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

Mine is backed on when I am storing it. My ceiling is only 11’ tall so I have to back on so I can get the daily underneath. If I am working on one of them it goes on forward.

 

[larry_g]

Another thread sparked this idea, and I've seen some pics of people who do, but I didn't want to derail the other thread.

Who backs their car onto their 4-post lift? And why?

*not mine

I consider myself reasonably skilled at reversing, but I wouldn't challenge my skills at trying to back onto my lift.

I can see in the above picture some advantage of the operator exiting the vehicle without banging the door into the wall.

 

[logical]

Mine is less than a foot beyond the garage door. Backing in puts the front which is lower than the rear under where the garage door curves past it. I'd probaly be OK the other way but why risk it. And it's easier driving off than backing so either way you are backing once and going forward once. It's the extra wide model with just over 8 feet between the posts so it's not as if it's a tight squeeze. I have the room to swing the door open on the wall side but may have to move a thing or two. I have a lot more room doing it this way.

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[Worsedog]

If you pull it on you still have to back it off. Unless you have some interdimensional stuff going on in you garage, it's pretty much the same.

 

[CJ7VFR]

I can see in the above picture some advantage of the operator exiting the vehicle without banging the door into the wall.

That is pretty much what I thought too. If you look at the Vette, it seems to be parked a bit more to the right under the lift, giving the person some extra room to get out and not hit the wall with the door.

Jim

 

[IMXCITD]

my lift is close to the wall on one side...so i back both cars in on that side...the one on the lift and the one under...have more room to open driver's door then away from wall.

 

[LX-Markham]

If you pull it on you still have to back it off. Unless you have some interdimensional stuff going on in you garage, it's pretty much the same.

Nothing interdimensional. I realize driving on I have to back off at some point, but I don’t have to line up the ramps backing off.

I always back into parking spaces, but that’s because I have a pickup and I don’t like backing out of a spot with the box hanging way out there until I can see anything. Was just wondering if there was some similar logic backing onto the lift.

edit: the neighbours think there is something interdimensional going on in the garage, like a Tardis or something. How do you get 3 cars into a small 2 car garage?

 

[shaune]

Depends what end of the car I will be working on, gives me more room at one end than the other. Plus I can open one car door more than the other so it’s a logistics thing for me. That initial picture looks like a driver egress....more room to open that driver’s door. Backing up onto the hoist isn’t that big a deal. Go slow, watch your mirrors or use a spotter.

 

[onewheat]

I always back into the garage and into all parking spaces - unless I can pull all the way through a parking space.