Fitting short wheel base car (C6) on 2 post lift

[Mr. Roboto]

So I purchased a C6 Corvette a few months ago. It has a very specific set of 4 jack points you need to use to not cause damage to the vehicle when lifting. I have a 2 post atlas BP 9000 lift, and it is impossible to hit all 4 of these jack points at once. The lift points on the car are too close together, and no amount of adjusting the arms and/or repositioning the car can get me there.

I see products like this that may work but that part of the arm will just be too thick to get under the car.



I'd have to drive the car up on ramps every time before swinging the arms under.

Could I just buy another set of front lift arms for the rear since they're shorter? Any other solutions on the market for this issue?

The day I realized that it wouldn't fit... had to get the floor jack out



And a pic of my dads Camaro and my vette... just because.

 

[Wrench97]

C6 lift points

 

[zkdiesel]

That’s why some lifts are better then others sadly
My rotary spo12 truck lift would hit those positions perfectly fine

I’d suggest buying a second set of short front arms and swapping them on when needed

I do that with my spo18. I pickup the truck to work on it and get it ready for cab removal. Then when I lift the cab (regular cab) I swap on a set of home made arms on the rest and use that to lift just the cab

 

[TurnipTruck]

I hate having to lift this lowered GTO on my 2post with its stupid skirting. I have to jack it or drive on these sketchy beams to make enough clearance so the pad extensions hit before the arms. If I was under it more than annually I would have to get a 4 post, too.

<I dont remember what I was doing with just two arms>

 

[CraigStu]

I think you are probably right about needing shorter rear arms. How much shorter do they need to be? Any way to cut down the existing arms w/o making them useless for more regular cars?

 

[djbmw]

Make yourself some ramps/planks that get the car high enough where you dont need to use a jack. Then, get yourself some hockey pucks and position them on the arms where the lift point are - done. In other words, the hockey pucks act as your new lift pads.

 

[firebirdparts]

For me a block of wood turned out to be the “product” I use to choke up on the lift arms. Worst case here was my friend’s lotus Elise.

 

[firebirdparts]

C6 lift points

Scary. If you do lift it you’ll have to be careful.

 

[CraigStu]

I park my C7 on 3.5" high ramps. I made them in 5 sections each so I could pull out parts as needed. but the idea of pulling out the center section between the wheels so I could get lift arms in, especially w/ the whole mess in between the lift posts, UUUGGGHHH.

 

[road_king]

Most Corvette guys used hockey pucks or some other smallish hard rubber pads. There are many out there to buy.
Any vehicle with 115" wheel base or less, I lift with wheel adapters for my Mohawk lift. Luckily Corvette wheel bases are less than that.

 

[Imatk]

I had an issue once where a friend brought over his BMW M3. It was the same there were specific points and they didn't line up perfectly.
We wound up backing it in instead of forward and that fixed it for the lift I have... I'm not sure why exactly? But that worked.

You could try backing in?

 

[Slowbuilder]

I feel your pain. I have a C6 with an aero kit that won't allow the arms of my Rotary SPOA9 underneath. Some lift manufacturers sell low profile lift arms (set of 4) which would solve the problem, but Rotary doesn't provide them for the SPOA9. I built a set of 4 ramps out of 2x6's that I drive up on to raise the car enough for the arms to pivot under the car, and then I bought a set of lift pucks that attach to the lift points on the frame rails. I set the front arms so the lift pads hit the pucks, and the rear arms so the pucks are over the lift arms, and lift as normal.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Thanks for all of the great advice and suggestions everyone. Thankfully, I do have a 4 post lift that the car lives on, which will cover me for 90% of what I'd need to do. But would love to get it on the 2 post when it comes time for brake and suspension work.

I think this weekend, I'll try putting both of my front arms one one side and see if I can hit the jack points, if I can, I'll likely buy a second set of those arms.

If not, it's going to be the custom ramp option with pucks or dedicated slip on pads to the rear arms to get me there. First world problems...

 

[pbon]

You may find that backing in works for the existing arms. There may also be alternative or custom arms available. I had an Atlas BP8000 for years and lowered cars with short wheel bases and sometimes struggled to use the lift. I recall different arm options existing but that was years ago. Might be able to cut and weld the existing arms.

 

[racecougar]

If you have a 4 post, why not use bridge jacks for wheel/brake/suspension work? Heck of a lot less hassle than setting up ramps, pucks, etc. to try to get it on the 2 post.

 

[njk4o5]

hockey pucks and wood

 

[Mr. Roboto]

If you have a 4 post, why not use bridge jacks for wheel/brake/suspension work? Heck of a lot less hassle than setting up ramps, pucks, etc. to try to get it on the 2 post.

You know what? You're right. I hadn't considered this. Which ones do you have? Do they sit down low flush enough when not in use to just keep them installed all the time?

 

[sz0k30]

I have a symmetrical 2 post lift. I used to have a C3 Vette. Fit on my lift just fine. Don't know wheelbase difference between C3 & C6, but can't imagine its that different.

 

[racecougar]

You know what? You're right. I hadn't considered this. Which ones do you have? Do they sit down low flush enough when not in use to just keep them installed all the time?

SJ-35's that are marketed by every company/brand under the sun. Yes, I leave them on all the time (they're only 2" taller than the runways), though if you wanted to remove them, it's as simple as placing a furniture dolly under them and lowering the lift.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

SJ-35's that are marketed by every company/brand under the sun. Yes, I leave them on all the time (they're only 2" taller than the runways), though if you wanted to remove them, it's as simple as placing a furniture dolly under them and lowering the lift.

Thank you very much! If you have a minute can you also measure how far down it hangs past the lowest point of the lift? The car I park under my 4 post is already pretty tight for clearance.

 

[racecougar]

Thank you very much! If you have a minute can you also measure how far down it hangs past the lowest point of the lift? The car I park under my 4 post is already pretty tight for clearance.

They don't hang below the runways at all. If they did, they would raise up off of the runways every time you set the lift down onto the floor. This is the best photo I have on hand currently.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

They don't hang below the runways at all. If they did, they would raise up off of the runways every time you set the lift down onto the floor. This is the best photo I have on hand currently.

Hah, that makes sense, I didn't think of that. Thanks again!

 

[Skyking1992]

I have a two post lift and a C5 Z06 that sets pretty low. I also regularly work on C5's and C6's. I pull the car into the lift and leave it in neutral so I can roll it back and forth if needed. I end up positioning the car more rearward than normal. Both arms go under the car and both are facing rearward as opposed to one arm facing forward and one arm facing rearward. The car is slightly off center to the lift, but it's a 3000 pound car on a 10,000 pound lift - I've never had any problems. I do use a tall jack stand if I'm doing any serious work.

I autocross a lot - every weekend most of the summer. The car goes on the lift every week to rotate tires, check brake pads, and bleed brakes.

 

[oachalon]

I have a Triumph 2 post lift like your atlas lift and have the same issues. I dont trust using a hockey puck or wood on top of the arms to lift the car. There could be a time where those slide and there goes the car.

I only put my C7 on the lift once doing that and I wasnt comfortable. Why im considering adding a 4 post lift for my c7 and c8 to do basic oil changes.

 

[CraigStu]

I installed permanent aluminum hockey pucks on my C7. The round piece on my floor jack w/ the rubber in it fits around the pucks. One jack has real shallow walls on the round piece and the provided rubber was actually a little proud so I just take it out. Same thing on most lifts.

 

[DaChev]

I put my lowered C5 on my Atlas 9000 lb lift. First I park the car close and put the car on a set of dollys. This raises the car up a few inches and allows me to move the car back and forth to get the arm placement correct. I then use the jacking pucks on the arm, not the end of the arm to raise the car. The arms can't really move once you lift the car, that is what the locks do. I would not worry about the car slipping off unless you are being abusive.

Done deal.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I had a friend’s C6 corvette on my lift a few years ago and I bought a set of these Corvette lift point pads and lifted it from the arms of my Mohawk lift.

These pads temporarily mount to your car by putting the T through the slot at the lift point and rotating it 90°.
If you own a Corvette you should buy a set of these lift point pads.



This is a screen grab from a crappy iPhone video I took under the car that shows the Corvette lift pads being supported by the lift arms.