Floor Plate 2-Post Lifts: Solution or Aggravation?

[carsandcapp]

Hi All,

SOME BACKGROUND: Getting ready to do a garage addition (roughly 14 x 22). The addition will include an expansion of an already existing bonus room over the current 2 car garage.

I am still hoping to construct it in a way that will allow me to have a 12 foot garage ceiling and additional interior floor space overhead. I want to install a narrow bay 2-post lift with a 6' + lift height, most of which have 12' posts. I've had 2 builders come in and suggest that I will need 2 interior steps up into the expanded bonus room.

Additionally, the new interior space will have knee walls that may ultimately result in interior square footage that would not be included in the total square feet when I go to sell the house. Apparently any interior space where the ceiling starts at 5' or below is not included. It is really important that I pick up as much square feet as possible in order to justify the project to my "better half".

To be clearer, I probably won't install the ceiling/floor now. I'll leave it open to the rafters, but want it constructed in such a way that I can install the ceiling/floor easily at a later date - to gain that extra square footage.

This has lead me to consider floor plate 2-posts lift designs. The ones I am looking at have columns that are well below 12 feet high. I've never worked around them and at first glance they seem like a real pain. Can those of you who have them today share your thoughts/experiences, especially in comparison to traditional "clear floor" designs? Thanks.

 

[Caligula455]

I’m in a similar spot looking at a narrow bay 2 post lift with no overhead bar because I need to fit under a 10’ ceiling. I’m looking at the Mohawk A-7 since it has no floor plate between the posts, is asymmetrical for opening doors, and the interconnect is hydraulic lines you can custom bend to your exact height. Lift height is 6’ but I’ll be constrained by ceiling height first. Super beefy too, only downside is $$$

I started looking into them because our town mechanic has two of them in his shop and they looked like they’d fit my space and hold up to his commercial use. Haven’t operated one though.

For adding the square footage and making the floor/ceiling as straight forward to build as possible I think you want to match the existing wall and floor height which probably means lower garage ceilings than you want. But any height added to the garage ceiling comes at the expense of less headroom in the room above. Somewhere there is a sweet spot that will balance the two.

Making the roof lines higher would help but may not look right and curb appeal counts for adding value to the house as well as square footage


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[pbon]

Some top plate lifts have columns a little shorter than 12’ if a few inches helps. The expensive Mohawk A7 has no top plate and columns under 10’.

Nothing wrong with a floor plate. I had one for 5 years. Not my first choice but it worked great. Lifted my BMW 3 and 5 series to 6’ with a ceiling of about 10’8”.

 

[3rdgendslmech]

I dont have a lift in my shop but I pulled a few transmissions in a friends shop that did have a base plate lift. After the first one I pulled I came up with a pretty simple and easy solution for the plate being in the way....and it'll save your floor a little bit. I got 2 sheets of plywood and layed down on the floor.
Once you go from no lift to having any kind of lift...you'll love it.

 

[firebirdparts]

I wanted a floor plate to fit the situation overhead, and I never think about it. It doesn't bother me at all. If you roll something over it, you are aware you're rolling something over it. Different manufacturers vary I suppose in how big and how high that obstruction is. The heaviest thing I have rolled over it is a walkie stacker, and that gets your attention, but I have only done that maybe 2 or 3 times in 15 years.

Part of my attitude is that having a lift is really awesome, so that is a factor. Compared to no lift.

Nobody much talks about the downside of the overhead cabling, so I won't either. the downside of having a 14' high walls of course are you can't heat it very easily, and they're ugly. FWIW.

If you would, 3rdgendslmech, would you explain exactly what happened that made you lay plywood down? Be specific. Mine never bothers me, so I just have no idea what part of your body or what tool touched that floor plate.

 

[firebirdparts]

P.S. My lift is symmetric, so the floor plate is under the muffler. That probably would be a lot more of a problem on an asymmetric lift.

 

[ebfabman]

I have 12 foot walls with 16 feet of center overhead clearance. Lift is a Mohawk system 1 with the lines in the floor so there is nothing overhead and the floor is clear.

 

[carsandcapp]

Thanks for the responses guys. The Mohawk A7 does sound intriguing but pricey. Also, not sure if I really dig the separate lock release pulls. (Could probably fab something to fix that though). I am wondering if maybe I just get a floor plate model and an "all-terrain" mechanic's chair. Something with pneumatic wheels to use when I am sick of tripping on the plate.

 

[JSK]

Other low-ceiling alternative.