Lifting Subframe Cars/Two Post Lift Extensions?

[omowright]

What would be the negative consequences of lifting an SUV from the front and rear (theses have front and rear subframes)?

Can the electrical cables and pneumatic tubing of a two pst lift be extended so that it is installed 25 feet apart for lifting front and rear instead of from side to side?

Thanks a lot - still planning my garage ...

 

[metaleltr]

How would you get the car between the posts? What advantage would this offer you? You would be limiting the versatility of your lift dramatically. While it may be possible another a Mohawk I cannot see a good reason to do so

 

[manwithtools]

What would the possible positive consequences be? I suggest you draw this out on a piece of paper and then try to envision how you could even use this arrangement.

 

[omowright]

Using under-hoist stands for vertical stability greatly reduces working space. There will be no need for support if lifted front to back. Mobile column lifts have prohibitive prices.

Will there bestructural damage at the attachment points of the subframes? Are the extensions possible?

 

[countryroad82]

I see your vision. But before you go through all that I see the biggest obstacle in your plan, how are you going to get the vehicle between your modified lift? You're going to have to jack it up, put it on casters, and slide it between. You would have to always keep that area clear and after all that modifications your lift will only be good for the vehicle it was modified for. If its stability you are concerned about, go with a 4 post lift. Or use stands. Not trying to burst your bubble just looking at it from my perspective you would be doing a lot of work to basically make a 2 post lift an awkward 4 post. I use a 2 post on a daily basis and haven't had a problem getting subframe vehicles or full frame vehicles on and after putting safety stand under there are no worries of it falling. Or get a 4 post lift with double jacks to drive on and slide under the car to lift it. Like I said I see your vision but I don't see why one would need to reinvent the wheel.

 

[omowright]

@countryroads82. You've given the answer. Thanks so much.

Would have been ideal with mobile column lifts but just can't sfford them ...

 

[sberry]

This works for a million other people the way they designed it.

 

[Mr onetwo]

Another point....all vehicles have correct lift points for a "frame contact" type lift.They are never front and back.I think if you tried this arrangement the vehicle would most likely buckle in the middle and maybe fall and kill you Would make a hell of a YouTube vid though

 

[LXCam]

This has been a test of the commercial broadcast logic system....


Countryroad passed.

 

[walrus]

You want a below ground lift for that arangement. They have fixed rear post and a front post that can be moved forward and backward to fit length of car. This requires a rectangular concrete pit about 16 in. wide inside and 10 ft long. A track is placed on top of pit walls and front post is set in a trolley. Serviced tons of them back in the day. Great lift, quite expensive to install because of the concrete work involved

 

[Kent_B]

walrus, what you described is the type of lift that was in the first garage i worked in. We used to use it for heavy trucks, school busses, etc. The in-ground lifts were air over hydraulic.

Thanks for a great memory.

 

[walrus]

walrus, what you described is the type of lift that was in the first garage i worked in. We used to use it for heavy trucks, school busses, etc. The in-ground lifts were air over hydraulic.

Thanks for a great memory.

Your welcome They made them in different sizes. The only downside was the diamond plate on floor covering pit if you had to roll stuff like a ****** jack. Also controls in a "L" off front of pit. Controls had tendency to to leak because of speedy dry. In ground lifts get torn up by speedy dry also

 

[omowright]

Thanks walrus, too expensive for me though. Mr onetwo has answered the technical and most important part of my question - SUBFRAME CARS WILL BUCKLE IF LIFTED END TO END.

Thank you so much all ...

 

[joe_padavano]

SUBFRAME CARS WILL BUCKLE IF LIFTED END TO END.

Really? Then why don't they buckle when sitting on the tires?

Look, the reality is that lifting from the ends of the car is neither necessary nor a good idea, but no car is going to "buckle" if you do. It might deflect enough to make the doors hard to open, but that's about all. As others have noted, lifting from the sides works for EVERYONE else who has ever used a two post lift.

 

[sublimate]

@countryroads82. You've given the answer. Thanks so much.

Would have been ideal with mobile column lifts but just can't sfford them ...

End lifts aren't that much. You can buy 2 for under $3k, about the same as many 2 posts.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/v...mpaignId=T9F&gclid=CKXBloK53M0CFQ6GaQodMvkOvg

Or if the vehicle is no too heavy, you can have a pair of these for just over $1k:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...ontent=46202&gclid=COS2kfq43M0CFQktaQodBGAIfA

 

[pmiranda]

Purely out of curiosity: Why?
Does it make your garage layout work better?
Not enough space to the sides?

 

[Cobra5150]

I see your vision. But before you go through all that I see the biggest obstacle in your plan, how are you going to get the vehicle between your modified lift? ....

Easy:

 

[omowright]

Purely out of curiosity: Why?
Does it make your garage layout work better?
Not enough space to the sides?

Not better but the floor would not be easy to prepare for "bolted" floor posts. The garage will be on a platform leveled by breaking very large and deep seated granite boulders.
Space to the sides just sufficient but overall space below'd be reduced by under-hoist stands for vertical stability - not necessary if lifted end to end.

Thanks sublimate. I've bookmarked the site ...

 

[countryroad82]

Your welcome They made them in different sizes. The only downside was the diamond plate on floor covering pit if you had to roll stuff like a ****** jack. Also controls in a "L" off front of pit. Controls had tendency to to leak because of speedy dry. In ground lifts get torn up by speedy dry also

I used to work in a bus garage with those lifts. One lift had issues as it would jump at times. Once watched a bus bounce a good foot on that stupid thing. Another good one was on me, I put a longer bus on and lifted it. I was in a hurry not paying attention but the covers didn't slide with the bus. I started greasing it and was running down the driveline when I found the hole......... Almost fell to the bottom but I threw my arms out to catch myself. Good times, good times

 

[walrus]

I used to work in a bus garage with those lifts. One lift had issues as it would jump at times. Once watched a bus bounce a good foot on that stupid thing. Another good one was on me, I put a longer bus on and lifted it. I was in a hurry not paying attention but the covers didn't slide with the bus. I started greasing it and was running down the driveline when I found the hole......... Almost fell to the bottom but I threw my arms out to catch myself. Good times, good times

Air over Hydraulic lifts jump when low on fluid. the post will go up feet real quick. Is quite dangerous

 

[countryroad82]

Air over Hydraulic lifts jump when low on fluid. the post will go up feet real quick. Is quite dangerous

You never could keep fluid in that one. It would leak like a sift, when the bus jumped on me I was done. Never used that oft again. The head mechanics phrase for anything that was screwed up like that was, 'It's been like that since 1971!' Stretch out the 1971 when you say that out loud. Did I mention this was 2004? Yeah it was a horrible place to work. I didn't last long there.........

 

[walrus]

You never could keep fluid in that one. It would leak like a sift, when the bus jumped on me I was done. Never used that oft again. The head mechanics phrase for anything that was screwed up like that was, 'It's been like that since 1971!' Stretch out the 1971 when you say that out loud. Did I mention this was 2004? Yeah it was a horrible place to work. I didn't last long there.........

I can understand why you didn't last. Vehicles have been known to come off when they jump like that.

 

[ibedayank]

4 post lift... all the room in the world to work under it

 

[omowright]

4 post lift... all the room in the world to work under it

Occupies too much space and needs rolling jacks (which still goes across the undercarriage though) for working under the car. In this regard, for space saving and wheel-work etc. a scissor lift is better ...

 

[countryroad82]

I can understand why you didn't last. Vehicles have been known to come off when they jump like that.

I can deal with **** equipment, I didn't play well with the children there......... Got transferred after I may or may not have chased the lead mechanic around the shop with a can of starting fluid and a lighter over him doing something to me. Only reason he didn't wind up burned was I ran out of starting fluid. Where I'm at now I have far better equipment at my disposal (it's still junk but light years better), I'm my own boss to a degree, and the people are a whole lot better. Shoulda tried burning that little man sooner.......

 

[bobmulry]

Funny Story

About 30 years ago while working as a line technician at a Cadillac Dealership we had 3 or 4 of those front and rear in ground lifts......

Long story short MANAGEMENT thought that they would replace them with side lift twin post racks to save the rebuilding costs.

Have any of you seen what happens to an aftermarket stretch limo when lifted with a side lift twin post????????????

Well let me say it isn't pretty because the first thing you hear is the exploding of the side windows followed by the rear window popping out and flying fifteen feet and this is followed by the screech of metal as the limo starts to fold in half.....

Anybody who has worked on an aftermarket stretch limo knows what a **** job they do stretching the frame...

The only good thing was that they left one of the end lift racks for us transmission guys to use...

Bob

 

[omowright]

Want to give an up rating to Bob for the funny story - message understood.

Now this novice is worse off than before! Please, can someone give some TECHNICAL reasons whether a subframe car can be lifted at the ends?

 

[Bring Spares Along]

Unibody vehicles can be lifted from the ends as long as you use the suspension as your contact point, it's how the vehicle is designed. If you are thinking of using the bumpers or somewhere else as a lift point, the vehicle may buckle. Another thing to think about is that extending the arms will reduce the capacity of the hoist, and IMO that is a bigger concern

 

[Ign]

'92-96 Ford half tons got accordion framehorns -- supposed to be a crumple zone. They were pretty strong but I wouldn't lift the entire front from them. They may have continued into the '97+ bubble body, I don't recall.

 

[omowright]

Thank you Bring Spares Along, for reiterating the former conclusion:- SUBFRAME CARS WILL BUCKLE IF LIFTED BY THE ENDS (BUMPERS).

This is final. Thank you again ...