Please Help Design my Garage (2-Post Lift Questions)

[achillesb]

I'm limited to 24' depth, I can do 13' ceilings no problem. Width is the key decision: I can do 16' min to 26' max. I would rather do 16' to save backyard space if the following is possible:

Which 2-post lifts have the smallest forward clearance requirements? As mentioned in other threads, I've heard you can install an asymmetric lift towards the back of your garage and only pull the car forward for service, leaving the car aft away from the posts for comfortable everyday parking.

Here's a drawing of the objective:
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After thinking about this for way too long, here's the options I came up with:


Option 1:
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Options 2 & 3:
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Since my first thread I've learned a few things. This is a great forum. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[achillesb]

Saturday morning bump

 

[mmb617]

My lift bay is almost exactly the dimensions you described, 24 ft deep x 16 ft wide and 13 ft high. I have a Bendpak XPR 10A asymmetric lift and use the bay for everyday parking for my '03 Yukon.

The center of my lift posts sit 11 ft 6 in from the front wall but I have a 2 ft wide workbench mounted to that front wall which keeps me from pulling a vehicle forward all the way to the wall. Still there is enough room (barely) that I can put my '91 F150 standard cab 8 ft bed pickup in the bay if necessary. If the truck is in there you can't walk around it though as it takes up all the room, but if I didn't have the workbench and could pull forward those 2 ft more you could walk behind it.

With the Yukon parked there is plenty of room to walk behind it if I pull all the way up to the workbench. That also allows me room to open the front doors without hitting the posts. I can also open the back doors without hitting the posts. With smaller cars as long as I pull up enough to clear the posts with the front doors and no more, I can also clear with the back doors.

With the 16 ft width there is right around 2 ft between each post and the side wall which is a bit snug when walking around but workable. If I had it to do over again I might consider going 2 ft wider which would help a lot.

I'll dig up a couple pics to perhaps clarify what I'm talking about.

 

[mmb617]

Here's some pics to show how much room there is in my lift bay as discussed above.

I pull forward almost to the workbench, which allows me to open both my front and rear doors without hitting the posts.

Parked this way there is plenty of room behind the vehicle making it easy to unload when we go to the store.

Hopefully this is helpful to you.

 

[achillesb]

Thank you so much! An very helpful real life example.

 

[achillesb]

Here's some pics to show how much room there is
...

Is this the position for using the lift as well as parking?

 

[Garett]

I like your option 3 the best. Whats the longest car you will lift? Id measure it up for that and place the lift as far back as possible. You will want room in front of the car to work. I'd also consider symmetrical lift just incase you want to lift car backwards. if you need to cherry pick a long eng/trans combo out the front with the garage door open.

When we had new work benches installed at work they were placed away from the walls and were deeper than the originals. Now with some cars we have little clearance as pictured above, not good for a shop you're trying to make money at.

 

[achillesb]

I like your option 3 the best. Whats the longest car you will lift? Id measure it up for that and place the lift as far back as possible. You will want room in front of the car to work. I'd also consider symmetrical lift just incase you want to lift car backwards. if you need to cherry pick a long eng/trans combo out the front with the garage door open.

When we had new work benches installed at work they were placed away from the walls and were deeper than the originals. Now with some cars we have little clearance as pictured above, not good for a shop you're trying to make money at.

Backwards is a good idea. If I leave enough width I can leave the front open without a workbench to accommodate longer vehicles when needed. I’m wondering now if leaving the posts centered is actually the best option, and to pull forward past the posts for parking?

Option 3 is actually my least favorite but I agree it’s the most practical for use. Although it’s the least efficient use of space and requires and additional door. I really like option 1 better but can’t decide if a 9’ door would look good on an 18’ garage? If that looks weird might as well go option 2?

 

[mmb617]

Is this the position for using the lift as well as parking?

No that's the position that allows both front and rear doors to open without hitting the lift columns. A shorter vehicle like the Yukon needs to be about 2 ft farther back to raise it on the lift. That position makes it hard to get in the front door which is why I don't normally park it there. However the lifting position does allow enough room to walk around both the front and rear of the vehicle while the normal parking position does not have room to walk around the front with my workbench there.

A longer vehicle like my F150 needs to be pulled the whole way forward to lift it but then there's no rear door to hit the column so the parking position and lifting position are the same for it.

Hope that all makes sense.

I really like option 1 better but can’t decide if a 9’ door would look good on an 18’ garage? If that looks weird might as well go option 2?

I have a 9x9 ft door on my 16 ft lift bay and don't think it looks odd, but that sort of thing is solely in the eyes of the beholder.

However I will mention that with a 9 ft wide door and vehicles like my Yukon and F150 there is very little clearance for the mirrors going through the doorway. It's not a real problem for me but my wife wouldn't even try to pull in let alone back out. Even another ft wider on the door would have been great but I didn't want the extra time and expense of ordering a custom door when I built that bay. Just something to be aware of if you think you might ever park such vehicles in there.

As far as option 2, one problem I think you might run into with a lift in a two car 24 ft wide garage is that the inside post will intrude too far into the second bay and will effectively cut down the width of that bay making it hard to park the car in a manner that will allow easy access to the doors.

 

[Garett]

What size cars are you parking? Would your wife be using the other stall? For a 2 post I suppose you are wrenching, not just looking for an extra place to put a car?

 

[achillesb]

...

As far as option 2, one problem I think you might run into with a lift in a two car 24 ft wide garage is that the inside post will intrude too far into the second bay and will effectively cut down the width of that bay making it hard to park the car in a manner that will allow easy access to the doors.

Exactly what im worried about, which makes me think option 1 to at least save some 8 ft of backyard.

 

[achillesb]

What size cars are you parking? Would your wife be using the other stall? For a 2 post I suppose you are wrenching, not just looking for an extra place to put a car?

We have sedans and a minivan. It would be me using the other stall in options 2&3 for now. we have another 24x24’ bay in addition to this one. The lift is for service when needed, not for storage or for a shop business.

 

[sierradmax]

Pay attention to your garage door when fully open. You might want to consider a high lift door in your service bay should you wish to work on vehicles with the door open.

Also, what vehicles do you plan on working on? SUV's to passenger cars? I took the approach of finding my longest vehicle's center of gravity and then positioning the 2-post lift within my garage. This balanced the load evenly and cleared overhead objects.

 

[Falcon67]

This is my 2 post in a 24' space:

 

[achillesb]

This is my 2 post in a 24' space:

Thank you! Do you have a picture showing the width? Can you park a car next to it?

 

[Falcon67]

Left post is 24" off the wall. That section of the shop is 28' wide, door is regular 16' x 7', door is 36" from left corner.

 

[firebirdparts]

I think you want 2 garage doors, for now obvious reasons. Otherwise all your options are fine. You could park every day at an asymmetric lift and open the doors of the car without too much hassle. I would just pick a lift you really like and then locate the posts accordingly.

 

[achillesb]

Left post is 24" off the wall. That section of the shop is 28' wide, door is regular 16' x 7', door is 36" from left corner.

Thank you! I’ve seen this in another thread. If you had only 24’ width, do you think you’d be able to get the second car in next to the lift if you had an 18’ door?

 

[protegeV]

Posts like this make me extremely grateful my shop is 40' deep

 

[achillesb]

I think you want 2 garage doors, for now obvious reasons. Otherwise all your options are fine. You could park every day at an asymmetric lift and open the doors of the car without too much hassle. I would just pick a lift you really like and then locate the posts accordingly.

Keep in mind that this will be our 2nd garage, we will have another dedicated 24x24’ bay for everyday parking for the wife’s car and our minivan. Knowing this do you still think I need two doors on this second bay?

 

[Falcon67]

Thank you! I’ve seen this in another thread. If you had only 24’ width, do you think you’d be able to get the second car in next to the lift if you had an 18’ door?

Sure. Both those are "intermediates" - 16' long, little over 6' wide. There's plenty of space next to the Falcon on the right and it could have been closer to the post. 16' door no problem. Before the lift was in there I could put a car and a F-350 DRW in the same space. The wide rear fenders of the DRW won't clear the post when backing through the door. Note - the 235" dragster has to go in at an angle and chews up the space next to the lift from door to back corner LOL.

18' would be easier - but you'll lose wall space. Same with the two door suggestion - my original plan was two doors but as planning went along, wall space because valuable. So thing about the whole picture and where you'll put things, shelving, etc before cutting 2 extra feet out of a wall.

 

[achillesb]

Sure. Both those are "intermediates" - 16' long, little over 6' wide. There's plenty of space next to the Falcon on the right and it could have been closer to the post. 16' door no problem. Before the lift was in there I could put a car and a F-350 DRW in the same space. The wide rear fenders of the DRW won't clear the post when backing through the door. Note - the 235" dragster has to go in at an angle and chews up the space next to the lift from door to back corner LOL.

18' would be easier - but you'll lose wall space. Same with the two door suggestion - my original plan was two doors but as planning went along, wall space because valuable. So thing about the whole picture and where you'll put things, shelving, etc before cutting 2 extra feet out of a wall.

Thanks for the info, this helps confirm that Option 2 is actually a decent option!!