Tricks/Tips fr driving onto 4 post lift?

[south_paw]

Hi All,

New PROUD owner of an Advantage 4 post lift. Any tips for driving the car onto the lift. I can't see my position on the lift at all. Thinking about one of those curved corner mirrors..... What say you?

 

[Moosefire]

What about a regular mirror mounted to the wall in front so you can see your reflection fir location?


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[LXCam]

I always back on and use my mirrors

 

[lakeroadster]

This would work... I use it with my 2 -post lift to ensure the vehicle is centered.

It's just a cheap mirror from Walmart like you would hang on the back of a door. I mounted this one to an old satellite dish mount I had, so it's adjustable.

 

[ghnl]

Unless your vehicle's track puts the tires at either extreme edge of the ramps, you'll get used to driving on and being reasonable centered.

To help me guide my cars on I ran a length of blue tape along the left ramp where I wanted the outside edge of the tires to run. To put on a really small car (MG Midget) I do need an assistant - that car's tires have to run along the inside edges of the ramps.

 

[Spencer Was Here]

I made a thread somewhere (likely here) about centering my vehicles on my 2-post lift.

I ended up using a Bosch cross-line laser level. I didn't really need the horizontal laser line, just the vertical, but since I knew I'd use the laser for other purposes, I bought the cross-line model.

I'll see if I can dig up my old thread and come back and edit with a link. I definitely made the right choice in deciding to use a laser. It has made pulling into the lift area a joy.

Edit: The thread I made was titled "Methods For Easily Positioning Vehicle And Arms On 2-Post Lift"

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=374733

 

[andys]

Pull up to the ramps and get out and look. Repeat until you're centered. Make a line on the ramp so you can see where the left front tire needs to be to drive on. Open the driver's side window and watch the mark as you approach. You can do this in different colors for each vehicle.

Over time you'll get used to it. I can do it with the windows closed at work but I prefer to hang out the window and watch. If it's a huge truck I'll have a spotter to save time.

 

[59 wagon man]

hang a tennis ball from the ceiling in the middle of the lift. line up to the center of the hood. and doing it a few times you can drop the ball

 

[motorcycle79]

I leave a 2x4 on my ramp when my wheel his it I stop. I usually only park one car on it but if another vehicle goes on I can move or remove the 2x4. I am a little tight on room front to back. I have no problem being centered

 

[wssix99]

Thinking about one of those curved corner mirrors..... What say you?

This is what I use. Any mirror will work, but you should be aware that your car is going to look really small in them. Because the light bounces to the mirror and then back, your car looks 2X as far away from the mirror as it really is. Then if you look in your rear view mirrors at the mirror, things get even worse.

My mirrors have magnets on them, so I can stick them to the posts, get them close to me, and put them at any height. When done, I pull them off and put them away. This helps get the mirror closer to my eyes and I see more detail.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

Simple! Open the drivers door and look down at the lift ramps.

 

[TuxThePenguin]

IMO every garage ought to have a mirror. Useful especially if you park multiple different vehicles in garages that have too much stuff in them

 

[sberry]

I have symmetrical lines painted on the floor to center the car as its being pulled in.

 

[dagofast]

Congrats on your new lift!

I've got the same lift. All of our vehicles easily fit on the ramps except my old pickup. On it, I just center up using the first posts/cables and the door mirrors. The outside edge of the tires on it go to the outer edges of the ramps if I centered it up perfectly. If I'm off by an inch or two, a bit of tread hangs off. Not a big deal to leave it that way, but being CDO* I usually just back out and take another run at it.

*OCD in the correct alphabetical order.

 

[south_paw]

Thanks all. I have about 2" of play on each track(big cars). I like the laser idea as well as the mirror

 

[BruceMc]

One of my security cameras covers the lift, so I can watch the tire alignment on my phone.

 

[wssix99]

One of my security cameras covers the lift, so I can watch the tire alignment on my phone.

Setting an example for the youngsters...

 

[south_paw]

One of my security cameras covers the lift, so I can watch the tire alignment on my phone.

Thats the winner for me, thanks! I'll just add a camera in the garage.

 

[jmiller_2308]

The biggest help is having enough run up space to line up the car with the lift so that you can drive straight onto the lift.

That said, I added this convex mirror that I got from Amazon and it added to my confidence greatly: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Z9ZRQY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I also set blocks of wood on the lift to aid me in centering the car lengthwise. This isn't necessary as I can feel when the trailing wheels leave the ramps and as such know when I'm completely on the lift but I like lifting when the car is in the same place all the time. I have an Advantage lift as well and I noticed that when the weight if further to one end that the locks engage at slightly different timing. It isn't an issue with safety but I like that resounding thud of a single lock slamming closed as opposed to hearing thud thud when the load on the lift isn't centered.