Two-post vs. Four-post

[Jasper Jones]

I am looking at a lift for my garage, and having trouble deciding. The ceiling is 11 foot, and lots of floor space. I am trying to decide between a four post and a two post lift. I do lots of major work on cars, as in pulling engines, suspension, restorations, clutch work, and whatever else, along with typical oil changes and such. Is it worth it to get a four post? I know with some four posts I can get casters so it can be moved if in the way, but it seems like the only thing I could really use the four post for is changing oil and storing cars. All two posts are permanently mounted, right? Do you think I would be better off with a two post, since it would allow me to do more stuff with accessory jacks and such? Is an 11'0" ceiling high enough for a two post? Thanks a lot.
-Jason

 

[autoist]

I've a 4-post under a 11'4"ceiling...I like it because I can leave a car in the air & park others underneath - room for an extra car!

 

[kartracer55]

Both have thier ups and downs hahahahahaha(i made a funny). With a 4 post, you can just drive the car right up. With a 2 post, you need to set the arms. Also, when was the last time you read about cars falling off a 4 post lift? 4 posts are more forgiving when it comes to positioning and balancing the car. Height is a bit more of an issue with a 4 post than witha 2 post, because witha 4 post lift the car is already a foot or so off the ground before you being to raise it, so you might be able to get a 2 post lift to raise a car higher

If I had to choose, it would be a 4 post. The reason is that its nice to be able to drive the car upand have the option of either jacking it up for brake and tire type work, or just rasing it up for a quick oil change.

If I hada 4 post, there would be 2 things Id get with it... 1 would be the set of rolling jacks... they ride along a track down the center of the lift, so you can just position them and jack up the car to get the wheels off the "ground" Id also get an oil drain tray... thi too rides on the center track... you justy position it and drain, but thats aluxery.
Keep in mind a 4post estup with rolling jacks will be alot more expensive than a 2 post.

Jim

 

[Jasper Jones]

To tell you the truth, I haven't heard of any cars falling off of a two post lift either, lol. Is it really that big of a concern? I can't imagine it being too hard to properly balance a car, can it? Obviously, I wouldn't be stupid enough to do something like take the engine out while it is in the air, but how much of an "unbalance" can usually be tolerated before a car will fall? Thanks for the quick replies!
-Jason

 

[kartracer55]

Well as long as your paying attention nothing will happen. The key is to get the arms as far front and as far back as possible, and set the adjustment pads so that front and rear lift up at the same time...

And yes, cars do fall of lifts lol. I know a guy who worked as a honda tech and a "rookie" set a car up on a lift and when it was about 6 feet up it began to lean forward and it eventually fell of the front of the lift, crushed the hood, roof, broke the front and rear windows as well as windshiel, screwed up the front 2 doors, and busted up the front end. The car was totalled and it was like brand new lol. What you need to do is when the wheels are about 6 inches off the ground puts your hands on the front of the hood and bounce the car up and down to make sure its secure... if it falls fron 6 inches you will havea bit of cosmetic damage in th front... if it falls from 6 feet your screwed. Its nothing to really worry about... but it can happen if you dont balance the car right. When your using a lift, you want to get the car as centeredfrom side to side as possible, so each side lifts the same amount of wieght.

Jim

 

[Jasper Jones]

Thanks a lot for the advice, hopefully I wont be getting any damage. I imagine after lifting each car a couple times I will pretty much know right where to put the pads. Thanks again!
-Jason

 

[kartracer55]

Yeah, its not that hard. Do it a few times with similar sized cars, youl pretty much figure out about where the cars front/back center of gravity is, so you know how far to pull up the car, and then ya just spread the pads out as much as you can. The MOST important thing you need to do is set the lift on its locks.... locks are mechanical stopping devices that are setup usually every 6-12 inches, so each time the lift passes that heigh point, the locks set up, so if theres a hydraulic failure, the car wont fall... Just read the owners manual... it will tell you all about it lol

Jim

 

[krooser]

Take a look in ANY professional shop...they MOSTLY use two post lifts. Easier to do wheel work...easier access to many suspension parts.

You can still park another car under a two post to help solve your storage problems...I do.

 

[kartracer55]

Take a look in ANY professional shop...they MOSTLY use two post lifts. Easier to do wheel work...easier access to many suspension parts.

You can still park another car under a two post to help solve your storage problems...I do.

Most serios service places will have an alignment rack... which is a 4 post. Thats great thing to have, bit the "alignment" part means more $$$$ I dont have the $$$ or room for one, so its not really a problem for me.


Jim

 

[mikeyr]

I have seen a car fall off a 2-post so it does happen but I agree it is very rare. And yes you can park a car under a 2-post but if your car has any leaks, it will drip oil on the car on the bottom, a 4-post lift has drip trays to catch it. If you will use it for storage, I don't think you can beat a 4-post, just drive on and lift, no worries. When it comes time to work under the car you have nearly the same access as a 2-post, the ramps will get in the way sometimes. For doing suspension work is the supreme reason for a 2-post but if you get jack bridges then you can take all 4 wheels off on a 4-post, its a little bit more work but how often do you do suspension work. For me, 4-post was the only thing I considered, the casters was a cool idea, used once just to see how it worked and put away and not used since. 2-post has to be bolted and is a rather permanent item.

In my town, a 2-post lift would have required a permit since it is considered by my city a "professionals" tool and I am of course in a residential area, the 4-post does not require a permit unless I bolt it down then it does, since it is free-standing I did not need anything, really stupid but the inspector was being a a** about something else and just happened to see the lift and decided to check it for infractions.

I think if I had a repair shop and I was removing wheels, doing brakes, suspension, etc. daily then no question it would be a 2-post. For home use no matter how much garage work you do, you wont be removing wheels, etc. daily so it is a 4-post.

 

[ChucksCrib]

You can still park another car under a two post to help solve your storage problems...I do.

Not good for suspensions

 

[sca037]

Jason,

Your concrete floor is a factor here as well.
If you have 6 inches in the area where the lift would be installed, then considering you've said your intended useage includes general servicing I think your best bet would be a 2 post lift.
If your concrete is marginal, a 4-post lift would help to spread the load over a wider area and might be the better choice.
Personally, I went with a 2-post for both service and storage use. If you intend to store a known leaky car up high, you can simply make a 'diaper' under it to contain the drips....as I did for our turbo Omni
Since you're in Shelby Township, give the guys at Station Service & Equipment (586-468-1279) a call and speak with Butch about what might best suit your needs.
Their business is selling and servicing professional garage equipment, and they did a great job moving and installing the lift in our residential garage (no affiliation, just a very satisifed customer).

Best of luck,
Brian
(p.s. our 10'11" ceiling works just fine)

 

[rdnkjeeper]

I have seen many cars fall off of a two post lift and only one fall off a four post. The "jacks" of the lift twisted. If I could I would put a 2 post in. If you are unsure if it is safe to lift, jack it up a little and rock it to see if it is stable.

 

[red caddy]

The first lift in my new shop is a 4 post, with all the bells and whistles. (long ramps, rolling jack tray, oil drain tray and casters) the shop is 36 X 60 with 13 FT wall height, so I can put it nearly anywhere. Next year, I'll pick up a used 2 post and put it outside, on a 13 X 36 slab. I prefer the 4 post for most shop work, but the 2 post can't be beat for tear down's, steam cleaning, sand blasting , bottom detailing and painting. RED.

 

[sierradmax]

I wanted a 2 post for reasons to remove and work on suspension. But now, I wish I had a 4 post. Primary use is for a corvette and the arms are too tall for the car. and the carswheelbase is too narrow for the arms to swing. I manage though

 

[kartracer55]

You can get rolling jacks with pad height extensions so you can get the car a good 1- 1 1/2 feet above the lift. Still kind of a PITA when you are working from the side, but its nice because you can use the platform on either side ot help spport things under the car.

What kind of repair work did you plan on doing?

Jim

 

[sierradmax]

I should have posted this with my original post but this is what I intend to do. After I get the car up high in the air, I have adjustable stabilizers that I built to place at four corners of the frame (extra support). Those stabilizers to me are extra security because balance is crucial on a 2 post lift, especially when you start taking heavy components out of a fiberglass car. I have a corvette. The exhaust, transmission, all suspension components (front and rear) and drivetrain is coming out. Getting a new clutch, drivetrain and suspension are getting polished, new u joints and bushings.

 

[autoist]

My 4-post is great for working under cars & for storage up high over cars....for work on suspension, brakes, etc I have a QuikLift with shelves on which I can put jack stands to lift car up to remove suspension....sorry about quality of photos:

 

[iiibdsiil]

Have fun pushing a car up onto a 4 post lift

I have honestly never seen much of a use for a 4 post lift, except for alignments. Well, when you are working on big trucks too. But, if you aren't going to be doing either, then I think the 2 post is the best idea. This is seen by most shops too because most smaller shops will only have 2 post lifts. The 4 post lifts are good for having more place to set tools though while you work on the car. The nuts and bolts also.

If it was my money, it would be on a 2 post lift. Definitely.

My dad is restoring a '62 Chevy Impala, and he likes his 4 post for doing body work and stuff because the post is not in the center of the car then. You can get to 99% of the car easily to do the body work and stuff.

 

[autoist]

Pushing onto 4-post lift is easy! But you have to lower the lift first!

 

[kartracer55]

Not all 4 post lifts do alignments... you need an alignment rack... $$$$$$$ A two post lift will probably be better for you if your goign to be dismantling the car that much, simpyl because of the accessability.

 

[iiibdsiil]

Ya, KartRacer is right.

You need the alignment equipment which is big bucks. You would have to do about 7,000 front end alignments to justify not taking it to Tire Kingdom or wherever.

 

[ChucksCrib]

Pushing onto 4-post lift is easy! But you have to lower the lift first!

 

[poci1957]

Does anybody have a recommendation on a brand of lift? The Backyard Buddy people have very compelling ads, are they actually superior to other brands? Todd

 

[The Hot Rod Grille]

I looked at nearly every 4-post lift on the market when they were displayed at Goodguy's and NSRA Nats. I finally chose the Lifts Unlimited, Perfect Park 7000 because of the quality of the construction materials and fit/finish of all of the components. Their posts are nearly twice as massive as any other lift on the market! I optioned the lift with the caster kit, drain pans, jack pans and polished aluminum ramps. I've had it in operation for nearly a year and am very pleased with it. Pics of the lift with my '34 Ford sitting on it can be seen in the Gallery Section under the posting for The Hot Rod Grille. The size of the posts can be seen in the pics, as well as the glossy finish of the black powdercoat.

Jim Winter
The Hot Rod Grille

 

[kartracer55]

I would only go USA made, simply because your life could depend on the quality.

Bend Pac, Rotary, Backyard Buddy, Gemini, Century, Anything made in USA will suit you well.

Jim

 

[mikeyr]

That is something I thought I would never see...someone recomending the Perfect Park, its what I have and I have talked 2 people into buying some other brand.

As I said in my first post on this thread, people are biased when it comes to 2 or 4 posts, you need to decide on your own and not listen to anyone here because some are quite positive that only 2 is worth a damm and others are the same about 4, me I have a 4-post and a mid-rise so I kind of have both.

And yes, you can do suspension work on a 4-post, although I do suspension and brake work correctly the first time so its not something I have to do often.

 

[dink]

Well what about the single poll hydraulic style...you know that comes out of the ground??

 

[kartracer55]

Those are really sweet, but you have to dig up the floor for those

 

[autoist]

Metro Lift is what I have...MG Midget's on top right now with 2 MGB's underneath...I climbed up on it to check it out stability-wise...very stable

http://www.metro-lifts.com/four-post-garage-lift.html

 

[dink]

That is a good looking 4 post.....the thing is I like 2 posts better....4 posts take up way to much room

 

[Ethan61]

Good Luck trying to rack that X-frame on a two post.

 

[c39er]

To tell you the truth, I haven't heard of any cars falling off of a two post lift either, lol. Is it really that big of a concern? I can't imagine it being too hard to properly balance a car, can it? Obviously, I wouldn't be stupid enough to do something like take the engine out while it is in the air, but how much of an "unbalance" can usually be tolerated before a car will fall? Thanks for the quick replies!
-Jason

Yes cars do fall off lifts- even at a Midas pro? shop! Then they have to be dragged out of the bay to get loaded up and hauled away.

 

[darkk]

I have adjustable stabilizers that I built to place at four corners of the frame (extra support). Those stabilizers to me are extra security because balance is crucial on a 2 post lift.

So you are essentially sorta making it a 4 post lift right???? hahahaha.....

 

[Bad Hammer]

Yes cars do fall off lifts- even at a Midas pro? shop! Then they have to be dragged out of the bay to get loaded up and hauled away.

Yep, it can happen.
It's nearly always operator error though, and some of those nimrods can make nearly anything fail.
Four posts aren't immune either.....

 

[c39er]

Yes.. Don't buy a poorly designed import lift that can fail!. The above was an equipment failure.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Zombie thread, back from the dead after eight years.

 

[LB-1911]

Zombie thread, back from the dead after eight years.

With a Join Date of Aug 2009 and the 1st Post was#32 in this thread.... Ethan61 must be on dial-up.

 

[Bad Hammer]

Yes.. Don't buy a poorly designed import lift that can fail!. The above was an equipment failure.

My point was...in the wrong hands, they all can fail, even a 4 post.
Even the highly praised brands with the much sought after golden certificate.
Human error trumps certification nearly every time.
Do we have any insight to the brand of lift that "failed" in the Midas location posted?
Do we know if the lift actually failed, or did the operator do something careless?
Was the lift in question a 2 post, or a 4 post?

 

[c39er]

It was a 2 post at Midas. Quality lift. Most likely operator error. Human operator error is the biggest safety issue's with both 2 and 4 post lifts.