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Car lifts


wemtd

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Im thinking a chassis dolly might be the most practical for me.  Im my half of the garage it would be too tight to get around a 4 post.  A 2 post would need too much room also.  I can rotate Beater on a dolly and maneuver it around my half of the garage. 

Im not sure yet how to get Beater up on and off one.

Edited by IamScotticus
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  • 2 weeks later...

I recently ordered an Advantage 4-post to supplement my Bendpak midrise lift.  The midrise is great for working on either the car's corners or on the top of the engine; it has sufficient lift height for either job, and it's fully contained under the car so out of my way while doing that work.  However, at ~43" of lift, I'm either sitting on the floor, kneeling, or squatting when underneath the car.  Even with my lowish ceilings, the 4-post should allow me to sit on a rolling stool when wrenching from below and has the added benefit of increasing my garage's car storage capacity.  And no, I didn't tell my wife about that last benefit.  She thinks it's all about the added safety.

 

-John

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Sounds like you could use a creeper like this. Stow it on the wall. Several useful techniques if getting up off of it might be a problem. Otherwise, just roll off.

https://www.ebay.com/p/15019994121

 

Maybe an extra low stool as well. Cheap hbf stool to transfer the casters and seat to an H frame of 1x1x.083 square tube and 1/8x3x3 strips for caster attachment. May be able to cut down the center to retain height adjustment. The tray is not much use anyway.

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Thanks @MV8 but I already have a good quality creeper with adjustable headrest and an adjustable stool, but neither is an option for the midrise.  Lowering the lift to work from the creeper means the legs are sufficiently flared out front and rear that the creeper can no longer get under the car.  A scissors lift is a different proposition.  As for the stool, even lowered all the way to the point that it's no longer that comfortable, it doesn't provide enough room to work.  My face is pretty much touching the under body.  Depending on the car, the 4-post will give me 14"-19" more clearance at current ceiling height which will make the stool feasible for most jobs.  Besides, the money is already spent :) 

 

IMG_0876.thumb.JPG.cb0103267c9fa2aefc7e324167593f25.JPG

 

Thanks,

John 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a Challenger 9000 lb. 4-post lift. The Caterham looks dainty sitting on it. The rolling jacks won't clear the oil pan though so I need to be mindful.

 

I wavered between 2-post and 4-post lifts when shopping for them but went with 4 posts because I would definitely be using it for storage and didn't like the idea of the car hanging there unsuspended for weeks/months at a time. There are some inconveniences when doing work on the cars but so far no show stoppers. 

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On 9/18/2022 at 10:35 PM, das76 said:

So this isn’t technically a lift but this is looks like a pretty neat contraption. Has anyone seen these before or are they custom made ?

 

 

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These are for doing wheel alignments. The square part at the bottom is a scale (sold separately). The idea is you can eliminate any inaccuracy of the wheel, and access for making adjustments is easier. When you use string to set the toe you can use a bar that is longer than the diameter of the tire for a little more accuracy. To scale a car, you need to at least set the tire pressures. A better method is to measure and adjust the diameter of the tire. Wheel stands are already exactly the same height. Most pro racing teams use this method. The ones above called auto dollies are not the same thing. They are for moving the car around the shop. 

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Thanks everyone - so many helpful tips.

I found the smallest 4 post lift available thanks to the above responses. Thus far it fits my limited space and gets the job done nicely.

Edited by wemtd
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  • 5 weeks later...

COSTCO is $300 off on these QuickJacks.

https://www.costco.com/quickjack-5000tl-portable-car-lift-system.product.100833778.html

 

My take on these is one should have some competency assembling hydraulic systems as the setup and bleed is critical.

Its probably the best solution for the small 2 car low ceiling garage.

 

I don't know how well they fit on our cars.  I suppose with the skillset one could create a perfectly fitting system for chassis lifting. 

Negative reviews indicate some issues with fitting defects, missing parts and poor manufacturers support (MIChina).  I would suggest collecting it from the COSTCO warehouse and refusing it there if not complete.

Should be ideal for drive up lifting under the wheels.

Don't use in earthquake areas.

Edited by IamScotticus
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On 9/21/2022 at 10:29 PM, wemtd said:

Thanks everyone - so many helpful tips.

I found the smallest 4 post lift available thanks to the above responses. Thus far it fits my limited space and gets the job done nicely.

OK, so tell everyone what you decided on!

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just picked up a Hofmann dual lift vs-300 for $400. it is a free standing symmetrical lift, 5000#, screw lift, made in Germany. gives me a small one as a companion to the Rotary. it is 3 phase and after I inspect it will add a start/run capacitor since it will never see the rated load.

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  • 1 month later...

Update…

I ordered a 4post triumph lift: Sized for a se7en & most likely to fit my space.

Then garage modifications ensued for vertical clearance. Naturally this became exponentially more complicated than anticipated. 
9814AACB-CFED-4882-A882-0534428ADE73.jpeg.7829bbf2f001de3fb498075ca099a91c.jpeg

Now that that’s sorted I can’t even remember what repairs & adjustments the Se7en needed…


 

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