RFI: Car Lifts

[Doc_Glock]

How thick is the concrete pad of your intended install location? Do you have at least 50A 220V service to that location? How high is the ceiling in that garage bay/shop?

Great questions!

Concrete is 4” thick.

I do not have 220 service although I plan to get it some
time if/when we get an electric car

Roof is 10’, but clearance to an open garage door is 9’4” (110”)

What about the low lifts?

What about them? Seems like that is what I am limited to.

Not that there probably aren't a few people here who really know their lifts, but if you haven't already, I'd spend some time both on the Garagejournal and Grassrootsmotorsports forums....I know for sure that there is a TON of info on this subject at both of those locations. Some rambling follows...

FWIW, I have a 2-post because I mainly use it for working on cars. I've used it for storing vehicles also, and it's enough of a pain to deal with that it sometimes means I don't choose that vehicle to drive even if I *kinda* want to. A 4-poster is way better for storing vehicles, better for oil changes, and can be somewhat OK for doing wheel work with the added jacking systems, but it isn't ideal.

Rotary and Bendpack are 2 good old names in lifts....mine is an Autolifters and while it's OK, I wouldn't choose it if I were starting over.

Thanks for that practical perspective. Looks like I want a two post. Portable seems nice. I may give up on the storage aspect. The heaviest vehicle is a Chevy van. Not sure what that weighs probably 6,000lb?
@JCN after living with it a while you recommend the Maxjack still? Your garage space is about the size of mine so any photos you have of storage or the Jack in use are appreciated.

[HeavyDuty]

What about them? Seems like that is what I am limited to.

Just throwing them into the mix. I don’t know what they are called - they are very low, maybe a 12” lift. Would that be sufficient for what you are trying to do?

[Erik]

With a Chevy van and a 10 foot ceiling, or lower with the garage door open, a real lift is going to be impractical at best. Something the Kwik-Lift like will probably be better and cheaper (if they get steel back in stock).

[Doc_Glock]

Just throwing them into the mix. I don’t know what they are called - they are very low, maybe a 12” lift. Would that be sufficient for what you are trying to do?

Understood. I would love to hear people's feedback on them. I think @JRB just got a set?

[Doc_Glock]

With a Chevy van and a 10 foot ceiling, or lower with the garage door open, a real lift is going to be impractical at best. Something the Kwik-Lift like will probably be better and cheaper (if they get steel back in stock).

Oh man I really like that and for my limited purposes it would be ideal I am not opposed to jacking things with a floor jack to get into position.

[Erik]

Oh man I really like that and for my limited purposes it would be ideal I am not opposed to jacking things with a floor jack to get into position.

I know a few people that have them and they love them. One guy I know found his on craigslist so maybe worth checking that out from time to time. It's what I will get at some point because I'm basically in the same position as far as ceiling height. For now, I get by with jackstands and a creeper. Hell, the garage is a BIG improvement over a driveway.

[JCN]

@Doc_Glock

I like the MaxJax, I used to quick release the driver post and leave it off to the side and leave the right post in place so I wouldn’t have to work around it parking most of the time.

And then when I wanted to work on stuff I would just move one post into place and bolt it down.

That being said, I gave my MaxJax to my best buddy who is still racing…

These days I’d rather bubba gunsmith something than wrench…

[JRB]

I've got a pretty nice 26.5x38 shop with an 8in pad. Downside is it's got 10ft ceilings.

I agonized over deciding between the following:

-Bendpak Grand Prix asymmetrical 2-post that was designed for 10ft ceilings
-MaxJax, the same model @JCN has
-Quickjack


Ultimately I went with the Quickjack 5000TLX because I agonized endlessly over where to put the lift or the anchors for the lift in my shop, and as it's currently laid out I'd have to sacrifice storage space or totally reorganize the shop or both.

For a garage with 120v, a thinner pad, and basic 'get the car in the air' needs that includes the wheels and suspension - it is surprisingly good. I would pay careful attention to the length you get and compare that to the distance between jacking points on the cars you work on. I opted for the 5000TLX which is longer than the 5000TL. and while that made it perfect for larger vehicles like a CTS-V sedan, it's a VERY tight fit to make it work with shorter cars like my 300ZXTT, and it simply won't fit at all under my friend's Miata.

My one gripe about the Quickjack are the transport handles they included with them for rolling them around a shop. They're shaped very poorly for the pickup point on the jack assembly, so the jack can easily slide out and fall to the ground if you're not careful. But for something that required no drilling or fixed location and can run on 120v I'm very pleased. For 70-80% of enthusiasts I think they'll do everything you need, even if it's not as nice as an in-ground 2 post like those Rotary SL210's.

[CraigS]

This is in my plans. No special concrete needed. Maybe not easily but definitely portable.
https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...ift-91315.html
Currently I us jacks and stands. Mostly aluminum jacks. I have one normal sized and three if these.
https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...ump-64545.html
Long story on why I have 3 but since I got the last one I almost never use stands. It is so much easier to just grab another jack and run it under and then up till it takes just a bit of the load. Infinitely adjustable so I don't end up w/ one of the stands not in contact since the floor isn't perfectly flat. I have looked at the various 12-18 inch height type lifts and just can't see them. I didn't expect it, but being old, I find that lifting a wheel/tire just 6 inches off the floor to reinstall (plus squatting there to install and tighten lugs) it is more painful work than getting it up to waist height. I change tires minimum of 2/month for autocrosses. Over the last two days I have been making front alignment changes and have had the fronts off and on 4 times.
Over the last 4-5 months I have put together two full length ramps that get the car 4 inches up and includes a pair or turntables that I can place for either the front or rear wheels. I approach the ramps at a slight angle so I just made new tapered ramps that are 3ft long and 18 in wide so it is easier to get onto the 4 inch full length ramps. They make alignment changes a lot easier and they will be great on either side of that mid rise lift when I get it.

[hufnagel]

I have a pair of QuickJacks. They work, reasonably well. I've had a couple fitting failures, and am currently living with a perpetual leak from the quick disconnect fittings at the pump side, as i'm now outside of warranty.