Lifts

[Harry]

I am trying to decide which type of car lift to install in my garage - 2 post or 4 post.  It will just be for my personal use to work on my own vehicles, mostly oil changes, brakes, and miscellaneous tasks.  (It will also afford me the ability to pay some attention to the underside of the 230SL.)
The 4 post clearly provides the benefit of storing the vehicle overhead but since the car rests on its wheels, doing brake work requires that I use a jack on the lift as well.  It also limits the access a bit since the runways are present.
The 2 post provides unhindered access but can't be used to store the car.  And I wonder about how good it is to let the suspension dangle on this type of lift. 
The fact is that I don't need the storing capability, even though that is an attractive feature.  And the suspension hanging on the 2 post would not be a long term proposition.  (I believe that at its extent, the suspension is captured by the shock absorbers as well.)
I am leaning towards the 2 post but I would welcome some additional advice from those on the forum who have either type of lift.  What has your experience been?  Are you happy with the type of lift that you have?  Does a 4 post provide the desired access at the wheels?  Advantages/disadvantages of each type?

Thanks very much,
Harry

[thelews]

Can't store on a two post?  Did it for years without issue.

You've already identified the pros/cons of each.

[Jordan]

One item you forgot which may or may not make a difference depending on your situation.  A 4 post can be moved, even with a car on it, while a 2 post is fixed.  I have a 4 post and am very happy with it.  Comes with trays that cross the ramps so you can use jacks to lift the front or back if you need to work on the wheels if need be.

[mdsalemi]

Aside from the "pros and cons" there are other considerations:

power
height
mounting

Be sure you can easily get the proper power to it. I don't know if any are a simple (USA/Canada) 110V, but a higher amperage 220V feed is more common. This may or may not pose some install issues.
Height: some have minimal garage heights. Check before you buy...
Mounting: need to check the quality of your garage floor before installing these. Some can bolt with the proper mounts, others may require small footings. All are doable, some just more troublesome than others.

Another consideration for those with "normal" roll up garage doors, is that they may interfere. They do make side mount garage door openers, and the tracks can be extended such that the door rolls close to the ceiling instead of just 8' up.

Just some thoughts...

[Harry]

Thanks very much to all!

[Cees Klumper]

I thought about a lift, but have found I can do everything I need to without one. I even built my own 'lift' and could have made it a lot taller than I did - cost me around $100. I am doing a ton of underbody work on this car now:

[Bonnyboy]

Have you thought about a mid-rise scissor lift - you can drive the right over the lift when not in use and can get to most items underneath the car still sitting on a low profile rolling stool.    I borrowed one and within a day I knew I needed one  - I don't have the height in my garage to get much more elevation than I can get with the lift.  Great for suspension / brakes.   Only slightly less expensive  than the larger lifts but I can wheel the lift into the back lane if I need to.    If you have a lower car you just drive up on boards. 

Since I got mine two friends have also gone with a mid rise lift.

 

[ejboyd5]

I have long thought that a two post lift using wheel adapters such as shown in this picture would be good for our cars,

[Garry]

After several years looking and researching lifts, i have just had installed a two post lift with wheel adaptors. I opted for three phase power to the lift, and have not even commissioned it yet.  If necessary they can be unbolted and moved although i am not planning to move again other than in a box


My reasoning is that i want to use it as storage if needed and thus the wheel lifts which are rare here in OZ.

[mdsalemi]

On the need for lifts or not, I have to take this opportunity to share this photo once again. This was done for a 190SL by a friend's father when he was in his 90s. Apparently he did this (jerry-rigging a lift of sorts) all by himself. The car was never really completed however...but A+ for effort. The man passed a long time ago...

[stickandrudderman]

A two post prevents opening the doors fully. If the lift doesn't have it's own frame to stand on you MUST be sure that your floor can withstand the loads. I have personally witnessed the collapse of a two post ramp that lifted itself out of the floor bringing a large chunk of the floor with it.
I have a mix in my workshop and both ramps have individual benefits but if I could only have one it would be a two post.

[merrill]

i have always liked the drive up type lift that is used in alignment shops

allows you to drive the car up onto a secure platform,  lift the car a few feet for access between the wheel rails and has a smaller lift within that allows one to raise or lower either end of the car if you need to remove the wheels .

they are expensive

[mdsalemi]

A two post prevents opening the doors fully. If the lift doesn't have it's own frame to stand on you MUST be sure that your floor can withstand the loads. I have personally witnessed the collapse of a two post ramp that lifted itself out of the floor bringing a large chunk of the floor with it.
I have a mix in my workshop and both ramps have individual benefits but if I could only have one it would be a two post.

A typical residential garage floor in the USA just done by a builder or concrete guy w/o any further specification, would be something like maybe 3" (75mm) of concrete, nominally. That means some parts may be thicker some may be thinner. Without further specification, they'd use 3000 psi ("4-sack mix") concrete. There would be a nominal few inches of sand as a base, and no mesh reinforcement. When they do this stuff they are not thinking of people like car collectors who may want to put in a lift!

So, based on Stick's observation, I would think what he saw wasn't the first time something like this happened!

[Benz Dr.]

On the need for lifts or not, I have to take this opportunity to share this photo once again. This was done for a 190SL by a friend's father when he was in his 90s. Apparently he did this (jerry-rigging a lift of sorts) all by himself. The car was never really completed however...but A+ for effort. The man passed a long time ago...

A local kid was killed a few years back when the truck he was working on fell on him. He was using concrete blocks to hold it up. Blocks crumbled and he couldn't get out of the way in time.
I'd give both of them a D- for those brilliant efforts. 

[johnk]

reading all of this I started to like the idea of a two post lift over a four post for my three car garage. however I just realized that the position of the posts would make is difficult to get out of the car next to it without banging the doors on the post.

[Bobmog]

Similar 2 post vs. 4 post lift discussion on the G-Class forum recently.

https://www.clubgwagen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=17372

[doitwright]

YouTube search “car lift ideas” for all kinds of lifts including a single post

For some giggles and “not with my car” lift ideas check DIY car lifts

[Garry]

Mine is bolted down through 200mm (8”)  of reinforced concrete.  I don’t think it’s going to fall any time soon.


Garry

[thelews]

If you have the height, an overhead is the way to go with a two post to avoid the floor plate for the hydraulics and latch cable.  Not the best pics, but you get the idea.  Also, an asymetrical 2 post gives adequate room to open the doors on the lift.  Mine is a BendPak 10K lb.  Only negative, first latch is 24" off the ground, aa bit high for me to sidle up to the car and work in the engine bay which I like to do on a lift to save my back from bending over the bay.  I can lower it an let it be supported by hydraulics, not a big deal, I'm not standing under the car.

[ejboyd5]

All this being said, I'll stick with the "root cellar" that I've been using for 35 years. It affords the ultimate in stability and access as well as providing good exercise climbing down and up the stairs at each end.

[mdsalemi]

A local kid was killed a few years back when the truck he was working on fell on him. He was using concrete blocks to hold it up. Blocks crumbled and he couldn't get out of the way in time.
I'd give both of them a D- for those brilliant efforts.

Clearly something was amiss with this and you do NOT have the entire story. How many blocks? What was the orientation? How heavy was the truck? Even mediocre concrete has compressive strength of 3000 PSI (PER SQUARE INCH!) and very few driveways or garages crack or fail with the weight of a car OR truck on them. Now, a 10 yard fully loaded CEMENT TRUCK delivering concrete to MAKE a driveway? Yeah, that will crack an existing driveway in a heartbeat.

[mdsalemi]

All this being said, I'll stick with the "root cellar"

I LIKE IT!

[yves]

That's what i have built....

[yves]

and more pics:

[yves]

some more pics :