Biggest argument against a lift is when you don't have the ceiling height for one, many don't.
A 2 post lift doesn't have a footprint under the car, but does require a wider bay. This thing does have a footprint under the car, which has to be dealt with when not using it.
I had drive on ramps and requires guidance to go up. Not so good neither. Got rid of them.
I have a 4 post lift, for over 4 years now. Love it. No more lay on the cold floor or bending knees. Do everything with it: lift body, brake job, transmission, clutch, starter changes, exhaust, change oil in engine/tranny/rear end.
Even for the simplistic job of just wiping the chassis down it’s so easy in a standing position.
I had to “raise the ceiling” to accommodate the height. It was easy standing on the lift as a platform. If you have a second floor above you are not going to do this .
Clearly you need 13 1/2 feet to stand under it. I’m 5-8 and if your taller maybe a bit higher ceiling is necessary.
But even if the full ceiling heigh is not available a 4 post lift could provide “seated position” access to everything. As for foot print, even the smallest of garage should accommodate the 4 post foot print. Figure the old 22’ wide two car garage, that’s 11’ feet wide to use. Lift lengths are available short with various lengths. I find non hanging suspension a far better situation to working on the car. The car is as stable as it could possibly be sitting on it’s wheels at ride height. And you can still use a jack or stands. But that’s me others might feel different.
One cannot do very much work under a car wtih a 4-post lift... regardless of the height of your garage... remove/replace driveshaft, maybe exhaust (depending), adjusting E brake... The only thing I've ever been able to do with a 4post is remove/replace C4 Corvette catback exhaust (which runs down the middle of the car with hangars at the back. Double parking is the most usable function a 4post provides and you need a LOT of height for that for most vehicles...
I'd rather work on a car on the ground with jacks/stands rather than with a 4 post...
Nice.. Merry Christmas Laszlo. Santa came early...I just bought the BL-700SLX. I think it's a great alternative to a lift for those who don't want a lift taking up space in their shop. It gets the car high enough to do most maintenance you need to do. I got the 700 so it would lift my truck too.
1957 Nomad- LS1/T56 on C4 chassis
1959 Fleetside Apache 1/2 ton, shortbed, big window, 327ci.
That's almost as big of a death with as this.
IMG_4401.JPG
To make the photo even funnier it needs duct tape wrapped around the wood 2x6 and the top of the ladder. Oh yeah some empty beer cans all over the floor.
I have a 4-post. When I did the addition to my garage I had the ceiling done with stick truss'. The height issue went away. I wanted the space that a 2-post can take away.
Biggest nuisance is wheels off work. I have been looking at bridge jacks but the range in price from $700-$1500. I have the jack tray that came with the lift.
How do you handle wheels off the ramps for brake work? Do you have any pictures?
Overall I like the 4-post better than a two due to the storage capabilities, and probably need that darn bridge jack to make it easier for wheels off work.
I had a 2 post lift for 10yrs then when a big a*^ oak tree fell thru the side of the garage and damage it. The Ins. company said it was part of the garage because it was fasten to the floor and their for would not pay to replace it. When I rebuilt the garage I bought a 4 post so that didn't happen again. I also got tired of getting on the floor to set the arms. Scop I used my with the jack tray for till last year when I bit the bullet and bought a bridge jack. When you can get one you'll be glad you did. P.S. my 69yr old knees after 2 knee replacements remind me that was a good move every time I use it.