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there have been several postings about lifts before. i have both a two post and a 4 post lift, the latter in a 9-1/2' ceiling ht section. the following is a cut/paste of a prior post i did on the same subject. pictures of each can be seen in my photo gallery.
prior post:
i have a two post ROTARY LIFT assymetrical column hoist
and a 4 post STINGER drive on hoist. some quick comparisions after about 8 yrs using each:
TWO POST: generally requires much more ceiling height, 6-8" of floor
thickness, is bolted to the floor, comes in symmetrical or assymetrical
column choices, to my knowledge requires 220v (30 amp for mine), is more
limiting generally in frame clearance for pick up points ( low slung cars,
side pipe cars, small framed cars etc might need to be driven onto pieces of
wood for the 'two swing arms' to fit under the pick up points) . a great
lift if you are going to constantly detail the underside of your car, r/r your wheels and tires or
do a significant amount of suspension work. columns generally require, on
most of the hoists, ceiling hts of 10-14 feet depending on lift capacity and
brand. you have much more freedom for access of all undersides of the car as
it is not blocked by rails that your car sits on with a 4 poster. symetrical
columns place the car door at about 50/5o front to rear so caution needs to
be used when opening the doors so they dont hit the columns. assymetrical
places the car at 1/3-2/3 prox so the doors will miss the columns if car is
placed properly and depending on the car.
if you are going to store a car
underneath it, the free hanging tires reduces the height of the car going
underneath as the top might hit the rear wheels driving on vs a 4 poster
where you have more clearance.
FOUR POST: much easier to use, just drive on. should require only standard
4" of concrete. can be bolted to the floor but does not need to be. wheels
can be ordered that attach on temp basis allowing hoist to be moved with or
without a car on it. can be powered with 110 or 220 power. column heights
are less than 7' , usually 6' . low slung cars can get on , if needed there
are longer drive on removable ramps available allowing cars of only 3"
clearance, or with pronounced front air dams to still clear. 'jacking trays'
can be ordered allowing you to jack up the car while on the hoist using a
bottle jack and then jack stands for brake/susp/tire change work etc. at
full lift ht you have more 'headroom' underneath for storing another car
there ,see reference above to wheels hanging down on a 2 post. this is my
hoist of choice .
CAUTIONS : remember to allow plenty of clearance overhead so car does not go
boom into obstructions : things generally over a car stall such as garage
door track (move it to the side), ceiling lights, low ceiling with door
lower when opened (get a 'high lift kit' and snug it up to the ceiling).
however, you can still fit many two cars in a lowered ceiling. my 2 poster
is under a 11-1/2' ht and my 4 poster under a 9-1/2' ht and i can still park
many combos of two cars over each other. in fact, i fit 5 cars into a 3 car
garage by stacking 2 over 2. remember when measuring for clearances to
measure the highest points, top bow or ht is higher than windhshield header.
a stock antennae adds a couple of more inches. i put power antennaes on 2
of my cars to get more clearance. sometimes a car can be backed onto the
ramp getting more garage door clearance, ie, longer hood fits better under
the door when opened than short front end and windshield. also, most mfrs
tell you to measure the ht of each vehicle and add 4" (normal 4 post cross
member dimension) to determine clearances. many of them forget to tell you
to add another 2" for clearance AND the ability to raise the car up off the
stop enough that the locking pins will clear the safety stops. I fit a new
Taurus and /or new model Mustang under either my 65 Stang or Cobra replica
under the 9-1/2' ceiling ht, while the lift can not go to full ht due to the
ceiling interference, i can still duck down enough to walk around under the
car, ala a little hunchbacked. 6 footers would have to hunch more, but you
do not need 10' or more ht to fit in a hoist. my guess is 10-1/2' ceiling ht
with no overhead obstructions is great for most car applications. 11' to
11-1/2' and you could probably lift a panel truck to full 6' lift capacity.
good luck with your choice. once you get one you will wish you had done it
sooner. no more aching backs working on tires or waxing, just raise/lower
the car to your preferred ht and work straight armed in front of
you....working /detailing underneath ? just get a stool or chair on wheels
and lower the car above you to an easy to reach ht while scooting around on
the chair underneath....Bill Wells
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