User 41221

I have helped a friend install his lift, we used his cherry picker to get the heavy stuff off the trailer and in place, it worked good enough that I am planning on doing the same thing when mine arrives.

Regards,

Bill Ball

Superb information, DR and Tom. Just so I know what you are talking about, what is a "rollback"?

sublimate

A rollback is one of those flatbed trucks they use to tow cars. The flat bed "rolls back" off the truck to the ground so you can just winch the car up on it.

Bill Ball

"...his cherry picker..."

I need a friend like that.

aircooler

Wound you not rather pick your own cherries?

Kevin C.

It is true that the 4 post lift are narrower… the ones we sell are 8’-2” wide. The 2 post are about 11’-2”. The 4 post lifts however have 13’ runways and require another 30” for the ramps. We have done custom installation by shorting the cross over bridge to install the lift at a narrow setting for customers who have 8’ garage doors. The equalization cables can be spaced so the standard cables can be used. Make sure the arms asymmetric if you are attempting this.

If the customer is not picking up the lift we try to ship directly to the terminal. This keeps the cost down…the terminal will load the lift on your trailer…..once home take the lift off the trailer a piece at a time.

Bill Ball

Kevin:

A narrow assymetric 2-post would be ideal. I went out and measured the space and saw that the standard 132" is just way too wide. I saw one supposedly narrow 2-poster - it was 124". The 4-pots lifts range from about 102-105 (narrow) ro 111 standard with some wider lifts. The 111 would be OK. Can a 2-poster be done that narrow? Wouldn't there be a problem with the arms being in the way?

porsche1662

4-post lifts are made for storage and can also be used to do maintenance. A two Post lift is only for maintenance and is not made for long term storage, Ask any mechanic that uses a two post lift and he will tell you not to store a car on it. Also the benefits of a "Storage lift" is that it is set up to have drip trays. How can you protect your car on the bottom if the top car is fully exposed. Also a 4- poster can be driven on and lifter within 3 minutes. A two post lift the car has to be pretty close to the same position each time and then adjust the arms under 4 jack points. Why would you want to do this on a regular basis. Sure you can do it but thats not what a 2-post lift is made for. A two post lift is stationary while a 4-post lift can be moved to accommodate different cars later if needed. A two post lift is permanently installed into the floor and cant be moved once installed. A 4-post lift has twice as many safety features as a 2-post. The doors from the car on a two post lift and the cars parked in the garage next to this lift will always have to be careful of banging the doors. On a 4-post they are less 100" wide and no door opening problems. In my garage I think of my lift as a display case and not a service garage.

Bill Ball

Joe:

Those are excellent points. I have been leaning towards a 4 poster for those reasons. If I was going to do storage then 4 poster for sure. The only appeal of a 2 post is wheels off is easier and if I had the space, there is less overall in the way with only 2 posts. 2 posts are generally less expensive and less complicated mechanically. BUT they are wide and HIGH, both of which present problems for me. I'm almost certain I will end up with a 4 poster with casters, drip trays and jack trays and raise the ceiling in that area. I'm studying all the manufacturers right now. There is quite a bit of variability, but then again there are some quite common standards among the better US built racks. I'll list some of the ones I am considering for critique later.

Chris Lockhart

After getting the oportunity to work on my GT on DR's 2 post lift, all I can say is: I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a 12 foot ceiling in my garage, and although it's a 2 car, I only use it for the 928. (got way too much crap in there for another car anyway)

My issue is whether to either modify the existing garage door tracks, or purchase a different "roll-up style" door. Also, are there garage door opener systems out there, that operate on the end of the shaft on either side of the door instead of down the middle (like the Craftsman or Genie)??? TIA,

dr bob

Hi Chris:

I have a sloped ceiling over the 928, with the intent of maybe putting in a lift. Center height is about 13'. I made a few adjustments to the way the door track fits by cutting and sectioning it a bit. If you take a look at the pic's of Chuck Z's garage, it looks like his is modified in a very similar manner. With the opener up against the ceiling, the door can sit less than 6" from the ceiling. Having the opener there means the door sits about 2" lower (thickness of the drive shaft housing) than trying to come up with a side-mount opener on the shaft. The end-of-shaft-drive also requires that you add pulleys at the bottom of the door tracks so the motor will positively close the door; you can't depend on gravity to hold the door closed, especially if it's properly balanced. I had to match the wood door on the existing garage next to the new bay, so a non-standard door was not a real option anyway.

The biggest challenge was getting the right pulleys and springs. The standard install anticipates that the door will roll quickly onto the horizontal section of track, effectively unloading the springs. My install has the door at full weight for over 3 ft, then ithe load falls off but never makes it to zero with the sloped ceiling. I had to work with the garage door supplier to get the right pulleys and springs, and after that I got to do the installation. They didn't want any liability for a door falling on something or somebody if/when a spring breaks.

But it can be done!

hacker-pschorr

Sorry if I missed this info, but what kind of footing do you need for a 2-post lift?

dr bob

Different vendors seem to have different requirements. 4" of 3000PSI reinforced concrete seems to be about the minimum. I put in 10" of 4000PSI, and doubled the steel budget to make sure there will be no possible problems. Put in 6" of 3000PSI and you can pretty much install any lift I've seen. The things are held down with cinch anchors; I thought about adding anchgor bolts to my floor but decided against it.

porsche1662

A 2-post would keep me up nights anchored in less than 4" concrete. I would be more nervous walking under it. I helped do the planning at a local Acura New car Dealership and the vendor who sold us all of their lifts recommended 7" minimum thickness of concrete pad in the lift area.Or at the minimum Reinforced 4" which I doubt any residential garage is poured that way.

Sure you can do it but why? And what would your insurance company say about any accident if it did fall? not installed properly? Sure they would. Get the spec sheet for it if you are going to buy one and don't take the advise of the salesman that is trying to get you to buy it.

DR

Hi Chris,

You can also easily modify your G-Door and put the Spring/Pulleys at the end of the track for a cleaner install. I custom modified this one to do the odd slope of my ceiling and to also move the springs to the end of the track. This also allowed me to have a closer tolerance of the door against the beams and I feel a cleaner overall look.

I also used a commercial grade chain driven opener that should last forever. This is probably overkill as even though my all glass door is very heavy I have it so perfectly "weighted" that I could still open it with 2 fingers before I installed the opener. The main reason I used this type of opener was to eliminate the "center" track clutter that most residential openers use.

Here a couple of shots with it closed and open.