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How far do you have to lift it up to bring it off it's lock? 1/2"? 1". I'm figuring if the car is 4" below the ceiling (worst case) I would have that space to lift it and release the locks. At 4" off the ceiling, I figure I have 113" - 4" - 50" (car) - 4 3/4 ( ramp) = 54.25" below. That leaves 4.25 inches of clearance underneath, right?
I think ours is 1-2" (we have the same lift). But the four cables are adjustable, and the lock "ladders" are adjustable, so it can be fine-tuned so that they all release pretty much together together. You can "tap" the up-button to get small increments of lift, not a problem.
Put marks on the lift where you want the ramps to be when hoisted. The locks are controlled by a button-type air valve. With the locks engaged (no air pressure), they "clank" loudly as they pass each stop. So lift until you reach your mark on the way up, continue lifting until the locks engage with a loud "clank", stop and lower the ramps onto the locks.
When lowering, first hit the air valve to release the locks-- they won't actually disengage until you take the pressure off. Then lift up until you hear the loud clank as the locks disengage, stop and lower holding the air-button down to keep the locks released.
You should be fine, inches to spare.
One thing to consider is adding a stop to limit upward travel at the critical point, e.g. a strategically-placed c-clamp or similar. Just in case of a brain-fade or a novice helper.
Thank you, Jcorenman and everyone else! I think I should be OK based on all advice and discussions (and my tape measure!). Now the project of cleaning out the garage before the lifts arrive for installation....
Hey guys, I'm looking to install a 4 post car stacking solution in my garage. I noticed a few of you are using them for 928's. Just wondering the specs of your garage and the cars you're using on the lift?
Thanks,
Rich
I'm using a ProPark 9+ 4 post lift. I spec'd it for the worst case, a 2005 Chevy K3500 Dual wheel, 4WD Crew Cab. It works fine. I also use it to service my '85 928S3, my '89 944S2, my 2000 Dodge Durango and my wifes 1999 Audi A4 Turbo.
I like it. It was, without a doubt, the best tool investment I've ever made. It's located in Big Basin state park so I wanted a free standing lift that wasn't bolted into the concrete. We had a 7.0 earthquake that effected the property in 1989 and it's very important the lift 'float'.
My recent purchase of a 928S has tipped me past the breaking point, and so I just ordered two Bendpak HD-9STs for my home garage. The cars I plan to store there are a 911SC (a little below Euro Height 49"), a 944 NA (also at track height, around 48.5"), my E46 BMW M3 (54"), and the 1985 928S (50.4").
I only have 113" from floor to ceiling (guess it was supposed to be 9 1/2 ceiling). The distributor said to add both cars' heights together, and then add 10" for the thickness of the ramp and to allow for the locks, which are apparently every 4" on this model.
So, using the M3, I come up with 54" + 49" + 10" = 113" exactly. Hmmm. Too close for comfort? Assuming I have nothing on the ceiling above the car roof (tracks or lights), and I think the track itself is about 4" thick, I should have a few inches above each car. Too close to comfort? The alternative is to figure out something else for the M3 and garage the P-cars only.
Thoughts?
Having read your posts, I thought I would join the forum to give you a bit of information regarding measurements that would perhaps aid you in your decisions on purchasing a lift. It is a big decision and you want to get it right.
This is my setup (hoping you have an E92 as well) :
This is a Bendpak HD9XW. There is a 2008 M3 sitting on top of a 2011 Ford Ranger.
The ceiling height in the lift area is 12 feet 6 inches.
The M3 sits on the ramp (on the uplocks) which are 6 feet 5 inches above the floor.
The M3 has 20 inches of clearance under the ceiling.
The bottom of the ramps are 6 feet above the floor giving the Ranger a clearance of 5 inches under the ramps.
To release the uplocks, the lift needs to be raised 1.25 inches before lowering. ( I could probably fine tune this to 1 inch if I make closer adjustments to the adjusters though).
The lift ladder slots for the uplocks are 4 inches apart, and my uplocks sit in the third from the top slot, meaning I could store the M3 another another 8 inches higher, (but I would have to raise the lift 9.25 inches to engage the uplocks in the top slot.
For your setup, you may be able to use these numbers...only applying the height of the vehicle you would park instead of the Ranger.
Thank you @hr2pilot! I do appreciate the information. My M3 is an E46 Coupe, which according to BMW is about 54" tall (I think it may have settled some in 14 years though). The good news is that my Porsches are pretty much all under 50" tall.
ASE Deals, an authorized retailer for Bendpak, uses the advice formula of the combined height of the two cars PLUS 10". The 10" contemplates the ramp height, space between cars, and the lock space.
If I store my shortest 48" Porsche with the M3 on the same side, I get 102", plus 10"...I should just make it by the skin of my teeth. I am also planning to put the lifts at the very back of the garage and then perhaps store the other vehicle more towards the front. We'll see. I'm just looking forward to not having my cars in a snow bank!
Make sure the target location of the lift in the garage gives you:
-- Room to open the doors on the car on the floor. Depending on the position delta, the lift columns will limit door opening.
-- Your ceiling clearance numbers need to consider the "things" hanging from the ceiling above the car. HR2Pilot has surface-mount flourescent fixtures there, plus the light and sensor unit for his shaft-mounted door opener.
-- Make sure you'll be able to open the garage door with a car on the lift. Most doors are initially configured to be horizontal a foot or so above the top of the door opening. You'll want to have the door tracks moved up so the door is only a few inches below the ceiling, and that means the bottom face of the raised door will be four or five inches plus whatever clearance you need above the door when it's up/open. A neighbor works around that by putting the car into the garage on the lift tail-first with his standard door setup.
-- If you have a standard chain-, screw- or belt-drive opener, the motor drive end will be right about where you want the car to sit on the lift. Moving the door up to the ceiling means the opener can be right up at the ceiling, but you'll have an extended connecting arm from the opener traveller to the door itself so you can get the door closed. Spend some time with a sketch pad and the tape measure, making sure the door and opener will work together. This issue goes away with the shaft-drive opener, of course.
I installed Chamberlain 8500 openers and love them for the space and mechanical issues, plus they are very quiet. My only gripe is that I had to do a little undocumented surgery on them to move the antenna outside the metal case; the radio is pretty deaf the way they are delivered.
I have a bolted lift. It was also suggested that you not put the lift too close to the wall unless you had a sufficient depth of concrete. I put a foot down and have a walking space distance away from the wall.
Low ceilings suck. Mine is 8½' and next spring I'm planning on having it trayed out over the lift. I think I can get it to at least 10', maybe 10½'.
One advantage I do have is depth. Garage is about 26' deep, yet just shy of being able to park one car behind the other. The lift worked great for that. With the hood of one car under the lift, I have plenty of room up front and in the back of the garage...plus space for other things like the John Deere. Also, the door and door opener are nowhere near it.
I'd still like to be able to park completely under it, stand up while working on the cars and gain a little more headroom when the Cayenne is on it.
19psi, your picture kind of freaks me out! You have a Geo Storm (51.1" according to Wiki) plus 928 (50.2") for a total of 101.3". Add the 10" space buffer, and you're at 111.3 required minimum space. I have 113" (probably was supposed to be 114" or 9.5'). Your car looks like it needs more than 12" to fit under that lift...hmmm. Maybe its just the photo.
Well, if it doesn't work I'll be doing the half under routine as well, at least for a while. I also plan to have the cars backwards as Dr. Bob said
to avoid the garage doors.
I have 102" to the ceiling. From the drywall to the roof of the Storm is 6" and that's enough to safely raise it to clear the locks.
I just put a straight edge on the roof of the 928 to the lift and it appears I would need about an additional 11" (113" total) to just clear it...and it would be uncomfortably close at that! The height you have for the Storm is correct and nearly identical to my 928. I actually bought that car brand new when I was 19 because it reminded me of a 928.
Thank you, everyone, for all of your help while I was ordering my lifts. We were able to successfully install two Bend Pak lifts into my garage, which only has 9 1/2 foot ceilings. I can back my cars onto the top ramp, though, and there is enough room at the back of the garage to fit the car, even with the garage door opener.
Here is a picture. Only three in there so far, I'm too lazy to move my racecar.
I have a 928 parts car that looks a lot like yours With luck and a strong tailwind I'll have two new lifts installed in my new shop before Christmas. Wish me luck?
10-13-2016, 01:30 AM
