hi all
looking for advice or experience on car lifts…
after many decades of crawling around under cars sometimes in mud and gravel, I think i am now getting too long in the tooth for such antics, soooooo…have decided to treat myself to a car lift [fathers day present to myself]…
some thoughts…
single or two post give best access to underside…BUT my garage floor is only 2 -3 in thick concrete [I believe 6 in as a minimum for these] so would need some work/cost to achieve…
prices start at about ?1800 for a 4 post lift but are they rubbish?
any tales/warnings/recommendations very welcome…
thanks
I would never lift my elans by the fiberglass, so for convenience and safety because of the narrow rear of the chassis, I use a 4 post lift (I have a central beam that can lift about 12 inches in addition, convenient for engines or chassis when working on the suspensions)
I have a 2 post MaxJax - could not be happier with it - pouring a couple of 6" post slabs tied to the existing slab is no biggy - it sure extended my time span.
Please see attached. My Plus 2 is in the next garage but I’ve shown the timber that I made up to lift it - 100mm x 50m with a layer of camping mat foam glued to one side - one under each cill for full length of the cill and it lifts without any fuss or worry (the timber bends and you achieve a nicely spread load).
Obviously these lifts are chinese but, really, the quality is very good indeed and it’s one of the best things I’ve done.
Relatively straight forward to fit but the legs are very heavy and really a 4 man lift each to place them. This is my garage extension so I put an 8" slab in from the outset in C35 concrete with a single layer of A142 mesh
You can have single of three phase for the same price.
I have an auto mech 4 post lift. Quite easy to assemble and use.
However , after just 12 months and a couple of weeks the ram has started leaking. Automech are happy to supply replacement seals but not pay for them to be fitted.
I guess being a couple of weeks over the warranty they are quite correct , but a little disappointing
This one was mentioned about a year ago, been toying with the idea since. Father’s day sale made me think more seriously, plus being under a friend’s Yaris to replace brakes on a very hot day.
I like the four-post tray lifts best, but they’re both pricier, heavier, and more demanding of space.
I went for a Quick Jack (quickjack.com/) instead, ezlift looked good but got very expensive to get the different bits to make it work with the 3 different cars it needed to.
If the main aim is to avoid crawling around on your back I don’t think these types of devices are interesting thou. You still need to crawl around on your back to get under the car but are much quicker and safer than jacks + axle stands.
Apologies for not responding sooner to thank you for your post answering my question. I have been so consumed fittling an electric fuel pump and all that it intails, has prevented me from doing so.
All that space and head height you have makes me be somewhat envious.
Hello all , been watching this post with interest .
Anyone using / own a single post lift?
If so are they happy with it or wish they had gone for a 2 or 4 post .
I’m considering a single post lift due to needing floor space ie I can remove the single post lift out of the garage quickly and easily whilst I do other things plus I can store one car on the lift and one underneath or thats my wish .
Thanks , Greg.
Greg,
To store a car I’d honestly want it’s suspension not to be in droop, just my thoughts. The 4 post ‘parking lift’ I have is pretty reasonable to move around. I could do with more height in the garage but it fits 2 Elans. It comes with ‘wheels’ which you can fit, drop the platform and then move the whole structure around ( with difficulty.)
fred 
