Time to buy a lift! Which one/what type?

[bossvette]

I have a team lift it is a 9000 lb baseplate model and is very heavy construction built in Texas I bought it off Ebay and installed it myself

 

[ti-ride]

lifts

do you remember his ebay name ??

thanks

 

[ti-ride]

teamlifts

was it vern5374 ??

in cleburne tx ??

thats who I have spoken with

im looking at the ss7000 drive on type ?

at first wanted a 2 post but a lot of people say the 4 post is easier ? better ?

except when taking off wheels

thanks for the advice

Jim

 

[Greg C]

was it vern5374 ??

in cleburne tx ??

thats who I have spoken with

im looking at the ss7000 drive on type ?

at first wanted a 2 post but a lot of people say the 4 post is easier ? better ?

except when taking off wheels

thanks for the advice

Jim

What type of lift one purchases really depends on what that person's needs are........alot of people will buy a 4 post lift because they are limitied on car storage space and need to put one of thier cars up on a lift during the winter and they can use the same lift for working on thier cars/trucks. 4 post or "storage" lifts are harder to remove and work on wheels, brakes and suspensions (have to use jacks to jack the car up off the wheels......)
Also most of them come with wheel kits so you can move the lift around.....

2 post or "service" lifts take up less floor space when not in use, make it easier to work on wheels, brakes, suspensions, ect.......put you have to be more careful about balancing the vehicle while it is in the "up" postion....have to use jack stands to keep the vehicle from swinging up and down when doing work like removing transmissions, rear ends..........best thing to do is to go check out the 2 different types of lifts if you know anyone that has one and see first hand. Good luck on the search...........

 

[bossvette]

do you remember his ebay name ??

thanks

I think it was American lift or something like that. I bought a 2 post because I do my own work and bought a baseplate because it looked (and is) easier to assemble (I don't like height or working on ladders) then the clear floor.

 

[zl167]

Bend Pak has a new line of 4 post lifts called the HD-9. Rated for 9k lbs. They full ETL testing on them. They have 4 different models. I ordered 2 of the HD-9STX.

http://www.bendpak.com/product_info.isg?products_id=881

 

[Don Rich]

Lifts

I checked several lifts before I bought mine. It came down to two brands,
"Mohawk and "Forward" I chose a "Forward" four post lift.
Installed costs were $4028.00 US

 

[djlifter]

lifts

Do some of you realize that you are buying cheap, imported chinese Sh*t ???!!!

Beware of what you purchase for only $2000 or less !!!

 

[ti-ride]

lifts again

The Teamlift brand is actually made in AMERICA

There are a lot of imports out there but I do want a good SAFE lift

But I have heard Teamlift is under chapter 13 or something right now ??

I didnt want to buy 1 and have no warranty at all

What do you suggest in brands and types ?

I like the 4 post drive on for eaze of loading but have heard you cant do much work on cars under them ?

 

[Grizzly]

I like the 4 post drive on for eaze of loading but have heard you cant do much work on cars under them ?

The only thing that is a little more difficult is anything dealing with wheels. I'll trade that off for the easier storage. Just don't like lift by the frame all the time and I don't know if I would want to store the car with the suspension at full down. I suppose that you have better access to areas around the rocker panels with a two post, but I can't say I ever noticed a problem

I have a rolling jack tray made of heavy steel that you move under the car and jack it up with a bottle jacks to do the wheels. I wanted things as simple as possible so I bought Backyard Buddy's power lift that will lift the entire end of the car up so you can do both rear or front wheels at the same time. You could crib up with wood under the frame to the ramps and let it down I suppose if you wanted both ends off at the same time.

 

[72VETTE454]

I agree with Greg C, it all depends on what you plan on using your lift for. I am a mechanic by trade. If you want a lift for actually working on your car, you can't beat the Rotary two post. If you are looking for storage, then I would go with a four post. In my opinion, the four post is not practical for working on tires, wheels, brakes, suspension, etc. I find the four post to be too obtrusive. I use a two post every day at work. When installed and used properly, I believe they are as safe as anything out there. I have lifted full sized, extended cab pick-up trucks on a two post. Check out www.rotarylift.com. And no, I have no affiliation with the Rotary company, really.

 

[ti-ride]

the lift is up

Thanks

I bought a 2 post challenger 9000 lbs

Actually just got it all wired up yesterday and it is perfect

I have a 36x48 Barnmaster Barn with a full slab

All my neighbors have horses but hey so do I

HORSE POWER !

Thanks for everyones advice

Jim

 

[Coupe89]

I have a 4-post lift from Team Lift (American Equipement)

 

[ratflinger]

I've got a Liftco 2 post asymmetric & am very pleased with it. It handles 9000lbs, so the Vette is no problem. I had it custom built to 11' instead of the standard 12' for ceiling clearance. It was always for my Vette, but I have had my pickup on it, I just don't get the full 6' clearance with the truck like I do the Vette, but that's no problem either since I work on the Vette & I get someone else to fix the truck.

 

[Kid_Again]

Anybody notice that Autolifters is no longer in business?

Did anyone lose money on a lift they ordered?

 

[Don Rich]

Autolifter

Here's the Autolifter story
http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2005/05/16/story3.html

 

[maxrevs85]

If your going to work on your car you need a 2 post lift. The 4 posts are too obtrusive and working on suspensionj , wheels ,brakes, is difficult. Great for making room for more cars though. Ihave a 2post 10,000# Bendpac. Love it.

 

[85vette]

a friend did a precise cut in the ceiling of his garage

 

[Kid_Again]

Here's the Autolifter story
http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2005/05/16/story3.html

I notice that one of the jilted customers says that she would not buy a lift if she couldn't get a warranty. I can understand that but that's the situtation I find myself in because I bought an Autolifters lift and it doesn't seem to be too much a concern right now. I already know I can buy the entire identical 220v hydraulic pump mechanism from Harbor Freight and the other wear part is the hydraulic piston which pulls on the 4 cables. That also has to be a standard part. Who's to say Backyard Buddy won't get hit with the same problems. The article goes on to say that a Backyard Buddy reps says that the Autolifter owner did it worng - he never displayed at car shows. As a car guy, I found it unnecessary to actually touch the product before I bought it. The website had more than enought detail and I knew I wasn't buying Chinese crap.

I also thought about a 2 post lift but, to me, this was a no-brainer decision. I know lots of garages have 2 post lifts. I just felt it worthwhile to have all 4 wheels supported at the same time. I ordered the accessory tray which allows me to jack the center of the car just as if it where on the ground.

This may be perceived as a switch on my part about buying/not buying quality tools. My cut point was that I needed to buy an American made lift. Sadly, they went out of business. I do buy Chinese crap tools. I haven't had to replace one yet. Sadly, they are still in business.

 

[mkapp7879]

I got a 4 post. Wasn't sure of the strength of the concrete so was a little leary of bolting a 2 post down. I also added the 2 struts at each post for my own piece of mind. You may be able to make out the large mirror on the wall in front. It's placed and angled so I can clearly see the tires from the driver's seat as I pull onto it.