Two-Post Car Lift?

[USNA1969]

I'm going to build a garage in the near future and want to put in a lift. I'm really tired of working under jack stands.

Unless there's a strong reason for going with a 4-poster, I'm inclinded to go with a 2-post lift. The one I have in mind is Danmar MaxJax MaxJax Portable Two Post Lift - Dannmar Equipment. I especially like the portabilithy of it and the fact that the max lift height is below the 9' ceiling of the garage.

Does anyone have any experience with this particular lift? Are there any other recommendations?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[hotmtrsports]

I wrangled with that choice myself about 7 years ago.
I went with a 4 post lift.
I got the wider one so the mirrors clear easily. Also got the 60" ramps so I wouldn't have to worry about scraping. The 7,000 lb model cost a bit more, but just in case I use it for 4X4 trucks and such (sure enough my son has a quad door diesel 4X4 GMC and it lifts it great). If you go 4 post, make sure you also get 3 of the plastic oil drip pans and 2 center support shelves. 1 of each of these is not enough. I also got 2 air operated hydraulic jacks.

The ONLY thing about the 4 post is that when the car is in the air, I have another step to do to take off any wheels for brake servicing and such. That's really the only thing and that's not such a big deal.

I like the fact that the whole center is open. There are more times than not I need to have the Corvette on it's wheels so I can make sure the parts I put on such as exhausts won't touch.

I would NOT go back. I LOVE the fact that in the Winter when the garage closes for the season, I put my car on it, take the top off (could be C4, C5, C6...C7?...) and lift it high enough to fit in between the center beam for me to easily walk under without ducking whatsoever (I'm a little over 6' tall). Than I can do seat covers and other things through the cold season.

A few times I've had a dead car on the lift and bring another car underneath to work on that one. I have a 1 1/2 car garage and do quite a bit of work on many Corvettes from Spring thru Fall so that 4 post at times has given me another "bay" especially if it's raining.

The portable 2 post concerns me. I did just read about the brand and model you are talking about. It seemed OK, but if your taking the time and money to build a garage, think about all alternatives.

Sorry about being long winded!!!

Chuck M

 

[Toms007]

If you are going to use it for maintenance only, oil changes, brake jobs and the like, the 2 post lift is probably the right choice. If you are going to use it to store a vehicle to add space the 2 post is not the best choice. I bought mine mainly for the extra room.

 

[USNA1969]

How high is the ceiling in your garage? Does the lift come with a drip pan to protect the lower car?
Thanks,

 

[Toms007]

My ceiling is 10' 2". I can raise the corvette all the way up and still have a couple inches to spare. Yes, mine came with three drip pans and a jack tray.

 

[USNA1969]

Yeah, I originally thought about turning a 2-car into a 3-car by using a 4 post lift, but I'm limited to a 9' ceiling. Are there multiple stopping points along the lift height for safety locks, etc.? Does the door open completely without hitting the windshield of your Vette?

My son will be leaving his Porsche 928 with me and the two together amount to about 8'4". That would leave me about 7-8 inches to play with, but there's still the door to consider. It may be possible to using outwardly swinging doors instead of an overhead door, but I can see that becoming a hassle over time, especially if it snows.

What do you think?

Thanks,

 

[hotmtrsports]

I had to change the garage door runners so they hug the inside wall, then the ceiling. Good call!

Chuck M

 

[Toms007]

I had to modify the door to go up high enough. Changed out the vertical runners and added a "dummy" panel for the geometry to work out right with my existing opener. If I'd had a "jack lift" opener, all I would have had to do would have been to change the vertical runners.

There are stops every 6-8" that the lift can rest on.

The dummy panel



Clearance of the door. The bracket to pull the door is really not that close to the car.



Car all the way up and door open.

 

[USNA1969]

Thanks very much for takiing the time to show me all this.

I think I'm going to have to reconsider my options. I have to get a variance from the county for the roof peak height anyway, so maybe I'll go for a little more than I originally planned in order to allow a few more inches in ceiling height.

Rick