Planning on a Shop Lift, Two or Four Post?

[mrtexas]

Originally Posted by jcheshire31

Depends on if you plan on storing a car on one for an extended period of time. If that's the case I would go with the 4 post. My advice, don't go cheap when it comes to lifts, because in the end it'll wind up expensive.

Hard to find one not made in China today. Most of the US manufacturers are making them in China as well.

[modeleh]

How about a single post? It disappears into the floor and I put a sheet of 1" plywood over it, out of sight, out of mind. All you need is compressed air to run it. The downside is you have to dig a hole 9 feet deep to install it. And it was free!

[29 Tudor]

I have found that to be true. There is one vendor that I saw in Detroit on the Power Cruise that makes them here and in China. They are the same lift but the domestic ones are about $1500 more. I would prefer to buy US but we'll see what's offered. The Rep said if it was his money, it would be hard to justify the difference. He said they both go through the same certification and quality tests. Sad that we have gotten to that point.

[29 Tudor]

I hadn't thought about a single post. Thanks for adding more variables to the decision process!!<grin>

[Mitch//pa]

i have both at my shop. lifting an A on a 2 post requires at least 1 ft extensions. depending on the type of work i am doing depends on which lift it goes on. setting up on a 2 post requires a little time as you need to fish the pads around the brake rods etc. there is alot of frame flex on a model A frame when set up on a 2 post. if i am pulling drums or doing brake work on a 2 post i disconnect the brake rods as the wheels are basically locked when hanging in the air. working on a 4 post is a little tougher as you need to work around the ramps and get used to whacking your head on the front and rear beams but the car is steady on it. another option is a 4 post with built in roller jacks that enable you to lift the wheels up off the ramps. as stated both have pros and cons and in my case it depends on the job being performed. in lifts you get what you pay for so those cheaper Chinese or inexpensive portable units stay away from. a 4 posts takes up more space because of the 4 posts involved. getting back to your original request 2 or 4 post for the home i would put in both..

[29 Tudor]

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You are not the first to suggest that I get both!

Hard to justify though for a home shop.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by 29 Tudor

Interesting comment. Can you elaborate? I would think that most maintenance would be easier with the wheels hanging free. Is there a point I am missing?

Keith True pretty well said what I was going to elaborate about the hoists. Considering most of the work on the hoist would be oil changes and grease jobs or other jobs that don't need the wheels off is one big reason for choosing the 4 post. Extra storage is another, even though you say you don't care about extra storage. I'd rather drive on and lift the car than have to get down on my hands and knees to jockey around some props under the frame.

The last business I worked at with a 2 post hoist was really scarey, as the posts rocked back and forth. The cement was poured too wet and wasn't as strong as it should be. I'm sure OSHA would have shut us down if they saw the 2 post hoist I had to work under. Actually I've prefered the in ground one post over the above ground 2 post. As mentioned the post is always in the way of the door.

4 post first choice
1 post in ground 2nd choice
2 post last choice

[Tom F OHIO]

How high is your ceiling? A good friend of mine that is in his 80's still works on the
model A's for guys. I had my car at his house and he has a 4 post lift and it sure was nice to be able to lift it up and I stood under the car to grease it. I'm 6'0 and had no trouble. He does brake work all the time. He lifts the car up so far and puts it on jacks like the other fellow said and sits there and works on them.
Tom..

[29 Tudor]

Great thoughts Tom. I appreciate it. Years ago, I worked in a station that had a one post but it was VERY inconvenient for a lot of the under car work. Tranny work for example was impossible.

You guys have me leaning toward a quality 4 post.

[Mitch//pa]

a symetric lifts the post is in front of the door. i believe you need 4 inches of concrete to properly anchor a lift especially 2 post. the problem with in ground lifts which are basically out dated is serviceability and oil leakage causing ground contamination.

[29 Tudor]

Originally Posted by Tom F OHIO

How high is your ceiling? A good friend of mine that is in his 80's still works on the
model A's for guys. I had my car at his house and he has a 4 post lift and it sure was nice to be able to lift it up and I stood under the car to grease it. I'm 6'0 and had no trouble. He does brake work all the time. He lifts the car up so far and puts it on jacks like the other fellow said and sits there and works on them.
Tom..

Hi Tom,

I will have 12 foot eaves with the area over the lift being probably 16 feet or so. The shop will be 30 X 35.

Steve

[29 Tudor]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

a symetric lifts the post is in front of the door. i believe you need 4 inches of concrete to properly anchor a lift especially 2 post

My floor is supposed to be 4 inches minimum of 3500 PSI concrete. It still scares me to think about bolts going into anchors in the floor holding up a car!

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by 29 Tudor

My floor is supposed to be 4 inches minimum of 3500 PSI concrete. It still scares me to think about bolts going into anchors in the floor holding up a car!

yea i know what you mean but its not really pulling on the anchors. a lift is designed so that when the auto is properly lifted its balanced so even if you unbolted it when the car was in the air it would'nt fall unless you really rocked it. i never tried it though
go with a 4 post and the roller jacks youll be set

[Don/WI]

Originally Posted by SteveB31

We have one of each. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. 2 post is better for removing rear ends and for brake work. 4 post is better for everything else. We had to make brackets for our two post so it would lift from the frame, as the runningboards get in the way. If you need photos of our brackets for the two post, just let me know.
Steve Becker Bert's Model A Center

I have had a two post for 25 years. It has served me well. I do have to mess around when using it for my "A"s but there is nothing in the way when working on the wheels, brakes, tranny, etc. Steve, if you could send me pictures of the brackets that you made, I would appreciate it. Don/WI By the way, mine is a two post "in ground" type.

[Art Bjornestad]

I have a 2 post and it was great when I was a young guy but at 77 I have a very hard time getting up and down. You have to get all the way down to make sure the pads are lined up with the frame and the car seems to get in a little different each time.

A 4 post takes more floor space but I sure wish I had one.

[Kurt in NJ]

I have an older 2 post rotary, I use it for many different cars, there are extensions for the pads that I want to buy, but I still use it for the A, I have a wood spacer that I use now, if I had the space and money I would have 4 different lifts, 4 post drive on, the 2 post I have now, a 2 post in ground with arms that swing in, and the 2 post in ground that lifts the front and rear axle.

the type of floor you have ,and the heigth of your roof are factors, if your floor is borderline the 4 post, or 2 post that has a connected base are good choices.
If you are prone to hitting your head on things look for sharp edges on the arms ---some lifts are better--

Go look in some garages and see if you can look at their lifts, if you are tall some lifts don't go up far enough.

With a 2 post lift the installation is important, if both posts are not parallel the car will move every time you go up and down and schooch off the pads.

[james heider]

I have a Kwik Lift that works well for me check them out at the link I have listed.
http://www.kwiklift.com/

[james heider]

The Kwik lift I have is the low drive on ramp . Very easy to use and you can put dollies under the legs and roll it around.

[29 Tudor]

Great information! I have to say that at this point, I think the four post (with the sliding jack plate) is winning in my mind.

Thanks for the discussion!

Steve

[CWPASADENA]

I have used both 2 and 4 Post lifts. The ramps really get in the way with a 4 Post Lift. I find 4 Post Lifts and good for storage and stuff like oil changes and polishing your car.

If you are really getting into heavy work, I would strongly recomend a 2 Post. 2 Post Lifts are good for working on the brakes, front and rear end and under car work like exhaust, transmissions etc. and there are no ramps to get in the way. The whole underside of the car is accessable with a 2 post.

I have an old Wever "In Floor" (side by side) Two Post Lift that is really nice as you do not have all the support stuff sticking up in the way when the lift is not being used. I can easily get my Model As on the lift as the pads on the arms are such as they will extend and reach the frame with only the addition of an small 2 X 4 Block laid flat against the frame.

My Opinion,

Chris