Garage lifts

[sconnors]

Did a search and couldn't find much information. Does anyone have a lift in their garage for their Model A? If so, what brand(s) and prices do people recommend? It seems most of the lifts now days are rated at 7000 or 9000 pounds which seems a bit overkill to lift a 2000 pound Model A. I'm looking for something that's not going to break the bank. Anyone have any feedback?

[Mitch//pa]

if you go with a twin post you need 1 ft adapters to reach the frame rails.

[Ray64]

I have an EAGLE SS 7000 Only drawback is the runs are not moveable laterally.However it will lift a F 250 dually without any problem.I have 12 ft wall in my polebarn and had to have the roof joists reinforced and then cut the wood out above the car. Can now lift to the max. of the lift.Oh the cost of the lift was about $2200

[kpreed]

Before I moved up-here in Colorado, I had a "Lift" put in on my old place. Yes ,it could hoist a much bigger car or truck then an "A", but it was used and from a closed gas station and total cost installed, around $600. And it worked great!
Ken

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Might I suggest you go over to the Fordbarn sister site called Garage Journal and do a search on their forums. There are quite a few posts regarding lifts, and some also show them in-ground at floor level. I actually have two lifts in my shop yet we really only use one with any frequency.

[Art Bjornestad]

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I have a 2 post lift, and as I get older, it's a real challenge to get under the car to position the pads under the frame. I wish I had bought a drive on lift.

[sconnors]

I'll check out the Garage Journal. Been looking at the Bendpak MD6XP looks nice but pricey

[Mitch//pa]

i dont think that style scissor lift is going to be good for lifting a model A. your going to have a huge problem clearing things because the runningboards brake rods etc etc sit way below the frame. go with a 4 arm twin post or drive on. there are pros and cons on both

[Mitch//pa]

note the 1ft adapters

[sconnors]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

note the 1ft adapters

Those are all good points I never thought of! Thanks!

[glenn in camino]

Mine is a 9000# Bendpack. I love it.

[MikeK]

Depends on what you consider "Won't break the bank." I just put in a new lift 6 months ago. Cheap chinese was out, so was anything else that was "off the shelf". I wanted open floor space, no columns in the way when the lift was up. I had a Texas lift manufacturer, TARGET LIFTS (link) custom make what I needed. I discussed materials, design mods, and welding specs with the CEO before I placed my order.

It is a single side column, similar to these pictures, but I spec'ed an 8' high lift height in a 6,500 lb lift config so I could also roll cars off onto the second steel deck level of my garage. It lifts via a 20,000 lb rated multi-layer link chain over a solid steel roller, no monkey business steel cables. If the UHMW zero-play column sliders fail the column carriage will only shift 1/8" to contact backup solid steel carriers.

I also have other mods- double redundant mechanical safeties, a USA made cylinder with steel piped bi-directional flow controls so a blown hydraulic connection, seal, or pump failure will only result in a very slow decent to the next 3" lower lock level, a USA made hydraulic pump, a 1% pressure gauge so I can weigh vehicles, remote pneumatic lock release, torque control arms at the top of the column, and rolling jack platforms that I can use between the treadways to lift either end of a vehicle with the suspension compressed, or uncompressed (by the frame). I have a drive-through config, as I have doors at both sides of my garage. I did a FEA to verify the safety factor on all stressed members and fasteners. Shipping weight was 5,600 lbs., a lot of steel.

Since it was exactly what I wanted, made to the treadway and height dimensions I spec'ed, I didn't consider the price as breaking the bank. There are plenty of 'other' single side column lifts out there, all of which, including Bend-Pak, that I wouldn't run under even if you dared me. My custom spec's and on-site design mods added about 3K to the base price.

[Don/WI]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

note the 1ft adapters

Could you take some close-up pictures of the apapters? I have a lift, but could use some pointers on designing some good adapters. Thanks. Don/WI

[roccaas]

This came up a few months ago, and now I cannot find the information posted back then.

There is a product that looks like two parallel drive on racks, they are connected with cross bars that are adjustable. The "front" end has a perpendicular bend 2 feet long. You drive the car on, use a heavy duty floor jack to lift the back end, and the car is 2 feet off the ground on stable legs. The cross members are made to allow bottle jacks and jack supports to lift car by the frame for suspension work. The whole thing can be broken down and stored out of the way, or you can just leave it on the ground and park the car on the rails.

Now what was the name of that system????

[brokenspoke]

I have a 9000 lb Bendpac.......4 post ..I love it....IMHO a 4 post is better as I do not have to crawl under it to adjust ...I bought it at Northern Tool around 3,000 bucks...It took me around 9 hours to install

[Ed Saniewski]

Check out "Greg Smith Equipment" we just got a couple different lifts from them, 2 post and 4 post.

[RonC]

I think 4 post with wheels to roll it around would be better. I have seen 4 post lifts with adapters that lift the car at the frame rails so you can access the tires.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Don/WI

Could you take some close-up pictures of the apapters? I have a lift, but could use some pointers on designing some good adapters. Thanks. Don/WI

my lifts are usa made challenger and are A symetric or symetric which means you can pull the car in and center the doors between the lift posts or pulling a 1/4 of the way in and being able to open the doors on the lift. they are in most new car dealers but are pricey probably to much for the homeowner. greg smith equipment sells everything chinese nothing usa made on all there equipment. case in point just purchased a sand blast cabinet greg smith was chinese made so i went with a skat blast from tp tools. sadly most homeowners buy chinese because of budget restraints and i also would not get under one have seen them fail in local shops. here are some pics of the adapters that come with these lifts. you can also stack all of them for extra height and the top lifting pad is adjustable at two points.

[Mitch//pa]

Another

[Mitch//pa]

excuse the multiple posts but my ipad only lets me do one at a time from the camera roll