I have found the single largest reason why I dislike working on any car is the fact that it's a pain in the neck to jack up a car and place in on jack stands - only to still have to work on my back. I'm 6 feet tall and a big person (just under 200 pounds) so I really don't fit well underneath.

However, I have found that working on a car up on a lift is really much less painful. That got me to thinking (always a dangerous thing with me). I need an lift!

It has to be VERY safe (I’m worth much more than any car I will ever own), reasonable in price, and free standing so I can move it to any of my three garage bays – or even roll it across the street for my buddy Joe to use with his 911 (he got me into this obsession, so I owe him).

Here is one unit I found that seems to meet the criteria pretty well, and can also be used to ‘Double Up’ the parking space when I add a 1975 911 to complete my collection (I already have a 1975 914).

It’s the M6 model I am thinking of – with the optional 8” caster kit and the Sliding jack tray:

http://www.autolifters.com/4postLifts.html

Does anyone own a lifter from these folks? Are there better choices? Any feedback would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Marc…

I have owned 3, have one now. Bought first two in 1992. Had a very deep and tall two car garage. I put two in side by side and was able to get six cars inside. I moved to a house with a low ceiling garage and sold the lifts through local classifieds. Easily sold both for near what I paid. Moved again 4 years ago and bought another. I think it is quite safe. I am 62 years old and have spent all the time laying on my back under a car that I care to.
The most important consideration is the height of your ceiling. I have 9'5" and it is enough (probably could stack two Porsches with 9', but that is minimum height). I am 5'11 and can stand straight under a car with the lift at less than max height. Depending on the depth of your garage, you may have to limit the upward travel of your garage door. I have to back my 911 on in order be able to raise door fully with car up in the air. I also had to raise my door opener nearly to the ceiling. A ten foot or higher ceiling is really best.
I have the casters. Might be a trick to take it to the neighbor's but no problem moving it in the garage, even with a car on it.
I had a jack tray with my earlier lift but not now. It would be valuable for holding an engine up while pulling the tranny but that's about it. I do wheel/brake/suspension work by using a small floor jack (2 ton, Sears, $30) on the platforms. Can either use the jack spur with a plate or the donuts on a 914 or 911.

Let me know if you want more detail.

Edit: Marc, just noticed we are nearly neighbors! Mail me at jimchambers41@hotmail.com and I'll send my phone #. You can come by and have a look.

Here's another shot, different house.........

I have an M6, that I have used for more than 10 years. A type4 just fits between the rails, you can drop an engine by raising the car. Use a hydraulic jack table under the engine.

The only problem, a couple of noisey pulley bearings. The fix is easy and inexpensive.

The jack tray is a must! Great for suspension, brake, and motor mount work.

Drip pans are nice if you have an Studebaker and park it on top.

A tall oil drain container is also a nice addition, however you can place an oil container on the jack tray.

I got one....love it.....

S'Ok, as soon as you have a lift you'll find new reasons to dislike working on cars. You'll never regret buying it though. You're going to have a great time pushing the lift across the street.

All of the four post lifts are nearly the same. I researched them for a looong time before I bought mine.

What are the advantages to a 4 post over a 2 post? Can a 2 post be installed on a typical home garage floor?

I have a two post asymetrical lift that's made by Rotary. After owning this for over eight years, I wouldn't have the drive on type. There's no problem pulling all four wheels, power train removal is really simple, and it donesn't eat up lots of floor space. It's not the cheapest, but add up all your floor space and see how much you have to spare.

This is just my opinion. The Rotary asymetrical was recommended to me by Pat Williams in Memphis, who's a Porsche mechanic with excellent reputation and experience. I've never got bad advice from Pat.

PK

If my situation had been different, I would have bought a 2 post.

For the average home garage guy, the 4 post has distinct advantages. The biggest are that it does not need to be mounted to the floor and as such is somewhat portable (with the wheel kit). You can also easily park and store 2 cars in a space that normally accomodates only 2.



Yes. But you'll have to break up some concrete, dig a fairly large hole and pour some new concrete to make a stable footprint for mounting the posts.

I bought my lift as much for storage of an extra car as for service use. With a two post you store a car with the suspension hanging which I don't like. Two post models are better for working on the car but many models require more ceiling height than 4-posters.

I have a two post. I didn't have to break up any concrete or repour anything. I think it gives you much better access to the whole undreside of the car. I get two cars on that side of the garage and only have a 9'4" ceiling.

This thread got me thinking. Other than restoration work, the only things you need to do under the car are exhaust work and pulling the engine/gearbox. A four-post rig works great for this. For suspension work, the jackstands method works for me, as I'm not UNDER the car, and generally only doing one corner at a time. A four poster with a jack plate will still get the car up off the floor, so I can sit on a stool or stand. I'd orginally thought a two-poster would be better, but thinking on it, it sounds like a four-poster would be more useful for everything short of a complete restoration stripdown or tire rotation.

Out to measure the ceiling on my garage now...

If your garage floor is thick enough you can do that. I don't know what the 2 post lift manufacturers recomend, but the standard spec of 4-6" for garage floor poor probably isn't enough.



You need to evaluate your individual needs (and it sounds liek you are). For some people/applications 2 post are fine, for others a 4 post is better.

For the record, I wish I had a garage that was big enough to have one of each!

Same here, well I have the space its more of the $$ issue. That is the major reason why I went with the glorified car ramps. Works well for what it is.

- Garold

My buddy Joe and I talked this over some Sunday evening. He wants a two post asymetrical lift for himself. The kick in about $500 more, plus the concrete work.

I must say, for service needs, the two post style is the best. For storage needs, the 4 post style seems better.

So I have to ask myself, which is my priority? I would get better use of floor space with an asymetrical 2 post lift. I could mount it so the posts closer to the garage door, leaving me more work room in the garage.

Also, the 'sharing' a lift idea would not work too well as we would both be working on our vehicles during the wet winter.

I will take a look at the Rotary brand lift and see what I think.

Marc...

Here is a picture of the asymetrical lift - cost about $3,900.

Another interesting Option is the one-post portable. Cost about $3,700.

Thats mine

PK

I'm looking for a 2 post lift myself. The one I like is a Mowhawk A-7. I think it was a Mowhawk that I bought back in the late 80's when I worked in a shop, damn sweet lift!
In my situation I want to get the most height out of a peaked tarp roof. For that the lack of balancing cables on the Mowhawk makes a big difference.
Get this, I live in Shallow Alto, and due to the oak tree I can't pour concrete (might kill it) so I'm looking at burying a steel frame in the dirt to put the lift in the driveway. Same thing I did to mount the bridgeport in a truck. Damn I sure could use a nice shop space...

Mowhawk A7



If you see one of these used, let me know, I'll be all over it!

I bought my two post used, installed for under $2K. It's a Ben Pearson 10K#. It has the lines on the floor, otherwise I wouldn't have had enough ceiling height.

I purchased my doublepark four post lift a couple years ago, and have been very happy with it. I have the wheel kit which allows me to move the lift around even with a car on it.

This outfit has some good buys,
My shop ceiling is 14' so I don't have to worry about clearance, one of these puppys is on my "have to buy" list

http://www.americanautomotiveequipment.com...31661/index.htm