I'm in the process of shopping for a lift.
The question of 2 or 4 post has come up.

A 4-post will fulfill my needs (mostly storage and some work), but I'm not sure if a 914 and 356 motor can be dropped between the 32" gap in the middle.

Any ideas/experiences on engine drops with a 4-post lift? Thanks.

My guess is "no". The Cap'n

No I have both and it would be easier on the floor. Some stuff like brakes, Oil changes and trans removal OK.

Depends on the brand on how the Skids move...

Yes on my Bend Pak, right skid "floats" and you can make it as wide as you would like. Position the car so that it's as wide as possible, (inside of tires just on the skids) and it's enough to clear the engine mount bar.

I agree. I've been thinking about doing that this winter on my 4-post. Basically
the ram is in one rail and the other rail is 'free'. You can drill 2 more holes on
each end and move it quite some distance.

I drop engines all the time with the two poster (and not on the floor either).

I have a 2 post Rotary. I can only think of a couple occasions when a 4 post would have been better, but I forgot what they were My vote is for a 2 post. . .

As Ferg said, it depends on the lift and whether or not the rails move.

A 4 post doesn't have to be bolted to the floor and can be moved with wheels that can be added and removed as necessary. They are also better for storage and additional parking use. 2 post and 4 post lifts each have their pros and cons.

Have you thought about avoiding a post lift altogether and saving shop space? Here was my solution My Lift

OK did I not read this correctly he has 32 inch to go between. I figured that he is limited between the 8 foot wide or the 8'9" wide four post?

If you can get the motor out of a 914 with 32" I stand corrected. bottom line is if you really wont to save some time working on your car go with a two post. If I get some time I will take a pix of my 4 looking up at the eng. it may help you decide. Any lift is a good lift you can buy one more car.

2 post is best for actual "work"

But... my big hang up with the two post was slab issues. 2 posts require a 4 inch slab that is reinforced.

I have yet to see a house that was built in the last 20 years that has a 4 inch garage slab, at least in this area. After checking mine out, it varied from 2.7 to 3.8 inches. My 4 post in anchored at each corner, 4 bolts, and for the weight of a 914 it's a non issue.

For me to have put in a 2 post, it would have required cutting out sections of the floor, and a repour ect.

Since the 4post I chose worked well for engine drops, the only thing I really lack, is the wheel off stuff...

Ferg

Ferg,

You should have called me. We could have cut out a section of slab and poured back a nice foundation for a two post in a weekend. With a slab that thin we could have broken it up with a sledge hammer.

Yeah, luckily my thin spot was not on the side of the lift... But goes to show how uneven it was. IIRC all my anchor points were close to 4.

I got a killer deal on my 4post second hand anyhow, so it would have been hard to justify a new 2 post.

Ferg

As a general question, are new 2 posts cheaper than a 4 post?

I just checked the open area between the rails on my 4 post lift and it is 39" wide.
I have removed 911 and 914/6 engines and trans with it and the only issue I had was the tip of an Extractor exhaust on a 911 engine stuck out more than that.. If I had removed that muffler first, it would have been no problem.
The 2 post lifts seem to have the advantage for working on brakes and suspension, but since I park cars on mine for winter storage, I feel a lot more secure on my floors with the 4 post and it is movable with wheels when you want it out of the way.
I had mine installed in the middle bay of my garage, But now, a year later. I realize it would be better in the left side bay.. I already moved power to the new location and next time I take the car down, I'll put the wheels on it and move it over. Easy and simple.
Guess it is a personal preference thing.

I have never checked the clearances, But is there a chance of hitting the post of a 2 Post lift with the door of a car parked under it. I know that if it was possible, I'd end up doing it somehow..

The garage floor in my 60 year old house was 14" thick. My 4 Post ain't going anywhere. I'll be doing a motor install soon, so I'll let you know how it gos

T.C.

Thanks for the info guys:

Ferg and gandalf_025:
Do you guys have the BendPak HD-9 that allows you to expand the ramps from 37" to 44"?

I'd love to get a 2-post, it's just that I'll be storing a car ontop of another car most of the year and without a drive-on option for the 2-post lifts I may be SOL...hence the 4-poster with a sliding jack seems like the best choice.

I 'should' have 5" of reinforced concert in my garage, if the builder built to spec...but you never know.

I have a 2 post Rotary and routinely park one car under another (provided the oil dripper is on the bottom ) Even without the 4' extensions you don't have to run the lift all the way up to get a Porsche under another car. . . I wouldn't make that deter you from a 2 post lift.

Mine is a older bend pak 7500.

I have a 2 post lift and I agree, If your going to use it for "working on the car" it can't be beat. The thought of putting my car on the lift and then jacking it up... What if you want all four wheels off the car/ramp at the same time?
The only real benift to a 4 poster is the speed it takes to get the car up in the air.
You drive on, hit the button. The 2 poster you have to position the car just right and then position all the arms and that takes a little time (like 3 minutes) and invovles bending over at each wheel. I have put marks on the floor for each of my cars and then know exactly where to park each time. I also have parked stuff under my car while its on the lift all the time.
I think the 2 poster looks better in the garage as well. Less stuff more car

As opposed to buying a lift just to clean your car all the time.........

The rails on my lift aren't movable. But I'm sure you could unbolt them, drill a few new holes and slide them out more if you needed.

I just went out and measured some more. The bottom of my rails are L shaped on the bottom so that part of the opening is 39.5" The lip made by the L shape holds the sliding Jack Tray. The top of the rail that the tire sits on is about 44.5" wide.
I just measured the inside wheelbase on my 914. {14" fuch and 185 tires and it measures just over 48" So there is not a lot more you can spread the rails on a stock wheel and tire car.
The 4 post serves my needs well, and like I said, I wanted to free up an extra bay in the garage so I can park in out of the snow in the winter. Working on the car was a plus side to that. I personally feel more secure with all that weight suspended up on 4 posts. Maybe I'm paranoid... Then again, I do have my wife park her 911 under it in the winter.
Another deciding factor in my situation is that I know my cement floor is only 3.5" thick at the most. and so far..... there is no issue with that.

Update, I talked with a fellow 914 owner that has a BendPak HD-9 with adjustable rails. He said he has no problem dropping his engine when they are spread wider than 36" and is still able to drop when they are at 36" (just takes some more work). Thanks to all for the details and opinions!