Car Lift and Garage

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Jims65cyclone
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Car Lift and Garage

Post by Jims65cyclone »

I'm finally getting to the serious stage of designing the garage I plan to dedicate to my Comet project and general maintenance on my other vehicles. I'm planning to enclose a 22W x 24D attached carport, so it won't be a huge shop. I'd like to install a lift, but space is an issue. Standard 2 or 4 post lifts take up a huge footprint. I plan to have a 16 or possibly 18 ft wide double door with the lift on the right hand side. The left side of a 2 or 4 post lift extends beyond the center of the garage and makes a tight squeeze to pull a car in on the left side, not to mention being a huge obstruction. I've been doing some looking online and have found several companies that make single-post lifts. They actually make portable ones, but I'm looking at one that permanently attaches to the floor. I'd pour a footer at least a foot thicker than the floor under the mounting stanchion, and use J-bolts poured into the concrete to mount it. I'd appreciate you guys taking a look at this lift and give me your thoughts.
https://www.mytoolequipmentguy.com/amgo ... SXEALw_wcB

I know, it's made in China, but there are only one or two US made units, and they're 2X to 3X+ the cost of this unit. It's CE safety certified, which is the European Union's equivalent of the ALI (Automotive Lift Institute) safety standards used by US manufacturers except the CE standard doesn't include National Electrical Code certifications that ALI includes.

The biggest attraction to me is that when not in use it can be "stored" in the raised position and only intrude about three feet from the wall into the floor space. If I found myself tripping over that, I could park my portable tool cart straddling the legs. :roll: I THINK the lifting arms will just clear my height. It also has one of the best warrantees of all the lifts I looked at, and the distributor is about 80 miles from me and offers free shipping.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Jim
Last edited by Jims65cyclone on Sun Aug 21, 2022 8:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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poboyjo65
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Re: Car Lift

Post by poboyjo65 »

cool! I didnt know about these. it sounds like a perfect solution for your plans. I vote go ahead & get it !
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Re: Car Lift

Post by A/FX »

The single post lift looks like an option for your limited space. Another factor is ceiling height, if you are enclosing an existing structure that dimension has already been determined but is it enough? When I designed my building I used open trusses in the area where my future lift would be placed, the rest of the ceiling is 9’. I purchased a tall four post lift so that when not in use the ramps could be placed at the upper most position and the area under the lift could be utilized. With the lift up on even my friends who are well over 6’ tall have no issues with walking under it. One other feature of a four post is that you are able to place two vehicles in the space of one, that also works for equipment, you can span the ramps with a platform and put anything up and out of the way.
Every lift has its features and downfalls, just pick one that works for your application, budget, and is safe to use.
Jim
‘64 Cyclone/ Boss 302,quads,4spd, Winters 9”

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Re: Car Lift

Post by lavron »

I am thinking of getting a 4 post lift to put in the shed, I have seen them priced under $4000 and thought it might be cheaper to expand the shed space upward instead of out, I was thinking about using it like an elevator so that when fully raised it would be the same height as a future second floor and I could load most of the stuff taking up floor space currently onto the lift and raise it up and then move it to the second floor for storage.

I also was wondering if I could build a heavy floor section (steel columned, basically something built that looks like the lift but in a fixed position even with the upper floor)) and pull a car forward off of the lift and store it "upstairs" and then put a second car or truck on the lift and raise it up to store and park my pickup underneath.

Don't mean to hijack Jim's thread but the idea has been in my head a few days now and I was going to post something about 4 post lifts and now I have :roll:

See Ya,
Mike
Mike's build thread
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vicegrip
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Re: Car Lift

Post by vicegrip »

No such thing as a perfect lift except an anti gravity machine. There are always certain things you can't do because the lift is in the way.

CosmicComets
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Re: Car Lift

Post by CosmicComets »

Jim, I wasn't aware of that style lift either. Looks like it would work well for your limited space. Every style lift has some drawbacks. Four post lifts offer great use of storage space, but are not as handy for doing wheel, tire and suspension work. The one post looks to me like you might run into problems if you intend on working on transmissions or exhaust. The best for full time mechanical work is probably a two post with the cables/lines overhead, however they usually require a 12-13 foot ceiling. I have an 11' ceiling in my garage, so I went with a floor plate model, a pain when trying to roll around a jack, creeper or stool. I should have gotten the top plate style and put the overhead stuff in the attic. My lift is also a low budget model, but has served me well. And, I have lifted a Comet up to the ceiling and driven another Comet under it. :D Let us know what you do and how it works out for you!
Take care, Cary
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Joe Travers
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Re: Car Lift

Post by Joe Travers »

Thanks for posting this, Jim!

I have a new roof coming this week to repair my carport awning and was thinking about this very thing, myself. I don't have enough ceiling space to install a lift there but I'm planning on pouring a slab in the back for a one car garage ASAP. Getting to the age where a lift is a necessity, not a luxury. I'll follow all posts in this thread to get some great pointers from you guys.

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Jims65cyclone
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Re: Car Lift

Post by Jims65cyclone »

A/FX wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 5:59 am
Another factor is ceiling height, if you are enclosing an existing structure that dimension has already been determined but is it enough?
The carport is actually "unfinished" at this time. The roof is completed, but the floor hasn't been poured yet. It's also built on a slight slope, so when I level the floor to pour it I'll have about 11.5 ft of ceiling height from the finished floor to the bottom of a LVL that spans the two side walls. I haven't checked yet to see where the roof of the car will line up under that beam, but if it falls ahead of the windshield, I'll have another 10" of headroom.
CosmicComets wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:08 am
The one post looks to me like you might run into problems if you intend on working on transmissions or exhaust. The best for full time mechanical work is probably a two post with the cables/lines overhead...
I agree. My first plan was to install a two post lift with the arms that swing from the outside toward the center so that the entire underside of the car is open, but it would be like having a tree with two big roots right in the middle of my shop, and there would barely be room to squeeze a car in on the left side of the garage. A four post lift has more open area under the car, but that would be like having TWO trees in the middle of my floor with the same squeeze problem. You can actually get a single post lift with the ramps like a four post, but I want a lift that will let the wheels hang free. This one just seems like a reasonable compromise. Like several of you said, there are plusses and minuses for each type of lift, and you just have to figure out which has more plusses than minuses. :roll:
I appreciate all of your feedback. I haven't detected any fatal flaws in my plan so far, but keep those cards and letters coming. :D

Jim
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Re: Car Lift

Post by popscomet »

POP has a 2post lift outside,and a 4post inside,,,,sometimes working on the 4post would be easier on the 2post,,with the 4post at times we stack 2,,that's handy !!altho if the bottom car is short enuff,like my cobra,you can stack 2 on the 2 post,,,,concrete lagg bolts hold the 2post,,on a regular 4in concrete slab,,,,,,been in place for yrs.....this is the 2nd shop since I've had it that the 2post has been in,,have had for yrs ,way before they were popular for a home shop....once you get alift and start useing it,,you can't help but wonder to yourself,,,,why didn't I get this yrs ago ??
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Re: Car Lift

Post by popscomet »

there is something to consider,,,,the overhead door when open....
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Jims65cyclone
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Re: Car Lift

Post by Jims65cyclone »

popscomet wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 6:31 pm
there is something to consider,,,,the overhead door when open....
Good point. I plan to extend the rails to have a high lift door.

These are two scaled drawings of my planned layout that I added the lifts to. I could squeeze the Comet in on the left side with a 2-post lift, but there's no way to open the passenger door. And there's that post in the middle of the garage all the time. :evil:
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With the arms raised, the 1-post lift intrudes a little further into the floor space along the right wall, but the rest of the shop floor is clear.

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If you guys have any other suggestions on the layout, I'd love to hear them. :)

Jim
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Re: Car Lift

Post by A/FX »

I can see where the single post lift will free up space it that design sure limits what is accessible under your car. The structure that supports the far end arms is sure to interfere with anything you might need to access in the middle of the vehicle.
As mentioned every style of lift has it’s benefits and downfalls. You just have to buy what works best for you and your budget.
You are fortunate that in your climate a large overhead door is possible, here in Wisconsin a large door can be used but if the building is heated the door is a heat sink. I have one 10’ wide 8’ tall door to the heated side of my building, the door has an R value of 17 which is not bad for a door. I keep the building at 62 degrees all the time. ( with hydronic heat you should not constantly change temp settings)
Keep us posted on you progress.
Jim
‘64 Cyclone/ Boss 302,quads,4spd, Winters 9”

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Jims65cyclone
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Re: Car Lift

Post by Jims65cyclone »

A/FX wrote:
Tue Dec 01, 2020 11:31 pm
I can see where the single post lift will free up space it that design sure limits what is accessible under your car. The structure that supports the far end arms is sure to interfere with anything you might need to access in the middle of the vehicle.
Yeah, you're right. Fortunately, that main arm support is only about 10-1/2" wide, but that's a lot if it's directly under what you need to get to, which Murphy will probably have a big say in. :roll: The lifting pads will adjust to give me 6" of lift higher than the main support, which would probably be enough for routing exhaust, fuel/brake lines, etc. However, one of my objectives for the car is to install a T-5 which will require a lot of floor tunnel and cross member work, right above where the lift's main support will likely be. I may end up on jack stands for that project. :roll: But that's only one of many projects I have planned for the car, and most of the others won't require access to that 10-1/2" section of the undercarriage, or won't require the lift at all. The 2-post would be great, but I couldn't pull the car all the way into the garage and fully open both doors to work on the interior, repair floors, route wiring, etc. It's a trade-off.

Jim
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poboyjo65
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Re: Car Lift

Post by poboyjo65 »

Jims65cyclone wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 8:01 pm
I couldn't pull the car all the way into the garage and fully open both doors

Jim
I'm cornfused, is it 2 doors or one wide one? is it the kind like an old service station had that roll into a small roll above the door?

the diagram looks wider than 22',which would be closer to 21' on the inside. a shop shrinks about 25% after you get settled in. :roll: I think mine is about 19' on the inside. & it is cramped with one skinny car with all my junk.
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Jims65cyclone
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Re: Car Lift

Post by Jims65cyclone »

The garage is 22 ft wide. It's drawn with a 16 ft wide single raise up door that would have 5 horizontal panels to make it about 9 ft tall. That leaves about 3 ft on either side of the door. With the single post lift, I could drive into garage at the center of the doorway, parking in the middle of the garage and leaving plenty of room on either side to have both doors open and work around the car.
poboyjo65 wrote:
Wed Dec 02, 2020 9:44 pm
a shop shrinks about 25% after you get settled in. :roll:
:lol: :lol: I have that problem now with the original garage attached to the house. It's the same dimensions with the same width door, and with all the junk I've got stored along either wall it's very crowded with two cars parked in there. When I need to work on a car now, I pull both of the cars out of the garage and pull the one I need to work on into the center. That leaves plenty of space on either side, so I expect the same with the new garage. The PLAN is for the new garage to be dedicated to the Comet except when I need to work on one of the other cars, which is primarily oil changes and brake jobs, so the Comet will normally be parked near the center. The drawing just shows items that would be "permanently" located, and doesn't show items like an engine hoist or engine stand that would be moved around or folded for storage. It shows an ideal situation that probably won't stay like that, but I'm thinking I'll be OK for space, even with the shrinkage factor. Anyway, I'm stuck with the footprint because the carport is attached to the house and shares a roof with the current garage. Making it any bigger would be a MAJOR project. :shock:

Jim
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