Well it is time to order a lift for the new garage that I am building.

I think that I want a 2 post assysmetrical rather than a drive on as it is more versatile.

From looking at a jillion online ads the Bend-Pak seems to be a very high quality and a semi-resonable price ($2,000+)

The 7,000 lb unit with Speed ramps http://www.bendpak.com/product_info.isg?products_id=743 looks good.

Anyone have any dissenting views or some hard data that I've overlooked?

I had heard of a 2 post lift that also had a drive on attachment but I haven't found it does anyone know about that one?

The garage is 32' x 50' with 12' wall height so room isn't much of an issue.

 

Have I mentioned that I hate your for being about to get a lift?

 

I'm not sure my dropped S could clear those pads at 4" minimum height. Maybe, though, I haven't actually measured but the lift points stick down a bit and 4" will be tight on any lowered S.

 

 

Well other than the hate mail, which I will just have to get used to, anyone else have any constructive information for me. I have had to live with a less than 1 car garage for 14 years so I am (over) compensating.

I am really hurt, I was intending to invite everyone over to use it when they wanted to.

The 4" issue has me worried as well, but I am thinking that speed ramp set up might make things work.

Who wouldathunk that 4" would ever be too much?

Once upon a time I couldn't get an Ultralite aligned because we couldn't get it on the alignment rack and since one of those will be parked in the garage as well it has me worried. Unfortunately I haven't found a lift with lower than a 3 3/4" pad height.

 

haha we arnt hating. just jealous i know nothing about these things so i cant comment. one thing tho, if you use a speed ramp to get on the pads, how would you get off of them?

 

The ramp becomes the "lifting pad" and once you put it back on the ground your wheels touch and you drive it off.

I am thinking that with the speed ramps if the car was too low then I could put a 2" x 6" in front of and behind the ramp for the car to drive on. This should raise it high enough to clear the speed ramp should it prove to be too high

With plain pads you would have to tilt or jack the side of the car slightly to put the pads underneath if you car is too low.

I am not sure many street cars would have a problem since otherwise they would offer a low rider kit, but I am not sure about race cars.

 

You know what would be cool? If you got the lifting parts recessed into the ground so you can just drive right over and lift without any problems.

 

That's just exactly what I had been thinking about. The only issue is that now you have something to stumble over when you are under the car and it becomes a problem when you are rolling things under the car, but the ease of loading I think would overcome those issues.

But that would presume I could get some very accurate measurements from the manufacturer because I really can't get the lift until I have a building to put it in and I can't accurately build the recess without already having the lift. See the quandry?

I am only about 2 weeks away from beginning construction so I really need to be able to make a decision very soon but there are so many choices now that without getting some feedback from someone who has actually used one of the many brands out there I will be buying blind.

Has no one used a lift that can give me some gotchas to watch out for?

About the only thing I know is that some are very noisy and some don't lock until you reach about 3' high. Hydraulic units are messy and chain drive units are cheaper but noisier and are more prone to wear, plus breaking the chain scares me.

I pretty much eliminated the 4 posters from consideration because although they are easy to load the car, they require you to jack it up on the lift to do any work that needs the wheels removed.

 

This scissors-lift model looks like a pretty good alterrnative.