[TTschwing]

It is freestanding and has a lift of 48". No garage prep needed other than some approach ramps for low cars. It is very versatile and will lift a wide variety of cars. I happen to have 5 so this was important. There is a separate electro hydraulic unit that operates the hydraulics with safety locks at several points. Hit this link and scroll down to "shack shots" to see more pics ...
http://public.fotki.com/ttschwing/