Lift recommendations?
 

My wife surprised me with an offer to buy me the garage lift I've talked about for a couple of years. I'm just starting my research but would be grateful for suggestions from the group.

I have a nice high ceiling garage (2-car) with plenty of room for a 4-post if that's the best approach. I need something that will securely lift everything from a little 986 to a 955 CTTS and everything in between. What do you have, why do you like it, and what don't you like about it?

Thanks in advance,
Matt

You will need 12-14 ft over head for a full lift. I prefer BenPak, have both 6 and 9K twin posts, which will cover anything from a Mine to the largest SUV/pickup.

Thanks. I have 18' ceilings so loads of room. I'm looking at the Bendpak GP-7 right now but am open to their scissor options also.

Have a look at Twin Busch.
German made distributed out of Las Vegas

I have one and it works fine for everything from the Boxster to my Silverado (though the thought of all that mass up there is somewhat spooky.)

If you look carefully, though it appears to be German, it's made in China.

[QUOTE=Newsguy;619297]I have one and it works fine for everything from the Boxster to my Silverado (though the thought of all that mass up there is somewhat spooky.)

If you look carefully, though it appears to be German, it's made in China.[/QUO

What type of work do you plan to do in the future on the lift ? Most would argue the best lift to do real work is a 2 post . The reason is it lifts high enough and is open enough underneath the car to do ALL maintenance . Next would be a 4 post with the accessory jack plate/s , this allows the car to be " jacked up " from the 4 post ramps so suspension/brake work can be performed . More work than a 2 post but not crazy difficult . Last in my opinion is a scissor lift . Certainly better than jack stands and a creeper but they really only lift high enough to do suspension/brake work while you sit in a chair . Yes you can do oil changes and exhaust/engine work but you have to be laying on your back to do so .

In my previous garage I had a scissor lift recessed into the concrete , I liked it much better than using a jack with jackstands but quickly got tired of its limitations . In our retirement home which we live in now fulltime my man cave has a Ammco 2 post 7K lift I bought used , the Ammco is a rebranded Challenger lift . I absolutely love it and for $900.00 couldn't pass it up . In hindsight knowing then what I know now I would have looked for a 9K as my current lift is not rated for my extended cab diesel dually pickup which weighs in at around 7300 lbs. per the counties scale .

Last but not least is safety !!! First off do you know how thick your concrete pad is ? Is the concrete fiberglass reinforced or have rebar/mesh in it ? I don't think ANY lift manufacturer will recommend their lift with anything less than 4 " of concrete thickness . With a 2 post lift most will recommend at least one if not two high lift jack stands/supports just to be extra safe . It helps stop the " high in the air wiggle " that gets your attention every time you lift a vehicle . Good luck with your search and it sounds like your wife is a keeper !!! :D

Benpak seems to be the preferred lift. When it comes to 2 vs 4 post lift, most people prefer the 2 post. I personally prefer the four, for the following reasons.
1) Just drive the vehicle on and you're ready to start working
2) I can move the lift anywhere in my shop. No need to bolt it to the floor or worry how thick the concrete is
3) The ramps make a great place for holding tools, parts, nuts and bolts
4) Full access to the underneath of the vehicle
5) It can make a great height adjustable workbench when needed
6) No worries about dinging a door when get in and out of the vehicle
7) No worries about the vehicle falling off
I've never had any issues performing suspension or brake repairs. I use scissor jacks when I need to lift a wheel. I did have to notch my lift so a Porsche motor could fit through the middle though.
In a perfect world, I'd own both a 2 and 4 post lift

Also a four post can serve as storage lift without hanging your suspension.

My son got this installed a couple weeks ago:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1593606114.jpg

It's early, but he seems really happy with it. At his invitation to basically use it anytime he's not, I took the Box out there last Sunday to flush brakes and clutch. (I didn't think to snap a pic with it up on the lift.) Needless to say, it was quite a bit easier to do than the last time I did them. :D:D

what is that in the air? Leaning towards an FRS?

How do you like the BRZ? Any experience with it in snow?

FRS. Not mine, the kid's. He likes it a lot, especially since he's done some work on it.

Amazingly underpowered stock (which he knew when he bought it), he threw an Edelbrock supercharger on it. THEN he tuned it to run E85. Unless he decides to allow me, I can no longer hang with him in the Boxster. Takes it to the local road course (Nelson Ledges), has a good time with it, though he puts the brakes to the test there on a regular basis. Also wants to get more rubber in the back—breaks loose VERY easily if he's into the accelerator on any kind of curve. In a couple weeks he's going give Mid-Ohio a try for the first time.

Like me and the Boxster, he doesn't drive it once the snowflakes fly. Even if he was so inclined, it would be insanely hard to keep the front in front of the back in the snow :rolleyes:

I have the 9k model as I had my diesel Super Duty when I bought it. I also got the extra wide version. No issue dropping the engine out the bottom of the Boxster that way. Sucks to do brake/suspension work (need to get the jack plate ordered) but I would not trade it for a 2 post personally. Drive on and up you go. No need to worry about center of gravity or having the car fall off the front once you take the engine weight off the back. I've seen too many videos of that happening.:eek: