Light duty two post lifts for lotus storage?: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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March 9, 2010 11:27 a.m. wearymicrobe Reader
Done a bit of searching, on two post lifts for storage of cars and light wrenching. So couple of questions.
1. Does anyone make a decent light duty lift that might be a cheaper then say a BendPac 9000lb. The heaviest car I will be lifting is the viper, primarily I am looking to shove a Elise into the rafters and do basic maintenance, and do things like exhaust/brake work on the 32'.
2. Is there a rule on thick the pad it is being mounted to needs to be. Its at ~6 inches flat poured on the ground and tied the the house. Its also epoxied if that makes a difference. With my chassis level is sits about 0.09 out.
3. Can I mount the lift offset to where I want the center of the car to get me a little bit more clearance.
4. Is there a easy way to build a drip pan if I want to store the 32'.
For the lotus I am going to buy the aftermarket lift extension braces so I don't have to remove the undertray which seems to be the easiest option.
March 9, 2010 11:30 a.m. BoxheadTim HalfDork

I can't really help with a recommendation for a specific lift, but if my S1 Elise is anything to go by, make sure that you've got enough movement in the lift arms to actually get them under the chassis in a useful position.

In a friend's workshop, we couldn't move the arms far enough towards the centre (and the lifting pads close enough out to the posts) to actually lift it.
March 9, 2010 11:59 a.m. Woody UltraDork

Don't get this one:
March 9, 2010 12:04 p.m. wearymicrobe Reader

Woody wrote:

Don't get this one:

Kind of the reason that I am little scared. Apparently the aftermarket post lift points are in exactly the right place so that this will not happen. If I have to pull the undertray every time it goes up on the lift I will not buy one.
March 9, 2010 12:23 p.m. Raze HalfDork

It looks like you're in SoCal, might want a 4 poster for when the next quake hits...
March 9, 2010 2:19 p.m. carguy123 SuperDork

Also don't use a 2 post for storing a car. The full extensions of the suspension for long periods of time will cause bushing deformation or failure.
March 9, 2010 3:38 p.m. SVreX PowerDork
I store my Lotus on a 2 poster. With a car parked underneath. Not recommended, but I do it.
1. There a lot of good used ones out there cheap. Mine was a commercial duty removed from a trade school. I paid $750 and did nothing more than fill it with oil. I've had 10 years of service out of it, no problems.
2. 6 inches is generally fine. Most lifts recommend 6". Condition of the concrete is the real issue (no cracks, or deterioration)..
3. Yes.
4. Sure. Any pan will work. Suspend it from bungees at the corners, and hang it on the car.
March 9, 2010 3:39 p.m. SVreX PowerDork

One advantage to a 4 poster- they can be mounted on wheels, so the lifted vehicle can be rolled out of the way.
March 9, 2010 4:15 p.m. tr8todd New Reader

I picked up a 4 poster with wheels, three drip trays, an oil change bucket, and a steel lifting tray a couple of years ago for $1800. It's great for storing my TR8s and comes in handy working on the car. The lifting tray allows you to use a bottle jack and jack stands to lift the car once it's on the lift. The only things it didn't come with were a 5 gallon bucket of hydraulic fluid and an assortment of bottle jacks. Two of my buddies have the same lift, and a third is going to buy a couple as soon as the weather breaks and he can pour the floor in his new garage. My only regret is that I didn't cut it down before I put it together. It's bigger than I need for my small cars.
March 10, 2010 6:31 a.m. 44Dwarf HalfDork

I'm looking at this lift myself. Going to put it in my new rental garage as the place i was going to buy was blocked by the town for zoning... I would rather a 2 post but 4 post is safer for storage. And i need it to fit my F350 for oil changes etc.

http://www.completehydraulic.com/lifts-4-post-sl10000xl.html