Four Post Lift suggestions

[Robert May Eng.]

Bob -- I don't know if I've seen the beams you are talking about. Could you point to a picture that shows how they work?

Thanks.

The beams slide to the middle of the ramp and you drive on as normal. You raise the car to whatever height you want then slide the beams which run the whole length of the ramp outwards to whatever suits the car, there are turning locks on the end which dog into the posts then you let the ramp down to whatever height you want. It will go down to the floor leaving the car suspended on the mechanical catches so it 100% safe from falling as its not reliant on any of the lifting mechanisms any more. As said if you are working on any of the hubs with all four wheels off you have a very handy workbench all around the car without any jacks etc in the way. When your done just raise the ramp and the latches automatically knock off, push the beams to the middle of the car, job done. I miss mine.
We built the first 40 on my ramp and ran the beams just on the flat floor section of the chassis which was handy as we could open the doors etc which you cant do on a two post.

Bob

 

[Seymour Snerd]

I get it. Thanks much, Bob. I don't think I've seen this in the US, but now I know what to look for.

 

[Kelly]

I'd recommend you consider a sliding jack four your four post. They typically are just a hydraulic scissor jack with telescoping arms and a selection of rubber padded stands to position under car to suit. They also have positive mechanical interlocks. I have an additional slider for the rear and can quickly block the car for doing four corner work.


Best,
K

 

[Mike Tanner]

Hi Kelly,

I have been looking at a sliding jack for my four post lift as well. Can you provide me any more detail about the jack you ended up purchasing and how you lift and block one end of your car? I assume you use the sliding jack tray that came with your lift, use your sliding jack to lift the car, and then use blocking in your jack tray? Then move on to the other end of your car with the sliding jack? Any other tips or suggestions?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Robert May Eng.]

The advantage the wheels free has is that you can drop the ramp too the floor leaving access to all the suspension components unobstructed. Another ramp accessory we have here is an auxiliary hydraulic valve on the ramp to plug in pushing and lifting rams off the ramps hydraulic circuit.You can also use the same circuit to operate a hydraulic press.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Kelly,

I have been looking at a sliding jack for my four post lift as well. Can you provide me any more detail about the jack you ended up purchasing and how you lift and block one end of your car? I assume you use the sliding jack tray that came with your lift, use your sliding jack to lift the car, and then use blocking in your jack tray? Then move on to the other end of your car with the sliding jack? Any other tips or suggestions?

Thanks,

Mike

Pretty much exactly as you describe Mike. I slide the jack down to lift one end, set the one end on blocks and then just let it sit on the sliding jack with interlock engaged on the other end. Here's a Youtube video of the jack and one source. I bought a few years ago and think I only paid $375 which is half of what this site wants. I bought RJ-35 version which has plenty of capacity to lift one end of my cars. As with lifts, the same item is sold and marketed by various ditributors so prices may very. Best addition I've bought besides the lift itself.

4 Post Lift Jacks | Greg Smith Equipment Sales, Inc.

SJ-35 3,500 LB Capacity Sliding Jack for 4 Post Lifts - YouTube

Best,
Kelly

 

[Cliff Beer]

If you have the luxury of space, a 2-post and a 4-post lift in your toy box is awfully handy. I find the 4-post is great for storage and the 2-post is great for working on the car. There's some switching back and forth but boy does it make jobs easy, and also keep storage simple.

I bought a Chinese 2-post and a Chinese 4-post.....OK, shoot me for not buying American...but they're well made and I'm impressed with the quality, especially for the price. Either one picks up the 6,000lb "Holy Roller" Rolls Royce without any complaining.

This is how you get four cars, a ski boat, and a motor cycle in a three car garage.....

 

[Robert May Eng.]

One other thing I would do if I was fitting another four post lift and that would be to sink the whole ramp into the floor. A friend of mine has done it and it makes a huge difference, you wont have to mess about with the approach ramps to get a front spoilered car on and its a lot easier to push a dead one on as the runners end up level with the floor.

Bob

 

[Kelly]

One other thing I would do if I was fitting another four post lift and that would be to sink the whole ramp into the floor. A friend of mine has done it and it makes a huge difference, you wont have to mess about with the approach ramps to get a front spoilered car on and its a lot easier to push a dead one on as the runners end up level with the floor.

Bob

Bob, so when this is done, are you somehow still able to park a car under the lift?

Best,
K

 

[Robert May Eng.]

Yes you just use the two redundant approach ramps to drive down into the well, its not a big drop . Anyone with a 40 or similar would appreciate it

Bob

 

[Kelly]

Yes you just use the two redundant approach ramps to drive down into the well, its not a big drop . Anyone with a 40 or similar would appreciate it

Bob

No doubt that’s pretty handy for getting on and off a four post lift but I suppose how you view its utility depends on whether you primarily use the lift for service or storage. You’re either laying ramps to get in the pit or get on the lift; what do you do most? For me the answer is storage as a primary use and service second which I suspect might be the case for most home nonprofessional use. I need to use long ramps to get on and off the ramp so not sure I could even get in the pit with them. If my primary lift usage was service my preference might be 2-post as opposed to four but I must say, the times I’ve worked on friends two post lifts, it isn’t always possible to position the arms exactly how you’d like for CG/stability, so the car can teeter and rock about a bit when doing heavier work and that’s not exactly a comfortable feeling for me. The other consideration might be whether you ever move the lift as the pit certainly does have a certain permanence. Looks right for dedicated 4-post service use though. -To each his own. Thanks for the picture and explanation.

Best,
K

 

[Mike Tanner]

Hey Kelley. I did end up purchasing an SJ35 sliding jack for my four post lift as we had discussed here. I too am finding it a great addition to the lift itself. It allows me to get all four wheels of my GT40 off the ground at once and I can them move the lift up or down as necessary to facilitate the job I am doing on my car. Even though it cost me just north of $600 in todays dollars, I rank it very high on my list of most useful garage equipment! Thanks for your recommendation and information!

Best,

Mike

 

[Tony]

I finally have some photos. I started this thread with intention of getting a 4 post, but with a lot of research and opinions, went with a 2 post. It has been busy. A clutch in the 65 Mustang, transmission in a Corvette, Oil leak on a Cadillac, oil leak on the 40. Next is exhaust on the red jag.

 

[Ron Earp]

You made the right decision. If your inclination is more toward car work than car storage the two post is the right way to go.