What are car lifts and what do they do?
A car lift is a versatile and valuable tool for a restomodder, mechanic, or business owner. One that saves time and offers safety features for working on many types of automobiles. In fact, there are various varieties of vehicle lifts, each with different uses and applications. For example, Two-post, four-post, scissor, and in-ground lifts are the primary types of lifts. So, without further adieu, we present “Car Lifts: Making Life Simpler For Restomod Car Guys Everywhere”.
Categories
Each category has its positively used features and its own drawbacks. We’ll examine each one and what it can provide someone who wants to buy one for their garage or shop. So expert technicians and restomod owners/builders may make an informed selection on a car lift.
Car lifts are mechanisms that elevate cars off the ground. Either to reach the vehicle’s underside for maintenance or repairs or to double a shop or garage’s storage capacity. There is a lift that will fulfill a person’s needs for whatever occasion.
What are the uses of each type of car lift’s unique features? What are its drawbacks?
The 2-Post Lift:
The first type of lift to choose from is the 2-post car lift. And, this type is exactly what it claims to be. A set of posts connected by a crossbar or platform spreads the posts apart but also holds them together. To utilize the lift, slowly move the vehicle between the two posts. Then, center it over the crossbar or platform and the posts line up on each side.
Then, the lift mechanism – usually a hydraulic cylinder powered by an electric motor’s engaged, and the crossbar/platform lift the car from below or arms from each post hoist it by the frame from the sides.
Crossbar or Platform Lift
The crossbar or platform version restricts access to some maintenance or repair jobs because of the way there is a solid piece crossing from one post to the other, that is used to lift the vehicle. While variants with shorter arms hold the car by reaching to two locations from each post, just far enough in to support the frame.
This second style allows access to more underbody components but sacrifices stability. That doesn’t mean they’re more dangerous; it only means jobs requiring a lot of torque will move the car on the lift.
The two-post lift is great for smaller garages or shops that have limited floor space. This is because they tend to be shorter in length than their four post counterparts. Installing and fastening them must be done permanently/semi-permanently to ensure safety. So, a lessee may need the approval to add anchoring to the concrete floor.
The four post lift:
The second type of car lift option is the 4-post lift. This consists of four posts connected by a framework of beams on the ground that make up an “H” shape. To operate a vehicle is driven in between the set’s posts and over a ground-based platform. Arms support the car by the wheels, but for storage lifts, it’s a whole platform.
Most folks want a four-post lift that supports the vehicle’s wheels. It provides more stable support and access to a vehicle’s underside. Bigger shops with the extra space for these lifts should choose them if they can afford the increase above 2-post models. This one enables more repair possibilities, can carry heavier and bigger automobiles and doesn’t require permanent anchors in the shop floor.
This type of lift can come in regular or heavy-duty sizes. The regular can lift any typical car or small to medium size truck, while the heavy-duty can lift nearly any size of vehicle. They can help by lifting everything from large commercial trucks to buses and RVs. The cost of these super-sized and super-strength lifts can run quite high, but if a shop owner wants to be able to service any type of vehicle, then spending a little extra on the heavy-duty model would be a wise investment.
The Scissor Lift:
Another widely popular deign of car lift is a scissor lift. This design of car lift folds flat into car lift ramps that lie flat on the ground of a garage or shop. Then, a vehicle drives until centered over the top of the car lift ramps body and finally they can engage the lift mechanism. Slowly the lifting by supporting either the frame or the wheels – depending on model, raising it up until it engages either the wheels or the frame, depending on design, and begins to raise the vehicle.
They can hoist a car to varying heights, from roughly three feet to overhead. Because the lifting mechanism is under the automobile, no one can stand directly beneath it or quickly access undercarriage components.
By Popular Demand
This type of lift is most often chosen by private car guys, who want a lift that fits inside their home garage and that they can park their Mopar or restomod project, or prized possession – if a finished project – over the top of when not in use. This feature saves space over the post model lifts and meets the niche of those who are just looking for something to lift their vehicles in their home garage for working on and maintaining those vehicles.
In Ground Lift
These were at one time the industry standard for serious mechanic garages and shops. Their hidden build makes them highly attractive because they remove the need to have objects out on the shop floor. This is because they fully retract into the floor itself until someone would have to pretty much be standing on top of it to notice that it was there.
These types of lifts are usually operated by a scissor or similar mechanism used to do the actual lifting. They can hold a vehicle by the frame or by the wheels depending on design. Many major garages have moved away from them over the years though because they were deemed to not be very environmentally friendly due to oil leaks in the lifting mechanisms.
EPA Weighs In
For a while, the EPA even stepped in and required owners of this type of lift to install a special leakproof barrier underneath them to prevent oil and other contaminants from seeping into groundwater supplies. Although, recently new nontoxic-based hydraulic versions have begun to hit the market and these may be set to be poised to make a comeback.
Their biggest drawback is cost. They are approximately double the price tag of similar post or platform style lifts. This price tag has made them mainly only used by mechanics shops and professionally operated garages.
Parting Thoughts
So now you can go forward and be informed as to the different types of car lifts, whether you were looking to buy and install one in your home garage to work on your restomod, or you are a professional getting ready to outfit your own shop or garage, you have a better idea of the advantages and drawbacks of each different type of car lift out there.
In order to make an educated decision as to which type best suits your situation, space, budget, and needs. There is the perfect lift out there just for you, and now you know where to begin and have narrowed down your search.
Related Questions:
- How much does it cost to install a car lift?
The price to install a car lift does depend on which kind of car lift you’re installing. A two-post portable car lift for example, probably won’t involve modifications to cement flooring. A conventional two-post automobile lift installation costs $500 and a four-post lift costs $1000. In-ground car lifts are the most expensive, costing up to $10,000.
- How much is a 4 post car lift?
A four-post car lift’s price ranges depending on how many pounds it can carry. On average, a 6-7,000lb four-post car lift should cost roughly $3,000.
- How high does a garage have to be for a lift?
The optimal height you should have for your garage is about 11-12 feet of clearance for a new car lift.
