Help on specific car lift brands please

[billschroeder5842]

Please give me some (specific) brand recommendations for a 4 post car lift.

I started a similar post a few weeks ago and with the ZR1 Forum help have decided to go forward with a garage lift. Last week I put on new garage doors and had them raised all the way to the ceiling. I have about 10 feet of height. Now I'm in search for a car lift!

I've done reading on line and reviews and am frankly more confused than ever.

What "I think" I need:
*I need a set up for "the hobbyist" as I'll do storage and light repairs
*4 post, casters for movement/repositioning and with 110 electric
(I'd like to get one of those car lifts that slide on the rack
*I did the measuring and the smaller of the "hobbyist" options is a better fit for my garage
* I'll be storing/lifting/working on Corvettes with an occasional Ram 1500,

I did not realise there are so many to choose from and they (mostly) appear similar in form and function. While money is always a factor, safety and "total ease" of use/function will win the day. I'd like to buy American if possible.

Does any one have recommendation (from users please) on where to start?

Thanks!

[TX '90 ZR1]

Hey Bill,
When I had auto dealerships I always used Bendpak. Both 2 & 4 posts. With all sorts of yahoo mechanics using them I thought it best to pay the price for supposedly the best and have them professionally installed.
I decided a while back to get one for my personal use and started the search. Called Greg Smith Eq. just to get info and ended up buying one before I got off the phone. The sales guy assured me that the Atlas PP8S (Garage Pro 8000) would be more than adequate for my needs. I use it for my ZR-1 and every now and then for a 1/2 ton PU.
It is 110V/120V, has casters, etc. I was looking for these features as I wanted to be able to move it around the shop.
The lift has worked fine for my needs.
There is a warehouse in Arlington, so you are close enough to go have a look. They will deal on price also. I got mine for $2,200 total delivered to my location. For this price I just had to give it a try and have not been disappointed.
Give me a shout if you have any questions.
See Ya,

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

Swallow hard, bite your tongue, then pull out the Platinum Card.

Call Backyard Buddy, pay the man.

Enjoy your life, car, lift and garage.

End of Story.

Other lifts are fine, nothing wrong with them, but if you want to NEVER have a concern about your lift or your safety or that of the car above and below, go with the BYB.
If you are happy with OK or Fine, then OK Fine!

Get the drip pans.
Order the extended ramps!!!
Get the bridge.
I go with household current not 220, as I prefer the more relaxed up and down times the 110 gives you. Lets you keep an eye on everything as it is happening.
The smaller one accommodates your ZR-1, but the bigger one is much easier to drive on as the added width gives you more room to "miss" and still be fine.
Go with the higher lift height either way, even with the 10 ft. ceiling, or learn to walk bent legged if you work below.

You car will be over your head.
Don't let your wallet limit and determine your safety.
Open it further and enjoy the extra safety that you paid for.

Marty

[Stingray1967]

Here is another question on lifts. Has anyone had a FAILURE and if so what brand?

[WARP TEN]

Hi Bill--

I think I responded to your last inquiry but I will do so again. There are quite a few pictures of my four post installation in my albums section. If you click on each picture to enlarge, you will see some descriptive captions about almost all of them.

But here's the story. Installed a ProPark Direct lift 8S (subsidiary of Rotary) in 2012 (when I owned my '95 ZR-1). Has worked perfectly for all the needs you described, except I am no longer doing much work on my cars. Back then the cost was about $2,200 for the lift, $900 for delivery and installation by the seller in Wisconsin, plus $90 for a right angle motor mounting bracket to produce more room on the side of the lift for me to get by. My guess is that if this model is not available now there are plenty of decent similar four post lifts out there. Dealer proximity to you would be an important consideration in brand selection. I did not want to install it myself.

I did a lot of research at the time to try to find a moderate priced four poster that maximized the width under the list while minimizing the width on the outside to provide as much room for my wife's car as possible. One huge advantage I had is that our duplex came with an 18' wide double door (instead of the usual 16') which allowed for the lift to be placed comfortably left of the garage center line. The bad news is that the door opening height is only 7', whereas they are usually built at 8' these days, so to get it out I will need to have it dismantled. But that is a problem for my heirs.

My garage is 21' x 21' inside with a 10' height (about 9-10" a the front and about 10' at the door due to floor slope). I have a four foot tall car (Corvette) and a five foot tall car (BMW 5 Series) so 10' is just enough, but I had to have the garage tracks raised to within about 5"-6" of the ceiling to get the door high enough. I installed the lift close to the overhead door to provide room at the front for a refrigerator, tool chest, compressor,shelves, etc. The result of this is that the ramps have to be outside the garage to remove the cars (but if I am going to remove them the door has to be open anyway). My wife still has room for shelves and a garden work table on the side of her car. Strongly recommend buying 15 lb. Race Ramps (about $325 then) and tossing the 70 lb. steel ramps that came with the lift. I removed the central ceiling mounted door opener and replaced it with a Liftmaster 3800 jackshaft opener. I used the central ceiling electrical outlet to run surface mounted conduit on the ceiling for duplexes for the opener in one corner and for the lift motor/pump and float chargers over the lift so I did not have to have power cords running from some side outlet. Pretty simple to do.

My criteria for purchase besides the size thing was that I wanted a moderate priced lift and did not want to depend on a compressor for the safety catches like the BendPack. Many have found the BendPak to be a great lift; I was happy with the dual mechanical safety catches on the Pro Park. After a number of incidents, I also glued some 1/4" rubber padding on the passenger side of the lift bottom and in the back to prevent painful clanging head hits or a trunk popping open and hitting the steel. The lift has been perfectly reliable and the only small item I have had was a year or so ago I noticed a very small leak on the hydraulic cylinder. It was only a drop or two a month and a replacement cylinder and labor to install was expensive, so I just check it occasionally and have a little drip pan under it. It seems to stop when the lift is used regularly anyway. The fluid fill is ATF and does not ever have to be changed. Despite the little leak I have never added any. Lift came with casters, four plastic drip pans and one steel jack tray. The lift is not bolted down and creeps ever so slightly over a period of years. I have had to re position it once in the time I have owned it; moved it back away from the door about one inch then. (I marked the floor with a sharpie on the lift foot corners when I installed it. The casters worked fine for that. It takes me about 5-7 minutes to swap cars.

I have the Corvette up for the winter from about November 1 through April 1. In the summer the BMW is up usually for about 3 weeks or more at a time if the weather is good. I put each on float chargers if they will be up for more than 3 weeks. Anyway, there is some info for you; hope it helps. If you have any questions of me about the installation and use I would be glad to talk with you if you want. Best of luck with it. --Bob

[billschroeder5842]

Originally Posted by Stingray1967

Here is another question on lifts. Has anyone had a FAILURE and if so what brand?

YIKES- Good to know!

[billschroeder5842]

Originally Posted by WARP TEN

But here's the story. Installed a ProPark Direct lift 8S (subsidiary of Rotary) in 2012 (when I owned my '95 ZR-1). Has worked perfectly for all the needs you described, except I am no longer doing much work on my cars. Back then the cost was about $2,200 for the lift, $900 for delivery and installation by the seller in Wisconsin, plus $90 for a right angle motor mounting bracket to produce more room on the side of the lift for me to get by. My guess is that if this model is not available now there are plenty of decent similar four post lifts out there. Dealer proximity to you would be an important consideration in brand selection. I did not want to install it myself.
Best of luck with it. --Bob

Thanks for the write up and photos Bob- this is directionally where I'm headed.

[billschroeder5842]

Originally Posted by TX '90 ZR1

When I had auto dealerships I always used Bendpak......

There is a warehouse in Arlington, so you are close enough to go have a look.

With Arlington so close it is hard NOT to visit the show room. Thanks for the recommendation. BTW.... I spoke with a guy from "WORTH Car lifts" from Mansfield, TX. He said an 8 week wait time.....

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

https://steelvalleylifts.com/product...rd-buddy-lift/

Sale!
Marty

[hiperf406]

I would not buy anything less than a 9000# hoist, it will give you a larger safety factor. It's better to be a little bigger than a little undersized.