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Best 2 Post Lift for Home Garage/Shop |
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Toydawg 
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Joined: 20 June 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 953 |
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 Topic: Best 2 Post Lift for Home Garage/ShopPosted: 08 February 2022 at 8:41am |
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I'm building a shop/garage at our new home in MS, and I'm at the stage for selecting my lift. I've pretty much narrowed it down to a 2 post lift because I think those best suit my needs. Primary vehicles on the lift would be Toyota 4x4s; but want it large/strong enough to handle a Suburban or 2500HD size vehicle should the need arise. I can also see using it on small farm type tractors and SXSs and ATVs. Any one have any recommendations for good brands/models, or brands/models to avoid? Hope all are doing well, I'm still planning going on some rides if we can ever get my shop completed and maybe get a new heavier duty tow vehicle. My 1999 Z71 didn't like towing the '84 Toyota almost 300 miles...
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1984 Toyota pickup, locked 5.29s, dual cases, Longfields, 22R with low range cam and header.
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98TJ
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RCRC Club Treasurer Joined: 10 May 2005 Location: Maysville, Madison County Status: Offline Points: 8390 |
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Posted: 08 February 2022 at 9:39am |
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I've never owned a 2-post car lift, but if I get one it will likely be a Bendpac. I thought I might want an asymmetrical lift, but John and Doc have convinced me I need a HD wide symmetrical lift.
I would stay away from any chinese junk or lifts with the connector strip/cable running across the floor instead of across the top. Edited by 98TJ - 08 February 2022 at 9:45am |
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1998 TJ 4.0 5spd Atlas 36" Swampers RE4.5 ARB's 44/44
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83K10
RCRC Club & Business Member 
Joined: 17 February 2004 Location: Huntsville, AL Status: Offline Points: 3174 |
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Posted: 08 February 2022 at 7:05pm |
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Rotary, Bendpac, Atlas, and Mohawk all make nice lifts. I've worked on asymmetric lifts a good bit. They are ok for cars. Jeeps and trucks suck to deal with on them. I much prefer and bought a symmetric lift. One reason i like them is you can load a vehicle on them backwards to swap an engine. Usually there is a workbench in front of the lift. This is great for most things but usually in the way for an engine pull. I bought an Atlas OH10x. Its a 10,000 lb extra wide extra tall. A lot of the 'normal' sized lifts i can't stand up all the way under them. It's really nice when it goes up tall enough if you are going to be under it all day. I just put a clutch in Samantha's Subaru last weekend. It was real nice to not hit my head on the car. I have picked up her dodge 3500 crew cab with an 8 ft bed. It handles it fine but I would want a bigger lift for anything larger truck wise. You do not want a baseplate lift. They suck a lot. The baseplate is always in the way.
You'll find you will end up buying other things to go along with your lift. A lift oil drain is really nice. Lincoln makes some really good ones that pump out using shop air. Also a transmission jack is kinda necessary. An adjustable pole jack is also kinda hard to do without. Whatever lift you get, make sure you can get truck frame adapters. Lifts are stupid expensive at the moment and hard to get. I looked up my lift the other day when John Ballentine was looking. Its $5900 for it with no accessories. I think I paid about $3200 for mine.
Edited by 83K10 - 08 February 2022 at 7:12pm |
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Toydawg
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Joined: 20 June 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 953 |
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Posted: 08 February 2022 at 8:12pm |
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Thanks for the insights, I have no real experience with lifts and this helps me know some specific features to look for. I'm going to my stepfather's friend's shop tomorrow, he has 4-5 lifts and bought a couple pretty recently. I hope to get his recommendations not only on model and size, but on a 'local' dealer that is good to work with. It does seem like prices have gone up significantly recently, but when I looked around a few months ago I was just trying to get a general feel for the prices. Thanks again
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1984 Toyota pickup, locked 5.29s, dual cases, Longfields, 22R with low range cam and header.
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98TJ
RCRC Club Member
RCRC Club Treasurer Joined: 10 May 2005 Location: Maysville, Madison County Status: Offline Points: 8390 |
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Posted: 08 February 2022 at 8:30pm |
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Everything is going up. Check out current pricing on Miller welders. It's way more than the 7% we are being told.
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1998 TJ 4.0 5spd Atlas 36" Swampers RE4.5 ARB's 44/44
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83K10
RCRC Club & Business Member
Joined: 17 February 2004 Location: Huntsville, AL Status: Offline Points: 3174 |
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Posted: 09 February 2022 at 6:06am |
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Part is inflation. Part is rising costs of metal and other production costs.
One feature you really want is lock release by the rack controls.
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alabamatoy
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I dont work here anymore... Joined: 16 February 2004 Location: Signal Mountain Status: Offline Points: 9369 |
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Posted: 09 February 2022 at 8:46am |
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Mine is a Bendpak 10K symmetric lift, this one: https://www.bendpak.com/car-lifts/two-post-lifts/xpr-10xls/ They have a pretty good set of guides here. Make sure that you have adequate prep of the floor for the lift. Bendpak has a document which clearly outlines the requirements for the floor. You will need 220VAC for the lift, and I put a 110V outlet on the lift itself, you are always needing to power a drill or a light or whatever. My Architect friend who drew up the shop included the bendpak requirements and the floor concrete guy did it right. Also, consider getting a tall lift if you can. My F250 requires that for me to be able to walk under the truck on the lift without it hitting the overhead e-stop with the top of the truck or me bashing my bald head on the undercarriage. Some modern trucks have very rounded frames (I think I read that Chevy is worst) and have been known to slide off the pucks, so you may need the u-shaped lift-arm pads to be safe. Many late model cars are beginning to require unique pads for use with a lift. John fabricated some for me for my 911. Get the correct size ratcheting wrench for the post cable. Mine needed adjustment after lifting a few vehicles because the cables stretch and one side is slightly higher than the other. Mine requires a 27MM wrench. It can be done with a simple wrench, but its a pain, you can only turn the adjustment bolt about 1 bolt-flat at a time. Socket wont work, no clearance. PS - be careful what coating you get on your concrete shop floor. I got the wrong one, although it was recommended by the concrete guy, its crap. Gasoline, brake cleaner, probably other stuff will turn the coating into a sticky gooey mess. I changed the fuel filter in Kari's 4Runner the other day and had some towels on the floor to catch the dribbles, and forgot them there. A few hours later the towels were pretty firmly glued to the floor. At some point, I will refinish the center of my shop floor where vehicles are, probably in an epoxy coating of some kind. HTH
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"If you didnt buy your 1st gen 4Runner new, then YOU are a newbie!!"
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alabamatoy
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I dont work here anymore... Joined: 16 February 2004 Location: Signal Mountain Status: Offline Points: 9369 |
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Posted: 09 February 2022 at 9:00am |
I bought directly from bendpak. They shipped to a freight yard where I picked it up. The freight yard forked it onto my trailer. It weighed somewhere around 1500bs IIRC. I have a friend who buys and sells and installs lifts as a side business, he is in Murfreesboro, Tn if you want his contact info. I had him install my lift. Its not hard to do, but having never done it before, I am glad I did. At this point, though, having seen it done, I would not be afraid to do the installation myself. You will need either several guys at once or a tractor or forklift to place and then raise each post into position. They are about 600lbs each. You will need a hammerdrill and the correct size bit to drill the holes in the concrete, and no, you do NOT set the post mounting pins in wet concrete. Bendpak says in their installation instructions that not following the instructions voids the warranty, so I drilled holes in my brand new concrete floor. This also means that you need some substantial time between finishing the floor and installing the lift for the concrete to cure sufficiently. You will need the wiring at least roughed-in prior to install so that the hydraulic pump can be run and bled once its installed.
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"If you didnt buy your 1st gen 4Runner new, then YOU are a newbie!!"
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Toydawg
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Joined: 20 June 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 953 |
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Posted: 10 February 2022 at 7:43am |
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Thanks for sharing your lessons learned, insights and links; hopefully I can take advantage and avoid my usual method of learning lessons the hard way.
My builder's foreman was talking about a latex coating, yours may be similar. I used a DIY epoxy (from Lowes/Home Depot) on my shop in Madison; coating worked well until I overlooked a puddle of brake fluid. DIY was a lot of work, not sure I want to go that route on this shop. Might just do some sections.
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1984 Toyota pickup, locked 5.29s, dual cases, Longfields, 22R with low range cam and header.
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Recon
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Joined: 10 April 2017 Location: New Market Status: Offline Points: 588 |
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Posted: 11 February 2022 at 2:31pm |
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The cheap lifts are as much as the better ALI certified lifts used to be. It sucks but it probably put me getting a lift a year out now. Hopefully the market stabilizes some. As far as concrete sealant goes I am looking at Ghostshield. Its expensive though.
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1988 YJ 33s locker-down
1996 F150 4inch lift 33s 2005 6.0 F250 35s 2020 Gladiator 35s 2005 TJ 33s Lockers |
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83K10
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Joined: 17 February 2004 Location: Huntsville, AL Status: Offline Points: 3174 |
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Posted: 11 February 2022 at 6:54pm |
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Some of the Ali lifts were the same exact lift with an Ali placard for $2000 more. Talk about an insurance scam...
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Recon
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Joined: 10 April 2017 Location: New Market Status: Offline Points: 588 |
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Posted: 12 February 2022 at 2:26pm |
That's true. All that extra money for a little plate attached. Insurance is a scam.
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1988 YJ 33s locker-down
1996 F150 4inch lift 33s 2005 6.0 F250 35s 2020 Gladiator 35s 2005 TJ 33s Lockers |
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Toydawg wrote: