Practically Classics Forum

I've had a 2 post lift for a good few years now and it's been a real help especially when doing suspension work as I hate crawling around on the floor and underneath cars. However, when I tried to put my 1 ton pickup truck on it, it's simply too narrow and awkward as the arms have to be fully extended in order to lift the car up by the frame rails. I did not feel safe and so I ended up rebuilding the front suspension on the truck by using the lift to just pickup the front of the truck and leave the back wheels on the floor.

I now need to do the front pump seal on the transmission which requires the car to go up in the air. Every shop that I've spoken to wants about $2000 for the job (because they won't agree to just to the seal itself without doing the whole transmission) so I started looking for a 4 post lift and found this beast.

The PO has had it about 7 years and never put it up. It's American made, 12,000lbs capacity and the ramps are wide enough for my dually. It will also come in handy when I get around to working on my 300SEL which has faulty air suspension that can't be diagnosed on a two post lift.

Loading it on a trailer was all kinds of fun but I expect to get a lot of good use out of it once it's setup.

ok i will admit it, i am jealous.... show lots of pics when you have set it up

Very wise purchase if you have the room for one - we fitted a two post when we extended my mates workshop and it has proved invaluable - I need something in my own workshop to get the vehicles off the ground but do not have the head room in my own workshop for a full lift - although useful for gaining underside access for me it is more about raising the lower half of the vehicle to a more comfortable working position - i.e. so that I don't have to get on my hands & knees when rubbing down or working on the lower sections of the vehicles so I am currently considering one of these which would resolve the issue http://www.cjautos.eu/product_p/cl02.htm It's air over hydraulic so I could also use it outside when I need to pressure wash a vehicle so there are no electrics effected etc - will lift 2,500 kilos and is fully mobile -any one else got a ramp / lift fitted in their workshop ?

My 2 post lift has come in really handy over the years, I bought it used from a buddy of mine and it had bad seals and a bad motor. By the time I got to rebuild the seals and the motor, I could have bought a new one but it would have been a cheaper Chinese lift and not a US made Rotary. It's quite heavy duty but not wide enough for a pick up truck with frame rails towards the center which make it awkward to lift.

If I had to choose one type of lift, it would be a 2 post because you can swing a hammer under one without having to work around the ramps. I also thought about this option which seems like a fantastic idea. It's basically designed like a pallet jack so you can take it to the car. In my mind, you can almost use this as a fork lift truck to stick cars and parts into tight spaces.

Wow! That has to qualify as one of the best ever ways to spend some money from the car budget. What a fabulous device.
I'm off to sniff around at eBay.

It's finally up, and with just one near death experience.

nice! how many cars have you got in that garage?

Too many, but i've elected to go through a purge and dismantle or sell a bunch of my project cars. I don't have enough years to fix them all.

If that red E30 is a 325i I'd be interested if you ever want to get rid. Should have a job soon!

ETA: Or is that a 5 series (E34)?

JPB wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:13 pm Wow! That has to qualify as one of the best ever ways to spend some money from the car budget. What a fabulous device.
I'm off to sniff around at eBay.

Trouble with that is is costs just as much as a permanent 4 post lift!