Considering a vehicle lift, primarily for working on my XK. The ability to remove and replace engine/transmission, front/rear suspension and fuel tank is the primary motivation.
A two-post lift (Advantage?) appears to be the logical choice. An existing two-car detached garage with concrete floor will require some modifications to accommodate the vehicle lift installation and operation. User experience for choice of lift (2 vs 4 post or other) and recommendations for minimum finished interior building dimensions would be appreciated.

Bill

 

A 4-post lift is more stable, but it lifts the tires.

A 2-post lift requires more foundation, but lifts the body or frame.

A center lift is the most convenient, but while it lifts the body or frame, there is a large amount of space under the car that is blocked by the lift itself.

If you can only have one, and can afford the cost of the base, the 2-post is by far the most versatile.

 

Thanks Sone,
GordoCatCar has an interesting solution/post in response to an "Obscure question".
Obscure question, suspect someone knows - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum
He mentions that it is a "high-rise" rather than the more common "mid-rise".


Does anyone have experience or thoughts on using a scissor type lift for engine/transmission removal?

Bill

 

If you have the room I prefer a two post lift like Sone advises above. Yes I also like the hi rise option. Helps reduce me hitting my head on the lift! Do you have enough height inside your garage? How much ceiling height do you have?
The scissor lift would be in the way when removing engine/transmission? I think those are better for wheel/brake and suspension work too.

I like 3 stage arms so you can lift narrow cars. Also like threaded adjustable adapters on all 4 lift points. Prefer the overhead bar instead of the floor one so you aren't fighting that all the time. I prefer an asymmetrical lift for better door access when a car is on the lift. Get the 220V model too. Works better than the 120V stuff.

How old are you? I ask because a lot of older guys go with a 4 post since it's simple to load a car on and you don't need to get on your hands and knees to swing the lifting arms in place. The two post lift is the most flexible/useful lift if your actually planning to do mechanic work.

You need 3.5"-4.0" thick concrete for a two, post lift. If you garage/shop was built correctly it should have adequate concrete thickness. BUT it is something to check as it's expensive to add footers if you slab is not thick enough. I also recommend getting an ALI (American Lift Institute) certified lift and they are pretty common now.

You Jaguar is not too heavy but I would get at least a 10K rated lift. I purchased a BendPack 10K two post lift and was very pleased with it but again it was my first lift and ANY lift is so much better than NO lift! Regardless of the quality of the lift. The ease of working on your car at anytime was wonderful! Of course I did seem to have more friends after I got the lift too!

But I forgot to ask? What's your budget?
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The two post is the best for mechanical work because you can do the most kinds of work with it. If you have any cars that the engine or subframe needs to come out the bottom for service, like most front-wheel drive, mid and rear-engined cars, then a 2-post is the only way to do that.

Now if all you ever do is front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, then get a 4-post lift with two trolley jacks. That way you have the convenience of the drive-on/off for quick stuff like oil changes or just inspections, but can also lift all four wheels off the ramps. I love it because when doing brake and suspension work, I raise the ramps to about 30 inches, lift the wheels off the ramps and then its like I've mounted my whole car in a vice on top of my workbench.

If you are like most car enthusiasts, you'll eventually find yourself with more cars than you really need and more than you have room for. The 4-post solves that problem by letting you stack cars on top of one another. I do that too, but then sometimes when I need to use the lift for repair, it'll be raining and something has to go outside and get wet, followed by taking time to wash it when the rain stops. If you think the ability to stack cars might be too tempting to take on too many cars, then get the two-post and save yourself a lot of time in shuffling and car-washing.

As to voltages, I believe the 110 hydraulic motor is simply going to operate slower than 220. I could have done 220 but for me its just a hobby so I put up with it. I'd twiddle my thumbs, but one is holding the button. Put the extra money toward trolley jacks. If I was in business, then absolutely I'd have paid more for the faster operation.

 

I bought a 2 post overhead, and wouldn't even consider anything else. And yes I've worked on a 4 post lift as well and it made several things more difficult. To name one try removing the whole rear end at once. Just my observations. I bought a 9000lb Atlas lift from Gregg Smith equipment out of Indianapolis Indiana, several years ago and it was $1845.00 delivered to my work, and I unloaded it with a fork lift. My boys and I assembled and installed it ourselves. I had purposely poured my Garage floor to about 6 inches where the lift was going to be. But they recommend 3+ inches of 3000lbs concrete. Which is an industry standard. So if the floor was professionally poured, It should be at least 3000lb concrete. Hope it helps

Jack

 

Clubairth1, Phil and Jack,
Thank you for sharing your experience. Two post lift details such as three stage arms with threaded adjusters for the lift points and the significance of asymmetric arms were not on my radar. I'm old enough that flexibility is a good question but blessed enough to easily crawl under cars, so that's not an issue. Concrete floor and building dimensions are in question and a bit tight but modifications are within the anticipated scope of the project. Cost is a consideration, but the first priority is function. A proper lift is something that has been a wish list item for a while.
I had not seriously considered a four-post lift but hadn't thought through the trolley and jack system either. I appreciate the idea of a very secure lift and adjustable work height.
The excess number of resident Jaguars has been achieved. I'm hoping to reduce inventory soon. My situation will resemble Jack's. Stacking is out of the question.
The photos are much appreciated. Your lift was a great investment. I anticipate that my costs will be about twice yours.
Again, thank you all for the discussion. Firsthand recommendations are always the best.

Best regards,
Bill