Question for you guys with 4 post lifts...

Gus Strakes

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I'm thinking about getting a four post lift in my garage. The garage door company I use can get the rails to 10' 2" off the ground, making the lowest point of the door 116" from the floor when it is raised. This should probably stack two cars, but will it allow me a resaonable clearance to work on the car underneath to do oil changes or whatever? I think it would be but not sure. By the way I'm 6'3". I have ceiling room to go to 12'+, but the modifications to the garage door become much more costly.
 

GR8_ASP

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That is pretty close to what I did and it has worked out well.
 

RedGTS

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The extra rail and an extra row or two of panels to make the door run up near your 12' ceiling shouldn't add more than $200-300 to your install at most, and it will be well worth the money for the extra clearance. If someone is giving you the "you've got to have a different kind of garage door opener, etc. etc. it'll be $1k or more" I would talk to some more door companies. I had mine converted to work with my 12' ceiling and all they had to do was add a few feet of board up the wall to attach the extra rail to and add a couple of extra rows of panels so that the lift mechanism still attached to the top of the now much taller door (you can't see the additonal panels from the outside because the door opening is 7', but you can see them against the wall on the inside), and then mount the same opener I had as close to the ceiling as they could. I think the whole conversion cost me around $500, and I can use the full extension of my lift.
 

Ron

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Same here, $300 to add the panels and rails. Kept standard opener but Lowe's has a cost effective full clearance solution for under $200 as I remember.
 

Joseph Dell

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I only have 9ft ceilings w/ a 4 post lift. no problems at all. I could stack 2 vipers if I had them, but the viper on top w/ an SUV on the bottom is out of the question.

The garage door opener that saved me a ton of space was the Wayne Dalton I-Drive door opener. Costs the same as a regular opener except that it mounts right over the garage door AND doesn't require a rail across the middle of the ceiling. that makes a heck of a differece in head clearance.

Good luck!

JD
 

Marc Lublin

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I have to go home and measure my ceiling, but I was able to stack two of them by keeping the positioning the top viper so the opener just touched part of the windshield, but I had to detach the arm for the electric opener. The top viper wasn't going to be used for a while and it was winter so the bottom one didn't go out all that much either. It was pretty weird driving underneath since there was only about 3/4" clearance. I know this isn't what you are looking for, just thought I'd share that anything can work. With that said, even with my low ceiling, working under the car was never a problem, plenty of height. I actually prefer to work sitting down anyway, so I keep a bridge chair in my garage and lower the car to the correct height.
 

95Viper

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You're talking to the wrong people about your opener. There are many inexpensive solutions.
 

AJT

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I'm still dealing with garage door crap! Good luck finding a good door company that will not try to sell you everything new.
 

scottgf

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Please keep the ideas coming in...I am just getting ready to modify an existing garage, or actually have a new one built and need ideas for the 4 post I am going to have..
Cheers,
 

Ron

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Watching them modify my garage door made me realize that it's not rocket science. Could have easily done myself if I had the parts.
 

AJT

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Mine is supposed to be done today 9:00am. I will post some pics if the idiots get it done???? I have been trying to get this done for over 3 weeks! I feel lucky if the guy even shows up, man am I in the wrong business!
 

Jack B

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A little insight into working with reduced clearance. My ceiling height is 10'2". If I take the car all the way up you have to stoop and this is not workable at all. It is much easier to take it up four feet and use a creeper chair with a back. This is comfortable and the back never gets tired. Even if I had unlimited height, I would still use the four foot working position and the creeper chair.

I would also recommend getting the jack plate just in case you want to lift both rear or front wheels off the deck. You will find the viper mechanical oem jack is nice to lift one wheel off the deck, you can then use a short hydraulic bottle jack and the jack plate to lift the other side. You can also use two short bottle jacks to lift the front or back completely off the deck if you have the jack plate. I have been looking for a short vertical height air bottle jack, but, cannot find one that is short enough to work.

If anyone has an Eagle lift, I have an extra jack plate that is available for no charge if it is picked up.
 
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Gus Strakes

Gus Strakes

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Since I won't be stacking with an SUV, I think I'll go with the 116" clearance option. I like the idea of using a creeper chair. Thanks all, for great input.
 

Ray R

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I'm 6'4", and my garage ceiling is 8.5'. I can stack two cars, as long as they're viper-like. I love the chair creeper for changing oil, as well as other maintenenace and detailing. I recently bought my second Viper; an '02 RT/10. I was able to remove the rear differential for a gear change, change the exhaust, detail the undercarriage, etc., without back-ache or head-ache. That 4-post lift is the best tool I ever bought. Even for waxing/polishing. You always get to do the work at eye-height. Call me lazy, but at 45 yrs old, I just can't bend for hours and hours like I used to. Probably the most difficult decision was 2-post vs 4-post. A 2-post MUST be bolted securely to the floor. A 4-post can be portable. A 2-post allows you to do suspension, brake, and wheel/tire work without a separate jack. With a 4-post, you have to use a separate jack. But you get to position that separate jack with your car already in the air. With a 4-post, you don't have to worry about placing the lift pads in the right position so as to not damage the frame or body. With most 2-post lifts, you also have to worry about limited clearance when opening the car's doors.

Anyway, as you can tell, both have advantages/disadvantages. My advice - If you do a lot of brake, wheel, or suspension work, go with a 2-post. Otherwise, a 4-post is the ticket. Either way, I'll bet you're back on this message board in a few weeks in disbelief that you lived without a lift for so long!
 

ERDOC

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I will probably be purchasing a 2 post lift soon and also need to make mods to my garage door setup. Any issues with the springs and suspension etc. over weeks at a time?
 

eViperate

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I am looking to purchase 2 4posts lifts to contain my vehicles. I have a 14 foot ceiling height.

What manufacturer provides a safe and reasonably priced system? I want quality but don't want to spend more than $6k for the entire setup.

Any suggestions?
 

AJT

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Hey AJT,
Did the door guys show up??? How did it come out???

More info please, I am soaking it up like a sponge>>>
Cheers,

HECK NO! didn't even call! I just got off the phone with the mgr. & he said he was going to take care of it. I would never give them another chance except I can not find anyone else to do it.


eviperate:
Check out this thread. I bought one & think it is a great lift. Look at the link from first post to the company that rates lifts, I think it is called "ALI"


http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB14&Number=422084&Forum=All_Forums&Words=4126&Match=Username&Searchpage=6&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=422070&Search=true#Post422084

Andy
 
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