4 post lifts

CasterTroy

CasterTroy

Faster'N You
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Wallburg
School me on 4 post lifts.

I know 2 post lifts require a thickened slab, but do 4 post? If so, what thickness of slab do they require, and at what spread?

What are some good names of 4 post lifts?

Ideally I'd LOVE to have one with the center hydraulics that also lift the vehicle so you can remove the tires, but this will be more for vehicle storage than maint. Still likely to buy a 2 post as well at some later time.

Any names to stay away from?
 
Most all lifts I've seen require 4" 3k Reinforced concrete, they all will spec what they need. Larger lifts for trucks may require more. The center hydraulic lift should be an option but at school we had 4 tall jack stands(like these). Lift the car up, slide them under and let the car down on them. I love a 4 post due to the fact you get a massive work bench and it's adjustable work short or tall people. The one we had in school I really like, can't remember the brand but it came from Snap-On. My buddy's dad had a cheaper one that was fine, I just didn't like that the safety latch was not at the lift controls like the one we had at school.
 
Chris_Keziah said:
The one we had in school I really like, can't remember the brand but it came from Snap-On.
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Yeah, not looking to make a $89 a week payment for the next 2,987,982,375 weeks :lol:
 
Here's my 2 cents, as someone who has done a shitload of research on 4 posts:

First, there's almost nothing besides Rotary for a 4-post lift that is made in the USA. They are fairly expensive, and they are somewhat based around the concept of alignment lifts instead of service lifts. Not all Rotary lifts are made in the USA. Some brands do final assembly in the USA with completely offshore manufacturing.

Bendpak makes good units, at their dedicated factory in China. They're very popular, reasonably priced, and I've liked the ones I've used at friend's garages. There are cheaper lifts, but I'm not trying to buy the cheapest lift I can find for obvious reasons of safety and quality. If I buy a China 4-post lift, it's going to be a Bendpak.

I really wish Nussbaum made 4 posts lifts. They've told me they're working on that, but I also had heard it may be a partnership with a Canadian company. Better Canada than China, but it would be nice if they actually had one, and better if it was made in their North America plant (Gastonia). My 2-post lift is going to be a Nussbaum.

I think Challenger 4-posts are USA made, but I'm not sure. Some of their stuff is USA, some is China. Depends on what your criteria is. Challenger makes pretty decent stuff though.

Edit: The Challenger stuff just says "USA Made power unit" or something like that on a site that sells them. Maybe the 4-post stuff is not made in the USA any more?
 
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I'm looking at a Challenger open front. Most likely will buy a closed though. Greg Smith Supply has a decent informative site.

I like the ability to spot the vehicle quickly with error factor.
I am not a flat rate shop and a back rest would be nice at times. Gonna buy longer, wider, and taller. Room in the front for me between the crosser. Room to park underneath on extended lift occupation. Plus a long wheel base vehicle will fit. I also have used both assymetric and symmetric 2 post. About the only huge advantage is wheel and tire area work.....but I also watched a front end man do anything the other line techs done on his lift. He stayed busy and those other boys never sold an alignment.
The older I get I like a varibly placed tool caddy like mention before. I've also got some opinions on safely dropping large drive train components and keeping them and the vehicle balanced and supported. Dropping an axle safely by crawling under it for the last few bolts on stands close to the ground sucks. Head height and supported by two huge runways and lowered on a dolly to roll out is gravy. To me the runways are also two really nice surface plates to measure, support, sqaure, and fab from. A drip pan added to the center and you get a diaper for a drippy vehicle.

The rolling center jacks are very nice. Mine will have one.

As for slab, they do float the weight better and have less chance of non verticle loading on the post. One site said this was a big deal just for slabs not intended for lifts.....90 plus percent of suburban garages.
Long winded but most everything I've considered....as for Rotary. Can't beat em' or afford them....but beer has never let me down with enough of it and time.
 
There are lots of negative reviews for Greg Smith Supply on PBB, garage journal, etc. Take that for what it's worth.
 
I have a bendpak hd-14t. Got it from summit with free shipping. It raises up higher than other lifts. It fits a 97 f350 cclb no problem. 99.5% of the time it stores a car on top and a boat underneath. I don’t have a trolley jack for it but really want to get one. Only problems have been the flimsy airline that came with it cracks just before the push connects.
 
shawn said:
There are lots of negative reviews for Greg Smith Supply on PBB, garage journal, etc. Take that for what it's worth.
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I've got one of their 9k 2 post lifts, super easy to set up and works fine. Lifts a cclb 4wd dually no problem. I've helped install far more expensive lifts that were virtually the same. You might want to spend 3x more if you use one daily in a shop, but if it lifts your junk and sets on the stops, fuck it. I'm a lot more worried about the shit/poorly installed anchors I've seen people use than the lift.
 
shawn said:
There are lots of negative reviews for Greg Smith Supply on PBB, garage journal, etc. Take that for what it's worth.
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Customer service? They don't build em.....Challenger can be purchased through NAPA.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Customer service? They don't build em.....Challenger can be purchased through NAPA.
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I bought my Challenger through the local Napa a couple of years ago. I was all set to buy one online and have it shipped and happened to look through the Napa sale paper and it was real close to the price I could get it online. The man who owns and runs the Fall Branch Napa told me there was no way he could beat the Internet prices but that he could get close. After sales tax it cost me about $100 more to buy local. I paid sales tax on it but it was shipped free to the store. To me it was worth it since it came truck freight to Napa, he unloaded it on his own trailer, and offered to bring it to my house.
 
As far as 4 post lifts, my dad has had an Eagle 4 post lift going on 5 years and it has served him well. It came from china via North Carolina and is made the same as all the other Chinese 4 post lifts. The instructions sucked, real bad, aside from that it works well. The cylinder has started weaping some around the shaft seal and the cables have some fraying. But, it was less than 1/2 the price of a U.S.A. made 4 post at the time so he afford to spend some money here and there on it.
 
CasterTroy said:
And slab changes?
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No, I knew I would have a lift one day and had the floor poured 6” thick on the whole garage with 1/2” rebar in a 16” grid pattern. I think the directions called for a minimum of 4” in the instruction. I would have to check the instructions to be sure. My lift is the CLV-10 and I love it.

I have dropped axles and transmissions out of cars and trucks with my transmission jack and not felt to scared, but I do utilize safety stands for anything sketchy. I removed the whole front cradle, engine, and six speed out of a firebird when we started my dads LS swap and that was dang nice.
 
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I guess I will put up a picture or two. I have had everything from a Miata to a 4 door ford truck in it. Surprisingly to me, small cars are harder to get lined up correctly.
 
I have a Bendpak XPR-10-168. It picks things up and puts them down. I've lifted 8500lbs with it with no issue. Sketchiest thing was lifting a 6500lb lathe in the center with the arms fully extended. No issues, but it sure did look funny. Bendpak was almost twice as expensive and China stuff, but when you're talking $1500-2000 vs $3000, it was a no brainier for me. The design of the arms and the mounts on the Bendpak were superior from an engineering standpoint compared to most of the others. Rotary is no longer made in USA, so there's little or no advantage compared to some of the others. Mohawk is good stuff but $$$$$. Bendpak was the logical mix of design, quality, and price for me.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Rotary is no longer made in USA, so there's little or no advantage compared to some of the others.
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Rotary's "Revolution" brand is China (China company bought by Rotary's parent company, and geared toward residential at a lower price point), but as far as I know all the standard Rotary products are still USA made in Madison. I'm almost completely certain that the SPOA10 (competitor to the XPR-10) is USA made. SPOA10 is on my shortlist of USA-made 2posts along with the Nussbaum SPL10000. I think I'm sold on the Nussbaum, after my factory tour a while back.
 
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Fabrik8 said:
Rotary's "Revolution" brand is China (China company bought by Rotary's parent company, and geared toward residential at a lower price point), but as far as I know all the standard Rotary products are still USA made in Madison. I'm almost completely certain that the SPOA10 (competitor to the XPR-10) is USA made. SPOA10 is on my shortlist of USA-made 2posts along with the Nussbaum SPL10000. I think I'm sold on the Nussbaum, after my factory tour a while back.
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Something to consider...
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jeepinmatt said:
Something to consider...
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Well damn. That must have changed recently. I just Googled and found a GarageJournal thread where the lift buyer asked Rotary about that, and they asked for the serial number to find out where it was made.

So, Nussbaum for my 2-post then. I don't live and die by whether it's made in the USA, but it would be nice to support the remaining companies that haven't succumbed to offshore manufacturing. It's nice to do that when we actually have a choice, which is less and less often.
 
I have two 4 post lifts in my garage at home.

I have a single DirectLift 9k extra tall and extra long in my 1 bay side. It has two hydraulic slide jacks on it which is awesome for axle work, etc. Love the DirectLift

I have a Bendpak double 4 post lift 9k on my 2 bay side so I am able to store 6 vehicles inside. I absolutely HATE the air lock system on the Bendpak. Other than that, I like the lift. When you by a double your options are limited.

On a side note I have two Challenger 2 post lifts at my shop and they work very well.
 
on my Bendpak the safety locks are air operated. Instead of the usual hold one hand on the release lock lever and your other on the pressure release lever I have an air system on the double 4 post. It was the only option.

To lower my Bendpak you first raise it up off the locks just like all others. Then you have to press and hold a button to force air into the system to retract the locks. Therefore during install I had to run airlines on the lift that came with it PLUS have a hookup from my air tank to run it. Oh, and it needs at least 30 PSI to work so ensure there are no leaks in your tank / lines or the air system won't work. Maybe HATE was a strong word but it just adds a few more steps when you want to use the lift plus more crap to install / room for issues down the road.

I like the simplicity of the dual lever mechanical system like on my DirectLift
 
AdamH said:
I like the simplicity of the dual lever mechanical system like on my DirectLift
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Dang...that's good to know.
The 4 post is only for storage. I certainly dont want to crank the air compressor up every time I use the lift o_O
 
CasterTroy said:
I certainly dont want to crank the air compressor up every time I use the lift
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If you have a few ball valves in the system at strategic locations, it shouldn't be a big deal. Heck, you could have one right on the side of the lift. Just open the valve to pressurize the lift.
 
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