2 post lifts

[NGOT8R]

I’m not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but I thought it might be, due to the likelihood that a lot of GT350 owners track their cars and perform their own maintenance. With that being said, her it goes.

I have a 2 post lift being delivered in about 10 days. I’ve researched the instructions on my lift, as well as many others and I see that it is advised to stay 6” away from any cracks, expansion or control joints. I will adhere to this if it’s an absolute must for safety, but was wondering how big of a deal it would be to drill one hole for each column right on a control joint? I ask this because it would allow me to position the lift in a spot tat will give me more clearance in front of the car when it’s on the lift. As it stands right now, if I stay 6” away from any joints, I will only have about 13” of clearance from the nearest object when the car is on the ground between the lift towers or 9” when the car is parked between them. I should note that all remaining holes would be 6” away from any joints. Any advice drawn from personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Here are pics to show how much clearance will be in the front and rear of the car If I stay 6” away from all joints. Note: The yellow tape measure is lying on top of the control joint that I am inquiring about installing a single bolt bolt for each tower. Thanks

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[loco_GT350]

I personally would not take any chances. I would call and discuss this with the manufacturer of your lift......

 

[Tractor Junk]

Safety is critical with a 2 post lift. This is not an area to fudge with manufacturers instructions.

 

[NGOT8R]

I personally would not take any chances. I would call and discuss this with the manufacturer of your lift......

Good advice! I will ask the delivery guys (who are also the installers for Champion Auto Lift), to see what they recommend. I knew I was going to add a lift before we build our house a year ago, but I wish I had thought ahead to have the control joint made at least 12” to the right of the tape measure for optimum positioning. I’m hoping they say I can safely cheat it for that one bolt on each tower, but if not, I will do what is best in order to be safe. Thanks

 

[VictorH]

The other super important point, which you, I'm sure already know, is how thick is your concrete pad? A thin crack in a 3-4" pad (contractors are trying to save $$) is not the same as one in a 6" pad.

 

[Buldawg76]

Definitely consult with the manufacture, but it also depends on the size of the mounting base footprint size in terms of spacing between holes. The larger the mounting plate area the more support it will provide, and another consideration is how thick is the concrete floor in your garage. Thats another question you need to discuss with the manufacture. Most require at a minimum of 4" but prefer 6" thick or more and also prefer it to be reinforced with rebar in concrete as well.

Just some food for thought.

BD

 

[NGOT8R]

Definitely consult with the manufacture, but it also depends on the size of the mounting base footprint size in terms of spacing between holes. The larger the mounting plate area the more support it will provide, and another consideration is how thick is the concrete floor in your garage. Thats another question you need to discuss with the manufacture. Most require at a minimum of 4" but prefer 6" thick or more and also prefer it to be reinforced with rebar in concrete as well.

Just some food for thought.

BD

Thanks! I’m chewing on that food for thought.. I won’t know for certain on the thickness until I drill. I’m praying that it is the appropriate thickness. I’ve had so much trouble trying to get this garage dialed in to be a comfortable workspace, that I could sure use a few breaks in my favor.

Okay, I just pulled up this document and took a closer look at the baseplate footprint measurements. It appears that I’m gonna have to just steer clear of the joint to be safe. I’ll still talk to the guys from Champion and report back what they say.

 

[Buldawg76]

Yep, understand for sure. I am fortunate to have a buddy with a shop equipped with a lift with plenty of workspace that I have a key to and full use of at my convenience to do work on my car.

Too old to crawl around on ground anymore.

BD

 

[FKE SNK]

Symmetrical or asymmetrical lift? The arm style you go with will be the thing that places the vehicle center point in the posts. Some lifts will allow for both

Regardless you will be able to move the car forward or aft to some degree - especially with jacking rails

Stay away from the joints, no reputable installer is going to be ok with that

 

[NGOT8R]

The other super important point, which you, I'm sure already know, is how thick is your concrete pad? A thin crack in a 3-4" pad (contractors are trying to save $$) is not the same as one in a 6" pad.

Yes. So far, I haven’t noticed any cracks in the concrete whatsoever, but that’s not to say that there any in the control joints which I can’t see because the painter filled them with caulk before epoxying the floor. You’re definitely right about contractors trying to cut corners to save dollars. I’ve seen enough of that crap during this build process, which is by far the worst experience we’ve had with building.

 

[FKE SNK]

Adding if you go with asymmetrical arms it will generally place the posts even with your side mirrors

 

[NGOT8R]

Adding if you go with asymmetrical arms it will generally place the posts even with your side mirrors

I like that setup! My ceilings are only 10’3” though, so I had to select a floor plate model. I don’t believe Champion offers an asymmetrical without a crossbar on the towers.

 

[AvalancheSVT]

garagejournal.com is a great forum for questions like this. TONS of lift experience over there.
i don't have any joints in my garage but I did gamble on thickness. In general any modern garage should have the PSI rating and thickness to support a modern lift. 80 bucks at home depot can get you the tool to punch a hole or two and see that for sure.

you can fill them in later and touch up the paint. if i were you i'd do like the dude with the red lift up there and stick it as far to one side as possible to keep your middle area clean (i assume is a 3 car garage). that should get you far enough away from any expansion joints.

installing a lift isn't rocket surgery if you know how to measure and shim stuff.

 

[NGOT8R]

garagejournal.com is a great forum for questions like this. TONS of lift experience over there.
i don't have any joints in my garage but I did gamble on thickness. In general any modern garage should have the PSI rating and thickness to support a modern lift. 80 bucks at home depot can get you the tool to punch a hole or two and see that for sure.

you can fill them in later and touch up the paint. if i were you i'd do like the dude with the red lift up there and stick it as far to one side as possible to keep your middle area clean (i assume is a 3 car garage). that should get you far enough away from any expansion joints.

installing a lift isn't rocket surgery if you know how to measure and shim stuff.

Yes, it’s a 3 car garage. I will install it as far right toward the 3rd bay as possible, but it’ll still be to the left of the center point in the 2 car bay. That will still leave me enough space to park the riding mower and a few other things.

 

[TonyNJ]

Reinforce your floors. I know someone who was killed by an improperly installed lift. Get an engineer, or zoning official to approve it ON TOP of what the manufacturer advises. Please.

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