I Want It: An Auto Lift for Home
By Chuck Cage
Tired of jacking up the car you’re working on one wheel at a time, lugging around jack stands, and laying on the floor to get at the tranny? Install your own personal two-post lift! Oil changes (or engine swaps) will never be the same again.
Though they’re by no means cheap, larger sales numbers for the recent above-ground two-post electric/hydraulic versions have brought pricing down to around $2500-$4000 — which is certainly in the range of an avid hobbyist or DIYer.
The trick? You’ve got to have a really solid floor and a high ceiling — 10′ to 12′ depending on the model; some residental garages make the grade and some don’t. (Mine does, which has me drooling
.) Most models can lift plenty of weight. The real limitation is generally height. “Top post” models are best for low-slung sportscars — there’s no bump to drive over — and “bottom post” models are best for trucks (where height’s a primary concern).
The lift pictured above comes from Maxima, but there a quick Froogle search’ll turn up dozens of companies who’d love to help you get one of these. If you’re serious about getting one, remember to ask about shipping costs — to a residence, which is often priced differently — and be sure to tell them you don’t have a loading dock. Installation can be a trick, too, so you might want to make a deal (or at least talk shop with them) before ordering.
Note: The first few items on the Froogle search (as of this moment) are little models of the lift. Just scroll down a bit to see the real ones.
Street Pricing (Two Post Lifts) [Froogle]
December 15th, 2006 at 10:26 pm
yeah, yeah.. why do you torture me so?
In any case.. I’ve already done the research, and me.. I want a backyard buddy..
http://www.backyardbuddy.com/
From what I can tell it’s one of the better built ones.. and you can even get an optional caster kit so you can a.) move it from bay to bay.. and b.) move it to your next home when the time comes to move.
One of the reasons I like the backyard buddy is that with it I’m able to drive onto it, lift the car up, replace the control arm bushings, and torque them down with the car sitting at ride height with a normal load on the wheels. One of the easiest ways to ensure that your E34 BMW control arm bushings don’t last more than a year is to torque them down while you’ve got the car up on jackstands with your wheels hanging down and the suspension at full extension. I would of course get the optional Hydraulic Jack Platform.
Yeah, it’s not cheap.. but nothing in life worth owning is cheap
December 12th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
[...] We want a home auto lift for Christmas this year just as bad as last. Alas, our desire will again go un-met. [...]
December 13th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Check out auctions! I picked up a Rotary Lift 10,000lb 2post asymetrical unit for $1700 in nearly-new condition recently from an auction of an auto shop - these are $3400+shipping+tax new. It took 2 years of searching for the right unit (USA-made in good condition so not going to collapse on me and I can get parts in future) at the right price, but oh man, I’m happy now! Happy searching!
January 28th, 2008 at 12:45 am
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