New shop needs lift

[BlkMax]

The bride has authorized the construction of a new shop for all things that need work.:happy2:

She has also said that I can get a truck lift as part of the new construction.:happy2::happy2:

The new shop will have 14' eaves, so I have some room above truck and do not require a low profile lift.

What type of lift should I be looking for? What has worked for you, and what should I avod?

I have been doing some surfing, and think I want something in the 9k# to 10k# range for capacity (my truck is a CC/LB). I was also leaning towards a 2 post lift with a clear center for doing driveline work, etc.

 

[Vrabel]

12,000 lb dual post lift. here's something to ponder. do you know anyone who works at a dealership? Those lifts are usually maintained by an outside source. At my buddies shop /old work place, his brother is a dodge svc mngr. The company that maintained his shop hooked him up with a 12k and a 10k used dual posts. all it cost was install and new pad/cushions. and thier commercial quality, not the cheap china stuff you see at harbor frieght.

 

[BlkMax]

12,000 lb dual post lift. here's something to ponder. do you know anyone who works at a dealership? Those lifts are usually maintained by an outside source. At my buddies shop /old work place, his brother is a dodge svc mngr. The company that maintained his shop hooked him up with a 12k and a 10k used dual posts. all it cost was install and new pad/cushions. and thier commercial quality, not the cheap china stuff you see at harbor frieght.

That is a great idea....I know the guys at the local Chevy dealership pretty well. I will go talk to them.

I have been looking at the commercial lifts, I am not afraid to spend a little more $$ to keep from getting killed.

Anyone else have any other ideas?

 

[Poltergeist]

Pat has a 4 post lift that has wheels on it. So even with a truck on it he can move it around. Hopefully he'll jump in here with info.

 

[8100 Power]

I was looking at the BendPak 2 post lifts for our new shop.. I been using my friends lift for a few days, I've got to have one now..

 

[JMDuramaxLB7]

Rotary 2 post here, would be lost without it,

 

[McRat]

Pat has a 4 post lift that has wheels on it. So even with a truck on it he can move it around. Hopefully he'll jump in here with info.

It was good in theory, and like many of my theories, didn't work in practice.

It is a Bendpak 4-post 9000lb with dolly wheels. With 6400lb on it, it will not roll on the wheels, and struggles to lift 7000lb.

Since a lot of what I do requires lifting the tires off the ground, it is a poor choice. They do make $$$ trolley jacks ($1200 ea?) to lift the frame, but they are too tall in the down position for working on lowered vehicles (5" required) and too expensive.

When you want to remove an engine, the cherry picker won't roll into the front without lifting the truck 6" which makes it harder to work on.

My suggestion to anyone serious about working on Duramaxes and smaller vehicles is a high-quality two post with at least 10,000lb AMERICAN rating. My old two post was 11,000lb Chinese rating, which was truly dangerous with 7,000lb on it.

Mike L installed some very good units that I had the pleasure to work with. Very sturdy, contact Mike L for the model #.

Now some other thoughts:

The 4 post BP roller will actually allow you to move the lift if your needs require it. This is a big plus. We rolled the lift outside to pressure the underside of the truck. For a light car, you could roll it. It makes an excellent "storage lift" for putting 2 or 3 cars in the same bay. It is the best for fluid changes, shocks, exhaust, alignment, etc. It's only when you need to use a cherry picker or pull the tires that it's a PITA. It can be worked around easy enough, but you can get more work done per hours with the two post.

The biggest problems with the two posts are stability, preloading the suspension, and getting in and out of the truck. We have waxed frames that far inboard, so on a two post it can "creep" as you lift and lower, or do heavy work. I actually dropped Casper once due to creep, which is why I sold the 2 post. Weak models allow the truck to wobble, which can creep or cause other problems.

Preloading, is when you need the truck tires on the ground to do certain tasks like check suspension/alignment stuff. 2 posts suck at this.

Getting in and out of the truck with a two post sucks since the beams block the doors. So always buy the widest model you can find. Some of the narrow models will require you to push the vehicle into the bay or climb through the window. With a four post, you can even get in and start the truck when in the air.

There needs to be a new lift design, that shares the best of both worlds. Six post anyone?

 

[BlkMax]

It was good in theory, and like many of my theories, didn't work in practice.

It is a Bendpak 4-post 9000lb with dolly wheels. With 6400lb on it, it will not roll on the wheels, and struggles to lift 7000lb.

Since a lot of what I do requires lifting the tires off the ground, it is a poor choice. They do make $$$ trolley jacks ($1200 ea?) to lift the frame, but they are too tall in the down position for working on lowered vehicles (5" required) and too expensive.

When you want to remove an engine, the cherry picker won't roll into the front without lifting the truck 6" which makes it harder to work on.

My suggestion to anyone serious about working on Duramaxes and smaller vehicles is a high-quality two post with at least 10,000lb AMERICAN rating. My old two post was 11,000lb Chinese rating, which was truly dangerous with 7,000lb on it.

Mike L installed some very good units that I had the pleasure to work with. Very sturdy, contact Mike L for the model #.

Now some other thoughts:

The 4 post BP roller will actually allow you to move the lift if your needs require it. This is a big plus. We rolled the lift outside to pressure the underside of the truck. For a light car, you could roll it. It makes an excellent "storage lift" for putting 2 or 3 cars in the same bay. It is the best for fluid changes, shocks, exhaust, alignment, etc. It's only when you need to use a cherry picker or pull the tires that it's a PITA. It can be worked around easy enough, but you can get more work done per hours with the two post.

The biggest problems with the two posts are stability, preloading the suspension, and getting in and out of the truck. We have waxed frames that far inboard, so on a two post it can "creep" as you lift and lower, or do heavy work. I actually dropped Casper once due to creep, which is why I sold the 2 post. Weak models allow the truck to wobble, which can creep or cause other problems.

Preloading, is when you need the truck tires on the ground to do certain tasks like check suspension/alignment stuff. 2 posts suck at this.

Getting in and out of the truck with a two post sucks since the beams block the doors. So always buy the widest model you can find. Some of the narrow models will require you to push the vehicle into the bay or climb through the window. With a four post, you can even get in and start the truck when in the air.

There needs to be a new lift design, that shares the best of both worlds. Six post anyone?

Lots of things to think about....

I need to call Mike L anyway on another issue, so I will ask about the lift at the same time.

Thank you everyone.

 

[duratothemax]

The following is copied/pasted from other posts ive made about lifts (so thats why it might seem like some of the paragraphs dont fit well together or some paragraphs repeat eachother), and about the lift I have, the DirectLift Pro 9F from greg smith equipment:

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Di.../tppro-9fp.htm

Here is the lift I have...almost all lifts are made overseas (yes even rotary etc), BUT mine is made in a USA-owned and operated factory (Dover, they make elevators, own Rotary, etc...there is a BIG difference between a lift from a chinese run factory and a US-owned/operated/quality control inspected ISO9001 factory). Its a 9,000lb lift, and it looks way more substantial than any of the 11,000lb generic chinese lifts ive seen. 9,000lbs is the "REAL" american rating, with the safety factor built in...meaning they test it to 1.5x its rated capacity. So my lift (and the other name-brand quality lifts made with USA quality control) was designed/tested at close to 14,000lbs without failure.

The CHINESE junk lifts, the rating thats stamped on it is basically "if you put 1lb over this number, you better not be standing underneath it!" I can rock my truck back and forth/up and down when its on the lift, and the lift columns/arms are rock solid...

You get what you pay for. How much is your life worth to you?

its awesome...and like I said SOLID.

the columns dont move ONE BIT out of plumb/level even with a crew cab dually dmax lifted up to the top.

5 year warranty, built by an american owned/quality-controlled factory, american designed etc, its 9,000lb, and is way more solid than 11,000lb chinese lifts Ive seen, I know I said before tho.

The guys at greg smith are awesome too, they stock all the parts, have tech support guys that know their shit, and delivered it in like 2 days.

install was pretty easy, my dad and I did it on a sunday afternoon, used the front end loader on our tractor to help stand the columns up.

I dont really have any good pics of mine installed...but heres some

Mine was just barely too short for an overhead lift, so I had to get the base plate lift. Its not a big deal tho, it doesnt bother me at all, no issues with tranny jacks or anything.

Whats the biggest vehicle you are going to lift? The heaviest Ive put on mine is a full weight cc/lb dually dmax and like I said, putting a level on the columns, they didnt budge at all.


2-post lifts are also nice if you want to "kneel" the truck down on the ground for easier access to the engine bay etc..

2500 Suburban with a 6.5 diesel. Heavy truck.

Just my opinion though.

ben

 

[duratothemax]

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Articles.asp?ID=146

 

[Turbo Buick 6]

IMO Rotary asymetrical 2 post. I wouldn't own anything but that. Years ago the only diference between the 7000lbs and 9000lbs were the arms. Not sure if they are still the same. Whatever you go with get something quality that is made in the USA.

 

[Turbo Buick 6]

It was good in theory, and like many of my theories, didn't work in practice.

It is a Bendpak 4-post 9000lb with dolly wheels. With 6400lb on it, it will not roll on the wheels, and struggles to lift 7000lb.

Since a lot of what I do requires lifting the tires off the ground, it is a poor choice. They do make $$$ trolley jacks ($1200 ea?) to lift the frame, but they are too tall in the down position for working on lowered vehicles (5" required) and too expensive.

When you want to remove an engine, the cherry picker won't roll into the front without lifting the truck 6" which makes it harder to work on.

My suggestion to anyone serious about working on Duramaxes and smaller vehicles is a high-quality two post with at least 10,000lb AMERICAN rating. My old two post was 11,000lb Chinese rating, which was truly dangerous with 7,000lb on it.

Mike L installed some very good units that I had the pleasure to work with. Very sturdy, contact Mike L for the model #.

Now some other thoughts:

The 4 post BP roller will actually allow you to move the lift if your needs require it. This is a big plus. We rolled the lift outside to pressure the underside of the truck. For a light car, you could roll it. It makes an excellent "storage lift" for putting 2 or 3 cars in the same bay. It is the best for fluid changes, shocks, exhaust, alignment, etc. It's only when you need to use a cherry picker or pull the tires that it's a PITA. It can be worked around easy enough, but you can get more work done per hours with the two post.

The biggest problems with the two posts are stability, preloading the suspension, and getting in and out of the truck. We have waxed frames that far inboard, so on a two post it can "creep" as you lift and lower, or do heavy work. I actually dropped Casper once due to creep, which is why I sold the 2 post. Weak models allow the truck to wobble, which can creep or cause other problems.

Preloading, is when you need the truck tires on the ground to do certain tasks like check suspension/alignment stuff. 2 posts suck at this.

Getting in and out of the truck with a two post sucks since the beams block the doors. So always buy the widest model you can find. Some of the narrow models will require you to push the vehicle into the bay or climb through the window. With a four post, you can even get in and start the truck when in the air.
There needs to be a new lift design, that shares the best of both worlds. Six post anyone?

Thats why you get an asymentrical one Our rotary is adjustable as far as the width it concerned.....just need to get different length cable IIRC

 

[duratothemax]

Whatever you go with get something quality that is made in the USA.

rotary isnt made in the USA. They are made in a USA owned/operated/ISO9001 certified factory in china...same as my Dover (the elevator company) Lift.

Dover Elevator owns Rotary.

I dont have a problem being made overseas, as long as its in a ISO certified factory that is quality controlled by a US company, and has US people overseeing the entire operation.

What I do have a problem with is the chinese-designed lifts that are made in no-name factories that dont have any quality control standards to adhere to.

As for asymmetrical vs. symmetrical, yes its hard to get in and out if you are a bigger guy, but symmetrical lifts are much more stable for lifting heavy vehicles, particularly trucks that have awkward front/rear weight bias. Thats why all lifts rated for over 10,000lbs are all symmetrical.

I dont have any problem getting in and out of my drivers door, im 6' 2" 200lbs.

I was kinda surprised with the base-model Rotary 10,000lb asymmetric lift. The arms and columns measured slightly smaller than my 9,000lb lift.

the lift I bought has a 5 year warranty and the rotary's I looked at had only a 1 year warranty...even if you buy the special rotary extended-warranty, its extends it to 2 years.

now Im NOT dumping on Rotary's at all! They have long been considered the industry-standard for lifts and have always had a good repuation; im just explaining why I went with my Dover-Direct lift vs the rotary (even tho they are made by the same company)

ben

 

[Turbo Buick 6]

rotary isnt made in the USA. They are made in a USA owned/operated/ISO9001 certified factory in china...same as my Dover (the elevator company) Lift.

Dover Elevator owns Rotary.

I dont have a problem being made overseas, as long as its in a ISO certified factory that is quality controlled by a US company, and has US people overseeing the entire operation.

What I do have a problem with is the chinese-designed lifts that are made in no-name factories that dont have any quality control standards to adhere to.

As for asymmetrical vs. symmetrical, yes its hard to get in and out if you are a bigger guy, but symmetrical lifts are much more stable for lifting heavy vehicles, particularly trucks that have awkward front/rear weight bias. Thats why all lifts rated for over 10,000lbs are all symmetrical.

I dont have any problem getting in and out of my drivers door, im 6' 2" 200lbs.

I was kinda surprised with the base-model Rotary 10,000lb asymmetric lift. The arms and columns measured slightly smaller than my 9,000lb lift.

the lift I bought has a 5 year warranty and the rotary's I looked at had only a 1 year warranty...even if you buy the special rotary extended-warranty, its extends it to 2 years.

now Im NOT dumping on Rotary's at all! They have long been considered the industry-standard for lifts and have always had a good repuation; im just explaining why I went with my Dover-Direct lift vs the rotary (even tho they are made by the same company)

ben

Thats interesting, I have always seen them marketed as made in the USA, and that was what we were told when we got ours but I never bothered to check....who knows maybe they were back thenBut then again that was almost 10 years ago.
http://www.route66supply.com/store/page29.html


All BS aside I think we can agree the point of all of this is to not buy the $1500 beer can special out of ho chi mins discount tool flyer:spit:

 

[duratothemax]

Thats interesting, I have always seen them marketed as made in the USA, and that was what we were told when we got ours but I never bothered to check....who knows maybe they were back thenBut then again that was almost 10 years ago.
http://www.route66supply.com/store/page29.html


All BS aside I think we can agree the point of all of this is to not buy the $1500 beer can special out of ho chi mins discount tool flyer:spit:

Some rotary lifts might be still made in USA, im not sure, I might be wrong on that.......but some of them are made overseas. I cant find anywhere on the Rotary website that says made in USA, and I would think if they were all made in USA, they would be bragging it up all over the place??

I looked around, it seems the entire lifts might not be made overseas, but many of the parts are???? Ill keep looking around

 

[2004ChevyDmax]

Here's something totally off subject, but I feel is a must in a new shop. I live in SE Missouri so our winters can be pretty chilly, and of course you want heat in your shop. I live in a pretty rural area and we use wood stoves a lot, in our shops and in homes. A buddy of mine has water pipes in his concrete slab and a water wood stove outside. The stove circulates hot water throughout the slab and it heats the entire shop. It works pretty well, when I build my shop I am definitely getting one.

Of course if you don't live in an area that has harsh winters, then it probably wouldn't be economical.

Just thought I would drop my.02 in.

 

[duratothemax]

http://www.astudyinliftdesign.com/two-post-lift-comparison.html

here is the rotary 10,000lb lift I wasnt really impressed with. The one I have is very similar in design/construction to the bend-pak, ill take some pics of it. The thing that kinda worried me most about the rotary is the locking teeth/dogs thickness..

ben

 

[Mike L.]

Some rotary lifts might be still made in USA, im not sure, I might be wrong on that.......but some of them are made overseas. I cant find anywhere on the Rotary website that says made in USA, and I would think if they were all made in USA, they would be bragging it up all over the place??

I looked around, it seems the entire lifts might not be made overseas, but many of the parts are???? Ill keep looking around

I was made oversea and I'm damn good.:rofl:

 

[Mike L.]

On a serious note, I bought the BendPak low riser 12,000 lb lifts. ( no cross bar at the top ). I had the concrete sunk in 24 inches and caged for safety. I have lifted 15,000 lb trucks without a problem.

 

[BlkMax]

Here's something totally off subject, but I feel is a must in a new shop. I live in SE Missouri so our winters can be pretty chilly, and of course you want heat in your shop. I live in a pretty rural area and we use wood stoves a lot, in our shops and in homes. A buddy of mine has water pipes in his concrete slab and a water wood stove outside. The stove circulates hot water throughout the slab and it heats the entire shop. It works pretty well, when I build my shop I am definitely getting one.

Of course if you don't live in an area that has harsh winters, then it probably wouldn't be economical.

Just thought I would drop my.02 in.

Well...........right now it is blowing about 20mph, with gusts to 35 mph. The temperature has warmed up a little (which usually comes with the wind), and it is about 25*F. Normal winter temps for this time of year are in the low to mid teens. We see the occasional -10*F, and may get down to -30*F about once ever 2 years or so.

I am planning to heat the shop with slab heat, utilizing an on demand water heater. When the stat call for heat, it will turn on a pump, pump starts circulating water, moves flow meter in water heater, water heater turns on. It is pretty efficient, I am not heating water when I don't need it.

This is planned as a fully insulated, stick built, drywalled shop with 2 garage doors, one at 12' and the other at 10' with an electric opener. The lift will be in the 10' high door bay. I do not want to plug the bay with the 12' door with the lift, that bay is for the trailers, etc. I do not need to lift the truck with the camper on.