4 ms·

FWIW I've done a lot of lifting for engine and trans services with nothing more than ratchet straps or a come-along hanging from either an overhead joist or I-b

FWIW I've done a lot of lifting for engine and trans services with nothing more than ratchet straps or a come-along hanging from either an overhead joist or I-beam, or a constructed A-frame when the former were unavailable. Honestly two post lifts are more just a space and time saver for quick service shops and kind of suck. Back when I worked at a muffler+brake shop it was the two post lifts that did the most damage to vehicles due to poorly located pads or doors hitting the posts, and put the mechanics at the most risk. And when you use them to lift something lopsided like a FWD vehicle off its K member for major service, it becomes so imbalanced the damn car is liable to fall off. Not a fan at all. But they conferred good density to fit more bays in the shop. It's a shit compromise from a mechanic's perspective.

ehnto 6y ago
Interesting! What would you prefer over a two post lift? I have always wanted one for a home garage but maybe there is a better alternative?
- octoberfranklin 6y ago
  A pit, I suppose, like at the oil change places. Climbing up and down the ladder is a hassle but once you're down there it's convenient and much safer.
  - jelliclesfarm 6y ago
    Pre fab pits are safer these days
- pengaru 6y ago
  If there's space and resources a four-post drive-on lift is superior. The good ones include sub-lifts on rollers in the middle for raising the vehicle further off its tires. Some of them can be annoyingly crowded underneath though, alignment racks tend to be this way to accommodate a maximum range of vehicle sizes. If there's no permanent dedicated space, you can get a lot done with robust safety using simple ramps made from stacked wide planks of wood. The first hot-rod shop I worked at in my youth had a simple four post lift and a big iron A-frame on wheels used like a gantry crane. We'd lift entire bodies off chassis or K members with it, and roll them out of the way into a corner so we could access the powertrain. It was a big shop space, usually with 5-6 cars in the air at a time, but most of the cars were on static stands. The A-frame would just move around the place as needed, it was just big enough to straddle the largest anticipated vehicle. But we weren't in a constant hurry like your typical muffler/brake shop full of butchers.

ehnto 6y ago

Interesting! What would you prefer over a two post lift? I have always wanted one for a home garage but maybe there is a better alternative?

octoberfranklin 6y ago
A pit, I suppose, like at the oil change places. Climbing up and down the ladder is a hassle but once you're down there it's convenient and much safer.
- jelliclesfarm 6y ago
  Pre fab pits are safer these days
pengaru 6y ago
If there's space and resources a four-post drive-on lift is superior. The good ones include sub-lifts on rollers in the middle for raising the vehicle further off its tires. Some of them can be annoyingly crowded underneath though, alignment racks tend to be this way to accommodate a maximum range of vehicle sizes. If there's no permanent dedicated space, you can get a lot done with robust safety using simple ramps made from stacked wide planks of wood. The first hot-rod shop I worked at in my youth had a simple four post lift and a big iron A-frame on wheels used like a gantry crane. We'd lift entire bodies off chassis or K members with it, and roll them out of the way into a corner so we could access the powertrain. It was a big shop space, usually with 5-6 cars in the air at a time, but most of the cars were on static stands. The A-frame would just move around the place as needed, it was just big enough to straddle the largest anticipated vehicle. But we weren't in a constant hurry like your typical muffler/brake shop full of butchers.