Hot Rods 4 Post vs 2 Post

Im building a workshop next year and will have the choice between putting in a 2 post or 4 post lift. I will only have space for the one.

For you fellas with lifts which would you recommend?

How much height should I allow for?

For those with two post what extra concrete work did you have to do?

 

For me the two post wins out for the ease of mechanical work especially undercar, brakes and suspension. You generally need 12' ceiling although i have installed one on an 11' ceiling where the top of the posts were above the rafters a bit limiting how high the vehicle could be lifted.
The only advantages to a four post I've found is mobility, access to interior and fitting under a lower ceiling.

 

With a two post you have to get down on the floor to adjust the lift arms. That can be an issue if you have bad knees or back. It's an old age kinda thing.

 

If you are putting it into a building with an existing floor, the decision has probably already been made for you. While a 4-post can be put on just about any existing floor, a 2-post needs more stringent floor requirements. In my case, I had to go with a 4 post or spend may thousands re-engineering and reconstructing the floor. If you have (or can get) "bridges" for your 4-post lift, you'll probably have the best of both worlds. On additional advantage is the a 4-post can be moved if absolutely necessary. After a couple of years of use, I decided I'd like it moved 6" to he left and about a foot closer to the door. We did it in less than an hour.

A guy I went to high school with went with a 2-post. He ended up buying a couple of accessory ramps that allowed it to be used like a 4-post. They were a pain in the *** to mount and dismount and store when not in use, but he liked them fine. Being aluminum, they were also kinda spendy.

 

Two post with a center jack (also called bridge jack or rolling/sliding jack) is what I have and my preference as a hobbyist. I can do brakes, suspension, regular service, use it as an impromptu ch***is table, etc.

A benefit is being able to look at things under the car at ride height. Ground clearances, issues with stuff rubbing, seeing how everything interacts, setting adjustable suspension links, etc.

All that combined with the ease of lifting a vehicle make it the winner for me.

My ceilings are 12'. Since all my hobby cars are lowered, it's fine. If I was working under 6'+ tall vehicles all the time, I would want at 13-14'. For my lowered 46 GMC pickup, 12' is just fine. I'm 6'2" and can work comfortably underneath.

 

Never liked 2 post and the balancing act that doesn’t work if your removing heavy things(rear/front end) 4 post gearbox out is easy, diff centres easy modern hoists have optional jacks to lift the car to do brakes etc. 4 post not as sensitive on floor strength, 4 post for parking under another car. 2 post gives easier access for your local service place.

 

I've used both and it really depends what you want to do with it.

2 post lift - you can have pretty close to full access to the under side and wheels, you can use it to pull bodies off of a frame, you can use it all the way down to a cart or side by side and they're a smaller foot print. But, you do need to get on the ground to rack a vehicle, the center of gravity of the vehicle needs to be thought about (ie service bed trucks) and they need to be on level strong (thick/reinforced) base.

4 post lift - close to full access to the underside, have a little adjustment side to side ramp wise, you can leave the wheels on the ramps when off the car and will still lift uneven loads. But, have a bigger footprint, you'll need rolling jacks to get the wheels off the ramps, you need to bend over to go under ramps (or use a step while working), the ramps might be 1' above the ground and the ramps might be slightly in the way when working on wheel area.

For the height I would think of the tallest thing you might ever work on (suburban or delivery truck) and use that. A lot of 2 post lifts have a bar/sensor across the top to stop the lift and the upper part is adjustable. The 4 post lift are around a 6' or so posts (depending on the make/model).


If dedicated space is a problem or you might need to raise up in different locations there are individual lifts for the 4 ends that hook to one controller. They pick up at the wheels and don't need to be bolted to the ground. Just roll over and lift to full height to walk under. The downsides are they need to be stored somewhere, you can't take off the wheels and they're $$$.

 

Having never used a light, other the the ones in service station bays way back in the day, why can’t you park under a two post lift? Are the posts in the way of opening a door?

 

If you can not have both
I would go for 2 post ,But not all 2 post or 4 equal,
2 post arms ' not all older vehicle friendly.
Distance between main post for door opening ,
Arm arrangement
Telescopic arms choices , you might end up with extra for different vehicles.
Lift capacity .
& if tall watch your head hitting the arms pick lift that clears your head .

4 post
lift capacity
Height when lowered , length of ramps
To clear when driving on.
Height when raised to walk under .
Lift jack rack option .
Reaching over side's like pulling wheels
doing brakes .
Drive on deck width & opening

 

I worked in a shop with both 2 post and 4 post lifts in my work area. Like said, you have to almost lay down on the floor to set the arms, especially if the car is low. A 4 post with a bridge or 2 works great for everything I can think of. You drive the car on the ramps, no bending over, raise the lift, and while standing up, adjust the brides to raise the car by the frame, one end or both ends. Also as mentioned no floor re-enforcement needed with a 4 post. Since I am older with one knee replacement and my shop is already built, I went with a 4 post and love it.

 

I have both. First, was the 4 post. I would start with that again. Here's why:

The 4 post provides better support for long term storage/building when you are removing engines, transmissions, etc. Like stated before, there is no balancing act. I also did a fuel tank swap on a late model truck last week. It was way easier to have a place to set tools, bridge off the hoist for tank removal, and allow the driver to get in and out to test certain components during the project. All things I would not or could not do with a 2 post.

Finally, I have friends with 58-64 GM X Frame cars. 2 post lifts DO NOT work with these cars.

The ultimate option is for a 4 post with at least 1, if not 2, jack trays to elevate the vehicle for brakes, etc when using the lift.

For height, I have 12 ft walls with a cathederal ceiling, 16 ft at the peak. This works great to get my Suburban, Sierra, or other large vehicles up in the air and still have adequate room underneath. My dad had the same hoist but finished his ceiling flat at 12 ft. Many vehicles were unable to take full advantage of the height, consequently, the underside was useless as well.

Oh yeah, get the caster kit to move the hoist. You will thank me.

Good luck.

 

As said, what are the jobs you are going to do? Right tool for the job/use.
All the plusses and minuses have been covered.
I you have not worked with either, understand that you need to be safe and either has drawbacks.
If buying new, read reviews and hopefully talk to a current owner. Check into after sale service and if the additions can be bought later to upgrade.
If buying used, check for local servicing.
On both but especially a 2 post, look into pro install. If the stuff you have is high value, check into homeowner's insurance covering an accident. I have no idea how it works in Japan.

One more thing I haven't seen talked about often on these hoist posts. With the car up in the air, you want the telescoping drain bucket with the trans pan, a screw jack and maybe even a trans jack to go with it. These can add to the expense and take up more floor space. If you are going for the pro level work area, you want the stuff that supports that.

I've got a 4 post because I am not out there on the clock. It is handy for stacking and occasional servicing.

 

I like a 2 post for mechanic work.
A 4 post for body work.
4 posts can be aggravating without the rolling jacks

 

By the way it was mentioned about moving around a 4 poster lift with the wheel casters. I have a full set of them if any one wants them they can have them. I don't need them, they are heavy and I will not ship.

Pat

 

I have trouble working over my head anymore so I still end up on a creeper, but a lift still makes it easier. I'm always banging my head on the ramps of a drive on lift.

 

I have had a 2 post for about 10+ years and recently added a 4 post. They both have there application. If you are planning on doing a lot of mechanical work the 2 post is the way to go. If its just maintenance a 4 post is easier to get on/off. I bought the 4 post because I needed to work on my project at ride height and thats not possible on a 2 post. I also wanted the added storage space of being able to keep a vehicle on it and raised up. But I would never give up the 2 post, its just to versatile for mechanical work. I had a driver on the 4 post the other day to check something because its quick and easy to drive on and get it raised up. But as I was trying to look at something up inside the rear wheel well area I got frustrated because the runway was in my way of being able to see and get to something. Put it on the 2 post and everything was accessible.

 

You can park a car under a car the same as a 4 post. I had done that for years at my shop in town. I brought my 2 post lift home and have it mounted on a pad outside that future plans are to put up a carport over it. Maybe this fall that will happen.

 

If you are going to park under the lift, get a 4 post with the trays that ride on the rails that the bridge rides on. Otherwise the car on the bottom is going to catch every fluid drip that the top car lets go of. You can't put trays on a 2 post lift that I am aware of. Also as said if you want to do anything that has to be done at ride height, like pinion angles a drive on hoist is the way to go.

 

I have a mid rise scissor lift and love it

 

how much does it get in the way when not in use?

 

Stays under a car
Only about 5 inches tall and mobile.
There’s always a car in the shop so you never really pay any attention to it

 

4 post for me. Agree on what people said regards the need to adjust the arms which I hate, you need to get the car just right fore/aft side to side and the concrete must be just right or the thing may one day decide to collapse on your head. Many years ago I worked at this restoration shop in the UK and we had a UK-made TI Bradbury 4 post lift but in addition to the ramps it had a longtudinal rail which you could seperate from the ramps (the yellow bits in the pic below). You put the car on those and dropped the ramps, which meant you had full access to the seals, valances, fenders, quarters (very useful for weldng work), so the thing almost combined the advantages of a 2 and 4 post lifts. I don't think they're still in business or whether you have anything similar in the US but I'd kill for one of them in my dream garage.

 

As mentioned a 4 post really limits access to brakes, wheels, etc. And a 2 post is my preference as it allows everything to be accessed. As for the arms and old knees a hook to push or pull the arms is an easy tool to make and saves you getting on your knees. And if you need more stability when you're wrestling hard to remove something from the car while it's up a jack stand can be put under the end where you're wrestling to make it more stabile if it worries you. I've never felt the need for one myself though.

 

With a 2 post lift, I like an asymmetric lift. (short front arm/long rear arm) It makes getting in and out of the car easier.

 

Thanks fellas, much appreciated.

@anthony myrick when you get a chance can you please expand on what you like about that? Thanks.

 

I have one of these

Great for body work.

 

Thanks !

 

That's what I've been eyeing. I've got a grease pit in my shop (illegal, so don't tell anyone...) but it's impossible to get the wheels off the ground. And there's times I'd like a bit more headroom under the car.

 

I have a set pit of Pro Jacks