10 Things to Consider When Buying 3 Car Lift

If you’re wondering what the best car lift for you is, we’ve put together a quick lift selection guide below to help you decide based on the kind of work you’ll be doing.

A 2 post lift allows easy access to wheel/tire, brakes and suspension.

4

 Ton gas pickup truck and smaller, a 9,000 lb lift will be perfect.  It has a low 

4

” pad height to get under most vehicles with ease and includes premium features such as screw up pad adapters.  We offer a line of quality and reliable Race Tools Direct lifts, that are available in either 

 

overhead

 configurations. 

If you are lifting a 3/Ton gas pickup truck and smaller, a 9,000 lb lift will be perfect. It has a low” pad height to get under most vehicles with ease and includes premium features such as screw up pad adapters. We offer a line of quality and reliable Race Tools Direct lifts, that are available in either baseplate  oronfigurations.

 

ceiling

, the

 

version may be the best option as the columns are only 9’3″ high.  In this model, there is a steel plate that runs on the floor between the columns that houses the equalization cables and hydraulic hose.  The overhead 

ceilings

 and has a bar at the top where the cables and hose crosses, leaving the floor clear to roll transmission jacks or other items easily.

If you have LESS than a 12′, the baseplate  version may be the best option as the columns are only 9’3″ high. In this model, there is a steel plate that runs on the floor between the columns that houses the equalization cables and hydraulic hose. Therequires 12′and has a bar at the top where the cables and hose crosses, leaving the floor clear to roll transmission jacks or other items easily.

 

Our RTD 2 Post lifts are available with either the standard 220V power units or an optional 110V power unit to eliminate wiring expenses.

 

Race Tools Direct 11k lift.even distribution of the arms.  So a 9,000 lb lift is rated at 2,250 lbs per arm. Moving to an 11k lift that number raises by 500 lbs per arm (1,000 lbs per axle) to 2,750 lbs.  Newer diesel trucks are very heavy on the front axle, often easily exceeding the weight rating for a 9,000 lb lift.

If you are lifting a diesel or 1-Ton Diesel Dually we recommend moving to a 10k-11k lift such as ourYou may be saying to yourself, my diesel truck weights less than 9k, what gives? The issue is the weight distribution, diesel trucks have a lot of weight on the front axle. The weight rating is based ondistribution of the arms. So a 9,000 lb lift is rated at 2,250 lbs per arm. Moving to an 11k lift that number raises by 500 lbs per arm (1,000 lbs per axle) to 2,750 lbs. Newer diesel trucks are very heavy on the front axle, often easily exceeding the weight rating for a 9,000 lb lift.

 

Atlas PV-12 Atlas PV-15

For larger vehicles such as service trucks, F-450, F-550, box trucks and similar we offer some 12,000 and 15,000 lb lift options. These lifts typically require higher ceilings, so be sure to check the specifications tabs for the height needed. Popular options are theandfor high profile heavy vehicles.

 

lifts

 you need at least 

4

” of 3000psi concrete or greater. When you move to a 12k or 15k such as the Atlas PV-12 

With the 9k and 11kyou need at least” of 3000psi concrete or greater. When you move to a 12k or 15k such as thelift, you’ll need at least 6″ of 3000 psi concrete.

4 Post lifts are ideally suited for both storing a vehicle above another to gain space, or for working on vehicles as well and hydraulic jacks can be added to

4

 

post

 storage 

lifts

 are great for maximizing storage space in your garage as well as working on vehicles.  They don’t offer as much flexibility as a 2-

post

 lift for brake and suspension work, but are great for underbody work such as transmission and exhaust work.  The addition of a sliding hydraulic jack 

post

 and 

4

 

post

in terms of usefulness.  They allow the front or rear of the vehicle to be lifted and the vehicle’s wheels to be removed for suspension, brake work and more. We offer our Race Tools Direct 8k standardExtra Tall and Long 8,000 lb

4

” thick concrete.

Drive onstorageare great for maximizing storage space in your garage as well as working on vehicles. They don’t offer as much flexibility as a 2-lift for brake and suspension work, but are great for underbody work such as transmission and exhaust work. The addition of acan help to bridge the gap between a 2andin terms of usefulness. They allow the front or rear of the vehicle to be lifted and the vehicle’s wheels to be removed for suspension, brake work and more. We offer our Race Tools Directlength and height, andfor storing a longer wheelbase vehicle on top with enough room under for another truck or SUV. They DO NOT need to be bolted down and require at least” thick concrete.

 

9,000 lb 

4

 

post

 lift 

We have an extra wide/extra tallavailable that can fit a diesel dually on the lift. It is wider, longer and taller than the 8,000 series.

 

Height Required

The height required for a 4 post lift depends on a few factors. The simplest way to check if you have enough ceiling height for an 8,000-9,000 lb 4 post lift is as follows:

Height of bottom car (from the ground to the highest point) + height of the top car (from the ground to the highest point) + 15″ = Recommended ceiling height

The 15″ includes the following: 5″ for the thickness of the lift runways, 2″ between the bottom car and the underside of the lift, 2″ between the roof of the top car and the garage ceiling (you have to have room to raise the lift slightly to release the locks), and finally 6″ which is the furthest you could be from the nearest lock position (the lift must always be lowered onto the nearest lock position). 

If your ceiling height is within 6″ of the height calculated above, contact us, the lift might fit but it will depend on the exact heights of the cars vs. the lift lock positions.

 

You can view all the lifts we offer below:

 

As always, feel free to call or text our experts today at 440-941-8533 for any questions you might have!

So, we get a lot of people asking us about car lifts on a daily basis. Most of the time we get the same questions so we wanted to bring you this article that will help you with certain questions you may have.

1. What are you going to be using the lift for?

Most people already call us and know what kind of lift they want to buy, however, some people are still on the fence and not sure which direction to take. Luckily, you have us to clear some of those doubts.

For the most part, auto repair shops and auto body shops are always going to need two post lifts unless it’s for alignment jobs or a car restoration job that are going to take a long time and you need to keep the car up on a lift without taking it down. Usually this is for hot rod and/or long term jobs.

But when it comes to home garages, 99% of the time you will need a four post lift. Even if you need to do some repair work, the 4 post lift will let you do those repairs. Now, if you need to do work on tires and brakes, you can always buy the optional rolling jacks which will let you lift the car up from the runways a couple of inches so you can take out the tires and do some maintenance work on then.

But the most important thing you will need a 4 post lift is for parking purposes. This will allow you to store one car on top (Usually your weekend car) and your everyday car will be on the bottom.

We have many customers that have done this and it has worked great for them. If you need help figuring out what kind of lift you will need, call us up.

2. Location, location, location

Another thing we have to make sure of is where you are going to install the lift. What I mean is what type of concrete exists is in your garage. Your standard two post will need a minimum of 4 inches and 3,000 PSI in order for the lift to be installed securely. However, sometimes we don’t know what kind of concrete there is.

When it comes to repair shops/auto body shops and commercial spaces, you usually have that type of floor in your garage. But you always want to double check with a professional because this can cause some major accidents. I have seen it happen and 99% of the time it’s always the concrete. So please be careful.

Home garages, you want to be a little bit more careful with this. I had some clients that have called me about this and they have owned the home for 10+ years and bought it from someone else who has no idea what depth of concrete the floor has. If this is the case, YOU ARE IN LUCK. For the most part, smaller capacity 4 post lifts like 7,000 to 9,000 lbs. don’t have to be bolted down on the floor. They are free standing lifts and the best part about it is that they are portable. YES, portable. Of course, without the car on top. When there are no cars on the lift, you can use a caster kit to move the 4 post lift around the garage if you want to change position.

But if you don’t know what type of concrete you have and you want to install a 2 post lift, then I would suggest contacting your local concrete company to verify what type of concrete you have. It won’t be cheap but they have the capability of testing the integrity of the concrete. Our suggestion, go with the free standing 4 post lift depending on your situation.

3. Who's going to install the lift for you? 

Most people sometimes don’t want to pull the trigger on a car lift because they don’t want to go through the hassle of installing the lift and/or looking for an installer to install said lift. It can be a little gruesome to find a QUALITY installer in your area.

You always want to be careful who you hire to do this job for you. Usually the starting installation fee for a 2 post or a 4 post job is around $700 to $900. And it can vary a little bit more if you want the installer to receive the lift and deliver it to you directly. Also, I want you guys to keep in mind that for any lift that’s over 1,000 lbs., you will need a forklift in your location to unload from the truck. A lift gate does not have the capacity for a lift that usually weights over 1,8000 lbs. That’s why, most of the time, it’s better to send it directly to your local installer to do this for you for a small fee.

But once you have found a QUALITY installer, then it’s all down hill from there. The installer will receive the lift, unload it from the freight truck with his fork lift, then he will load it into this smaller truck and will deliver it to you and install it as well. He will do everything from A to Z.

Conclusion

So those are the three most important things you want to consider before purchasing a car lift for your garage. You want to make sure you have all those in check and then you can move on to purchasing your lift.

If you need help with any of these steps, our team here at JMC Equipment can help you choose the correct lift for your shop and/or home garage, help you figure out what kind of concrete you have and help you find a QUALITY installer in your area. So call us up at 800-562-4791 if you have any questions, comments and/or concerns.

Do you have any other concerns before buying a lift? Let us know, we would love to clear them up for you.