So a little bit of information if you are interested in purchasing and installing a 4 post.
There are essentially 2 main types of 4 post units. In my research I found units called Hobby lifts, Parking lifts, Stackers etc. These are all the same product. Otherwise, the more expensive units are commercial use lifts for shops and professionals. The main difference is most likely cycle time. My lift motor has a cycle time of 60s/560s. A commercial lift is obviously designed for more continuous duty. There are various other aspects dividing the hobby lift from the commercial lift such as thicker metals, lift cables as well as installation requirements. However they are essentially designed and operate the same. A cylinder mounted horizontally under one of the runways pulls 4 cables tied to the top of the 4 posts. This action, when the lift motor is operated, lifts the bed which your car is driven on to . As the bed rises, safety locks inside the 4 posts actuate automatically and once the desired height is reached, the bed is lowered onto the locks ladders. The power unit is only used to lift the bed, lowering is by gravity. To lower, the bed is raised slightly, the locks are disengaged when the safety lock release handle is actuated and the pressure release handle lowers the bed (giving 2 handed operation required for safety).
The hobby lifts are divided into 2 groups. There are lifts and "ALI certified lifts". ALI stands for
Automotive Lift Institute.
The safety standard covering the design, construction and performance of car lifts in North America is ANSI/ALI ALCTV (current edition): “Safety Requirements for the Construction, Testing, and Validation of Automotive Lifts.”
There is probably nothing wrong with purchasing a non-ALI lift, but valuable to note is ALI lifts have been reviewed and tested to meet standards that are required in commercial settings. It is my understanding that non-ALI cert. lifts are not allowed in commercial environments in many districts. In order to maintain ALI certification lifts will need to be installed meeting various requirements which might include zero state emergency shutoffs or lockout for repair and maintenance. However it is important to check with your insurance and other municipal divisions before making the purchase.
Lifts come in all shapes and sizes. Some are standard allowing 2 cars to be stacked, 1 on top, 1 on the floor below. There are tall lifts, like I have purchased that fit a SUV under the runways. There are long versions for extended lengths such as pickup trucks and there are wide versions for people who favour cars I cant afford, lol. It is important to measure your space. I chose a lift that allowed the most space around the garage and under the runways, but I required a runway length for long wheelbase pickup. Other areas to consider is the drive thru width reducing the need to fold mirrors on wide vehicles, important when you are backing out! Of course the ceiling is your biggest deciding factor, but dont think that a hoist cant be valuable in a low overhead situation, you may not be able to stack cars but it still beats jackstands. 12' is probably the best case minimum, but I dont see why 10' wouldnt still be a benefit.
The floor under the hoist is a big deciding factor. There are concrete requirements for installing a hoist. However many of the 4post hoists can be operated in a variety of environments. I have seen units mounted on pads outdoors. Requirements usually include maximum slope and concrete specification, such as psi strength and thickness. Thickness can be important if you are planning on anchoring your lift. However the beauty of a 4post is they can be used without anchoring. Some "scooting" has been advised when not anchored tho. Also, some lifts are offered with castor units allowing the hoist to be moved around your shop. I have used them, 1 person "can", but a helper would be beneficial.
Power units come in 110V or 220V for some lifts. Benefits include faster lift times with a 220V unit, and the Amp load is lower as well if you service is compatible. Some of the lifts I researched didnt maintain the ALI cert if the 220V power unit was substituted.
My lift came with some additional features but many companies offer these as extras.
- 1x Jack tray - valuable for jacking manually with a bottle jack or for jack stands from underneath. The simplest way to lift the car such as for wheel end work.
- 3x Drip tray - used to stop drippings from falling from under car loaded on lift. Mine are metal with a drain bolt, some are plastic. Usually 2-3 are included.
- 4x End plates - these insert into the end of the runways as a safety device to stop vehicles from rolling off the lift.
- 4x Castors - for lift mobility
Some other features I have seen include wheel chocks, lighting and air line kits. I also purchased a manual bridge jack to facilitate things like wheel end work. It slides the length of the bed allowing me to lift the front or rear. Some of the spendy brand bridge jacks are air operated.
Unpacking and setup of the hoist is relatively easy. I would suggest mechanical help. One vendor had mentioned 3 guys could lift the runway with the cylinder. With my lift this was obviously false, lol. However I was able to assemble the hoist with a back hoe and a friend. Essentially I placed the 2 front posts on the floor of the garage horizontally and slid the crossbars in. I then raised the posts vertical. I repeated the same operation for the rear posts and followed with the runways. Then I slid in the lock adders, ran the cables, mounted the power unit and made adjustments according to the instructions.
At the end of the day, buy the lift that meets your requirements. I required a 4post tall lift with an ALI certification, 165"+ runways and 220V power unit. I chose this lift...
https://liftsuperstore.com/product/quatro-stacker-high-boy-4-post-lift/ . At the time it was available for the regular lift price, a $1000 discount. The additional items at no charge and features such as metal drip trays opposed to plastic helped seal the deal. For those looking the deal with Liftsuperstore in Oakville Ont., Kirk MacKenzie was a great help.
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