# Adapting a “Service” Lift (Hoist) to both Service & Parking Lift



## mjb2262 (Sep 13, 2022)

About three weeks ago, my most recent project involving an adapted automobile Lift was completed. Perhaps someone in the membership has some of the same needs for a modified or adapted Lift as me.

In May of this year I learned that the person renting me a winter storage spot for my car was selling the building and I would likely need to locate another storage space for my second fun car In the winter. One of my cars already occupies my single car garage.

I located a “Single” Post, Moveable hydraulic Lift on rollers and wheels for sale about 4 hours from my home and my friend and I brought it back to my place in an open trailer. The Lift was purchased by the seller during COVID and he no longer had a need for it. There wasn’t a mark on the paint or any damage to the rubber lift pads. I paid about 1/2 the price of a new identical lift today, considering the increases in steel prices, manufacturing and shipping costs.

The single post needed to be shortened 1 5/8” so I could roll the Lift into any position in my garage. I wanted to park two cars 12 months of the year and use it to service my cars. I wanted it to be convenient enough that I could drive in or out without making adjustments to the arms every time I left the garage or returned. Last, I wanted to be able to remove and replace the 10 foot tracks for certain types of service. 

The post was shortened using a Milwaukee cordless bandsaw, an angle grinder and a drill to drill two new holes. I bought 1 1/2, 10 foot sheets of steel for making and bending two tracks…A centre insert had to be made so the car being parked underneath could drive comfortably over the base of the Lift. When the metal work was completed, it went to the local Powder Coating Paint Shop to have the new tracks and other metal pieces painted yellow to match the manufactures yellow paint. Last, my good friend located 2 discarded ramps from a 4 post hoist which were easily modified to drive up onto the tracks and off and for secondary use enabling the ground vehicle to drive over the base entering or leaving the garage.

Below are a few photos of the project.

Mike


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## Tomc938 (Sep 13, 2022)

Nice project!  I'm so jealous.


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## LenVW (Sep 13, 2022)

Nice work Mike .
That lift must be well anchored with the cantilevered lifting arms.
I can tell the PORSCHE likes the elevated storage spot !!
What year is it ?


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## mjb2262 (Sep 13, 2022)

Tom…”thank you!” and Len, “thank you!”… the Speedster is 1957. The capacity of the Lift is 6,000 lbs and the car is 1,700 lbs.


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## Dabbler (Sep 13, 2022)

I've never seen a cantilevered single post lift before...  It, and your work, combine to make it a thing of beauty.  Very nice work.


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## mjb2262 (Sep 14, 2022)

Dabbler, thanks for your comments. It was all made possible by a talented friend, bending equipment and some muscle-power.


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## Susquatch (Sep 14, 2022)

Wow!

That's what I call a very cool solution to a nasty problem.

You might even save money over the long haul. And you can't buy the happiness, comfort, and convenience of having your baby right there at home with you and about as unstealable as it gets! Consider adding some anti-theft features to the lift system.

6000 pounds cantilevered !!! Wow!

What would you charge me to store my 2007 Diesel Ram MegaCab 2500?


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## Hruul (Sep 14, 2022)

Wow nice work.  I have never seen a single post car lift before, that is very different.


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## mjb2262 (Sep 14, 2022)

Hruul & Susquatch, thank you!…and Susquatch..I would do it for free but that single car garage is literally, “stuffed to the rafters!”…Mike


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## phaxtris (Sep 14, 2022)

That's cool, I've also never seen a cantilever lift before


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## 6.5 Fan (Sep 14, 2022)

Nice lift, a buddy has one but it is a 4 post. takes up more floor space.


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## Doggggboy (Sep 14, 2022)

6.5 Fan said:


> Nice lift, a buddy has one but it is a 4 post. takes up more floor space.


I've got a four post. Being movable is nice but I don't know if I'd buy it again.
If you've got a special car you want to store out of the way in the winter, they're great. You can lift it up out of the way and park another one underneath or use the space for something else. I keep lots of shop tools on wheels and just roll them under the lift while it is raised.
They do still take a lot of room and obviously you need the ceiling height to take full advantage.
They are not great if you are doing wheel or suspension work as you still have to jack the car up while it is on the lift and then the deck is still in the way.
Sliding or rolling bridge jacks are great but they are expensive as well. Two jacks can cost almost as much as the lift. I have had three of them catastrophically fail while under load, dropping the vehicle back down on the deck while in the air. New underwear adds to the cost as well.
If I was doing it again I would probably buy a two post lift to get better access to the vehicle and just live with having to work around it.
Spend enough money and you can get movable 2 post lifts well.


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## Darren (Sep 14, 2022)

I have 2, two post hoists in my shop. I find that I need a 4 post often enough that I'm considering adding another bay with a 20k 4 post just for the larger trucks and cube vans that I work on . I can't lift them on my 2 posts and working on the floor sucks bigtime.


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## Doggggboy (Sep 14, 2022)

Darren said:


> I have 2, two post hoists in my shop. I find that I need a 4 post often enough that I'm considering adding another bay with a 20k 4 post just for the larger trucks and cube vans that I work on . I can't lift them on my 2 posts and working on the floor sucks bigtime.


What jobs would make a four post more suitable than a 2 post? Just the weight of the vehicle?


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## Hruul (Sep 14, 2022)

Not sure on Darren's use, but when I worked in a garage, the front alignments were done on a four post, and while the four post is more restrictive, on some vehicles doing the two post was just sketchy when you were working hard to get something off that was not cooperating.  The vehicle would start rocking more than you wanted when you were under it.


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## Darren (Sep 14, 2022)

Doggggboy said:


> What jobs would make a four post more suitable than a 2 post? Just the weight of the vehicle?


Ford Superduty trucks with running boards are hard to lift without a ton of extensions on the pads. I service a fleet that has a F350, F550,  and F650. I can't lift any of them safely. 

On the cube vans , it's the length.  A few have 20' van bodies and power tailgates. 

A drive on with rolling Jack's would be much better and safer.


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## phaxtris (Sep 14, 2022)

4 posts are also better for exhausts, pulling transmissions/transfer cases, alignment's and of course storage

But if I had the space it would be a 2 post for me (not as a storage lift), definitely more of an all around lift

What's the idea behind the cantilever style lift ? Is it soposto be used like a 4 post, but take up less space ?


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