Lift or no Lift

[SuperRanger]

Banjoman got me thinking about a lift for our new shop. I kind of wrote it off before because we have never used one. I am worried that it will just get in the way and take up valuable (and expensive) floor space. I think we will be working on a rock crawler most of the time in the shop.

It is a dumb question but what is the big advantage of having one? I can see obvious advantages with a car but wondering abut the usefullness with a rock crawler.

Advantages I see are:

Cycling suspension / better angles while welding / get off you back (but still have stuff falling on you).

Is it worth the space it takes up for a 1100 sf shop?

[Myanarchy]

Once you have one you'll love it.

[sha_ba_do_bang]

Get one, you will never regret having to not work on the ground anymore. It makes everything easier, from trans swaps to diff work and being able to get at the bottom of the frame for welding and suspension/axle/brake work, everything is easier.
No MORE JACKSTANDS and FLOOR JACKS!!

Just a little tip about space, we have a asy side by side which kinda hogs the whole bay if you don't want to use the lift. But if your buying new look at these http://www.rotarylift.com/Products/Product_Detail/Product_Detail.asp?PN=Inground%20SmartLifts%AE&CAT=Professional%20Automotive%20Service

not sure if they will work where you live but they take up zero space, and if your buying new anyways and can dig and install it yourself its the way to go.

Good Luck

Brendan

[SuperRanger]

Get one, you will never regret having to not work on the ground anymore. It makes everything easier, from trans swaps to diff work and being able to get at the bottom of the frame for welding and suspension/axle/brake work, everything is easier.
No MORE JACKSTANDS and FLOOR JACKS!!

Just a little tip about space, we have a asy side by side which kinda hogs the whole bay if you don't want to use the lift. But if your buying new look at these http://www.rotarylift.com/Products/Product_Detail/Product_Detail.asp?PN=Inground%20SmartLifts%AE&CAT=Professional%20Automotive%20Service

not sure if they will work where you live but they take up zero space, and if your buying new anyways and can dig and install it yourself its the way to go.

Good Luck

Brendan

I don't know which one you are talking about. If it is an in ground one I am going to bang my head intot hte wall, the foundaiton is poured and shop up....

[SuperRanger]

We have an area with a sloped roof to put the lift under - about 9' high on one end, 15' on the other by 16' long. the garage door tucks up real tight to the ceiling. I think we could fit one and use it pretty efectively for a smaller vehicle but better check my measurements.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=230798&d=1140486807

For reference, the doors are 8' openings and the bottom of the bean is 8'-6". The roof slopes up to about 15' (below the rafters) at the highest point. The beam is 16' from the garage door.

[D60]

If you can fit one and afford one I can't imagine why you wouldn't get one. As mentioned above, diff work, etc. I've got a bad back and getting up and down off the creeper all weekend hurts me. But also things like body swaps can be done w the lift.............all sorts of cool stuff.

You have plenty of ceiling height at the peak (like the skylights BTW), but yeah a long vehicle might interfere w the pitch, I dunno but you could easily run some figures.

The only question for me is symmetric or assymetric......I'm leaning toward an Aamco that claims to be both

[cajunsuzukispider]

I think I've seen a one post for vehicles under 5000 lbs. that could be put near the wall. I don't even have a shop and I want one. I'd put one in the yard if I could. don't even doubt that you'd love it

[Kartracer55]

I use lifts almost daily and if I could get one for home I would. Jackstands suck, its a PITA working with them. Youll realize this after you use a lift for the first time.

Jim

[TheBanjoman]

If you can fit one and afford one I can't imagine why you wouldn't get one. As mentioned above, diff work, etc. I've got a bad back and getting up and down off the creeper all weekend hurts me. But also things like body swaps can be done w the lift.............all sorts of cool stuff.

You have plenty of ceiling height at the peak (like the skylights BTW), but yeah a long vehicle might interfere w the pitch, I dunno but you could easily run some figures.

The only question for me is symmetric or assymetric......I'm leaning toward an Aamco that claims to be both

To me, I'm totally looking forward to not having to play creeper games with my bad knees and back anymore.

It'll also be nice to walk to the toolbox instead of having to roll out from under the truck, haul my fat butt up by grabbing a door handle, a seat rail, or something else to help get my balance, find the tool and then get back down on the creeper again.

Seems I NEVER have the all the right tools with me when I 'go under' and will often do the up/down dance several times when working on something. ..

I can also envision the benefits of being able to look and work at something without knocking dust, mud, and other crap right down into my eyes, past the safety glasses because I am looking UP at it and not from the side.

Its not installed yet, and should be next week at the rate we are going and I haven't used it yet but I can surely see the benefits of putting it in. It's a tool like all the others and I'll use it to make my life easier when I am in the shop.

[Bondobob]

I will agree, can't imagine life without one anymore. It’s about the most useful tool for all the crap I do. One thing you’ll find is you have many more friends after you buy one though. :) I have a Challenger extra tall 9000lbs. Clear floor model.

[SuperRanger]

I measured the beam and it is about 8'-9" to the bottom. Presuming a hood height of 4', I could lift just over 4' and have the hood under the beam. I have plenty of clearence for smaller rockcrawlers.

The reason I wouldn't want a lift is the dedicated space for it. I basically have room to work on 4 vehicles and will probably only ever have 3 in there so maybe it is worth the space.

Banjoman - where did you get yours from?

[SuperRanger]

The only question for me is symmetric or assymetric......I'm leaning toward an Aamco that claims to be both

Can anyone go over the difference again. I can't find anything that is clear about it.....

Do symetric arms swing out evenly from the post (and ONLY evenly)?

I wired a 30A 220 service just in case...... We have over 2000' of wire into the shop.

[D60]

Can anyone go over the difference again. I can't find anything that is clear about it.....

Do symetric arms swing out evenly from the post (and ONLY evenly)?

Assymetric uses a long arm/short arm setup to put the doors aft of the posts, making it much easier (or possible at all) to open the doors while the vehicle is on the lift.

Assymetric seems to be the most popular, which is all well and good but with my lift going in a back corner of my shop, I can see a lot of times I'd want to back a vehicle on to put a rear axle closer to my workbench, or have the engine compartment face away from the wall if I needed more room to roll a hoist, or whatever - basically want to keep my options open depending upon what I'm doing and how cluttered the shop is, etc etc. Bend Pak told me you *can* back a vehicle onto an assymetric, it just kinda defeats the purpose in relation to the ease of opening the doors...............but it makes me kinda nervous and it doesn't seem like it'd be a wise idea with something like a fullsize (or in particular a diesel) to back it onto an assymetric and then have all that leverage and weight where the back end (read: lighter) of a vehicle was intended to reside.

Finally, it'd be really nice to here from more experienced people on this issue. I've never even used a lift so my info could be unreliable.......

This one kinda interests me:
http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/AMM-V210SR1.html

[ZukIzzy]

Get one you will find yourself putting off little things till the lift is free. bigger jobs like axle R&R are 30 minutes now instead of all day. there is no law that you can't park a rig in the lift space when you are not working on it. the space thing will work itself out after you have worked on one for a while and get an asymetrical. much easier to use.

Wayne