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Have any of you worked with open center scissor lifts? I知 considering what I will get, and have narrowed it down to a low ceiling 2 post, or an open center mid rise scissor.
The scissor looks like it will allow all serious work, including dropping a drivetrain, and it would not require me to lose precious space from the posts. I also wouldn稚 have to worry about concrete thickness or pouring footers if I find my concrete is not thick enough. It has a 6000 pound limit, and all my cars will easily fit on the platform.
Option two is a pretty nice 2 post designed for 9 ft ceilings, which is what I have. It has a 7000 pound limit. The plus with this lift is that you have full access to everything under the car. It may also arguably get the body of the car maybe a couple of inches higher, but for the most part, they both have the same amount of lift since I知 limited by ceiling. This one requires 4.25 inch thick slab, which I don稚 know if I have. Obviously, I値l have permanent posts in the way.
Our cars are so reliable that I doubt I spend much time dropping drivetrains, but I知 building a shop that is able to meet all auto needs. I also have friends with much less reliable cars. With lots of future track time, and other projects, I don稚 want to regret my decision.
Share your thoughts and experiences. Should I go 2 post or scissor lift?
I have a MAX-JAX 2 post. It's advertised as a portable lift, but I leave it in place. My garage was purpose built so the floor thickness (4" min) was not an issue. it's a little shy on the lift height (47"), but it works well with a seat creeper. Recently, I found bleeding brakes to be a PITA. The reason-the posts get in the way and block the doors from opening. The better way around this would be an asymmetrical 2 post or a scissors lift. However, a buddy with an RCF told me he had access trouble with a scissors lift doing exhaust systems. So each style has it pros & cons. Not an easy choice, and you want to choose only once.
Are you happy with the MaxJax? They are much more affordable.
I was thinking the same thing. Seems like either lift has its pros and cons. The scissor has a 46 inch center opening, so really access will be pretty good. Sooner or later, I may take on a project that値l be a hassle. The lack of posts in the way would be nice though. I like the idea of lifting the car just to detail it since my spine is garbage. The posts would make interior work much more difficult. My seat swap project would have been impossible.
The door issue is always the downside of any two post lift. It's the reason I wouldn't put a permanent install in my garage - opening doors would be a PITA in all three bays. On the plus side, you have full access to the underside of the car, assuming it sits high enough to clear the arms - if you sit really low, you might have a problem with getting the arms under the chassis. They typically have cables which require inspection and replacement when they wear out - usually not a problem for the home lift. There are vast differences in quality - some use bearings to roll between surfaces, others use plastic blocks to slide between surfaces and these will wear over time and make the mechanism loose.
The scissors units vary - some lift under the chassis seams, others lift at the wheels (like an alignment rack does). They're easy to install, pretty thoroughly safe once you pin/lock the mechanism. The wear items are the hydraulics, but it's pretty likely a home user will get 20 years or more out of a unit before it needs any hydraulic maintenance. The downside is you have the scissors in the way so access to the underside may be limited. There are workarounds for this if you have a chassis rail style lift (as you showed in your picture), and if you look at some of illwillem's shots of his NSX on HubStands you can see one way to get around the underside access issues.
It all comes down to picking your poison, and what you are willing to tolerate for work arounds. IMHO, the two post's limitations with door travel is the biggest annoyance for that design. The limited height with the scissors is the biggest annoyance for that design. If all I did was tires and brakes, I'd pick scissors all day long, but I do more than that.
You did miss one other option - dig a pit to get underneath the car. Lots of gas stations in the 60's and 70's had this method of getting under the car - just drive the car over the pit far enough forward to access the steps, walk down under the car, and get access to most everything. You could also combine this with a scissors lift to get more working height under the car (there is a picture of this in the link I included), and have the ability to get all four wheels off the ground with the scissors for tire and brake work. Just a thought I had when trying to decide how to do my own.
I've always had the dream of having a pit. Today, I think the current fire regulations would be an issue. The only pits I've recently seen go two bays wide, so you can run to safety if one has an issue.
You decided to get maxjax, right Lobux? Is that based solely on the portability? I question if it痴 made the same as a quality life simply based on the price. The people who have them seem to love them.
You decided to get maxjax, right Lobux? Is that based solely on the portability? I question if it痴 made the same as a quality life simply based on the price. The people who have them seem to love them.
So far that's the plan. I haven't bought anything yet. I have a major makeover for the garage planned, but I don't do long term credit for anything but houses, so I have to have cash up front. Other priorities are slowing this down, and truthfully, I don't have the time right now to build out my garage. My Supra is still half torn apart to replace the foam insulation in the HVAC system because it was blowing out in chunks from the vents. Something about being 25 years old or so...Lots of projects, not much time.
OP, it sounds like a scissors would be a good fit based on what you plan on doing. I'm with you on manually jacking up the car. I've had several spinal surgeries and my shoulder as well. A pit has it's uses, but you would still need to raise the car for wheel, brake work, etc. My grand dad had a pit in the garage until someone had fallen in-that was the end of that. Some municipalities will not permit a pit and insurance could be a problem as well.
Anyone have any idea how tall an ISF is from the pinch welds up? Trying to figure out exactly what sort of clearance I値l have with either lift. The scissor is limited by lift, while the 2 post is limited by clearance.
04-09-21, 04:52 PM
Two post or open center scissor lift?
