Car Lifts & Storage

[Bk4205]

Well I have a situation that many folks might share, a two car garage and three cars that need to be housed inside. I have been looking into purchasing a car lift for my garage and always get to the same juncture, two or four post? I know that the four posts have ramps to drive up on and are more stable for car storage. Two posts take up less space but give the ability to lift the car and remove the wheels, etc.

Main function of the lift would be storing the 08 997 Carrera so that my girlfriend can also park her car in the garage as well. The 997 would be stored with all wheels off the ground at full down or extended travel for days at a time. Can anyone think of any issues that this might cause to the suspension system or the like? I think the Asymetrical two post would be the most versatile as I would also use it for oil changes, etc.

Getting too old to lay under cars on jack stands.

[JFP in PA]

Well I have a situation that many folks might share, a two car garage and three cars that need to be housed inside. I have been looking into purchasing a car lift for my garage and always get to the same juncture, two or four post? I know that the four posts have ramps to drive up on and are more stable for car storage. Two posts take up less space but give the ability to lift the car and remove the wheels, etc.

Main function of the lift would be storing the 08 997 Carrera so that my girlfriend can also park her car in the garage as well. The 997 would be stored with all wheels off the ground at full down or extended travel for days at a time. Can anyone think of any issues that this might cause to the suspension system or the like? I think the Asymetrical two post would be the most versatile as I would also use it for oil changes, etc.

Getting too old to lay under cars on jack stands.

Porsche has always recommended against storing the car with the suspension fully extended (hanging), and at one time circulated a technical brief concerning denying warranty coverage associated with this type of storage.

As someone that owns both two and four post lifts, I can tell you that a two post offers better access for service and maintenance purposes, but can often be impractical in a residential garage as the two post have to sit several feet outboard of the car's space, which can be space prohibitive in many home garage areas:

Two post lifts also typically require a minimum of four inch thick floors (rebar reinforced preferred), which is usually more than you would find in a home garage. Your floor can be cut and modified to accomplished this, but it will add cost. You also have the overhead clearance to be concerned about, so check with your proposed lift vendor to be sure the two post will actually fit.

Four post lifts are much narrower and can fit in lower ceiling garages, and can be adapted to handle most service tasks. Because the four post literally "sit on the floor", most home garage floors can easily accommodate them without modifications:

Unless your garage can handle the two post, you may be way ahead in both the grief and bucks departments to consider a four post.

[Bk4205]

JFP,

Thanks for your very informative and in depth reply, much appreciated. My garage has a 12 foot ceiling height and a 6 inch slab with rebar in both directions. I have been told that I will need to have a concrete compressive rating of 3,000 psi as well. I don't think there will be any issues with that but am concerned about the hanging suspension issue more than anything else as I do not want to cause damage to the car over time by improper storage as well.

I really like the idea of being able to work on the car elevated with wheels off and the two post non obtrusive approach is great as well. I guess I could also use jack stands on a ramp version? Have looked and Bendpak four post and Challenger two post as well, both nice lifts. I guess I will ponder this more?

Regards,

Brad

[JFP in PA]

JFP,

Thanks for your very informative and in depth reply, much appreciated. My garage has a 12 foot ceiling height and a 6 inch slab with rebar in both directions. I have been told that I will need to have a concrete compressive rating of 3,000 psi as well. I don't think there will be any issues with that but am concerned about the hanging suspension issue more than anything else as I do not want to cause damage to the car over time by improper storage as well.

I really like the idea of being able to work on the car elevated with wheels off and the two post non obtrusive approach is great as well. I guess I could also use jack stands on a ramp version? Have looked and Bendpak four post and Challenger two post as well, both nice lifts. I guess I will ponder this more?

Regards,

Brad

We use BendPak lifts, both because of their quality reputation, service support, and the vast number of optional accessories they make for all their lifts. For the four post lifts, they offer everything from adjustable drip pans to keep leaky cars in the overhead position from dripping on the car below, to sliding jack pads that allow you to pick up the car on the rack for service purposes, and they even make a "double wide" four post that allows you to store or work on four cars in a two car area:

We have a couple of customer's with four post that do a lot of their own maintenance and detailing work with the car jacked up on the upper rack, and they seem completely happy with the way the system works.

[rdoine]

For my four post lift, the bridge jacks were a must have, IMO. Make sure they are converted to pneumatic so you can power them with your air compressor or you wear your arm out pumping them up. Get two and you can lift the entire car and remove the wheels for maintenance. You would be hard-pressed, I think to drop an engine or transmission with the four post but you can do most normal type work. I store a 996 Turbo above and a 944 Turbo S underneath. The Vette or the 911 Convertible get the single space during summer months. It's hard for me to imagine not having made the decision to make the purchase. It makes cleaning and polishing so much easier on this old body. Sitting or standing is preferrable to crawling on the ground, lol.

[Mijostyn]

JFP is spot on. The 4 post lift is the best way to go for residencial use particularly when used for storage. Up here in the northeast they salt the roads. Salt gets into everything including your garage. The other major problem is when the temperature climbs rapidly moisture condenses on cold metal parts. I have had numerous instances when everything in my garage was soaking wet! If this happens to extended shocks they will rust. Heating the garage is a bad option because heat speeds up chemical reactions so everything just rusts faster. When the temp rises above freezing I power wash the cars and the garage floor.

Up here most people with expensive or rare cars use an entirely separate and heated garage which stays closed for the winter.

I have exactly the same problem as BK. Too many cars and not enough space. My garage floor is also lift ready but after long consideration I am going to get a 4 poster. I have not looked at the BendPak lift yet but given JFP's recommendation I will certainly check it out.

[Mijostyn]

JFP,

Thanks for your very informative and in depth reply, much appreciated. My garage has a 12 foot ceiling height and a 6 inch slab with rebar in both directions. I have been told that I will need to have a concrete compressive rating of 3,000 psi as well. I don't think there will be any issues with that but am concerned about the hanging suspension issue more than anything else as I do not want to cause damage to the car over time by improper storage as well.

I really like the idea of being able to work on the car elevated with wheels off and the two post non obtrusive approach is great as well. I guess I could also use jack stands on a ramp version? Have looked and Bendpak four post and Challenger two post as well, both nice lifts. I guess I will ponder this more?

Regards,

Brad

We use BendPak lifts, both because of their quality reputation, service support, and the vast number of optional accessories they make for all their lifts. For the four post lifts, they offer everything from adjustable drip pans to keep leaky cars in the overhead position from dripping on the car below, to sliding jack pads that allow you to pick up the car on the rack for service purposes, and they even make a "double wide" four post that allows you to store or work on four cars in a two car area:

We have a couple of customer's with four post that do a lot of their own maintenance and detailing work with the car jacked up on the upper rack, and they seem completely happy with the way the system works.

The only down side I can see to the 4 posters is getting cars like my C4S on the lift without damaging their noses. 10 foot 2x 12S might work. JFP probably just uses a 2 poster for thes cars but he may have a recommendation on how to do this safely??

[JFP in PA]

JFP,

Thanks for your very informative and in depth reply, much appreciated. My garage has a 12 foot ceiling height and a 6 inch slab with rebar in both directions. I have been told that I will need to have a concrete compressive rating of 3,000 psi as well. I don't think there will be any issues with that but am concerned about the hanging suspension issue more than anything else as I do not want to cause damage to the car over time by improper storage as well.

I really like the idea of being able to work on the car elevated with wheels off and the two post non obtrusive approach is great as well. I guess I could also use jack stands on a ramp version? Have looked and Bendpak four post and Challenger two post as well, both nice lifts. I guess I will ponder this more?

Regards,

Brad

We use BendPak lifts, both because of their quality reputation, service support, and the vast number of optional accessories they make for all their lifts. For the four post lifts, they offer everything from adjustable drip pans to keep leaky cars in the overhead position from dripping on the car below, to sliding jack pads that allow you to pick up the car on the rack for service purposes, and they even make a "double wide" four post that allows you to store or work on four cars in a two car area:

We have a couple of customer's with four post that do a lot of their own maintenance and detailing work with the car jacked up on the upper rack, and they seem completely happy with the way the system works.

The only down side I can see to the 4 posters is getting cars like my C4S on the lift without damaging their noses. 10 foot 2x 12S might work. JFP probably just uses a 2 poster for thes cars but he may have a recommendation on how to do this safely??

You can use wooden or even rubber ramps to augment the ramps that come on the four post lifts to keep the nose off the lift while loading. Probably the worst case scenario I have personally seen is a customer with a 458 Italia Spyder Ferrari, which has the unenviable combination of a very low stance and long front overhang:

The owner had to purchase a set of commercially made long rubber ramps just to get the car into his driveway, and subsequently found that they were also perfect for getting it onto the four post as well. Sometime you have to improvise; after all, "speed cost money, how fast do you want to go?"

[JFP in PA]

Here's a set made by a company called "Race Ramps"; but I am sure there are others:

[Mijostyn]

Which brings to mind a tragic story. My C4S has the AeroKit with a ridiculously low nose. About 6 months after I purchased the car it electrocuted itself destroying its PCM, instrument cluster, PASM computer and gateway module. The dealer had the car for just over a month mostly waiting on the Germans to supply a new yellow instrument cluster. Two days after I got the car back it would not start. Totally dead. I tried to jump it with my wife's car but it would not turn over. I called Porsche Roadside Assistance and they promised to get a flatbed out to my house immediately. I informed them that I had the AeroKit which might cause trouble loading the car. About an hour later a young lad arrived in the flatbed armed with two long 2 X 12s promising that he would be super careful with the car. I had already pushed the car out and aimed it at the street. He backed expertly up to the car, positioned the 2 X 12s and attached the winch to the eyelet in the front bumper. Carefully and slowly he winched the car up onto the wood and up onto the tail of the flatbed. As the front tires came off the wood it became obvious that the nose was still not going to make it. So, in order to decrease the approach angle he just slightly elevated the tail of the flatbed. Then as he engaged the winch again it let go and the car slid off the back of the flatbed slamming its nose down on the flatbeds rear edge. The kid looked at the dangling chin spoiler of my car in horror and broke out in tears.

Me? After about 15 seconds of consideration I sat down on the side of the flatbed and almost died laughing. I had to get on the phone with the kid's boss and convince him that it was not the kid's fault. Just a faulty winch. Fortunately it only damaged the black chin spoiler which they replaced for me. It turned out that one of the battery's cells had shorted out which Porsche replaced free of charge mostly because I think they felt sorry for me.

The secret to a successful life is learning to have fun in spite of it.

[anthonycocca]

If, by any chance, you have a 17' garage, you could try this set-up.......