A Comparison Between Two Post and Four Post Car Lifts
Car hobbyists who would like to install a car lift in their residential garages may be uncertain about whether they should buy a two-post lift or a four-post lift. This article discusses those two types of car lifts so that you can make an informed decision about the type that will address your needs.
Four-Post Car Lifts
Four-post car lifts have four support columns that hold up the frame of the lift. This type of lift is user-friendly because all that you need to do is to drive onto the lift and park your vehicle. You can then engage the lift to hoist up the vehicle so that you can access its undercarriage. You also don't need a floor anchor to provide support to the lift.
These lifts are ideal for hobbyists who will be using them to lift vehicles of different weights. The lift can also be useful in case you would like to store two vehicles in a garage that was built for one vehicle. One car can be hoisted while the second remains at ground level.
The major downside of these four-post car lifts is that they are more expensive to buy. This is because they consume more materials during their construction. Furthermore, you may need to buy bridge jacks if you ever intend to service the wheels of your vehicles. The bridge jacks hoist the car wheels off the runway. These lifts also have a large horizontal footprint so they are not suitable for smaller garages.
Two-Post Lifts
Two-post lifts have two support columns that hold up the lifting mechanism. These car lifts have stabilisation arms that latch onto the frame of the car. This is different from the four-post lifts that engage the wheels of the vehicle.
Two-post lifts require a smaller horizontal space during their installation. They are also more affordable to buy when compared to four-post lifts. You will also have unfettered access to the wheels of the vehicles that you are working on. Consequently, you will not have to buy any additional hardware, such as rolling bridge jacks.
The main disadvantage of this type of lift is that it cannot be used to lift heavy vehicles, such as a semi-trailer. One also has to be very careful when hooking up a vehicle because any mistake made can result in damaging the body of the car. Additionally, you won't be able to stack two vehicles in the same way that an owner of a four-post lift will.
Think carefully about your garage, such as its dimensions, before you select a car lift to buy. You may also ask an expert, like one from Forte Lift Services, for help in case you are unable to determine the specific features that your car lift should have in order to serve your interests.
