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Two or Four post lift


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On 3-12-2017 at 4:42 PM, landrover130 said:

Never thought about securing body to roof of building, Woul it be safe to lift a body with something through windows, I am thinking 110,Discovery 2, P38?, or would door tops crush.

I did the lift without doors and rear hatches so there where enough ways to connect the ropes without causing damage. But you can also remove the bonnet and connect somewhere there.

Lifting throug the windows (or preferable door openings) is also possible but you need to prepare for that to spread the lifting force.

I made also some plates which connected to the mounting for the doors in the A-pilars, that is very strong but not really nescessary.

Just need to take care and know what you are doing. :-)

 

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I have both and use the 4 poster with jacking beam 99% of the time it's a handy workbench when doing axle work and easier to stand on when vehicle is raised to access the engine bay, if your doing a clutch you need to be in and out the cab and a two poster is a real pain for this. 

 

Two poster was good good for lifting the disco body off to build the rolling chassis up on the 4 poster and of course if you working on a car or similar where you ar all at the front then two poster makes more sense which I guess is why you see more in garages. The scissor ones seem to seriously restrict access to under the middle in my experience. 

 

4 poster over a pit means you can have the wheels at waste height and stand up underneath without adjusting the ramp all the time.

 

just my 2p.

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Does anyone have any recommendations for reputable suppliers of secondhand lifts? Ebay is a lottery I would prefer to avoid

Four post for me after using Neils. Its safe and stable and i cant think of anything we have struggled with on there.

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I have decided to go for a four post once my Discovery gets a new gearbox so I can collect. If you look on ebay a few buisnesses advertise lifts with new cables one even had a test certificate. I am intending to go for a Bradbury four ton with wheel free bars and a jack.

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I was going to suggest them too, only I wasn't too sure about the control side of things... a lot of lifts have safety lock out circuits that really need to be operational... But technically speaking all that would be required is a 240v pump for a one way system, i.e. pump up and let gravity do the lowering!

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  • 1 month later...

Two post every time. I run a fairly decent size automotive business and work with ramps every day pretty much. Re. The load nut failure, these are legally required to be tested in the uk by a third party, as “notifiable equipment” a vehicle lift must be inspected etc and it’s criminal law involved not civil. Ours is a used screw type lift from the late nineties and the original load nuts are to quote the inspector “still like new” so they do last pretty well

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I am all up in the air over this now...... :lol:

I was thinking 2 post, just for the footprint really, but when the thread got into it's stride I thought maybe 4 post would be safer and nearly as versatile.

I am thinking that for me the obstruction to the front doors would be the big issue with 2 posts (not being a 32 waist any more!) so I am wondering, do the higher capacity lifts, 4000 or 4500kg which I assume are made for larger LGV type vehicles, have any useful extra width between the posts?? Anyone use(d) such a lift?

 

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for a pro working day in, day out, i guess the decision between 2 and 4 post needs to rest on what their business needs. or if they have the space, both.

For an amateur like myself, its a 4 post or no post at all, i just don't have the experience balancing and placing the arms to put myself (or anyone else) under a 2 post. 

I've used 4 posts a fair bit, and with a bit of ingenuity I've dropped both axles off my series 3, dropped a gearbox out of my dads old RRC, and dropped the rear subframe  out of a jaguar xj6 s3. all would have been easier on a 2 post, but a lot safer on a 4 post.

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As a professional (?) working with a 4 post, a 2 post and a single post everyday I prefer the 4 post and pretty much hate the 2 post , given my choice (I’m an employee) I would have a flush mounted cill lift and some very big axle stands . The 2 post is all about common sense when lifting a car , taking care to lift the vehicle in the correct place , I would never ever lift a big (def 90 and up) 4x4 on a 2 post ,my advice is get a flush mounted cill lift as you can do east/west gearboxes and north/ south gearboxes on them ,axles/suspension hangs free and the cills  are accessible with a little ingenuity , other thing about two posts is banging the chuffin  doors on em 😡

Edited by Ozzy50
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I find the 4 post much easier to use, so it was the first choice for most jobs (when I had 2 lifts). Just drive up, lift and done. A lifting beam and/or large chassis stands make it very versatile.

For some jobs like suspension, welding sills etc or gearbox on FWD the 2 poster was better for access. They're also cheaper, but a lot more cumbersome to use properly and safely.

I'll get one of each type in the new Workshop, just for flexibility. I'd be hard pressed to chose a type, depends on how much you plan to use it and what type of work (regular quick access or longer projects).  

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