Lift / Garage Height Info Help

[ricklove]

Can someone kinda point me in the right direction for a lift for my needs? Looking to build an oversize, detached 2 car garage (24' x 26') and what I need for a lift and ceiling height. 1948 Ford tudor sedan and Gold Wing will reside, but I also want a lift for doing stuff underneath. Any "lessons learned" from your mistakes greatly appreciated. Many thanks!!!

[scrapiron]

Bare minimum would be 12 feet ceiling ht.....IMO

[Motorhead6]

I have a 2 post lift which is fine except, the chain which synchronizes the 2 sides runs along the floor. I can't pull a transmission and use the transmission jack because of this. If I had it to do over, I would get a 2 post with the overhead support and chain.

For an old high center of gravity car or truck, I would recommend at least 13 ft ceiling. Just saying.

[miker98038]

I've got two friends with large shops, 36x36 and 36x48. Both are nominally 12 ft clear, pole barn, metal, poured concrete floor. 4 post lifts. At 5'10", I'm comfortable under the Nomad, my bird, any lower car. They're both 6"1 to 6'2". They have to watch where they stand up. One has bad knees, and he rolls around a lot on a drafting chair. OK for light work, but not much leverage for heavy work.

Put the wives DD SUV's, or the big pickups, and I can't stand under them before they hit the trusses.

The 4 post have some disadvantages, it difficult pulling a motor because the front bars won't let a cherry picker in. If you lift the car to get it under, now your working pretty high, and need a bigger hoist to clear the front structure as the engine comes out.

So it depends on you and your projects. We're getting on in age, and we lift the cars to clean the wheels, or buff the sides. No bending over if we can avoid it.

IIRC, there was a big price premium to go past 12 ft due to the cost of the metal siding. But we're in an urban area, so not a lot of call over 12 ft till you get to real commercial metal buildings.

[dmsfrr]

Floor space:
I built a 23 wide x 26 long (inside dimensions) double car garage to work on one car & have one wall for wife's storage. It could/should have easily been 6 to 10 ft wider and 4 to 6 feet deeper.

There's a height restriction in my neighborhood so I don't think about that part.

[y'sguy]

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[Ford blue blood]

Told a friend while he was in th planning stages for building a shop to add 25% floor space after he had it all "figured" out. His place went up without the extra added space and after a year he said "Bill, I thought you were nuts!", he is adding on.

[Dodge]

The very minimum is 10' with short cars.

[LOWRIDER]

I have one of those newer style 40x25 "quanset hut" type metal building. When they delivered my hoist I measured the posts and both were 13ft. Measured from the floor to ceiling and it also measured 13ft. at the lower part of the ceiling. However when the installers got the posts upright they had to move them back a bit to the higher part of the ceiling to get them to fit. Had the entire ceiling been 13ft I would have had to do a little "body work" to get them up.

[parklane]

I built my dream shop several years ago (30x42), and where the hoist was going, I used trusses for a cathedral ceiling. Worked out very well.

[miker98038]

Parklane, that's got to be the best, cost effective idea I've heard in a long time. Would have been perfect in both shops.

[Beav]

Whatever you decide just remember it will never be as cheap to do as it is now.

[TNDoug]

Built a shop last year: 34' wide x 38' long with 12' 6" ceiling height ( 12' 2x4's with double plates top and bottom). I have a 4 post lift (9000 lb.) on one side. The neat thing is that the lift can be moved with the casters provided. 120 volt power makes it really portable. I have an '04 2500 Avalanche and it is no problem with the height. I also have a few street rods and they are lower so no problem with them either. I looked at 2 post lifts but I didn't want to commit to a designated spot in the shop. The 4 poster works great-nice and safe and really no drawbacks except with a cherry picker fitting under the front rail. My cherry picker is extra long so the reach is no problem.

[wex65]

Pretty crappy angle (it is a photo from my Instagram feed) but this shows the coupe up in the air to the extent I can stand comfortably underneath it. I am 6' 2" and the ceilings are 14'.

[paul2748]

Nice looking 55 TBird. Coupe looks nice too.

Originally Posted by wex65

Pretty crappy angle (it is a photo from my Instagram feed) but this shows the coupe up in the air to the extent I can stand comfortably underneath it. I am 6' 2" and the ceilings are 14'.