-
Guide to Car Lifts
Guide to Car Lifts
Automotive lifts are a type of forklift that specialize in the vertical movement of vehicles. They’re what transport a car from one height to another for repairs, simple fixes, and challenging projects.
There are many different types of automotive lifts from floor jacks to car lifts. Each one has its own unique lifting mechanisms.
Because automotive lifts vary, it can be tricky to know what distinguishes one from another. That being said, here’s your ultimate guide on automotive lifts and what you need to know when getting one for yourself.
Important factors to keep in mind
No matter which type of automotive lift you look at, it’s important to keep three factors in mind: load capacity, lift height and lift speed.
Load capacity is the maximum weight that an automotive lift is able to withstand. Lift height is the maximum height that the automotive lift can hoist a vehicle. Lift height impacts the kind of under-car repairs you’ll be able to do.
Finally, lift speed is the amount of time that’s needed to completely lower or raise the automotive lift. While a slower lift speed is ideal for home garages, lift speed and descent are also regulated for safety purposes in high-volume repair shops.
What are the different types of automotive lifts?
Now that you know what factors to keep in mind when looking for automotive lifts, it’s important to know what each lift is capable of and what applications they work best for.
Here are the most common types of automotive lifts and what they can do:
Frame-engaging lifts: Low-rise frame engaging lifts are the most basic automotive lift model available. They often come in two styles: scissors and parallelogram. They’re capable of lifting loads just under 6,000 lbs, but they don’t provide access to the entire underside of a vehicle. They’re best for home garages when wheel work or body projects need to be done.
Two-post surface-mounted lifts: These automotive lifts are commonly used in maintenance shops. They consist of two columns and allow for full access to the underside of a vehicle, making exhaust and fuel system work especially easy. Two-post surface-mounted lifts get their name because they need to be bolted to the floor. They can be built both symmetrically or asymmetrically and have a load capacity below 20,000 lbs, making them ideal for light trucks, cars, and vans.
Four-post lifts: These automotive lifts are wheel-engaging, which allows cars to drive directly onto them. Four-post lifts are capable of giving you 14 feet of room to work on a vehicle. They also have an incredible load capacity that varies from lift to lift.
Drive-on parallelogram lifts: These lifts allow vehicles to drive directly onto them. They resemble scissor lifts and have a high load capacity, capable of holding tens of thousands of pounds.
In-ground lifts: In-ground lifts are an industry standard. They descend into the floor when not in use and are extremely flexible in design.
Automotive lifts vary drastically in terms of style, applications, load capacity, lift height, and lift speed. While you’re browsing automotive lifts for your own home garage or repair shop, be sure to consider the types of projects you have in mind and what you’ll need from your lift.
Author: Marin Huver is an experienced writer and customer service advocate. Since finishing her degree at Marquette University where she majored in Marketing & Communications, she has worked for SVI International the last 4 years. She has a background in the auto industry as she used to freelance write for several major auto manufacturers. She enjoys thought leadership pieces as well as writing some of the more technical pieces. Outside of writing for SVI International, her writing interests include fiction and sci-fi.
#carlifts
-
1 Reply
-
Great piece it’s important when purchasing to investigate your potential supplier and make sure they back their quality of lift with documentation of what it’s capable of.
cheap lifts are often overrated for weight, they will take a 9k lb lift and sell it as a 12k (the industry requires a lift to support 1.5x it’s listed weight so 9k would mean 13.5k max potential support) lift while also using cheaper welding methods and parts.
Log in to reply.