4-post Portable parking Auto lift

J

Joker

Contributing Member
Joined
10 September 2010
Messages
197
I would like to know if anyone here has this parking auto lift installed. A guy at the company said that I can either bolt the posts down or leave them free standing. He recommends 3" thick concrete and 4" thick when posted.

Here is my problem- earthquake, structural integrity when the posts are not bolted down. Any feed backs are welcomed. Thanks

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...=BCEmail_613-_-FOCUS-_-15-_-MarketingItemName
 
I'm not a structural engineer (hopefully a prime member who is will chime in), but I have a general understanding of structural matters.

The system is obviously designed to withstand the vertical forces of a stored car. However, what is not apparent is if the connections between the posts (columns) and the beams (horizontal members) have been designed to resist lateral (horizontal) forces associated with earthquakes. No diagonal bracing is shown, so these connections must be designed as “moment resistant” or the connection could fail in an earthquake. However, this design is not appear to be effectively possible in that the horizontal members must be free to move up and down along the columns. This then places lateral resistance mostly, if not totally, on the connection to the support slab. In addition, it is not apparent if the anchor plate at the base of each post and recommended anchor bolts have been designed to meet uplift and torsional forces caused by an earthquake. I'm also not sure if a 3" or 4" concrete slab would be able to resist uplift and torsional forces, so failure is possible at this component. Steel reinforcement would likely be needed in the slab. Lastly, even if the lift was designed for installation in earthquake prone areas and the slab was adequate, the car could still be damaged if it shifts because it is not tied down.

Anyway, I would recommend asking the manufacturer if the lift can resist the forces that have outlined above. Better yet, consult a structural engineer and provide him/her with the specs of the lift. The engineer can probably evaluate the seismic resistance ability of the lift and provide specs for foundation and anchoring system.

Good luck
 
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I have a 4 post lift in my garage, on a 4" slab on the pads. Also have the caster wheels. Bend Pak unit, no issues and have used it for several years. Anytime on Prime is a great source for the lifts. Enjoy
 
I've had a 4 post Backyard Buddy lift for 10 years in my barn. No earthquakes in Ky but we can get ground vibration from Fort Knox (which is 50 miles away!!!). I would not recommend Backyard Buddy for lifting or supporting anything as the quality and service after the sale does not equal their price point. Overpriced, marginal quality and poor service after the sale! There are much stronger, better built 4 post lifts for commercial applications--like Rotary, Snap-On, Mac, etc. but you kind of get what you pay for (except Backyard buddy).
Some units have small rails along the sides which would tend to help prevent car slippage in the case of severe tilt. You really want to talk to guys in Calif who own service facilities--dealerships etc. I would tend to just get a decent unit and insurance!
 
I live in California and have lifts in my garage (see my profile). While I did pour a 9"-thick floor to bolt the lifts down securely (bolting down is strongly suggested) I doubt that any lift is "earthquake proof" (or even "earthquake safe") because of the high suspended weight.
Ya pay your money and ya take your chances.
 
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For 4-POST LIFTS, there is no need for anything other than the 3-1/2" Min. Thickness / 2,500 psi concrete for lifts up to 9,000 lb capacity.
The big boy HD-40 40,000-lb. Capacity 4-post lift requires a 5" Min. Thickness / 2,500 psi concrete.
A good read on lifts> A study in lift design
 
Thanks for all of your feed-backs. I am lazy and too old (45yrs):cool:. I hope I can just plug and play. I don't want to drill into my garage floor on my 6 yrs old house or pull more concrete slab for posting (too much work). Talking about no drilling, free standing posts make me very nervous and I think this product is China made and I don't trust China steel (they cut corners for profits).

FSNSXguy, you have a very neat garage. Your lifts appear to be a professional version. How long have you had them now?
 
BendPak was having some fun with this test. Take one of their standard 4post 7,000lb lift and put 14,000lbs on it before it started showing signs of fatigue. The lift in question didn't fail, it started to emit sounds that made them stop the test. If your car on your lift is going to get damaged (bolted or not bolted down) during an earthquake, then that would be the least of your worries! In my shop, I have moved and removed a few lifts and the bolt holes were patched and quite invisible.

Thru my relationship with BendPak, I am able to get lifts and service equipment at discounted prices. Many here on Prime have taken advantage of this with excellent results :biggrin:
 
Joker said:
Your lifts appear to be a professional version. How long have you had them now?
Click to expand...

They're ten years old now... I don't think they're "professional" though they employ 1/4"-thick steel girders for the verticals! They were made by a guy in Los Angeles - he owned a steel company and wanted to have lifts in his garage, so he made a run of units... when they were sold out he never made any more. Notice that the two lifts have only six legs (the two lifts share the center two) -- makes for a more compact install. (The width is adjustable to fit the space with room around the outside or not as you desire.)

In my town they frown on "big garages" so this was the only way I could get four cars in a two-car space. One of the best decisions I ever made and would do it again in a heartbeat.
 
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I have a cheap China made lift at my shop in Colorado. If I lived in CA I would go ahead and bolt it down. I would also recommend spending the money on a quality lift. It seams they made the cables to short and my lift will not even go to the top rung.
 
I store mine on a 4 post lift. The slab is 6" thick and the post are not bolted down. Capacity is 7,000 lbs. I have owned the lift for 4 years with no issues. It is a cost effective way to turn a 2 car garage into a 3 car which is a good thing if you live in New England.
 

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I've got a 4 post in my garage too, also not bolted down. Worked out well, I bought it to store both my NSX's, and sold my 92 a few months later. :confused:
 
I have a four post lift not bolted down (due to in floor heating) works great. Have hade it since 2005.
 

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Snap-On makes a blue "portable" scissor lift that only needs 4" of clearance. It sits under the car (centered) and will lift it up 48" (4 feet). I've seen prices around $1600+ for it.
 
BendPak makes a portable scissor lift that only needs 4" of clearance. Lift height is not 4' (that would be a stretch for a small scissor lift).

Priced under $1600

•Lifting Capacity: 6,000 lbs / 2724 Kg.

•Lifting Height: 26" / 660 mm.

•Lifting Time: 36 Seconds

•Lowered Height: 4" / 102 mm.

•Max Lifting height w/ blocks: 29" / 737 mm.

•Overall Length: 82" / 2083 mm.

•Overall Width: 70" / 1778 mm.


119602-2T.jpg
 
ANYTIME said:
BendPak makes a portable scissor lift that only needs 4" of clearance. Lift height is not 4' (that would be a stretch for a small scissor lift).

Priced under $1600

•Lifting Capacity: 6,000 lbs / 2724 Kg.

•Lifting Height: 26" / 660 mm.

•Lifting Time: 36 Seconds

•Lowered Height: 4" / 102 mm.

•Max Lifting height w/ blocks: 29" / 737 mm.

•Overall Length: 82" / 2083 mm.

•Overall Width: 70" / 1778 mm.


119602-2T.jpg
Click to expand...

Is this what HIJACKER talking about?
 
drtruong said:
That would not give him any storage at all. It is more useful to get under the car to change oil and ect. while 4-post portable parking can do both.
Click to expand...

Very true. I just realized we were talking about lifts specific for parking. I was providing my recommendation on the lowest profile option for the NSX which allows us access to perform a variety of mechanical projects.
 
ANYTIME said:
BendPak was having some fun with this test. Take one of their standard 4post 7,000lb lift and put 14,000lbs on it before it started showing signs of fatigue. The lift in question didn't fail, it started to emit sounds that made them stop the test. If your car on your lift is going to get damaged (bolted or not bolted down) during an earthquake, then that would be the least of your worries! In my shop, I have moved and removed a few lifts and the bolt holes were patched and quite invisible.

Thru my relationship with BendPak, I am able to get lifts and service equipment at discounted prices. Many here on Prime have taken advantage of this with excellent results :biggrin:
Click to expand...

I have a Bendpak MD-6XP in my garage now, eventually I will need to add a 4 post lift so I can turn my 3 car garage into a 4 car. I would prefer to use a bendpak lift as I have more trust in their build quality, but their column height is 88", the cheapo costco unit has 82" tall posts. Unfortunately this single dimension makes the Bendpak impossible in my garage. Tell your company contact to reduce the column height 6" and I'll buy from them:)
 

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