Lift placement

[Bryan O]

I resemble that vid.

[Flash68]

Originally Posted by Bryan O

I resemble that vid.

Make that 2 of us.

[Shmoov69]

One of my favorite lines! LoL!

[TheJDMan]

With that size shop I would highly recommend a 4 post lift with optional caster wheels so you can move it around the shop as needed and even out doors if needed. A typical 4 post lift runs on 110 so you could run an extension cord as needed. A 4 post does not need to be permanently anchored and will work on any floor that will support the vehicle weight. My 4 post is not anchored and it survived a 6.8 earthquake here in VA a few years back with no ill effects to the lift or to Dust Off which was 6ft in the air at the time the quake struck. There are pros and cons to both styles of lift so take some time to decide which will work for your situation.

See my lift light post here for lighting ideas.

https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=48550

[GregWeld]

Drop 220/240V from the ceiling on the passenger side - usually the controls are on the passenger side. So that's the shortest route - but you can always come across the top with power if the wall is on the driver side.

You have enough ceiling height for a nice two post asymmetrical lift. Don't cheap out here like I did the first time around. A lift is like the greatest tool EVER in your shop. You'll be shocked how much it's used.

[WSSix]

Make sure your floor design will meet the two post lift requirements if you go that route.

Having worked on both, I would only recommend a four post for storage or light duty work. If you're serious about building a car in the shop and using the lift to help, go two post.

[raustinss]

Definitely decide what you want first the power can go anywhere its only wires my 0.02$ drop it down from the ceiling that way it's not a hazard, water from washing cars,tripping, dirt catcher etc clean look dropping down from the ceiling. Depending on electrical code in your area it might be cheaper too. Conduit vs not needing conduit

[tom_k]

When you say "getting started" is this a space that you are planning to build or is it an existing structure?

Allow me to share my experience with not planning ahead for a hoist:

When I had my shop (pole building) built in 2003 I had it "built for a hoist". The only thing I knew I wanted was 12' sidewalls since my dad had 10' sidewalls and they were obviously too low for a hoist. I went with the concrete guys recommendation of 4"+ of fiber reinforced concrete for the floor and all of the local "experts" assured me that I was good to go. I had no idea of what hoist I wanted and hadn't done my homework. Shortly after the shop was built I realized that 3 young children didn't leave much time and money for my car hobby so it turned into a regular garage/junk catcher

Fast forward to 2013: The kids are mid-teens or older and I'm getting back to working on cars. With some luck and prodding from my new boss I score a good deal on a used Rotary SP0A9 (2 post, asymmetric, 9,000lb). Now I start doing my homework... the SP0A9 crossbar is almost as tall as the space I have available (12' was just enough), and depending on who you talk to at Rotary or one of their installers my 4"+ of fiber reinforced floor may not be enough (I ended up with almost 6" where we drilled). My lot, building size and house location dictated that one bay would have a dog leg driveway approach so I planned to put the lift in the bay with the straight approach... think again. The way the building and doors were laid out if I put the lift in the "straight approach" bay the driver side post would have been about a foot from the wall, tough to get around and limited access to the drivers side of the vehicle. Tire changes would be tough and pulling an axle shaft impossible, so the lift is in the "dog leg approach" bay. Not impossible to get into to but not as easy as it could have been with a little up front planning.

I will tell you that a hoist will change how you work on cars and is worth the investment. I had my sons car up and down about a dozen times today (we were 'experimenting'). When I was working on my back we may have only made one or two changes before we called it a day. I should have bought it when I built the shop.