2 Post vs. Scissor lift? One lift to rule them all!

Good afternoon, (I need to preface this by saying I will be using metric as I am currently living in Europe) So, after over a year contemplating on what form of lift to get. I have made a short list for two following 2 options (same cost options); - mind you the garage I have has a low ceiling (2.6m) and is quite narrow (3.6m). And by using the lift I get an extra car storage spot. 1. 2 Post Lift ( TW242GE ) + classic, stable, higher lifting capability - not portable, not movable, takes up allot of space on the sides 2. Scissor Lift ( TWS3-10E ) + movable, portable, more space on the sides + bottom of the car is more obstructed, max lift is 100cm So, in short, I prefer personally the scissor lift as in the off chance that I will move, or change the arrangement of the garage. I will have the flexibility to more easily adjust. Price of the scissor lift is plus minus the same. QUESTION, is there anything that cannot be done on the scissor lift that could be done on the 2 post? Examples; - Engine / Trans out? max height of the scissor is 100cm (�40") - Suspension work? - Other? I am attaching some renders I did in Blender to give a visual impression + a 996 on a lift

If you have the ceiling height go 2 post . If you don't then go scissor . I have owned both , in my opinion the 2 post easily wins .

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Thanks! Agreed it wins, but I lose space on the side and I am fixed to this house. My question is rather, can I still get everything done.

2 post wins evey time but u do t have enough room for it.

For a rear engine vehicle a scissor works . For front engine rear drive a scissor doesn't work well for transmission work . Most but not all scissor lifts have cross bars on the floor . Those get in the way of a transmission jack . If a scissor jack can be found without the cross bars that would eliminate the obstruction . Mine was an Ammco which was built by Challenger .

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I found a guy on the 928 forum, he built a piece in between making it quite possible to slide things under https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...ssor-lift.html

Well there you go . A little ingenuity goes a long ways .

4-post not on the list?

I had ordered a 2 post, after reviewing the guidelines, didn't want to take chance with garage flooring I have, bought a scissor lift and modified the cross bar to be a bolt on set-up, works great pulling combo of engine and trans no problem.

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Awesome my thinking exactly, would hate for the lift to collapse in the middle. Would you have any pics of your lift? I mean is it like the one I posted?

You might consider the Maxjack . You need to drill into the concrete floor to install some form of threaded inserts, but the posts have wheels so you can relatively quickly detach them and wheel them to a corner in your garage. You might ask if there is anyone here that have them for their impressions and opinions.

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Anther idea, if you really want to get exotic, cut out the floor where the scissor jack sits so that it is flush with the floor and then put a metal plate over the trench for the crossbar. I would probably cut through the whole floor and pour a footer to make sure the jack supports the weight. Doing that would resolve the need for ramps, but it won't be exactly cheap. However, you won't have to move anything to use it.

not even a question, 2 post is far superior. But thats not your problem. Its your garage is way to small for either. When you are all cramped up, with no elbow room is when accidents happen. For a garage your size, get a quick jack and set it up for a few more inches lift so you can remove engine/tranny... JMO

If you fear the concrete thickness for a 2 post it's not any better for a scissor . Weight is weight . A bare minimum of 4 " is needed and obviously thicker is better . When I framed up my man cave floor for concrete I framed two pads 36 x 36 and 10 " deep . Those pads are where my 2 post resides . In a hurricane or tornado I know what I will be hanging onto 😁

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2 post lift concentrates all of the weight in a much smaller contact patch. If it doesn't have a sturdy crossbar up top you need to add angular torque too.

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I disagree . The scissor lift I had was supported on one end by two steel wheels about 1.5 inches wide that's a lot of weight distributed over 3 inches . The other end was steel tubing again about 1.5 inches in diameter . I was concerned enough to put 1/4 inch aluminum plate under the wheels and bar end to help distribute the weight . Never had an issue .

The posts rarely go straight down through the concrete, the 2 post fails by uneven loads. The scissor lift would probably be fine on asphalt, ( not overly safe by any means) but no way for a 2 post on asphalt. Really a moot point, as the OP has done great research, but missed one small but detrimental thing. His ceiling is 8�6� tall, and 11�8� wide. Installing anything to lift something in that garage would be silly and lift the car maybe 4�6�. You wouldn�t be able to walk around the lift, but only under it, making the front of the garage useless, unless you want to crawl on the ground. With the fact that the concrete is probably less than 4�, the absurd height of the ceiling, and the narrow dimension of the garage, even though the 2 post would be more versatile, it�s going to be unusable in this space.

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o then you would place your vote one the scissor lift ? I mean I have been working on my 996 / e36 for the past year or so and I have not run into issues on the sides TBH. Concrete is at least 5 inches

Code for Florida, as far as I know, is 6" thick slab for a garage. However, I simply would check with the manufacture before you buy to get their slab thickness and installation recommendations.

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this is the only one I got, Post 41, I did modify the post after I posted this and remove engine and trans no problem, the lift didn't even flex at all with crossbar remove and went back on easy with car on lift. 5 ton QuickJack Lift $999.99 delivered at Costco - Page 5 - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums

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I have 3 �storage� 4 post lifts, a 12,000 lb 4 post and a 9000lb 2 post. The 2 post is 10�7 outer dimensions, and really it�s 12�3�with the placement of the motor and lift release cables. I�m sure there are other models that will squeeze in there, but your car is about 46� from undercarriage to the top of the car. At the most you will lift the undercarriage 4�6� off the floor and that�s pushing it. On most lifts there are locks that the lift sits on as to not rely on the hydraulic rams to hold the weight. In order to put the lift on the lock, the lift must be raised above the lock 3� or so. That takes your raised height to about 4� or so on the lock. Then the locks which are built into the frame, aren�t adjustable and are about 4� apart and may not fall into your needed area, that could be another 3� or so putting the car at 37� working height worst case. With the car being stored the front of the garage more than likely will be inaccessible by walking around the lift. If the lift is narrower than 10� you won�t be able to get out of the car when yiu park. So yes get yourself a portable lifting device, or deal with the above issues.

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Man, I miss NA pricing, here that same jack is 1800EUR which is 200EUR than the big A** one I am talking about

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Exactly, hence the calculation i did in blender to help visualise. Actually I made the 996 turbo 5% bigger then in reality to have a margin of error, basically as one 996 is suspended at the upmost position on the lift, I need to slide the other 996 approx 15-20" under it and I can park freely. Hence the scissor lift is I think better as it will allow for more adjustability. In my book there is more than enough room to work on it on the sides

In that small space, I do think your scissor lift will be best. Plus, it should do everything you want to do and solve the parking problem at the same time. You should have plenty of room to move around, een with both cars parked in there. Good luck.

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Thanks!