Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Lift Questions (long)

[Jeff Greenfield (coyote]

Lots of options and opinions, I'm sure that you'll get many different
answers depending on who you talk too.

I've worked with both styles of lifts, and spent a lot of time researching
lifts, and deciding what to get for my shop before actually buying one.

Asymmetrical is far more convenient in that is makes it much easier to get
in and out of the car as you can open generally open the door of the car
further (sometimes all the way depending the car) then you can with a
symmetrical lift. 

Asymmetrical is great for FWD, and most front engine RWD cars. I haven't had
any problems putting everything from an Alfa spider, 308, or BMW 750iL on my
lift. Which is for all intents and purposes an asymmetrical lift.

That being said, many lifts now, have extra long front arms (sometimes an
option, sometimes not) which allow the lift to be used in either
configuration assuming the length of the bay is long enough to allow the car
to be positioned further to the front or back of the lift depending on what
you want to do.

The most important thing is to use common sense, pick the car up a foot or
so, and do the 'bounce' test my pushing/jumping on the ends of the car to be
sure it is stable.

Rotary lifts are really nice, and if money is no object by all means go
ahead and get one. There are plenty of others out there that every bit as
good for about half as much.

Mine is a Bendpak, which I bought online (www.asedeals.com) for
substantially less than any 'dealers' could offer it for, and installed it
myself with the help of one other person. The bendpak does have long(er)
front arms and I believe is considered both symmetrical and asymmetrical but
I'd have to look at the brochure to be sure.

Depending on the space, whether or not is new construction or not, and
budget (the latter being the determining factor) there some other pretty
neat options out there.
 
Twin post in ground would be my first choice for a new floor if money were
no object. Another option would be full-height scissor lift (google Nussbaum
lifts out of germany), however this does have some limitations has to under
car access. The advantage of both these styles is that there is pretty much
clear floor space. Those two columns really take up a lot of a floor space.

OTH, you can't beat an above ground two post for all around versatility and
price. Also, there is a big variation among the above ground lifts for width
spacing of the columns, if space is of a concern (as it was in my shop) then
this is also a big consideration. A lot of lifts are now designed to have
the capability to pick up large trucks and SUV's. So, if you're never going
to work on those, than it is wasted space.

LMK if you have any questions, BTDTGTTS.

I'll try to send along a photo or two of my shop this week, after I get back
home.


Jeff







-----Original Message-----
From: Charles G. Perry IV [mailto:charles [at] carolina-sound.com] 
Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2006 9:44 PM
To: Jeff Greenfield
Cc: The FerrariList
Subject: [Ferrari] Lift Questions

To those of you who know or may have researched lifts:

I am considering a Rotary two-post lift for a future property. They have two
basic designs, symmetrical and asymmetrical. They list their advantages as
follows:

Asymmetrical: 
-- Places center of gravity of vehicle in line with columns optimal load
capacity
-- Allows maximum opening of door for interior access

Symmetrical:
-- Vehicle load is centered between posts to maximize lift capacity
-- More width between columns for larger vehicles

Which lift is more appropriate to working on mid-engine cars in general, and
specifically Ferraris where the rear subframe must come out for engine
maintenance (TR/355/??). Considering it's hard to predict future purchases,
are there any other things you would recommend thinking about when shopping
for a lift or choosing a design?

Thanks!

-- charles



------------------------------------------------------------
                    Charles G Perry IV
                    Sr. Project Engineer

Carolina Sound Comm.              (843) 571-4488
1941 Savage Rd, Ste 200G      (843) 571-4492 fax
Charleston, SC 29407                www.carolina-sound.com

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