[CarJunkie]

One of the perks of having a mancave with a lift is that people always want to bring cool cars over!





This is what usually occupies the bay:

[YWGT3]

Impressive man-cave with equally impressive cars to boot.

[Mjeagent]

Quick question - I've wondered about putting a lift in my garage as well. What I haven't been able to figure out is where the garage door goes when you put it up. Don't the door and door tracks run right into where the car would be lifted to?

[CarJunkie]

The tracks are wider than the door opening, therefore will clear anything you can fit into the garage bay. The trick is to get a direct drive door opener which mounts next to the track at one of the top corners of the door. That way, don't have a motor unit hanging down with a belt/chain in the centerline. Most lifts also need a ceiling height of 11-12 feet, but there are some that can be installed with lower clearance.

[Mjeagent]

Thanks for the info. Awesome setup.

[hlmiii]

"where the garage door goes when you put it up"
UP. Just higher. You may have to raise the mechanism and tracks.

"Don't the door and door tracks run right into where the car would be lifted to?"
They sure can, and usually do in most garages. The situation described by Carjunkie evidently worked for him (you are fortunate - congrats), but won't for almost all other situations due to the lifts involved and the garage sizes.

I have a four-car garage, along with 12 - 13 ft. ceilings. I have four lifts, and two garage doors. The following is based upon that, which is sadly better than most ...

Twelve feet provides minimal clearance for two stacked cars. One of the cars must have a relatively short height - Z8/E30/etc. at most. Even at that the car above or below that "short" car cannot have a height more than a 5 Series BMW. ANY SUV makes it impossible to use a lift with a 12 ft. ceiling.

A rear wing-type spoiler may limit the effective usable clearance for the car above or below the spoiler. Especially if the spoiler is higher than roof, and at or beyond the very end of the car. (This realization instantaneously becomes a WTF? moment, trust me. )

If the garage doors have any components or parts, including the door, that are fixed - or will move - above the lift area when open, they will eat up at least 8" inches of vertical space, and possibly more. Ceiling light fixtures will cause the same problem.

Clearance in a 12 foot situation with two cars is pretty tight. You will not be able to walk through the garage without ducking. ALSO - opening hoods and trunks must be done carefully at all times. The first time that your spouse hits her/his head and/or dents the trunk lid will be a marital moment. The first time that you do it will be even worse.

Side clearance is another concern. A standard two-car garage width will lose some effective width due to the lifts and the practical usage aspects.

Entrance into the lift areas and onto the the lifts is a big issue. You must have a straight path onto the lifts. Entry on the diagonal or at the end of a curved path can be a big problem, to the point where it may not be possible with some cars and/or situations. This means that there should be at least twenty feet of clear space immediately in front of any lift. This can be shortened somewhat, but only at the cost of maneuvering the car in short forward/backward trips to "walk" it into position directly in front of the lift.

Make 100% certain that the lift is properly designed, engineered, made with the best quality metals and fittings, sourced from a known and well-reputed manufacturer (go for USA), and then is installed by experienced people and is tested. There are copies/knockoffs made overseas and they DO fail.

Derek Weaver is one of the best companies, with several variations. One common choice is http://www.derekweaver.com/rodders-g...post-car-lift/

As you can probably tell I have been through this. There were many aspects/considerations/problems - and solutions - that were unanticipated and fairly surprising, even after a few weeks of obsessing over the design. I promise that this will be true in any first-time experience with lifts at home.

Good luck.

[x5love]

this car looks SO GOOD without the blue accents.

[Aye-eight]

Originally Posted by CarJunkie

The tracks are wider than the door opening, therefore will clear anything you can fit into the garage bay. The trick is to get a direct drive door opener which mounts next to the track at one of the top corners of the door. That way, don't have a motor unit hanging down with a belt/chain in the centerline. Most lifts also need a ceiling height of 11-12 feet, but there are some that can be installed with lower clearance.

... Or you get yourself a man cave that's 40' long, with a 10' ceiling. :-D

[CarJunkie]

Nice battery tender mount, good idea!