Looking for input on 4 post lifts. New garage, has plenty of height, so that's no issue. May end up with my dually on it from time to time, so weight capacity will matter.

Thanks.

I got mine on Facebook marketplace nearly new pretty cheap. Paid $2,000 delivered and was not hard to set up. Mine is the smaller one that will not hold a dually. I do really like it and will probably buy one more. I use it for storing my cars so it does not take up as much floor space. In this picture I was cleaning other half of shop so had it all pushed over to one side. Pretty cluttered up here but you can see how in saves space. They have almost doubled in price in last three years but still they are nice to have. They have wheels that make it pretty easy to move around and put where you want it.

Have you considered 2 post? If yes, than why not?

For a 4 post, I highly recommend Advantage Lifts. The uprights are thick square tubing, and the lift cannot be pushed over. Ive swapped wheels, brake jobs, etc using the bridge jack.

Don't have a 4 post but my 2 post is a Bend-Pak and it's a 9k with 1/2" formed steel columns. It's been working fine for over 25 years.

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Originally posted by markemark:
Have you considered 2 post? If yes, than why not?

I have considered a 2 post. I do plan on having at least 2 lifts in here when I can, so a 2 post would likely be my choice for the 2nd lift. This initial one will be used primarily for storage when a car isn’t in use as well as general maintenance of any one of the several cars/trucks I have. While I’ve never jacked up my 4 link race car and let the rear hang freely, I’ve been led to believe it’s not a good idea, so the 4 post would be necessary with that car. I’ll add the crossmember to allow a separate Jack to raise it for wheel/tire removal. I may be misinformed on that with the 4 link stuff, but I’m also pretty new to them and not ready to take any chances with that. Always open to suggestions and advice over here. Thanks.

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While I’ve never jacked up my 4 link race car and let the rear hang freely, I’ve been led to believe it’s not a good idea, so the 4 post would be necessary with that car. I’ll add the crossmember to allow a separate Jack to raise it for wheel/tire removal. I may be misinformed on that with the 4 link stuff, but I’m also pretty new to them and not ready to take any chances with that.

When not at the track or in the trailer it is always like this for over 15 yrs. Full under car inspection after every race. Quay built, 4-link, tube k-member. My car suspension gets more beat up in the trailer going down the road (especially in the Midwest) to the track. I just ruined a 5 yr old pair of rear QA1’s on my recent 2500 mile round trip to FL last month.

I like the Uni air filter on your car !

I've got 2 of them !

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Originally posted by Wild Wild West 2:
I like the Uni air filter on your car !I've got 2 of them !

Agreed! It fits in this cars 4” cowl hood tunnel perfectly. My tabletop practice tree is on top of it.

quote:

Originally posted by markemark:

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While I’ve never jacked up my 4 link race car and let the rear hang freely, I’ve been led to believe it’s not a good idea, so the 4 post would be necessary with that car. I’ll add the crossmember to allow a separate Jack to raise it for wheel/tire removal. I may be misinformed on that with the 4 link stuff, but I’m also pretty new to them and not ready to take any chances with that.

When not at the track or in the trailer it is always like this for over 15 yrs. Full under car inspection after every race. Quay built, 4-link, tube k-member. My car suspension gets more beat up in the trailer going down the road (especially in the Midwest) to the track. I just ruined a 5 yr old pair of rear QA1’s on my recent 2500 mile round trip to FL last month.

Thanks for the info. May open up more choices for me. Nice looking hotrod ya got up there..

On another topic that I've considered starting a thread on, in respect to the chassis getting worked out in the trailer. I'm considering picking up an air bladder to put under the car. I remember reading a year or so back, someone brought up the stress the shocks take in/on trailers. I believe they said they checked their shocks mid trip with a heat gun and they were very hot from the beating they took. I know a lot of dragster guys use them, but I can't say I've seen any door cars at the track with a bladder in their trailer.

To your question on air bladders. On my old altered I towed about 100 miles to a race and when I got there checked the temperature of shocks and it was ambient temperature. So I seriously doubt an air bladder on a chassis car would make any difference. Sure can not hurt anything though if you wanted to use one.

On my Front Engine Dragster it really needed it because of chassis flex and bouncing. It was really bad and probably all hardtails are. The chassis on a fourlink dragster is usually stiffer and so they would probably be okay. But if you are running a hard tail or Front engine Dragster I would definitely use the air bladder.

I bought an Advantage 11k 4 post and love it. What I liked about the Advantage over other companies like Bendpak is that the Advantage doesn't have to be bolted to the floor. I've had my Dooley on it several times and feel totally safe working underneath it, no rocking or moving like the cheaper c-channel lifts. https://www.advantagelifts.com.../advantage-ss-11-000

Came across 3 lifts years ago that were in a trans shop that closed its doors. 2 (4500) and 1 (12000) Less than 1 year old.
All twin post. Sold the 2 small ones and kept the 12K. Dualy went up with the greatest of ease. Don't use it any more. Still standing. Had to find an installer that would put it up
They are some top line lifts. Have to have at least 6" on concrete.

quote:

Originally posted by BTR69: On another topic that I've considered starting a thread on, in respect to the chassis getting worked out in the trailer. I'm considering picking up an air bladder to put under the car. I remember reading a year or so back, someone brought up the stress the shocks take in/on trailers. I believe they said they checked their shocks mid trip with a heat gun and they were very hot from the beating they took. I know a lot of dragster guys use them, but I can't say I've seen any door cars at the track with a bladder in their trailer.

I don’t know where one would put a bladder in a door car to keep the rear shocks from compression. I thought they were more for keeping long pipe (dragsters) from flexing.

Consider trying this first. If there are bump stops on the rear shocks, pull them down close to the shock body after loading the car. When you get to your destination, check the bump stop location. If no bump stop, get some small O-rings slightly smaller in diameter than the piston rod and install as an indicator.

My shocks show full compression travel with no stop installed towing. I put in 1” thick bump stops to keep the shocks from damage. I also tie the cross member over the rear axle to the rear axle with straps to keep the suspension from excessive rebounding towing. To keep the shocks from compressing excessively, I was turning up the compression setting to 16 clicks from a total of 18 for towing. Doing this kept the shocks off the bump stops. My normal compression setting on the track was 4.

Last time out these QA1 shocks were not returning to ride height (extended) by 1/2” after reducing compression setting. This has been slowly getting worse the past 2 months as recorded in the data acquisition. They need to be serviced.

During the black Friday sale I bought some AFCO’s replacements including their springs to start 2025. I was disappointed when receiving AFCO springs as they are made in China. Had I known this, I would not have purchased those springs.

On the Vette we use two bladders one under each rocker. Then tie the chassis down. Car cannot move up or down at all. We travel thousands of miles each year towing this thing back east to race. Before we did this we killed 4 shocks over a couple of years.

If you put one under the 4 link/ladder bar cross member and then tie the rear end down its not doing much. You have to tie the chassis down to get the full affect. But with just under rear end with the rear ties down it will limit the amount of movement. We have checked it with the shock sensors.

Also juts bout a Rotary 4 post for my house. We used them when I had my shop for years with no issues even from employees abuse.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Al Alguire,

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Originally posted by Al Alguire: On the Vette we use two bladders one under each rocker. Then tie the chassis down. Car cannot move up or down at all. We travel thousands of miles each year towing this thing back east to race. Before we did this we killed 4 shocks over a couple of years.

If you put one under the 4 link/ladder bar cross member and then tie the rear end down its not doing much. You have to tie the chassis down to get the full affect. But with just under rear end with the rear ties down it will limit the amount of movement. We have checked it with the shock sensors..

If you have any pics of the bladders installed for towing please post them.

For me I want to place something between the cross member above the axle and the top of the rear axle. I’m already pulling down with a strap from those two points and trapping a 2x4 or something similar on both corners between them would make the rear suspension ridged.

I don't have any sorry. But as described on the Vette there is one under each rocker then inflated which raises the shocks up from ride height. FWIW this car still has its stock frame intact, which in a Vette is right next to the rocker. So they are on the frame rail. Only issue we have ever had was going through Indiana we lost a bag from the lovely roads there

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Only issue we have ever had was going through Indiana we lost a bag from the lovely roads there

Yea, as of 2019 I no longer travel Indiana I-90 especially the 50 miles between Indiana and Ohio state line. It’ll take the axles out of your trailer if you try doing the speed limit, besides the toll rates. I generally take SR 30 across going to Norwalk / DW42. Even areas of I-70 East of Indy are really bad. I thought IL was bad, but IN has them beat hands down in rough roads. I’m in WI and we have some too but not as bad as the previous mentioned.

The bag we lost this year was traveling to Indy for a race. Happened right outside of town. Hit a huge hole and then a "whoopty do". Went to get off next exit and felt something move. Thought maybe it broke the hitch. No it was the car that crashed into a cabinet and cooler. The downside of a bag it if they deflate the straps are no longer tight. Partly the fault of where the bag was placed. Was hitting a "sharp" spot on the rocker panel trim. Since been fixed but wasn't me who strapped it down and placed the bag at least. Didn't really hurt much other than some paint at the bottom.

Id agree with avoiding much of Indiana's highways for sure. After Indy we had to take the trailer to ATC to have the side door frame repaired as well. Then went to Milan for a race. Not gonna say Michigan's roads are great either. We put 8000ish miles a year on the thing towing and Americas infrastructure isn't great for sure. Arizona aint great either and they only have snow for a few miles of interstate there.

We have not had any shock issues since we went to the bags.

quote:

Originally posted by Al Alguire:
The bag we lost this year was traveling to Indy for a race. Happened right outside of town. Hit a huge hole and then a "whoopty do". Went to get off next exit and felt something move. Thought maybe it broke the hitch. No it was the car that crashed into a cabinet and cooler. The downside of a bag it if they deflate the straps are no longer tight. Partly the fault of where the bag was placed. Was hitting a "sharp" spot on the rocker panel trim. Since been fixed but wasn't me who strapped it down and placed the bag at least. Didn't really hurt much other than some paint at the bottom. We have not had any shock issues since we went to the bags.

Ok, I think I understand how you’re strapping rear down.

Not me. I have 2” wide ratchet straps mounted crisscrossed around the housing center pulling on the rear axle, and the floor mounts they go to are 4’ behind rear axle. In the pic the yellow straps on the upper cross brace are the anchor point to pulling the body to the axle with straps. Body can go down more but not up. In the lower pic are red straps around the lower 4-link bar mounts. I use straps crisscrossed to the floor mounts next to the tires to keep the back of the car from sliding sideways. I have smooth aluminum floors. I’m going to come up with something easily placed between the axle housing and the top crossmember to keep the body from coming down to the shock bump stops went strapped.

My front floor mounts are 8” in front of the body frame strapping point and I do it crisscrossed. I also leave the transmission in park. This car is Not moving on the floor. I only tow 8k+ miles yearly.