Vehicle lifts are among the most essential equipment in the automotive repair industry. This equipment finds significant uses in repair shops, body shops, and makeshift garage workshops.
Given the trends in vogue, service and repair bays need the proper vehicle lifts to run their shows.
Due to the criticality of vehicle lifts, you should ensure that you select the proper lifts for your business. In the process, you should be able to differentiate various kinds of lifts to distinguish the right one for your business.
If you are in the process of investing in a vehicle lift for your business, and a bit confused over the selection, you have landed on the right article, which can guide you to make an informed decision.
Commonly, you will find in-ground lifts in large automotive repair shops. You can figure out what they are from the name itself.
In-ground lifts get installed in the ground. So, the lifts can be hidden under a shop floor. And, the underlying advantage is that the garage looks orderly and clean when there is no vehicle repairing work.
Compared with above-ground lifts, the in-ground versions require more installation time, as more steps are involved in the process.
Given the advantages, the extended installation can be overlooked. With in-ground lifts, you can reap the benefits of descending into the floor, flexibility to choose wheel or frame, low cost of ownership, long-lifespan, and high degree of safety.
There are three variants of in-ground lifts, as the following:
Single Post Lifts
These are simple versions of in-ground lifts. And, they are simple to use, safe to operate, apart from being environmentally friendly.
Given the capabilities, single post lifts can handle most vehicle models. And, these lifts are the proper ones for front-end and suspension work.
You will see in-ground single post car lifts commonly in vehicle repair shops and home garages.
According to the current trends, in-ground lifts can carry a load capacity of around 8,000 pounds. lifting at particular pick-up points on a vehicle’s undercarriage.
Side-by-Side Twin Post Lifts
These variants are almost similar to the single post ones except a few deviations. Side-by-Side twin post lifts are safe and simple to use. Moreover, the presence of a second post allows for lifting heavier loads due to the even distribution of weight on the front and rear columns.
Heavy Duty Fore-and-Aft Lifts
These types of in ground lifts are economical apart from dependable. Moreover, Heavy Duty Fore-and-Aft Lifts are long lasting. And, that entails the value of your money.
Given the experiences of customers, such lifts have been known to last for more than a decade.
These types of in-ground lifts can lift any vehicle, regardless of size or weight. So, large automotive repair shops prefer using these lifts for major fixes.
According to the prevailing trends, these lifts can handle vehicles of over 16,000 pounds.
Choosing the Right Lift
Before purchasing a vehicle lift for your business, you should ensure that the lift should be able to cater to your entire vehicle repair needs.
So, you should start the selection by asking the following questions:
- What type of vehicles will I repair in my shop?
- What could be the weight of the heaviest vehicle that can come to my shop for repair?
After seeking the answers, you should look at the height of your ceiling, as that matters a lot.
Given the necessities, a two or four-post lift can require a ceiling higher than 11 feet. So, you can consider five to six feet vehicle height and one foot for clearance.
You can think that in another way. A vehicle can require between 30-40 inches from the garage floor to the lift base. So, there can be enough space and ground clearance to slide under the vehicle easily.
In addition, the space is also enough for safely lowering the engine’s gears or axles. But, you will need more space for larger trucks.
Again, you should check whether auto repair mechanics can easily walk under the raised vehicle without having to bend over. So, you should ensure that there is at least six feet of space underneath.
Conclusion
If you run a vehicle repair shop, you should invest in an in-ground vehicle lift. The investment will entail profitable returns in terms of providing excellent services to your clients.
