Car lifts are used to raise vehicles for easy access to the underbody. They come in one, two, and four post styles, with electric models being the most common. The two-post design is the most widely used and allows for easy wheel removal while maintaining access to the underbody.
A car lift is a device used to raise a car to allow access under the vehicle. Commonly available in one, two, and four post styles, an automobile hoist is often an invaluable tool when working on the underbody of a vehicle. There are hydraulic versions of the car hoist, however electric models are the types most commonly used in garages and shops. Hoist models are available in ramp and chassis mount designs, each offering their own pros and cons with the chassis mount design offering the most versatility and access to most vehicles.
Many auto repairs are more easily completed using an automobile hoist compared to working without a hoist. By using the car lift to raise the car, the mechanic can easily access the chassis, exhaust and suspension components. The hoist is a heavy-duty device that commonly reaches under the car and attaches to specific points on the vehicle’s chassis to make it easier to support the car when it is lifted into the air. By activating an electric motor, the hoist is lifted into the air by using a threaded rod or a hydraulic pump with hydraulic cylinders. Some older models of the hoist use an air-actuated hydraulic cylinder to lift the vehicle.
Early versions of the car hoist used a single hydraulic cylinder to lift the car. This hoist commonly made the removal and replacement of entire exhaust systems difficult. Difficulties come from the placement of the cylinder and the chassis support which is located in the center of the vehicle.
The four ramp car lift solved the access problem by driving the car onto a pair of ramps that were raised at the four corners. This left the entire bottom of the chassis open. The problem with this type of lift, however, is that the vehicle is required to sit on its tires, making it difficult to access the wheels, brakes, and shocks.
To remove the tires for maintenance, the four-post hoist required a car to be raised while on the hoist and placed on support stands. The car’s two-post hoist solved this problem by using two external arms that extend under the vehicle’s chassis from the outer edge of the car. This allows the wheels to be removed while the car is in the raised position, as well as maintaining open access under the car. This two post design is the most widely used automobile hoist in personal and commercial garages throughout the world.
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