Car Lifts

Been looking at buying a car lift and the opinion these days tends to be towards the two post lift rather than the four poster.

Still in the thinking stage as I would have to get the garage roof lifted first.

Looking underneath the fleet, the Impreza and the old MX5 seem no problem. The Jimny looks a bit different.
Car is a 2007 and with the normal jack you lift via the bolthead things on the bottom of the leading and trailing arms. At the front around 700mm apart which is a touch slim.

Has anyone use a lift of any sort to lift the Jimny and if so where did they lift it from. I assume if you are working on the front susspension the front arms may be part of the removal sequence therefore where do you lift from.

The workshop manual shows it being lifted from the areas where the front arms meet the body.

Eddie

A two poster has 4 arms with pads on. They swing and adjust. Lift on the chassis, usually just behind the mounts for the leadingg arms, and just in front of the mounts for the back ones. This might make it a bit front down, so you can either pick up on the arms themselves, or get inside the front arms to reach the chassis.

Two posters are best, give plenty of access to change the exhaust/ drop the axles/ wire brush the chassis etc.

facade wrote: A two poster has 4 arms with pads on. They swing and adjust. Lift on the chassis, usually just behind the mounts for the leadingg arms, and just in front of the mounts for the back ones. This might make it a bit front down, so you can either pick up on the arms themselves, or get inside the front arms to reach the chassis.

Facade

Finaly got round to putting in planning permission to extened the length and increase the height of the garage, shear economic lunacy!! So I may well be in a position to install a car lift, late October assuming all goes well.

If we can go back to the two poster at around £2,000 installed which appears to be the best option short of 4 post wheelsfree Bradbury at £11,000. I had a number of looks under the Jimny and thought that the pick up points are a bit close together and then you said the car tends to be a bit front heavy when lifted.

If I look forward of the recommended lifting points at the front to try and get a better ballanced position, there is no real level structural element forward of the front suspension body mount.

Therefore when you have used a two post lift did you put the front lift arms at the recomended pick up point or on the front suspension arms which seam the only other accessable point.

Did you manage to get it the Jimny lifted flat or was it still "front heavy"

I also thought of a scissor lift but the lifting platforms tend to be too wide and you need to use cross bars which get in the way.

If you can get the pads under the chassis pivot brackets of the leading/trailing arms, it will lift. Doesn't flip over or anything, obviously I haven't tried swinging off the front bumper though

I worked at a Suzuki main dealer for 3 years, 2 post lifts are fine for jimnys you just have to be very carefull that it Is sitting level on the ramp and is in the centre. If we had to do any heavy work like engine out or axles off we used to use ratchet straps around the chassis rails and leg of the ramp just incase one liked the fort of back flipping off and if you can get one try and get a ramp that has the same length legs as they are better for 4x4's.

If you need any advice on any garage equipment just shout, I work for the UK's leading garage equipment company, and we are a main agent for Bradbury, Stenhoj, Dunlop ect. I can also recommend suppliers of good used equipment. PLEASE do not buy anything Chinese as generally they are a DEATH TRAP and I have seen the results of these fail. And be careful with e'bay as it is normally troublesome or completely worn out scrap.
And remember to NEVER lift a car on a 2 post backwards! And ensure the locking pins to the arms are engaged, before lifting to height.