Local Racer Dies in Garage Accident

I found this thread on a Camaro site I visit. I thought I would post it here as a reminder to everyone that you CAN NOT be to careful.

http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=56048

Dan, that is a tragedy but it is a sobering reminder to be damn careful. More fuel for me to have a 4 post lift as well - not that much money for the addtional safety.

Ron,
I have a two post 10,000 lbs lift. It's much better for working on cars than the four post lift. You can park another car underneath for storing too if you need to. There is a safety catch on the two post that automatically ingages as you lift. You can here it clack as it goes up. After you reach your hieght and hear the last clack then you depress the down lever and the wieght sits on these safety catches. It also releaves the lift cylinders of the high pressure and saves the seals from excess wear. A four poster seemed to have no advantages to me. Try doing a brake job on that thing. I have and what a pain.
The only thing I had to do for the two post was build four ramps out of 2X12's so the GT40 could drive onto them lifting it up high enough to get the lift arms under it.
I never ever work on a car without safety supports and a back up. I too have had a friend that was injured while working on a car up on a small tire jack. He was lucky it was a small car and there was a little tool box under there with him that caught much of the wieght.

Hersh /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I have seen a few incidents with ramps the worst one with one of the old single centre post hydraulic jobs, thankfully I have not seen one of those for years.
I am with Hersh on the Ramp, a 4 poster I class as an inspection ramp, a 2 poster is the real deal, all wheels off suspension hanging free, they dont seem to rock as much as a 4 poster on beam axle jacks.

Joe T

I haven't really investigated them that much but the 2 poster sounds like what I need.

R

Where you do place the arms to lift a GT40 with a 2-poster?
(are the lift points the same for a monoque and a tube-frame car?)

Ben,
You could probably place them on the four corners of the"flat" area of the floor of the car just inboard of the fibreglass side skirts.
The position of the posts relative to the wheels is important to ensure that the car sits level. The centreline of the lifting posts should be approx 45 inches forward of the rear wheel centreline. Check this the first time you lift the car. The arms when in position may be different lengths but it is the position of the car relative to the posts that is more important. Typically these types of hoist have rubber pads on them. Make sure they are not oily as you can easily 'slide the car' on them. I use some sheet cork on top of the rubber pads.
Cheers