Cytech Double Park Lift (getting 3 cars in a 2 car garage)

[MannyC]

Guys,

I am about to order a Cytech Double Park lift so that I can stack my cars. I might end up getting two of them. I have 4 car garage but I have 4 cars, 1 truck a motorcycle and some watercraft, so I am way out of space.

Anyway, the distributor said he had a guy that could install it all but he was about 3 hours away and it would cost $750 to install. Does that seem right? That's one quarter the price of the unit.

Also, the price quoted was $3200 per unit. How flexible are they on pricing?

Manny

 

[Jack B]

The prices for most of these lifts are fixed at around 3,000. The set-up is simple. See what the heaviest piece is to see if you need help. I believe the heaviest part on the Eagle was about 275 lbs. I set up my Eagle lift in about three hours with the help of my wife.

 

[Gerald]

Manny, that's gonna be a sweet setup.. When it's done , pics!!!

Gerald

 

[Bill B]

There's no reason you and a friend (with minimal) mechanical experience can't set them up.

 

[Vipermed 97.01]

How about the twinn lift.Takes up less space than a 2 post lift but will lift two cars ,one on each side and the hydraulics are independant,each side has a 10,000lb capacity.you will then be able to park 4 cars with ease.Anyone that has seen my shop will attest to the quality and conveniance of these lifts

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

yeah, I had the same idea for my garage. Everyone told me I was crazy it couldn't be done. So send photos asap.





2000 GTS Steel Grey
Six piston Bier claws up front, front brakes in back
Quaife Differential, GKH half shafts, alloy fly wheel,
short throw shifter, polished intakes, K&N air filters, Optima battery,
Leaving my older brother and his corvette in the dust........priceless

 

[Bill B]

I should add that I didn't take my own advice. I wussed out and just added 1005 square feet to the garage.

 

[Vipermed 97.01]

 

[MannyC]

Vipermed, will one of those single post lifts work for me, as I have standard concrete thickness for a garage (I *think* that is 4" here in Cali.) How do they get 50 tons of anchoring on this thing? If I am lifting only on one side and it is left up in the air with a car almost all the time (storing my race car for example), is that going to stress the lift anchors over time? Can you do a single post or 2 post lift on 4" inches of concrete or am I risking crushing the floor?

And will keeping a car suspended in the air for long periods of time with the wheels dangling, be bad for the car, vs. having it on a double park type lift where the car sits on ramps on its own wheels?

As for me doing the work myself, I have two issues:

1) I am mechanically ******** and I could never forgive myself if I set something up incorrectly that later ends up crushing or damaging any of my cars or (gulp) my lady's car, or (double gulp) hurts anybody or anything.

2) The day I would waste away doing this could better be spent at the office doing something I am good at, where I will make more money than the money I save by doing this myself, and I'll be in a nice air conditioned office vs. busting up my hands and sweating it out in a garage -- at least that's my theory and the reason I no longer spend a Saturday doing all the landscape maintenance at my place.

Thoughts... comments?

 

[MannyC]

Vipermed, BTW, what does one of those Twinn Lifts cost installed? Are they even designed for a residential garage?

Thanks

 

[genXgts]

Re: Cytech Double Park Lift (getting 3 cars in a 2 car garage)

Come on Manny, grab a case of Beer and a buddy and pop it in yourself, consider it bonding time!

Wonder if a single twin lift is significantly less money than two double parks?

 

[Vipermed 97.01]

Vipermed, will one of those single post lifts work for me, as I have standard concrete thickness for a garage (I *think* that is 4" here in Cali.) How do they get 50 tons of anchoring on this thing? If I am lifting only on one side and it is left up in the air with a car almost all the time (storing my race car for example), is that going to stress the lift anchors over time? Can you do a single post or 2 post lift on 4" inches of concrete or am I risking crushing the floor?

And will keeping a car suspended in the air for long periods of time with the wheels dangling, be bad for the car, vs. having it on a double park type lift where the car sits on ramps on its own wheels?

As for me doing the work myself, I have two issues:

1) I am mechanically ******** and I could never forgive myself if I set something up incorrectly that later ends up crushing or damaging any of my cars or (gulp) my lady's car, or (double gulp) hurts anybody or anything.

2) The day I would waste away doing this could better be spent at the office doing something I am good at, where I will make more money than the money I save by doing this myself, and I'll be in a nice air conditioned office vs. busting up my hands and sweating it out in a garage -- at least that's my theory and the reason I no longer spend a Saturday doing all the landscape maintenance at my place.

Thoughts... comments?

This lift requires a minimum 3500psi concrete it utilizes 6 - 90 ton anchores that require a core drill for install.we have different lifts but this is by far the most heavy duty lift i have ever seen.they did there homework with this design.This is not a get your buddy and a case of beer install,must be done professionally.My cherry picker was just barely able to pickup ONE of the side arms.Leaving the car suspended in the air for an amt of time is not bad as for long stores you generally want the weight of the car off the wheels.I have purchased a lot of equipment from my dealer and he sold me these @ 4100each installed.We just purchased two more for our new building

 

[MannyC]

Vipermed, so for $4,100 installed, you can lift two cars, right? So if my single double park untit costs $3,100, I would in effect be paying $6,200 to have the ability to lift two cars (two lifts) vs the $4,100. Is this right?

Can these guys professionally install this is the concrete I have? I have no clue what PSI my concret is -- not even sure where to look this information up.

 

[Frank 03SRT]

I'm sure Vipermed will reply, but I don't believe I would put one of these on a floor that is maybe 4" thick, poured by a homebuilder, with "probably" low strength concrete. I remember reading somewhere that you need to either have something like 8" concrete with the right strength and rebar, or place piers through the slab.

I'd like to know if I am wrong, as this seems like a great idea to save space in a garage.

 

[BruceW]

Unless the contractor ran a strength test for the concrete in your slab when they poured it I wouldn't take a chance. To be certain, get a testing company to do a core test of your existing slab (they drill a "plug" out of your slab and run a compression test on it in the lab). Personally, unless I knew that the slab was designed and built for a lift like this, I wouldn't chance it.

 

[Vipermed 97.01]

Superbar

I wish i could answer your questions accuratly but unfortunately all i am familiar with is my own application.You can have your slab tested.I will tell you that for the first month of having the lift it intimidated the crap out of me especially if only one car was on it.Now i dont even give it a second thought.I have seen truck lifts that were not built as strong as this

 

[picflight]

Unless the contractor ran a strength test for the concrete in your slab when they poured it I wouldn't take a chance. To be certain, get a testing company to do a core test of your existing slab (they drill a "plug" out of your slab and run a compression test on it in the lab). Personally, unless I knew that the slab was designed and built for a lift like this, I wouldn't chance it.

I would do this too, safety should be top priority in such an install and you want to make sure that it is installed and secured properly. Manny, also keep in mind the tremors in CA, with a car hoisted a little shake would cause significant stress on the foundation.

 

[plumcrazy]

im sure a contractor could easily box out the area and pour in a footing for it. it wouldnt cost much to do either. 4" of concrete is NO WAY gonna support this lift. but if ya poured a footing...no problem.

 

[Russ Oasis]

I have 4 of the Cytech. I recommend them highly. They are easy to work with and nice guys. None of the lift manufacturers recommend bolting the lift corners into the concrete. I found it hard to believe but listened to them. It all worked out. The lift likes a little play. I'd say, don't worry about bolting it down.

 

[FrankBarba]

i have a Cytec also in my garage. I am overall happy with the product. I found it hard to work with the owner & the lady that sold the item to me. almost 2 years later i am still waiting on a refund of about $300.00. The problem i ran into is i ordered the product, they said that they had in stock, i waited almost 4 months for the unit to show up.

 

[MannyC]

Looks like I will be ordering two of them next week.

Manny