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Alright, let’s talk about this here garage car lift thing, you know, how high your garage gotta be for it. Folks been askin’ me, so I figured I’d spell it out simple-like.

First off, how tall’s your car? That’s the big question, see? You got one of them little putt-putt cars, you don’t need as much room as, say, one of them big ol’ trucks. And don’t forget, the car goes UP, so you need space above it too.

Now, most times, you hear tell of needing at least 10 feet for the ceiling. That’s like, taller than your door, maybe two doors high, you know? But that’s just a startin’ point, mind you. If you got a real tall truck, or you wanna lift that car way up high, you gonna need more space. I’m talkin’ maybe 20 feet! That’s like, a barn practically!

• Little Cars: Maybe 10 feet is enough.
• Big Trucks: You might need way more, like 12 feet, even 15 feet or more, dependin’ on how high you wanna go.
• Real High Liftin’: Aim for 20 feet if you wanna go all the way up.

And it ain’t just about how high the ceiling is, no sirree! You gotta have room around the sides too. Think about it, that lift gotta have somewhere to go up and down, right? So, they say you need about 5 feet of space on all sides. That’s like, arm’s length, maybe a little more, all around the lift. You don’t wanna be bangin’ into walls, now do ya?

Now, there’s different kinds of lifts, too. Some of them got posts on all four corners, some just got two. Some go straight up, some kinda scissor up. Each one’s a little different, see?

Them four-post lifts, the ones with a post at each corner, they usually need more room. Think about it, they’re bigger, so they take up more space. You might be lookin’ at 12 feet or more for them fellas. And them scissor lifts, the ones that go up like a pair of scissors, they need some height too. Same goes for them portable car lifts, the ones you can move around.

So, how do you figure it all out? Well, you gotta measure, that’s what. Get yourself a tape measure, one of them long ones, and measure your garage. Measure from the floor to the ceiling, that’s your height. Then measure how wide and long your garage is. And don’t forget to measure your car, too! How tall it is, how long it is, how wide it is. Write it all down, so you don’t forget.

And here’s a little somethin’ to remember: you want at least 2 feet of space above your car when it’s all the way up. That way, you ain’t gonna hit the ceiling. So, if your car is 6 feet tall, and you wanna lift it 7 feet, you need a ceiling that’s at least 6 plus 7 plus 2, that’s 15 feet! See? It ain’t rocket science, just good ol’ common sense.

One more thing, if you’re gettin’ one of them two-post lifts, the ones with just two posts, they come in different styles. Some got a plate on the floor, some don’t. Them floorplate ones, they don’t need as much height, maybe 3 meters, that’s a little less than 10 feet. But them clear floor ones, the ones without the plate, they need more room, maybe 4 meters, that’s more than 13 feet. And if you got a four-post lift, you’ll need at least 2.5 meters, that’s about 8 feet.

So, there you have it. Ain’t too complicated, is it? Just measure your garage, measure your car, and figure out what kind of lift you want. And if you ain’t sure, ask someone who knows. Better safe than sorry, I always say.

In short, think tall, think wide, and think safe! Don’t go buyin’ a lift if it ain’t gonna fit in your garage. That’d be like buyin’ a hat that’s too small for your head, just plain silly.

Tags: [garage, car lift, height requirements, garage space, ceiling height, car lift types, vehicle lift, garage measurements, car height, lift clearance]