So I had to do this very thing. Small home, very small in fact. Single car garage originally built in 1929 so it is small width wise and small height wise. Not ready to move yet, knees getting bad at 60, and truth be told, just plain tired of having to work in the driveway, dragging out the jack and jack stands, jacking the truck or car up (which ever the case may be) installing the stands, laying down and getting under the vehicle. Also needed another place to store a vehicle.
So I bit the bullet, had the roof and rafters removed, sistered the stringers from 8 foot to 11 foot, re-framed the roof which added 4 more feet and hit the zoning limit of 15 without the need for a variance. Figured out where the four posts for the lift would sit on the floor, broke out four rectangular size sections of the floor, dug down three feet, sledge hammered two or three pieces of rebar into the sides to spread out the load, and filled with 3 inch slump (i think 3, maybe it was 4) concrete. Purchased an advantage four post lift (for two reasons, one I wanted to store another vehicle, and two, a friend has a two post lift and whenever I used it, getting down on my knees to line up the arms and then getting up, was becoming more of an issue then I expected and would only get worse).
Did it cost a few dollars, it did but it was less then the cost of moving or renting a small hobby shop (over time). It was worth it. I am about to change a clutch and pressure plate in one of the old vehicles. This year, for the first time ever, I get to do it standing up instead of lying underneath on my back in the driveway, with lights, electricity, and no worrying whether the six jacks stands and hydraulic jack will be OK while I am under the car.
A pain while I was having it done, but its been done for two years now and I am glad I did it.
Last edited by Dragsix; 11/22/2021 7:50 PM.
