Is a Home Garage Car Lift System Right for You?

Remember your first toolkit and how you couldn’t stop tinkering with it? Did that hobby eventually show that you were skilled at DIYing your car upgrades and maintenance, so you bought more advanced tools and took on more ambitious projects?

If so, you’ve likely reached the point where just putting the car up on a jack or jack stand isn’t cutting it. It may be time for a home garage car lift system.

How Do I Know It’s Time?

The best way to gauge whether you’re ready for a home garage car lift system is by being honest about how much time you’re spending on your vehicle. If you’re just doing oil and filter changes and rotating the tires, you’re probably okay to continue using a jack or jack stand.

But if you’re getting deeper into the maintenance, modification or restoration of your pride and joy, a vehicle lift can make that work safer, easier and quicker. It gives you a range of heights to choose from and more room to do what you need to do underneath. Big jobs like removing a drive shaft and even routine maintenance like replacing oil, filters or brake pads are a lot smoother when you’re not crouched, bent or lying on a cold concrete garage floor.

It can also be used when you’re doing work under the hood, lifting the car to a level where you can stand up rather than bend over the engine compartment. And that can save you from an aching back.

What Else Can a Lift Do?

Got another car parked out in the driveway or on the street? A lift system doubles as a storage solution, allowing you to raise one vehicle off the floor and slide the other one underneath it. You’ll want to double-check the weight capacity of the lift and the ceiling height of your garage to ensure it can accommodate your specific vehicles. Assuming that’s all set, a garage lift system will make it easier to work on both vehicles and protect them from the elements. That’s a win-win.

Assuming your garage has room, there’s really no downside to a home garage car lift system. It’s the logical next step for people who are doing more of their own work and for owners of more than one vehicle.

Check out all shop equipment available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on garage lift systems, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Swain.