Thinking of installing a two post lift in my garage. I looked in the shop manual and searched the forum but could not find the proper lift points on the frame. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob Kielar
Ideally, you want to be on the frame itself but there can be branches from it that are sound.
I like to get the car just off the ground and rock it to determine it's secure before getting More height.
Another thing I like to do is use the lift to just lift the front or the rear as very helpful. Or lift an end of the car without the obstruction of the lift posts.
Body Pinch welds car be strategic, case by case basis.
In those days, the only lifting points were the centre of the Differential, the centre of the front Suspension Crossmember, underneath the front suspension Lower Control Arms or at each wheel.
The era hoists were single centre post, with a pair of RSJ's running in parallel under the car, a couple of feet apart, and there were saddles at each end to accommodate the lifting brackets.
If you can afford it, I would be going for a four poster, with drive-on ramps.
I would not recommend any older car being picked up at the Body Pinch Welds, unless it was a frameless construction, as in Monocoque. There were no two-post hoists back then.
Bruce. >:D
In the front, the arms of a two-post lift should sit under the frame, just before the frame starts to curve upward. In other words, the last flat part of the frame.
In the rear, the lift arms should sit under the frame about where the emergency brake cable conduit is bolted to the frame (again, about as far back along the frame as you can get).
To position the car for this, for most 1949-1956 Cadillacs, pull the car forward until the center posts of the lift are aligned with the center of the front door (surprisingly, this works for sedans as well as coupes). You might need to move it a few inches forward or backward. But the middle of the door will get you pretty close to start.