One of the most common questions we get is, “What does it mean when a lift is asymmetric”?
When two post lifts were first introduced, the only kind available was symmetric. This is where the vehicle is centered on the lift and the same amount of the vehicle is in front of the post as is behind the posts. At some point, people grew weary of dinging the vehicle’s doors on the posts, and trying to squeeze out of the door when placing a vehicle on the lift.
That’s where the asymmetric models come in. Asymmetric models position the vehicle further back on the lift. typically about 2/3 of the vehicle is hanging behind the posts on an asymmetric lift. The benefit of this is that it allows you to open the doors wider to get in and out of the vehicle easier. Most people these days prefer an asymmetric lift.
Most vehicles actually balance out better on an asymmetric lift because they are typically so front heavy. The one drawback to an asymmetric lift however is that there are times when certain vehicles won’t balance out that well on an asymmetric lift. Typically, these would be vehicles that have much of their weight in the rear, like a rear engine car, or a van with a load in it, or an extra long crew cab, long bed truck. That’s why BendPak came out with their Tru-Metric feature on their asymmetric lifts. This allows you to move the vehicle forward on the lift, to help it balance out better. This is truly an improvement on the traditional asymmetric two post lift. It makes for a much more versatile lift.
Some customers have questions about the positioning of a vehicle on the lift. The owner’s manual that comes with the lift includes general information on this subject matter, but if you want a great resource for more in-depth instruction and lift safety issues, we recomment checking out the informational store on the ALI web site. (Automotive Lift Institute).