Question about lifting short wheel base vehicles

Automotive
#1

I’ve taken the lift class and remember how to make it go up and down, disengage the safety catches, etc, but I can’t remember if there’s any play in the sled length. I need to lift my car to do a brake job but last time if I recall it seemed like my wheel base was too short for the skids and I didn’t end up using it that day. For reference it’s a 2013 Impreza hatch.

If there’s no play in the skid length what’s the SOP for lifting a shorter wheel base car. I saw in another thread that someone lifted a mazda 3 so it’s got to be doable to lift my car, I’m just ignorant of the technique.

Thanks in advance!

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#2

The skid lengths are not adjustable, but we have blocks that may help.

We have wood blocks, steel, rubber, and some magnetic pinch weld pads amongst other things. You would use these on points of the frame that the skid can reach and get some clearance that way.

Cheers,
-Jim

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#3

The HKP team work on a Miata all the time. The googler says your Impreza wheelbase is 104.1" and the Miata comes in at 89.2". The Miata doesn’t require anything special, although the lift needs to be centered on the car to get all 4 wheels off at the same time.

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#4

Wheel base on my 97 M3 sedan is 106.3", close to the size of that hatch and has no issues on the lift.