Jacking up a Diablo

I bought a two-post lift a few months ago and wanted to share what I learned in case it's helpful to anyone.

 

First, there are a bunch of lift options out there. I ended up deciding on a two-post lift (as opposed to four-post or any other variant) because I wanted to be able to easily reach all parts of the underside of the car and to be able to work the wheels/suspension as well. I decided on a Revolution RTP9. Revolution is the small-shop brand of Rotary, an excellent US lift maker with full ALI certification -- I didn't want to take any risks with non-certified lifts. Sure, it costs a wee more, but it was about $3,500 installed so I can't complain.

 

The RTP9 also fits right under my 10' garage ceiling, so the fit is perfect. Here you see the Diablo SV lifted, with enough clearance for a 5' 10" person to talk under it.

 

 

Here's the underside:

 

 

I'd recommend adding blocks underneath the rear pads. I used solid oak blocks, hilighted in green below. These blocks prevent the tops of the arms from touching the bottom of the air scoop when the car is lifted. Remember that when a lift begins operating, the tremendous weight of the car actually flexes the lift arms a bit, and so you should be prepared for an inch or so of flex. The wood blocks prevent the flexed arms from touching the vehicle at any part other than the lift pads themselves. The blocks also help you hit several of the support beams next to the manufacturer's recommended lift points.

 

 

Note that the RTP9's arms barely (and I do mean BARELY) reach all four lift points recommended by Lamborghini. The rear lift points are the problem -- they're actually quite far into the middle of the car. Even though the RTP9 has an impressive maximum arm reach in excess of 46", you'll still BARELY have enough room. I can't emphasize this enough. Don't even consider a lift with anything less than RTP9's 46 1/4" arm reach.

 

In fact, the arm reach is so hard to get right that I taped the exact position on the garage floor that all four wheels have to be in order for the car to be lifted. There is literally less than 1" of give in any direction from these tape marks, so getting the car into the right position can take 3-5 minutes unless you have a buddy to spot you.

 

 

When buying a lift, also be aware of the total driveable inside width -- some lifts won't even allow the relatively wide Diablo to make it between the posts! The RTP9 is plenty wide enough. In fact, I regularly park the car inside the lift and have no problems getting in and out.

 

One last tip -- I found that even with RTP9's "low clearance" arms, I needed a bit more height to even get the arms under. Here you see I've driven onto plywood for that extra height.

 

 

I hope you find this helpful. Stay safe.

Very nice. Thx for the writeup!

Excellent write up!

Good info. So it seems the arm length is the only marginal feature of this lift. If shopping again would you look for one with more reach or is this one about as far as they go for a two post?

 

BTW Your wheels are filthy.

Good info. So it seems the arm length is the only marginal feature of this lift. If shopping again would you look for one with more reach or is this one about as far as they go for a two post?

 

I believe it's about as far as they go for two-posts. The great part about this lift is its wide drive-through clearance. That's probably also what contributes to the arms not quite reaching further than the minimum necessary. For all other cars, the reach is more than plenty. It's just that the Diablo's recommended rear jacking point is much closer to the center line of the car.

 

These days, it takes me less than five minutes to park on the proper spot and get jacked up. I'd recommend the lift.

 

BTW Your wheels are filthy.

 

Indeed. Replaced the brake pads with Carbotech Bobcats. Much less dust.