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View Full Version : Me or the cars?? Really long.



Rick Potter
07-09-2013, 4:31 AM
I have a cheap four post lift in a garage for car storage. It has been acting up lately, motor is cavitating (somehow pulling in air), the posts keep twisting out of line because they are not bolted down, per the mfg.of another brand, and lately the dogs have gotten way out of adjustment. It is normal for this lift to shift slightly on the floor as it goes up and down, caused by the twisting of the cables, and they end up out of line, until they finally 'pop' and shift on the floor about an inch. It is always a surprise and startles you pretty good.

Slop in the linkage has caused the dog on the R/rear post to engage later than the other three, and has caused it to NOT disengage twice now...which leads us to our story.

I had my 56 Ford on the top, and my 03 Mustang on the bottom, one day when I decided to lower the 56 down enough to open the door to toss in the new registration. No need to move the Mustang, as I only needed to lower it a foot or so. So, I ran the lift up to take the weight off the locking dogs, pulled the lever to release the dogs, and started to let the 56 down a couple notches. Unknowingly, the R/rear dog did not pull out far enough to release, and I didn't realize it. I also could not see it, as it was caddy corner to the lift controls. The lift started to come down, a post moved and startled me, so I stopped. Couldn't see any problem, so I continued down till I noticed the L/rear post was leaning. Leaning a LOT. It had never done that before, so I stopped it where it was (between dog holes) to investigate.

Well, the back of the lift was all out of line, and the R/rear dog was still hung up on the top of the lift, while the other three posts were down at least six inches below. Here comes the problem. Do I try to straighten it out, or get the hell out of the way? The lift takes up most of the room in the garage, and it is very tight walking around it.

No one is home to call for help, except a grand daughter who might notice me missing the next day. Would my wife prefer the cars or me? Both of them are basically her cars, and she might need some time to decide . After some thought, while cowering in the corner, I decided to try running the lift back up so I could get all the dogs engaged. It never dawned on me that the R/rear would decide to let go while I was going UP.

BANG, it let go as soon as I started moving the lift. The R/rear dog that was still engaged let go, and the whole lift dropped at least six inches, and caught itself on the next lower set of dog holes. The posts all shifted with one moving several inches. All this happening too fast for me to react at all, which didn't really matter since there was nothing I could do anyway, except hide in the corner again. The cable going to the R/rear post had a lot of slack in it, but I decided to try to get both cars off the lift so I could inspect it.

I drove out the Mustang, then lowered the 56 and got it outside also. Then I tried running the lift up and down empty, but it really started cavitating at that time and I only managed to get it up to the first set of dog holes, where I locked it in place and tightened up the cable. That didn't work either, and further inspection found that the cable had come off its pulley. Finally got that fixed, but still no pump working. Finally called in an expert, who will reset everything, and bolt down the lift Thursday.

If that does not work, I am going to have to spend some money on a new BendPak lift.

Lucky Rick Potter

PS: The lift is not bolted down because it is made to be rolled around on some optional wheels.

Dan Hintz
07-09-2013, 7:29 AM
I thought even with the optional wheels, bolts were to be used while in normal operation? Using such a device without bolting it down is extremely dangerous, as you saw. If one of the legs was canted over, you have likely severely stressed the joints on that side and they should be inspected for damage (stress cracks for welds, tension cracks for bolts).

Rick Potter
07-09-2013, 12:07 PM
Dan, that sounds reasonable to me, after the fact, but not really the case. I paid extra to have my lift installed by the company. Nothing was mentioned about bolting it down, not even in the fine print of the installation manual. When I bought it, all the lifts I looked at were sold the same way. Some didn't even have bolt holes. Now, in retrospect, and after reading everything I can find on lift safety and certification, I find that there is a lot of shady stuff going on in the industry.

I had a lift service company come yesterday. I told them I want it fixed if it will be safe, or I will buy a new one through them. The company spent an hour inspecting, and playing with it, and decided they could make it right. Never tried to upsell me, so I feel confident about that. Thursday they come to work on it. For about $300, it is worth letting them try. If there is any doubt when they are done, it's gone.

By the way, I called and talked to two technical guys at Direct Lift, who made my lift. They were very proud that the company was bought out a few years ago and many improvements were made to my model to get it certified by the only 'real' certification company. Interestingly, they never mentioned bolting it down even after I told them my story, just that they had the new one I could buy.

Now that I am an 'expert' about lifts, I think I will go with BendPak if I need a new one. About 50% more than this one, but a lot more substantial, certified, a completely different dog setup, and they have been around for years. They, as well as Backyard Buddy, have very informative websites if anyone is thinking about a lift.

Gordon Eyre
07-09-2013, 12:27 PM
Quite a story Rick and a bit scary for you I am sure. Your plan gluing forward sounds like a good one. Whatever you do, be safe.

Ed Aumiller
07-09-2013, 9:11 PM
On my four post lift the dogs were originally released by rods connecting them to the part you twist... did not like that method as any one that did not release properly could keep the other three from catching properly.. What I did was not install the rods but replaced them with wire cables... that way they acted independently, much safer..

I only have one end of mine bolted to the floor... the purpose was to prevent the lift from moving when I use a small winch to pull a non-running car onto the lift to work on it..

Had a cable come off a pulley one time, but noticed it when lift did not go up properly but was twisted..

Hope never to have the problem you had and glad no one got hurt and the car on bottom stayed ok..
Good luck...

Phil Thien
07-09-2013, 9:47 PM
Fascinating story, cannot wait to hear how it turns out (whether it can be fixed to your satisfaction or not).

I know if that had happened to me I'd have to throw my shorts away, there would be no getting them clean.

Jim Matthews
07-10-2013, 6:27 AM
Now back up the bookmobile a second...

You park cars in your garage?
Where do you keep your power tools?

Rick Potter
07-10-2013, 11:58 AM
Ed,
That is one of the reasons I am thinking of the BendPak if this one cannot be safely redone. They have a different system of locks. Their website describes the problems with the external rods loosening up, and then all the slop is telegraphed to the last one in line.......my problem one. Mine have connections with 1/4" of play that can be adjusted out. So much for 'factory installation'.

Jim,
This lift is in what used to be my Dad's old shop, which I helped build 25 years ago. It is the size of a 1 1/2 car garage, with a single car garage door. Not enough room for two cars, but enough height (barely) for a lift, with two cars. Put in a workbench and storage shelves, and it is pretty tight. When we moved into this house, I built a new shop with a bit more room.

Rick Potter

Rick Potter
07-12-2013, 1:05 PM
OK,

The job is done. The repair company spent about six hours inspecting, leveling, shimming, aligning, and adjusting the lift. It is now adjusted the way it should have been when I had it first installed. The dogs all engage at the proper time, and the unit is fully bolted to the floor.

Turns out the problem with the lift not wanting to rise, and getting air into the system, was a difficult one. They took apart the pump and found no debris in the check valve, the lowering valve or the hose. Also no cracks in the hose that would let air in. What they did find was a screen, like a fuel filter at the bottom of the intake hose. This metal screen was completely covered with some sort of waxy buildup. The repairman said he had never seen that before, but it was plugging up the oil intake when the pump was trying to raise the lift. It got so plugged that the (gear) pump actually sucked air past the spring clamp holding the intake hose on at the top. This waxy substance had settled at the bottom of the reservoir where the intake hose fits.

We cleaned out the bottom of the reservoir, and took off the metal screen to clean the semi hard substance off it. Couldn't get the screen clean with a rag, so we tried carburetor cleaner to dissolve it. Surprisingly that dried it out and hardened it, including some clinging to the walls of the clear plastic intake hose. We managed to clean the metal screen by tapping it on the bench, and using a wire brush, then flushing it. The stuff in the intake hose broke into little pieces after we carb cleaned it and flexed the hose around for a while, then flushed it.

We ended up not flushing the whole system, but replaced a couple quarts of fluid that were in the bottom of the reservoir. The pump works fine now, and I will flush the whole system if the problem occurs again.

Does anyone know what caused the waxy stuff? The repairman had never seen it before. I had used an additive for freeing up jerky hydraulic pistons, but that was supplied by the lift company back when I first got it. The repairman said that is pretty common, and did not cause the problem.

Rick Potter