You just got your brand new, or new to you, automotive lift. The hydraulic fluid is topped off, the final adjustments have been made to the safety and equalization cables, and the electricity is flowing to hoist. How you maintenance your lift from day 1 will ensure you still have that same lift come day 1000.
After 5 years in the automotive industry installing then, subsequently, doing maintenance work on those same lifts years after install, I've learned quite a few things about how to make sure your investment makes the most economic sense in the long term. Here's a list of the Top 5 things to know after installing an auto lift.
Read the manual! Ok, that one seems like a no brainer, but you'd be surprised by the amount of operators and owners who have not opened the operations manual for the lift they just installed. For the purpose of this article I'll get a little bit more specific. Open the maintenance portion of the manual and read it once or twice. Each lift comes with a suggested maintenance schedule that includes daily, weekly, monthly and annual instructions on how to keep your lift safe and making you money for years to come.
Tighten and torque your concrete anchors to spec once a month. This may sound like a novel idea, but bear with me. Not all concrete anchors are created equal, and that being said not all lift brand manufacturers provide top quality anchors in the new lift hardware box. When dealing with used lifts it's rare you'll get new anchors included in the deal. In most cases professional auto lift installers use wedge anchors, often called Red Heads, or any number of brands that sell wedge anchors. It's important to always follow your lift manual, but the most common re-torque spec for maintaining optimal tightness for 2-post lifts is 80-foot pounds. It's likely the wedge anchor was set to anywhere between 125 to 150-foot pounds at installation.
Use a flashlight to check inside the column of the lift underneath the carriage once a month. This is where you can find and, if done on a schedule and consistently, prevent major damaged to your lift that will otherwise significantly shorten it's like by 75-95 percent. It's inside the column of the lift that really tells the story of your lift. The carriage of the lift likely has slide blocks that reside at each corner of the carriage, providing a space for your lift to travel up and down, while avoiding metal on metal contact. We'd like to remind you once again to follow your lift manual when it comes to maintenance, because one manual may ask you to only clear the debris inside the columns where the carriage resides, while another brand/model lift manual may require you to apply grease to each corner of the post for smooth operation. Using a flashlight inside the column also lends itself to finding problems right away, including whether you're experiencing metal on metal contact. As a user to the lift, you'll have an opportunity to notice metal shaving build up, as well as oil from leaks on the lift hose, hard oil line, or cylinder.
Remove, clean, and lube (I use anti-seize) your lift arm pins twice a year. This is that critical point on your lift where metal meets metal, arm pins meet lift arms and lift carriage. The arm pins are a critical part of your lift and letting simple maintenance lapse could mean having your lift locked out and having what ends up being a costly art installation in the middle of your shop. Once the arm pins begin to grind an oval shape into your lift carriage, it becomes so costly, it's time to start looking at purchasing a new lift.
Hire a professional to certify your lift annually! This could mean the difference in having a lift for 5 years, or 25 years. Professional lift inspections are usually required annually to operate a lift, or even own one, in a commercial setting. During inspections, a professional has knowledge of certain lift brands, models, and how they each react to years of use and, to be frank, misuse. A good lift inspector will help you understand what to look for when using your lift day to day, and help you keep your lift safe and in good operation the other 364 days of the year he or she doesn't have eyes on your lift. If you're in Northern California, I operate from Corning to Tracy, and Fairfield to South Lake Tahoe. Call me to schedule your annual lift inspection right away!
Thank you all for taking the time to read this article. If you take anything away from this article, I hope it's to Read Your Manual, and Hire a Professional. I'll catch you guys next time!
Diego Salazar
DSE Inc.
916-519-1626