Never trust the salesman

[Dusty]

I finally finished the assembly of my 4 post lift and once I got the stubborn nut problem resolved, it all went well. The lift works great, but there is only one problem. I told the salesman that the car had a 144.5 inch wheelbase and he said that it would fit fine. When I put the car on the lift, with the front tires touching the stops, the rear wheels are still holding the ramps from dropping down to create the rear safety stops. In other words, it is a few inches too short. I know that it will do no good to complain to the company, because I should have researched this on my own, rather than trusting the salesman. I am willing to take a loss on it, since it won't accommodate my vehicle. Anyone in New England want a great deal on a new 9000 pound 4 post lift? 45 minutes drive from Hartford CT or Providence RI.
Dusty

 

[DieselPower]

Having only ever owned 2 post above ground, 2 post in ground lifts and a 4 independant movable column type heavy truck lift I'm not sure I understand what's happening with your 4 post lift. Could you by chance take a picture of what's causing the problem. Might be able to figure out a way to make it work if I could see what the problem is. It sucks your having problems with your new toy. Like most thing's in life, some salesman are good, some arn't. Looks like you got one that didn't know the spec's of the lift he sold you.

 

[jpm]

I'd make a phone call monday after things settle down and you can talk calmly
even though you would love to !@%$ to the salesman

 

[Dusty]

This is the second one that I purchased from the salesman. I purchased one that was supposed to be the wide version, but upon starting to put it together, I realized that it was wrong. I returned it to there warehouse and they then ordered the correct wide one for me from the manufacturer. This is the one that I received. It is my own fault for not checking the specifications closer myself, but I figured that if the wheel base was 144.5 inches and the runways were 164 inches, that it gave me 20 inches to spare. I forgot to take into consideration the diameter of the tires. I have no one to blame but my self for not checking, and I know that they will not take this one back, so I just have to take the loss and find someone else that can use it. When it comes to 4 post lifts, if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.
Dusty

 

[DieselPower]

I'm even more lost now. Wheel base is measured from center to center of the front and rear axles/ground contact area. If your lift's runways are 164" why doesn't your 144.5" car fit on it? The diameter of the tire has no effect on wheel base, only the heigth of the vehicle. If you stuck 100 inch tall tires (stretching the imagination a little) on your car the wheel base would still be the same. It would only make it set higher off the ground. If your car has a tire contact distance of 144.5" then you should have room to spare.

 

[RonMar]

Perhaps you can extend the front runway bumpstop to allow you to clear the rear ramps when they tilt up. Or you could make the rear ramps removeable and add a hand installed rear bump stop that will keep the vehicle from rolling off the back. You might also be able to shorten the top of the drive up ramps so they clear your tires and still function as rear stops as designed.

Seems a shame to have to modify it, but you have invested a lot of your time in getting it twice and assembling it, with so much already invested in it, modification might be the most cost effective way to deal with it. You did ask the saleseman and he said yes it would accomidate a 144" wheelbase. He probably looked at the specs and didnt realize 164" length and being able to fit a 144' wheelbase are not the same thing. That is his mistake not yours. A descent company would take it back, but it is still a lot of effort to return it and only moderate effort to modify it safely to fit your world, provided all the other parameters meet your need.

Good Luck.

 

[DieselPower]

I think this is starting to make a little more sense now. Your problem isn't the wheel base, it's that the length of your vehicle is to long, correct? Where are the stops at the front of the lift? At the very front or a couple of inch's back from the front edge. What get's in the way at the back? Are the ramps attached to your lift and sping up or down when the lift is raised?

I agree with RonMar. With the time you have invested in this thing I think I would be looking for a way to do some modifications (safely that is) to make it work.

 

[3RRL]

if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.
Good old Albert King ...
I'm sorry to hear about your lift Dusty, especially after all that trouble you had with the bad threads on the cylinder. I hope you will at least call them to try to get them to replace your lift. They really should do it.
Good luck man, you seem to need some.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evening Dusty,
Well maybe I missed it but I cant see why they wouldnt take the lift back especially if your buying another correct lift from the same company ? Its a brand new lift that hasnt been used ! Get a sales rep out to your place that knows what the heck he is doing, have him take the measurements that are important and order the unit that you need ! Or am I missing something like the fine print?

In any event good luck with the outcome !

 

[TOMDUALLY]

If the company don't want to replace the complete lift maybe they will exchange the runways for longer ones.

 

[Dusty]

The front stop is at the extreme edge of the runway. The ramps drop down as you raise the vehicle, and the rear tires stop them from fully dropping and allowing the stops to move into place. The tire tread flattens out for a few inches, and that is enough to cause the problem. I have been looking at extending the front of the runways by a foot, but don't feel comfortable with this alternative. I fear that if the home made extension were to fail with the car on the lift and me under it, I would be squished like a pancake. Having 4 tons over your head comes down quickly. I will call them, but I have resigned myself to the fact that they probably won't do anything for me. If they were stocked locally, that would be different. Since they are only sales agents and the units are shipped from California, I don't think that they will do any thing for me. The first unit that I got from them was a customer return that they had on "clearance". It was missing a lot of parts and was sold to me as being the wide unit, but wasn't. I had a hard time getting them to take that unit back and ordering me this unit. It also cost me some additional money. The difference between the "clearance" price and the actual selling price of a new unit. The pictures below should give you a better idea of the problem. One of my greatest fears is that if I should lift one end of the vehicle with a jack, that the other end might just roll a slight amount, and I will be in real trouble as a result. I want to live long enough to collect all the money in Social Security that I have paid in, so if it means that I have to "eat" 5 or 6 hundred to be safe, I rather do that then leave this earth prematurely.
I have also considered buying 2 new runways and 4 new cables to change this one to the longer version, but I have a feeling that the cost will be prohibitive when you figure in the 3000 miles of shipping that I will have to pay for. My guess is that it costs almost as much to ship 2 runways as it would cost to ship a complete lift.
Dusty

 

[Inspector507]

Dusty,
I think I would lengthen the front part of the runway about 4-5" with plate steel.

 

[Dusty]

What you can't see in the picture is the fact that the runway rests on the cross beams in front and rear of the lift. I would have to find a way to affix it to the cross beam. Then there is the safety release mechanism that is located on the outside of the cross beams that would need to be dealt with. This adds an additional dimension to the overall problem. The cross beam has the cable sheaves located in them also, so there is a lot to consider when trying to make this modification. The only way that I can think of is to bolt it on using the two bolts that hold the runway to the cross beams. I just don't know if it would be wise to trust the bolts to hold the extension with this amount of weight on it. If you split the weight of the vehicle by two, that is 4000 pounds being held by two 3/4" bolts. I will be checking with the manufacturer to see if they have a solution for this. Who knows, they might have a extension available. My safety is my number one priority.
Dusty

 

[Berniep]

I can understand if you are a little queasy about modifying the lift. But if you can take the runways to a welding/fab shop they can put extensions on them that will absolutely be as strong the rest of the assembly.They routinely make things that hold hundreds of tons (I think I would have them extend the ramps rearward that way your vehicle stays in the same place in relation to the rest of the lift). Plus for that vehicle at least you don't need a foot, maybe 3 or 4 inches, heck it looks like if you aired the tires up real well the ramp might clear the tire. Just something to think about if you can't find a buyer for the right price.

 

[Dusty]

I thought of extending the runways, but the cables are specific length for the length of the runway. If you lengthen the runway, you have to have longer cables.
Dusty

 

[LarryRB]

you can cut back that flap that is held down by the rear tire.... This will give enough clearance for the flaps to drop and activate the bumps stops.. Cutting back that little piece by three or four inches isn't going to harm anything.

 

[638]

Dusty, if I were you, I would make a wheel chock that would pin or bolt in place just behind the front tires and not worry about the rear safty stops.

ron

 

[BobRip]

If you put a block under the front tire it would raise the tire and give you a little more clearance to go forward. If you added 10 pounds of pressure to the tire it would give you a smaller flat spot. Just some thoughts.

 

[TCBoomer]

Unless this lift is designated just for this vehicle, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I've been in that situation many times...a stretch limo a few weeks ago...just chock the front tires(the rubber chocks work best) and set the park brake. It'll be solid enough to even R&R the trans or engine.

Even if the lift WAS just for this vehicle, you could also just use a ratchet strap or 2 and secure the vehicle to the front crossmember of the lift. Too many ways around this minor problem, even when safety is the #1 priority. You seem too sharp to let a minor inconvenience like this cause you to want to get rid of it already. Try it out a few times before you unload it for a loss.

edited to add...the only way I'd get rid of this lift is if it had the built in sliding jacks. You wouldn't be able to lift the rear axle using them...based on what the picture shows.

 

[George2615]

If your dealer can't offer a solution then I would agree with LarryRB and BobRip to add air to the tires (they do look low) and cut down the rear lip so the back ramp will drop down when you raise the vehicle.
Another way to make it work without cutting would be to:
1) Cut 4 pieces of 2x10 or 2x12 depending on your runway width (one for under each wheel) and secure them to the runways to drive onto. That would raise the vehicle high enough to allow the rear ramps to drop when lifting the vehicle.
2) Or secure 2 full length pieces of 2x10 or 2x12 to your runways.
3) Bolt and /or weld on a taller front bump stop if using 2x wood.