Never trust the salesman

   / Never trust the salesman
  • Thread Starter
#11  
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
 

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   / Never trust the salesman #12  
Dusty,
I think I would lengthen the front part of the runway about 4-5" with plate steel.
 
   / Never trust the salesman
  • Thread Starter
#13  
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
 
   / Never trust the salesman #14  
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.
 
   / Never trust the salesman
  • Thread Starter
#15  
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
 
   / Never trust the salesman #16  
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.
 
   / Never trust the salesman #17  
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
 
   / Never trust the salesman #18  
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.
 
   / Never trust the salesman #19  
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.
 
   / Never trust the salesman #20  
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.
 

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