MaxJax lowering issue?

[Jason280]

I've had a MaxJax in the shop for a while, no real issues other than having both cylinders rebuilt over the years. I used it with one of my 4 door cars last week, and noticed significant uneven lowering on one of the columns...something it's never done before. I went through the recommended bleeding process twice before lifting the car again yesterday, and had no issues with lifting it to the first set of locks. Once again, though, it was considerably uneven on lowering.

Is it simply air trapped in the system, or something else I'm missing?

 

[Jason280]

Anyone?

 

[whateg01]

Beuller?




I don't have a Max Jack but in my experience air in the system does not keep it from going down. Here in the system tends to make it bouncy. I would suspect some sort of mechanical binding if I was trying to diagnose it. People have a lot going on this week with it being the 4th of July weekend so people might not respond as quickly as usual.

 

[mazdeuce]

Any unevenness with mine has always been air. Sometimes it takes a few up and down cycles and then letting it sit overnight for bubbles to settle at the top and be bled out.

 

[whateg01]

Any unevenness with mine has always been air. Sometimes it takes a few up and down cycles and then letting it sit overnight for bubbles to settle at the top and be bled out.

Doesn't that affect it when going up though?

 

[MileHighRover]

Upon lowering, all of the fluid in the system is pushed back to the reservoir. I would look into the flow valve that is handling that.

 

[Jason280]

Do these have true flow valves?

 

[MileHighRover]

Don't know. And I'm sure I'm using the wrong terminology. Whatever controls the fluid flow to and from the cylinders. I would assume there's a restrictor or something that doesn't allow full flow when lowering. I've had mine for years but that's really the extent of my knowledge of how lifts work.

 

[Jason280]

Haven't had a chance lately to troubleshoot it, but I did speak with MaxJax today. They suggested trying the bleeding process again, and if that didn't work some kind of "power flush" (can't recall exactly what he called it). Basically, raise a vehicle as high as it will go, then depress the "up" button/down lever at the same time until the tires reach the concrete...then repeat a second time and see if it corrects the uneven lowering. He did say I could try it a 3rd time, so I'll try it next.