Cars falling off lifts - why?

[EarlyBroncoGuy]

There's plenty of photos and video out there that show cars that have fallen of off lifts (usually 2 post) - what is usually the cause? Improper placement of the pads under the vehicle? Unbalanced load? Arms not locked and pivot out from under the car? Too much weight on the lift?

Just curious. I've got a Bendpak XPR-10A and even with my 6,000 lb pickup on it, I'd have to do something INCREDIBLY stupid to get it to even move, much less fall off.

 

[jayoldschool]

99% of the time, operator error. 1% equipment failure. I just made those stats up, but I would bet they're pretty close...

 

[Scsmith42]

On my 9K Rotary lift if the lift settles a bit where one safety dog is engaged, and the other one isnt, if I lower a vehicle one side will drop while the other side is locked in place. If you don't pay attention, you can dump a vehicle right off of it (especially if it is a heavy vehicle and the lift drops quickly.

The solution is to always raise the vehicle up a few inches while holding the dog release in, and then lowering it.

 

[ABADWILLYS]

You mean like this 2015 Suburban? Hah this was a new guy fresh outta school, 2nd week at my place working in the bay next to mine, we were all eatin lunch in the break room (he was still workin) at the time, when we heard the crash, so we're not exzactly sure what happed, but he dont work here anymore! all i can say is make sure you lock your lift arms if they dont do it automatically. I have been wrenching on cars for a living as a Pro for 35 years, i dropped one about 7 years ago brand new 2500 Chevy Crew cab,Luckily i was not under the truck at the time! i was also new at this place at the time, and the lift arm locks were missing on my lift, after my incident, they made sure all the lifts had arm locks..and i still work there!

 

[theoldwizard1]

99% of the time, operator error. 1% equipment failure.

Many, MANY years ago, I worked in a shop that had all 2 post in-ground Rotary lifts. One lift would stick and release going up and down. I saw cars move more than 12" forward or backward when they were back on the ground.

The seals were replaced a couple of time in the 2 years I was there.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

What kind of damage was done to the Suburban?

 

[ABADWILLYS]

Left front fender and hood, and rear (bumper)fascia, also the exhaust because the lift arm caught it bent it to ****. it was a little tricky gettin it down cuz the left front lift pad got caught between the sway bar bracket and the frame, but me and the guys got her off there without more damage..

 

[aka Larry]

all i can say is make sure you lock your lift arms if they dont do it automatically.

Can you explain? Do you mean the locks that prevent the arms from rotating once lifted? If so, mine are automatic on my Atlas 9KOH.

As for keeping the load stable, for most of my cars I'd have to put forth a lot of effort to make it fall, but when I lift a longer heavier vehicle like a F250 I use high lift jack stands under the rear frame rails to prevent it from rocking.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Gravity!!!

Not sure why they fall, but I bet ALI and OSHA have statistics on why these events happen (or at least the reported ones)

Some of the YouTube videos are interesting as well as an eye opener.

I had my 21' Grady White fall off the blocks while I was bottom painting it years ago so I'm extra parinoid about heavy stuff falling on me. Luckily I heard the board that was under the bow start to crack and rolled out from under the boat as it fell.

This is one of my worst fears, so I go way over the top when lifting a vehicle. I follow the ALI lift guide lift points along with the lift point recommendations in the factory service manual. I literall get on my knees to line up the pads with a plumb, then I elevate the car a few inches off the ground and recheck to confirm the pads are where I wanted them, then I shake the vehicle to make sure it is secure. Then I raise the vehicle and set it on the safety locks. Then I visually inspect every pad location and visually ensure the safety locks are fully engaged before walking under the vehicle. Since both sides of a Mohawk can be operated independently I also make sure both sides are on the same safety lock (I numbered the holes). I only had them out of sync once which was the first time I lifted my jeep, but it creeped me out enough that I check the number next to the lock on both sides every time. Even after all this, I still keep an eye on the vehicle while working on it.

This sounds like a lot, but it really only takes a few extra minutes. I have a hobby shop so time isn't important to me. Being safe is.

Chris

 

[rsanter]

Root cause...
There are more lifts out there

Because there are more lifts out there, people are more relaxed and more comfortable around them

Because people are more comfortable and relaxed around them, they are more complacent.

Then....safety equipment. There is more safety equipment and steps than there used to be.

More complacent and more steps....combined with more idiots....more accidents

Bob

 

[Jay Sco]

99% of the time, operator error. 1% equipment failure. I just made those stats up, but I would bet they're pretty close...

On a related note, 76% of studies have shown that 48% of statistics are made up on the spot. It's true, I read it on the interwebz.

 

[tdkkart]

2 post lifts scare the hell out of me, not just because a vehicle on it looks like it could flip off at any moment, but when I realize that the same clown that mucks up your car repairs is also running that lift.
There's a lot of retarded people out there, and it's gotten really easy for any of them to own a lift. It actually surprises me we don't hear about more problems.

 

[Fastfish]

Along these lines, I always wonder about the situation with the frame engauging adapters that did not come with my SA10 Challenger 2 post, that I just put in. It has the rubber pad adapters but on the side it has a warning not to use with full frame vehicles and shows steel only "U" shaped adapters, that my lift did not come with. When I asked the installer about these, he said no one uses those. Now I am wondering if I need them. Any thoughts? from other Challenger owners? Thank you

 

[Beemer533]

2 post lifts scare the hell out of me, not just because a vehicle on it looks like it could flip off at any moment, but when I realize that the same clown that mucks up your car repairs is also running that lift.
There's a lot of retarded people out there, and it's gotten really easy for any of them to own a lift. It actually surprises me we don't hear about more problems.

Don't worry, I'm sure the government will be along soon to ban them from home use and make us all safe...

I think as mentioned, complacency is the major contributor, with idiots coming in a close 2nd and mechanical failure a very distant 3rd...

It is the same thing with hunting accidents; the majority of accidents are with the folks that have been at it for so long without any problems that they get complacent and think nothing can happen to them because they are "experienced"...

Personally, I don't think Murphy gives a **** about experience!

 

[steel 35]

I had a co worker ask if he could lift his truck and do some things at work a few years back and I helped him line up the pads the best we could from the ground as I have done hundreds of times, pushed the button to bump it up within a few inches of touching to check again but the contacts stuck and up it wen't glad they were spot on from the ground because it was near the safety cable across the top before I found the breaker.
If one pad would have missed I can see where it could go.

 

[aka Larry]

pushed the button to bump it up within a few inches of touching to check again but the contacts stuck and up it wen't glad they were spot on from the ground because it was near the safety cable across the top before I found the breaker.
If one pad would have missed I can see where it could go.

Since the down valve is manual, if you held it open it while the motor contacts were stuck that would have caused the lift not to rise correct?

 

[Lippyp]

Happened to a guy I worked with, got a call from the Ford dealership that was carrying out the first service on his new company Ford Scorpio to say that his car had regrettably fallen off the lift in the workshop and gone partly through the workshop block wall! All he could say was "Thank god it wasn't my 911!" They wrote it off.

 

[Jagmandave]

I spend a LOT of time with my students teaching them the right way to lift a car and then show them a bunch of those You Tube vids to show them what happens when you don't follow the proper procedure - every time.

After that I do a refresher course mid-semester where I make them walk thru the procedure step by step - invariably someone forgets a step, so we start all over from the beginning and do it over and over till I see their eyes start to glaze over from boredom - then we do it again one more time!

All I can hope is that if they do it enough it becomes so ingrained that to do other wise will feel odd to them.

 

[tdkkart]

Using the ASE lift-point charts is of course the first step, however those don't cover situations that happen after the vehicle is in the air.
I've heard of at least 2 trucks that went nose-over after the rear axle was unbolted from the springs, and one car that went off ***-first when the engine cradle was unbolted.

 

[steel 35]

Since the down valve is manual, if you held it open it while the motor contacts were stuck that would have caused the lift not to rise correct?

Never tried it! Ever see a deer with your brights On?

 

[zkdiesel]

Most fall do to sheer laziness of making sure adaptors are in correct spot for car/ situation
People get sick of setting racks properly for 10th car of day on a snowy day, nobody wants to lay in slush to rack it first time or to check them once rack contacts vehicle....
Rack failure if bot overloaded is very rare

 

[workhurts]

On a 4 post, and I can see how it could happen, is not making sure all 4 sides release. Other than that, I'd say extremely bad luck (wrt to a 4 post). Have no idea about the 2s.

 

[Rod N]

Has anyone ever heard of a post/floor failure?
That's the one that scares me.

 

[Denwood]

Chris, I'm with you on the caution thing. I've taken it one step further and sourced four medium rise jack stands to place under the vehicle as an extra layer of security. The standard lift "pads" providing with my Maxjax lift have no lip preventing them from slipping off jack points. To that end I also ordered up optional lift pads that "grab" frame rails making a slip-off event very unlikely.

Gravity!!!

Not sure why they fall, but I bet ALI and OSHA have statistics on why these events happen (or at least the reported ones)

Some of the YouTube videos are interesting as well as an eye opener.

I had my 21' Grady White fall off the blocks while I was bottom painting it years ago so I'm extra parinoid about heavy stuff falling on me. Luckily I heard the board that was under the bow start to crack and rolled out from under the boat as it fell.

This is one of my worst fears, so I go way over the top when lifting a vehicle. I follow the ALI lift guide lift points along with the lift point recommendations in the factory service manual. I literall get on my knees to line up the pads with a plumb, then I elevate the car a few inches off the ground and recheck to confirm the pads are where I wanted them, then I shake the vehicle to make sure it is secure. Then I raise the vehicle and set it on the safety locks. Then I visually inspect every pad location and visually ensure the safety locks are fully engaged before walking under the vehicle. Since both sides of a Mohawk can be operated independently I also make sure both sides are on the same safety lock (I numbered the holes). I only had them out of sync once which was the first time I lifted my jeep, but it creeped me out enough that I check the number next to the lock on both sides every time. Even after all this, I still keep an eye on the vehicle while working on it.

This sounds like a lot, but it really only takes a few extra minutes. I have a hobby shop so time isn't important to me. Being safe is.

Chris

 

[rednotch]

see it more with trucks then cars do to the frame rails design... most of the time its from operator error or over loaded vans/truck beds, Never dropped one but did have an arm fail to lock and swing out on an old taco due to poor placement on my part.

 

[Tim C]

Since the down valve is manual, if you held it open it while the motor contacts were stuck that would have caused the lift not to rise correct?

That'll keep it from going up for sure. Fwiw all the lifts at my work and the lift at my house have those industrial disconnect boxes with the lever to kill power mounted just above the motor. When I have a switch stick about once a year it seems I just hit the lever to kill power. I also use that switch if I've got one of those tall jack stands under the vehicle. That way I can't bump it off the lock and start lowering it without throwing the switch, just to remind me the Jack stand is there.

 

[JCfreak]

Since you asked!!

http://www.polkcountytoday.com/acc060411.html

Everyone here will figure out what happened in about 30 seconds or less!

 

[F-Bobby]

From what I've seen it's almost always unfamiliarity with where to place the lift pads. When I worked at Saturn and we only had like 5 models to worry about putting up on lifts it was when the guy next to me loaded up a 2500 Suburban on his lift that I almost got crushed. We had the lift pads that you flipped up to engage the frame on full frame trucks or things that had running boards. He either didn't fully engage the pad correctly or didn't put it in the correct spot. All I know is that he asked me to check it for him when it was already at head level. I put my hand on the running board and was about to duck under when it came off the drivers rear arm and slid towards me. Probably the scariest moment of my life.

 

[tdkkart]

Since you asked!!

http://www.polkcountytoday.com/acc060411.html

Everyone here will figure out what happened in about 30 seconds or less!

Hopefully the knothead that used those 2" long anchors got his *** in a sling over that one.

Like I said earlier, the people involved are for more likely to be the problem than anything, and in this case it was probably the "professional" that installed the lift that very nearly got someone killed.

 

[JCfreak]

Look closer. It get even more rediculous.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I would eventually like to get a lift, but I have zero knowledge of them or their proper usage. Threads like this make me think twice unless I can get some damn good instruction!

 

[Jagmandave]

Installed right over the saw cuts?

Improper loading also caused that, he didn't have the weight centered over the center of the posts.

Another concept that's difficult to get my students to understand......

 

[Rod N]

Since you asked!!

http://www.polkcountytoday.com/acc060411.html

Everyone here will figure out what happened in about 30 seconds or less!

Wow. Ya. That's the one that scares me.

 

[Denwood]

So, 2" ish anchors...and complete spalling failure predictably where the saw cuts intersect the anchor hole. Wow.

This stuff suddenly makes me feel a lot better about pouring a new slab, and using 6" epoxy anchors..for a 6000lb lift.

 

[whyNick?]

Scary. Should that base plate have 2 more anchors in it? What are those two unused holes for?

 

[Denwood]

The front holes likely are there to anchor a cover plate that would shield balancing cables. In this case they are up top.

 

[whyNick?]

Aah, ok.

It looks like that lift was used for a while like that and I'm surprised it didn't fail sooner, those anchors are awful short...

 

[JCfreak]

IIRC the shop was open less than a few months when this happened. It did not make it as a business. Closed a year or so later.

 

[whyNick?]

I'd imagine having a truck fall on you would take some of the fun out of being a small business owner.

 

[Throbbin Rods]

Back in the 70's I was working in a shop with 2 single post in ground lifts. I used hem for 7 years and never had an issue. Boss had a customer's practically new Mustang on the one in my bay, he let it down with the door open, jaw jacking with the customer, and when the door hit my tool box it lifted one side of the car right off the lift and the whole car slid off the lift on the other side. That was a real lip biter! He just stood there holding the valve to let it down and froze on it.