anyone's mohawk 2 post doing this?

[Piper]

I installed a new system 1 mohawk 2 post lift about a month ago. Everything is really pretty good with the exception of 1 thing. When the lift arms go up the offside carriage lock in-gauges about 1/2 second after the main side. It only does this when a vehicle is loading the arms. No vehicle, the locks are exactly the same time. Obviously the off side carriage is slightly lower but I'm not sure why. All posts are completely plumb, exactly as per spec. When lifting a vehicle it will ascend with a very slight lean to the offside post. I'm thinking I may need to shim the off side hydraulic shaft slightly as possibly when the lift is loaded the carriage is lower due to chain stretch? I'm pretty certain it's been doing this since I installed it. When you test the lift it's initially unloaded and the locks were completely in sync.

Anyone who has a mohawk if you could chime in here I'd appreciate it.

The main reason for my concern is that while small, there is motion (ie: sliding) of any lifted vehicle when the lift arms are going up. I will note that when you release the hydraulics and allow the vehicle to rest on the locks the car is completely level. This sliding is evident as you'll completely center the position of the lift arms beneath the frame and when the car is up the offside lift arm plate that is lifting the frame will have moved ~1/2" or so.

Any ideas?

Piper

 

[brownbagg]

my bendpak does it, if its anything at all like the mohawk, just tighten the cable that keep them in syn.. I like the double click so I know each side has lock.

I dont know if mohawk has a cable sys like bendpak, so please dont jump me, just trying to help

 

[mx5.7]

One of the local shop owners has a mohawk that uses strictly hydraulics. No eqaulizer chain or cables. He claims that about every fifth time he lifts his arms they get off just a little so he raises it all the way to the top unloaded and lets the valve bypass for a few seconds. This eqaulizes them back out.

 

[nate379]

I used many lifts over the years and I can't think of any one of them that had the locks on both sides 100% timed the same.

 

[mx5.7]

None of them were adjusted properly then.

 

[sberry]

Mine isn't perfect along with a couple other minor things the installers did not catch, I also run it to the top every few lifts.

 

[tigmusky]

just throwen out ideas.. air in the hyrd. cly. cables/chains out of adjustment.

This one is wayyyy out there.. car off center. left to right. makeing the lazy side work harder..

Call to tech line

Daye

 

[kvom]

On mine there's a hydraulic valve to allow one side to rise independently. I assunme yours does too, and it will allow you to level the vehicle.

 

[OldCarGuy]

For those who are not familiar with a Mohawk lift. Mohawk lifts do not rely on cables between the two columns to equalize the two carriages. Rather they use a patented hydraulic synchronization system. And from my experience it's rather reliable. But just after installation and until the lift settles in a slight variance between the carriages did happen to my lift. I found that there was air trapped in the hydraulic system. And although they have an auto-bleeder valve on the far side column. I bleed the fitting at the far cylinder to do the trick. This takes two people.

If the lift carriages still become out of synchronization. A knob on the hydraulic manifold can be used to trim the far side. Also raising the unloaded lift carriages to the top will align them.

I suggest that you call the Mohawk technical assistant for help. I'm sure that they will steer you in the right direction.

 

[Piper]

thanks for your thoughts OCG. I did indeed call my rep and he told me the same things you've mentioned above. I'm pretty certain things will level out but, call me crazy, when you've got 6000lbs over your head I'm inclined to ask questions rather than think "oh this is normal and will work out". Safety takes a minute; accidents only need a second. You do the math...

 

[SteveU]

I have maybe 1/10 sec delay between the 2 sides locking as it goes up which is probably going to be alright. One time when I was putting new calipers on my car I left it in the air for a couple hours to do something else & when it was lowered the offside arms didn't lower all the way. I was becoming concerned since I couldn't get the car off the lift & each time I raised it a little & tried to lower it again it stayed up a bit higher. Jacked the car up with the floor jack enough to get it off the arms then had a buddy pull up the pins & swing the arms out of the way so I could let the car down. Ran it all the way up against the stop & held it there for about 20 sec once the car was out of the way & haven't had that problem since. Maybe that was caused by air in the line somewhere?? What I tend to do now is run it up halfway between locks then lower it down to make sure both sides are on the same set.

 

[nate379]

Probably not but when you have the lifts running up and down who knows how many times a day for years and years you can't expect it to be perfect. It's not like it was off by inches or anything, just when it was clicking on the stops it would usually be a click...click, maybe 1/2 sec different or whatever.

None of them were adjusted properly then.

 

[Winneratalosinggame]

New post hoists need to have equalizer cable adjusted about a month or so after install or after a dozen lifts because the cable stretches. Then adjust cable once a year or whenever the hoist gets out of sync.