Does anyone use micro tension gages on 2 post lifts?

[ms fowler]

Micro tension gauges are small ( smaller than a postage stamp) devices that can be welded or even glued to steel to measure the bending stresses. It seems to me that with the loading of 2 post lifts being such an important safety consideration that placing a gauge on each lift arm would be a good idea. The cost is not too great ( especially considering the value of the information). A simple readout out device could indicate the weight on each arm and show if the vehicle needed to be repositioned.( if some manufacturer decides to use this idea, please just include my name on the patent....)

 

[laser3kw]

I googled "micro tension gage" and came up with nothing. Do you mean strain gage? The sensor itself is small but obviously, you also need the electronics to make it work and provide a read out. In theory it sounds like it would work.

 

[sberry]

There are millions of these in use every day and very few incidents not cause by the operator and doubtful that putting a gage on it will help. It would be different if they actually fell over routinely.

 

[Falcon67]

The steel on my lift posts is pretty thick, my concern will be with the floor anchors and not the posts.

 

[ms fowler]

The idea of strain gauges is not to show when the steel arm is failing. The odds of having then installed at that exact point is nil. (I actually had a piece of instrumented steel fail and never saw it until after the failure. The idea is to be able to check the balance of the loaded lift. Right now the reading equipment is expensive, but that equipment is flexible and can be used for several things. I was thinking of a very simplified readout that would show the load in pounds (or kgs) on each of the 4 arms.
Yes, I realize that there are MANY 2 post lifts in use all over the world every day. But for a newbie--someone who has never loaded a 2 post lift, it would give a measure of confidence, and safety.

 

[Stuart in MN]

How about adding a long vertical rod that's fastened to the post near the top, that points at a scale near the bottom of the post? Like a beam-style torque wrench:

You'd have to somehow calibrate the divisions on the scale, but it would show any deflection in the post.