Hypothetical lift disaster question

[Kaizen]

I have installed my two post lift. I’ve never used one before. While I’ve seen plenty of “safety warnings” and the same number of videos of cars falling off lifts. So I’m wondering what I’d do if one of mine fell off the lift arms. After cleaning my underwear what should be done as I have no forklift. Most I have seen one side fall and one is still on the arms. What day you?


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[mike1956]

As a me mechanic I've worked under two post lifts for decades. Never had one fall off. Kinda like saying I'm buying a shotgun, what happens if I shoot myself in the foot? Just use common sense and you'll never have a situation.

 

[cullen]

You can call a roll back tow truck to help take it off the lift.
Btw, if you follow the guidelines for lifting, you wont have any issues.

 

[Low50s]

As a me mechanic I've worked under two post lifts for decades. Never had one fall off. Kinda like saying I'm buying a shotgun, what happens if I shoot myself in the foot? Just use common sense and you'll never have a situation.

This !

Never had one fall off. I have lifted some very sketchy vehicles off of trailers and roll backs also. just use your head and I always live about 1 foot and give it one heck of a bounce test always have and never had a problem.

 

[Kevin54]

If the lift is put in properly according to manufacturer instructions, you won't have a problem. But if **** starts creaking and moaning, and something starts to fall....get out of the road and call your insurance company.

 

[pbon]

I had one for 6 years. Never had an issue. Use common sense and be safe.

 

[txvwnut]

I used to date a girl that worked at sears, one time when I went to pick her up there was a couple year old F-150 laying on its side with the lift still in the air. No one said just how it ended up that way but sears ended up buying that customer a new truck. I asked her the next day how they got it out and she a tow truck pulled up wrapped a strap around the axle and drug it out of the shop then set it back on it’s feet.

Lift safety all comes down to the operator, be safe in your setup and test it with the vehicle just a foot or so off the ground then proceed to working height if all is good.

 

[Kaizen]

Guess I’m worrying about nothing if I use it correctly. Thanks for the experienced input


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[PoorOwner]

This was posted here on another topic forgot what it was now

 

[firebirdparts]

Common sense is a big help here. try to figure out how to make a car fall off the lift. You can even do experiments if you just pick the car up one inch.

Some cars are really not easy to pick up. Some should be picked up by the rocker panels, and if you do that, there’s not much room for error. Be concerned about the lift arms moving. At home you don’t have anybody to impress by being some destructive cowboy.

 

[logical]

You could put an in floor scissor lift in between the posts to lift the ones you drop with the two post...or maybe a gantry crane. It really depends on how many you expect to drop on a weekly or annual basis.

On yeah...I wouldn't get underneath any of these cars if you can avoid it.

 

[KBigg]

Yea as long as its anchored properly you should be fine. Hypothetically If something were to happen just call a towing company and let them handle it.

 

[matt_i]

If you are worried while working the tripod stands can hold quite a bit as a backup. The thing that concerns me the most on the lift I have worked on, is the el cheapo "teeth" mechanism which drops in to lock the arm in a rotational position. It seems loose, poorly made, and the teeth are held in position by nut-torque on a slot.

Depending on how trashed the vehicle is and your rigging capabilities, the load bearing columns are right there.

 

[SJW]

Read the manual for their recommendations, hit the lifting points with your pads, use the right pads for what you are lifting, and lift the vehicle a foot off the ground and then test the stability and balance.

Good luck!

 

[3baygarage]

Don’t back it in.

 

[Kaizen]

Thanks guys. I really don’t expect to have an issue but if I ever did I like to know what to do. If anything ever happened it would be from something breaking like a frame buckling. I have a tall jack to put under the car till I get more comfortable with it. Have an exhaust system to replace. Man this will be soooo nice to not be laying in the driveway under jack stands


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[brownbagg]

i had a bendpak break an hydraulic line twice with cars on it, keep some spare parts around

 

[Lucid Moments]

i had a bendpak break an hydraulic line twice with cars on it, keep some spare parts around

That would be annoying

 

[Dragfluid]

As a professional mechanic that has 46 years under hoists and still alive to type this, always take the extra time to recheck your setup. It only takes an extra minute to double check pad placement, as opposed to the untold hours needed to undo a job that goes sideways. As said earlier, once the pads are set, raise it up several inches,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and then shake the hell out of the vehicle!
Enjoy your hoist!

 

[Bent Wrench]

Great advice from the other posters. One thing to remember that wasn’t said... anytime you are taking off a major component after it had been lifted and test bounced, the center of gravity will shift. On a situation like removing a rear end off of a pickup where the weight distribution ***** anyways, either account for that shift when setting you lift points or put support stands under the heavy end.

And as always, keep an eye on that vehicle while under it.

 

[ezover]

go inside clean your shorts, have a beer, then call the fire dept, , insurance will handle the rest. your welcome.

 

[sberry]

Never dropped one let alone had one fall off.

 

[mike93lx]

if you have a car fall off a lift, don't worry about damage done getting it off as it is almost certainly totaled anyway.

 

[firebirdparts]

Enjoy your new lift! It is certainly wonderful compared to rolling around on the floor.

 

[pbon]

You are in your own house, working on your own cars and taking your time. You can learn those cars’ jack points and optional lift points. And if, like me, you are lifting only cars that weigh about half the lift’s rating, the risks are even lower.

If you lift rotted cars, obviously be much more careful. None of mine are failing structurally but I have seen cars with rusted out sill jack points. Have to find an alternate lift point in such a case.

 

[Slowgsr]

I had one fall off a 2 post. Car was totalled, nothing lined up after, no injuries though.

 

[Kaizen]

Well as a clear sign I have no experience with lifts and since I installed this myself I think I installed the arms backwards in my atlas. The pics and directions are horrible. I put the straight arm towards the front when it should be under the back pick up point of the car. Gotta get that straight first.
Appreciate everyone’s experiences. If I ever did drop a car I definitely would just call someone and then go put some steaks on the grill for when they showed up


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[04chase]

learn proper jack points for each vehicle .

do you have an symetrical or a-symetrical 2 post? this is pretty important when racking a car.

bendpaks come with the round rubber lift pads but they are good for vehicle frames without under coating . get the pads that have a a rubber pad but also a channel to lock in the frame without the possibility of sliding.

i mainly lift trucks , heavy also . many 3500 duallys have been on my bendpak 10k 2 post . i have four screw jacks. as soon as i get the truck set , i always throw one under the hitch and one under the front cross member , makes me feel better.

i have had to reposition an arm one time in the air and i used two of the jacks to hold it high enough to move one arm .

 

[Kaizen]

learn proper jack points for each vehicle .

do you have an symetrical or a-symetrical 2 post? this is pretty important when racking a car.

bendpaks come with the round rubber lift pads but they are good for vehicle frames without under coating . get the pads that have a a rubber pad but also a channel to lock in the frame without the possibility of sliding.

i mainly lift trucks , heavy also . many 3500 duallys have been on my bendpak 10k 2 post . i have four screw jacks. as soon as i get the truck set , i always throw one under the hitch and one under the front cross member , makes me feel better.

i have had to reposition an arm one time in the air and i used two of the jacks to hold it high enough to move one arm .

I think it has asymmetrical arms but towers facing each other. Whatever that is. One arm is just straight and the other is kind of curved.
Good place to get other liftpads? Definitely need one with a slit for the pinchwelds. Can I just cut that myself? Seems the metal needs to be cut not just the rubber


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[curiousB]

I too just got a lift. I share your concerns. I am more concerned about a couple tons landing on me than a damaged vehicle. I can replace the vehicle, as for myself.....

Anyway read all the instructions. Get the published lift points for the vehicle you are lifting (don't guess, assume, or use "common sense") get the facts.

www.autolift.org/news/vehicle-lifting-points-2017-edition/


Test the vehicle a few inches to a foot in the air. Bounce it indelicately. I'd rather it fall a few inches than fall on me. Be sure to have the vehicle resting on the appropriate mechanical stop and not held by hydraulic pressure alone.

 

[Kaizen]

I too just got a lift. I share your concerns. I am more concerned about a couple tons landing on me than a damaged vehicle. I can replace the vehicle, as for myself.....

Anyway read all the instructions. Get the published lift points for the vehicle you are lifting (don't guess, assume, or use "common sense") get the facts.

www.autolift.org/news/vehicle-lifting-points-2017-edition/


Test the vehicle a few inches to a foot in the air. Bounce it indelicately. I'd rather it fall a few inches than fall on me. Be sure to have the vehicle resting on the appropriate mechanical stop and not held by hydraulic pressure alone.

Thanks that’s cheap money for a good resource to have on the lift.


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