Mohawk System 1 + Short Vehicle = ???

[avc8130]

What is the proper way to place a short wheelbase vehicle on the Mohawk System 1?

My wife has an Acura MDX and when properly centered on the lift I cannot get the actual lifting pads on the rear lift points. When I swing the arms under, the stationary part of the arms is under the lift points. Due to rocker arm trim, I can't just lift straight up. I have to use the "truck adapter" on the front.

My solution was a 4x4 placed on the lift arm but that can't be "right".

Suggestions?

ac

 

[kamesama980]

"proper" being with the front tire in the chock/pocket or "proper" being the CG of the car between the posts?

Just position the car front/rear to fit both front and rear lift points. If it's small enough to need to do it, it's small enough to not throw the balance off too far. SOP when I was in the shop right from the lift documents showed long-WB vehicles parked past the locating pocket and short-WB vehicles wit hthe tire before it.

 

[avc8130]

"proper" being with the front tire in the chock/pocket or "proper" being the CG of the car between the posts?

Just position the car front/rear to fit both front and rear lift points. If it's small enough to need to do it, it's small enough to not throw the balance off too far. SOP when I was in the shop right from the lift documents showed long-WB vehicles parked past the locating pocket and short-WB vehicles wit hthe tire before it.

What is this locating pocket?

There is no way to put the car in and reach all 4 lift points on the actual lift pads of the lift.

If the front touch, the rear lift points are too close for the lift arms even fully retracted.

If the rear touch, opposite problem.

ac

 

[neel2008]

I've used 4x4 and 2x4 blocks right on the lift arms before.....I try to find a blunt surface to lift against though because something like a pinch weld will cut into the block....if you start to lift and the block starts cracking/splitting, go back and rethink......I have also used like a steel plate on top of the wood as well....usually this is just either on the front or the back like you are talking about....(i do the lighter end of the vehicle if possible.) Just be careful and use good judgement...I mean if the lift arm is under the car, worse case, its not like its actually going to "fall" per-say.....

 

[avc8130]

I've used 4x4 and 2x4 blocks right on the lift arms before.....I try to find a blunt surface to lift against though because something like a pinch weld will cut into the block....if you start to lift and the block starts cracking/splitting, go back and rethink......I have also used like a steel plate on top of the wood as well....usually this is just either on the front or the back like you are talking about....(i do the lighter end of the vehicle if possible.) Just be careful and use good judgement...I mean if the lift arm is under the car, worse case, its not like its actually going to "fall" per-say.....

That's pretty much what I did. I made sure to place the blocking so the jack point was perpendicular to the grain of the wood to mitigate splitting.

I still have trouble believing this is "right". Professional shops have wood blocking around to put vehicles on lifts?

ac

 

[zkdiesel]

That's pretty much what I did. I made sure to place the blocking so the jack point was perpendicular to the grain of the wood to mitigate splitting.

I still have trouble believing this is "right". Professional shops have wood blocking around to put vehicles on lifts?

ac

Yes, some do. Some lifts aren't configured to lift every vehicle easily. Larger lifts usually have longer double arms and can't get small enough for short vehicles. Smaller lifts can't extend to hit best spots o a crew can long bed or mini bus truck. That's how it is, and you find ways to work around it. One crappy lift company has u shaped pads that wrap around arm with a rubber ontop to do just what your describing for Swb cars.
That's why alot of recent lifts are going to triple arms on one set, or like my big rotary, triple arms front and rear. Retract exta short, extend extra long

 

[avc8130]

Yes, some do. Some lifts aren't configured to lift every vehicle easily. Larger lifts usually have longer double arms and can't get small enough for short vehicles. Smaller lifts can't extend to hit best spots o a crew can long bed or mini bus truck. That's how it is, and you find ways to work around it. One crappy lift company has u shaped pads that wrap around arm with a rubber ontop to do just what your describing for Swb cars.
That's why alot of recent lifts are going to triple arms on one set, or like my big rotary, triple arms front and rear. Retract exta short, extend extra long

I think Mohawk offers those pads:

http://www.mohawklifts.com/wp/consumer/automotive-lifts/lift-options/2-post/

Are they the "crappy lift company" you are referring to?

I guess I'll continue with the wood blocks. It didn't feel unsafe, just didn't seem "right".

ac

 

[Aahz]

Wood blocks are NEVER safe for lifting! One of the issues in the lift industry over the past 5 years has been the shorter wheelbase vehicles with extremely low profiles. The two-stage arms of many lifts are just not able to reach the appropriate pick-up points. The resolution that many manufacturers have come up with is 3-stage arms that allow the pads to reach more of the appropriate pick-up points. The 3-stage arm also allows the lifting pad to be a lower profile in order to get under the low clearance vehicles.

Mohawk System 1, if I remember correctly, is a symmetric lift. Symmetric lifts typically have longer arms in the front than an asymmetric and I am guessing that they are two stage.

There may be a work around that Mohawk has, but you will need to contact them to find out for sure.

 

[avc8130]

Wood blocks are NEVER safe for lifting! One of the issues in the lift industry over the past 5 years has been the shorter wheelbase vehicles with extremely low profiles. The two-stage arms of many lifts are just not able to reach the appropriate pick-up points. The resolution that many manufacturers have come up with is 3-stage arms that allow the pads to reach more of the appropriate pick-up points. The 3-stage arm also allows the lifting pad to be a lower profile in order to get under the low clearance vehicles.

Mohawk System 1, if I remember correctly, is a symmetric lift. Symmetric lifts typically have longer arms in the front than an asymmetric and I am guessing that they are two stage.

There may be a work around that Mohawk has, but you will need to contact them to find out for sure.

I see Mohawk offers 3 stage arms, but they are only 1" shorter. I don't think that was going to be enough.

ac

 

[zkdiesel]

Your whole problem may be where you are centering the lift on the car. If you can hang it more forewords or backwards to catch your lift points do it. The weight doesn't have to be perfectly distributed, especially on lighter cars. Don't start saying it's unsafe, Asy lifts hang cars off the back and are not properly centered from the get go......

 

[avc8130]

Your whole problem may be where you are centering the lift on the car. If you can hang it more forewords or backwards to catch your lift points do it. The weight doesn't have to be perfectly distributed, especially on lighter cars. Don't start saying it's unsafe, Asy lifts hang cars off the back and are not properly centered from the get go......

I'll try again next time the maintenance light is on, but I don't see how pushing the car forward or backwards will help. If I push the vehicle forward, it will just extend the front arms and make the rear even closer in. If I push the vehicle backwards, opposite problem.

I did not have the arms extended AT ALL when I had the vehicle on the lift. I placed the vehicle so the front arms hit the lift points. Then the rear arms touched the lift points on the non-extending portion of the arms.

ac

 

[Andybull]

They have lifting pads that will go over the rigid swing arms. Be prepared to pay through the nose.

 

[avc8130]

They have lifting pads that will go over the rigid swing arms. Be prepared to pay through the nose.

I see those, and I think they have merits...BUT...

I can't picture how they will work in conjunction with "truck adapters" to reach in past rocker arm moldings.

In order to hit the lift points I needed to use truck adapters to get the pads to contact before the arms hit the rockers.

ac

 

[avc8130]

Here is a sketch of the lift points. You can see how they are relatively close together, the vehicle is rather wide, and you can see the rockers get in the way.

 

[Andybull]

I see those, and I think they have merits...BUT...

I can't picture how they will work in conjunction with "truck adapters" to reach in past rocker arm moldings.

In order to hit the lift points I needed to use truck adapters to get the pads to contact before the arms hit the rockers.

ac

With those pads, you can place a 1"x, or perhaps a 2"x, between it and the arm.
The u shaped steel that's attached to the rubber pad will keep the wood from coming apart, or slipping off of the arm.

 

[avc8130]

With those pads, you can place a 1"x, or perhaps a 2"x, between it and the arm.
The u shaped steel that's attached to the rubber pad will keep the wood from coming apart, or slipping off of the arm.

Interesting. I have a call into Mohawk to hear what their "official" guidance is. Surely I can't be alone, the System 1 is a hugely popular lift and the Acura MDX isn't even that small of a vehicle!

ac

 

[kamesama980]

Your whole problem may be where you are centering the lift on the car. If you can hang it more forewords or backwards to catch your lift points do it. The weight doesn't have to be perfectly distributed, especially on lighter cars. Don't start saying it's unsafe, Asy lifts hang cars off the back and are not properly centered from the get go......

Yup. that's what I was trying to convey earlier

What is this locating pocket?

There is no way to put the car in and reach all 4 lift points on the actual lift pads of the lift...
ac

Sorry, didn't phrase my question as a question. I was trying to find out if you had a locating pad mounted to the concrete to position the car. gives you a little bump to feel when pulling in to give consistent position. From your response I can tell the answer's "no". doesn't matter at this point since you answered the other question taht it doesn't matter if you roll forward or back.

I still have trouble believing this is "right". Professional shops have wood blocking around to put vehicles on lifts?

ac

For not having all 4 arms locate properly, I'm not sure what to do about it. In my time at school and in the shop I never ran into this problem (and being the biggest guy in the shop, guess who got to drive in all the tiny old fiats?). I put all sorts of tiny cars on the same 9klb lift I put LWB duallies on. fiat x1/9, spiders, new mini coopers, miatas, fieros, etc.

OK, just looked up the MDX...not exactly what I'd call a small, short WB vehicle but I guess that's perspective. For the front pads, are you lifting by the pinch welds or the pseudo-frame stubs inboard from them? I can imagine where you might have trouble hitting the pinch welds on all 4 corners. THAT problem I have had.

With a picture stolen from the internet: are you putting the lift arm where this pic has the jack stand or at the bottom right corner of the pic?

 

[avc8130]

kamesama980,

I was putting the lift point where that jack stand is.

Is that not the "right" spot?

ac