New BendPak seems to be tilted.

[divers]

Just had a new BendPak installed on a new cement floor and the posts are slightly tilted. All in the same direction.
It looks like the "Out of vertical" condition is somewhere between 3 and 4 inches.
Is this an adjustment issue?
Should I get them back out to re-adjust?

 

[larry4406]

Can’t help you on the lift but I’m guessing your slab is pitched and the lift base plates are following the pitch.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Since you wrote “all” re: the posts, I assume it’s a 4 post. Have you run it up and down to see if it settles out? Have you actually measured how much it is out of plumb? Is it anchored to the floor?

 

[finn]

Put a level on the posts.

Most likely the slab is pitched. If so, tou’l Have to come up with shims to compensate if the visuals are important to you.

 

[nadogail]

Your level and plumb bob, along with your framing square may help you determine your answers.

 

[nota4re]

Historically, the Bend Paks all shipped with slotted washers to use as shims as needed. It is IMPERATIVE that the posts are plumb. If they're not, get the installers back out to resolve.

 

[brownbagg]

what i did, was shimmed with the washers, then loosen the bolt put some non strink grout under the post then tighten back down letting the grout squeeze out

 

[larry_g]

Just had a new BendPak installed on a new cement floor and the posts are slightly tilted. All in the same direction.
It looks like the "Out of vertical" condition is somewhere between 3 and 4 inches.
Is this an adjustment issue?
Should I get them back out to re-adjust?

What it looks like doesn't much matter. It's what you measure that counts. As said above hang a plumb bob and measure the tilt on all 4 sides. If really 3-4" then call the installers back.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[tom86951]

If the columns are not bolted down, they may settle into place a bit, but they shouldn't leave you with a crooked lift, so I'd call them back. I had an authorized installer put mine up, and naively thought it had to be right because they were 'authorized'. The more I learned about the lift and how to adjust the locks, runners, level, etc., the more I realized how little care they used....

 

[divers]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I will try to answer the comments as best as I can...
It is not bolted to the floor.
The garage add on is new construction.
The concrete is approximately 7" thick.
It is flat and has no cracks.
All 4 posts are tilted in the same direction,
The plates on the bottom of the posts are NOT flush with the cement.
The gaps at the feet (bottom plates) correspond with the tilt of the poles.
When I put a level on the posts its shows immediately.
The studs on the garage walls ARE near perfect with a level making the "Out of plumb" easy to see.

Any comments are really appreciated.
I am new to the hoist thing and am glad for your help.

 

[larry_g]

If the columns are not bolted down, they may settle into place a bit, but they shouldn't leave you with a crooked lift, so I'd call them back. I had an authorized installer put mine up, and naively thought it had to be right because they were 'authorized'. The more I learned about the lift and how to adjust the locks, runners, level, etc., the more I realized how little care they used....

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I will try to answer the comments as best as I can...
It is not bolted to the floor.
The garage add on is new construction.
The concrete is approximately 7" thick.
It is flat and has no cracks.
All 4 posts are tilted in the same direction,
The plates on the bottom of the posts are NOT flush with the cement.
The gaps at the feet (bottom plates) correspond with the tilt of the poles.
When I put a level on the posts its shows immediately.
The studs on the garage walls ARE near perfect with a level making the "Out of plumb" easy to see.

Any comments are really appreciated.
I am new to the hoist thing and am glad for your help.

Tom makes a very good point in that he had to learn about the lift and finish the install. Did they leave you an install manual or something that goes through the setups and adjustments? Can you find the manual online and link to it so we all may look at it or post the make and model of your lift so that someone with the same unit may comment.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[jmdirk]

Sounds like it racked to one side. sounds like an install issue to me. If you paid for professional install sounds like it wasn't done right. I'm guessing the install manual has various warnings saying to make sure everything is plumb

 

[divers]

The company I purchased it from is coming out tomorrow. We will see what happens.

 

[kbuhagiar]

Keep us posted!

 

[Viper98912]

Is there weight (a car) on the lift?

I find that sometimes when there's no weight, and the lift is all the way down, that the posts can sometimes freely tilt however they want to. But, once you raise the lift, and more importantly once you have the weight of a car on it, the lift squares up and is plumb all the way around. I normally put it up about halfway to check it.

Perhaps check this first and see?

 

[grant00]

Good pictures are worth a thousand words...

 

[divers]

I had the company out this morning to look at the installation.
They sent a different guy, their expert. He seemed to know his stuff.
He looked at it and immediately told me it was the floor. To that, I said "Show me".
He pulled a level out and sure enough the floor (My brand new cement floor!) was uneven.
The tilt of the floor corresponded with the tilt of the columns.
I then asked if this will cause any issues and he said "No".
He went on to explain saying the corner mechanism is designed to float within the column to compensate for this.
Because the hoist is not bolted to the floor, the posts will sort of lean in and lean out as needed.
He told me the only way to get the posts to be perfectly plumb is to bolt it to the cement floor, then it can be adjusted.
Some additional adjustments were made to the cables so that the corners "Clicked" simultaneously when the hoist was raised.
I opened up an issue / claim with BendPak yesterday so I will call them today to verify the Aresco response.
If they agree, I will close the complaint and consider if I want to have it bolted down.
I also need to compliment Aresco for being prompt in their response.

So... for me, what is left to do is follow up with BendPak and grease the 8 lubrication points and take a nap.

Comments are welcome and thanks to all who responded.
Merry Christmas !

 

[Cairo94507]

I believe all garage floors have some slope to them. When we installed my 4-post BendPak we bolted it to the floor and shimmed it to be perfectly level. It never moved. I would not be able to look at it if the posts were all leaning. Additionally, I just wanted it secured to the floor. BendPak did the install and they drilled and anchored the posts.

When I sold that house, I took the lift with me and sold it as the new owner did not want a lift. I then just filled the holes with epoxy and it was like it was never there.

 

[racecougar]

Bolting the pads to the floor takes a fair bit of "sway" out of it as well, which is really noticeable if you're using the lift for wrenching, not just storing. I found that just two anchors per column improved the rigidity enough to make me feel safe working under mine.

 

[Bucko]

Is there a reason why you are hesitant to bolt it down. Like Cairo said, it would drive me nuts to see it out of plumb. Also along with Racecougar I would not feel safe under it if it was not bolted down, they put the holes in the base plate for a reason.

 

[FMB4]

I too would bolt it down. And yes, virtually all garage floors are sloped to some degree.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Nothing wrong with bolting it down if you want to. Conversely, my ALI-certified Advantage lift’s owners’ manual specifically recommends not bolting it down. I have moved mine around my shop to use as a work platform, and have done a good bit of wrenching under my F250 and my wife’s Ranger, and never once felt the least bit of concern. It just doesn’t sway or move with the weight of the vehicle on it.

 

[divers]

Other than maybe someday wanting to move it no reason not to bolt it down.
I would also be out the money I paid for the casters.
Right now, I'm gonna not do anything until spring.

 

[racecougar]

Other than maybe someday wanting to move it no reason not to bolt it down.
I would also be out the money I paid for the casters.
Right now, I'm gonna not do anything until spring.

If you use drop in floor anchors, you can easily unbolt and move the lift around as you like without leaving anything protruding from the floor. You can pick them up at your local Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

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[mikeyr]

when I built my shop, I specified that the area where the lift was going needed to be perfectly level. They forgot ! So my lift is on a slope and had been for 12 years with no issues and my lift manufacturer said it would be ok at the time.

 

[finn]

I have a 7/16” plywood shim under one post af my Advantage four post. The floor dips near the drainage grate.

Hasn’t caused any issues.

I couldn’t really see any tilt by eye, but my level told me there was some. I have a second lift close to that same drain. I suppose I should check that one and shim as required, too, but it works fine as is.

 

[Viper98912]

So it is your floor....

Nonetheless, I also have a slope to my garage floor for water to run out, etc. It's not a problem for me - I leveled the ramps via each independent cable on each post. I don't have any major sway or tilt to my columns when lifting a vehicle. My lift is also not bolted down.