Question about Bend Pak HD9 operation

[Doc986]

So I went over and drooled at my buddy's new Bend Pak HD9 yesterday - the lift I've been mulling over for a year. After seeing it in person, I'm planning on ordering one ASAP.

However, I did notice that when he raised the lift, there seemed to be a fair bit of vibration. In fact, he was told by the installer that this is normal and would smooth out over time. The lift was perfectly smooth coming down. Is this normal? If not, I'm wondering if I should go with a different installer.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Matt M PA]

While I can;t say I notice (or remember) mine vibrating when operating...I do know that if there is shudder in teh hydraulic ram there is an additive that will fix that . It's very possible it's the ram and not the mechanical part of the lift itself.

 

[FatFndr]

I have a Bend Pak HD-9, my son and I put it up in about 3 days. I have never had any vibration in it at all, ever. The only problem I experienced was it hanging up, but as soon as I got it leveled out, that went away. It sounds like it may have been run with no hydraulic oil or there may be air in the lines. He may try to flush the lines by holding down the release handle while pressing the start button and holding for about 15 seconds. Go to the Bend Pak website and look for the Lift Manual for this model. There are simple troubleshooting techniques in there.

 

[e-tek]

Mine may "shudder" a bit if it's loaded a bit unevenly, or if one leg is a little off....due to the rubber block binding a bit....doesn't seem to affect anything.... good luck with the purchase!!

BTW - did you consider extra long/extra wide, etc ?

 

[Matti]

Mine does and it's fairly new. I suspect that if I bolted down the feet they would not shift which is what I think might be the cause. I'm thinking of bolting mine down once I'm happy with the location.

 

[up4speed]

I was going to suggest bleeding the lift, but someone beat me to it. When mine was new, I had a bad vibration on the way down, it almost sounded like an airplane flying overhead, real low!! it wasn't perfectly quiet on the way up, but it was better. I then added a hydraulic additive made by Catterpillar. I only put 4 oz. in the lift, and after one or two lifts it was like a miracle!! I couldn't believe how smooth it was. The only thing I hear is fluid swishing in the tank. It is even perfectly smooth when lowering it extremely slow! (they tend to chatter more when moving slow). If your friend bleeds it and it still makes noise, I would suggest that additive.

 

[FatFndr]

To test if you need the additive, try some Silicone lubricant. There is a seal on the end of the hydraulic cylinder that prevents oil from leaking past the cylinder. The piston rod may need to be lubricated, simply drop the lift to extend the piston rod, put some Silicone on a rag and lubricate the rod...it doesn't need much and will provide a smoother travel for the lift. I do this once a year. Sounds also like your friends lift may need a little more fine tuning.

 

[shopnut]

BTW - did you consider extra long/extra wide, etc ?

Sorry about the thread hi-jack, but e-tek, do you see a big benefit from the extra width of your lift? I definitely am sold on extra height, but if my cars don't require it, is there any other benefit to the extra width?

 

[Old Moparz]

Sorry about the thread hi-jack, but e-tek, do you see a big benefit from the extra width of your lift? I definitely am sold on extra height, but if my cars don't require it, is there any other benefit to the extra width?

I know you asked e-tek, but I have 2 of the HD-9 models in my garage & chose the wider ones because of two reasons. One, is the approach angle that I have to drive on to get into one side of my garage. The front right corner of the garage is tucked slightly behind the rear corner of my house. Two, I like being able to walk between the post & the car without squeezing through. It also makes working on the car easier when I don't have to walk around the post & can remain right at the side of the car.

 

[Matti]

Sorry about the thread hi-jack, but e-tek, do you see a big benefit from the extra width of your lift? I definitely am sold on extra height, but if my cars don't require it, is there any other benefit to the extra width?

The extra width is good if you have the garage width as it is easy to drive in between the posts. You don't have to worry about your mirrors. If you don't have the width it can make your garage alot smaller.

 

[slowTA]

Mine shuddered some at first but then I sprayed down the sliders with WD40.

I bought the wider one, 117" wide (HD-9, no extra letters). I was on the fence when I decided then I realized you can unbolt the non-powered runway and move it closer for narrower cars. I set it up wide and prefer it that way, easier to drive on when you don't have to be exactly lined up. So far the narrowest car on it was an ******, almost had to move the runway in for that one, and the widest was a G8, only a few inches to spare.

The difference in the overall runway width is about 7.5" between the narrow and wide settings.

 

[HIRISC]

Wide = good - assuming you have the room - both for the types of vehicles that will fit on them and also for the extra space between the ramp and the wall (assuming you put the post right against the wall as Old Moparz above is referring to).

The shudder is because something isn't square - no danger involved. Mine shudders and I haven't take the time to figure out which leg isn't square or flat.

 

[e-tek]

Ya, the wide is good for the reasons stated. I have a couple big cars, but right now I have a smaller car on it and have now also found it also allows you to walk and work along side the car more easily.

 

[jcs_in_ky]

My HD-12 runs pretty smooth but it's bolted down and I spent a lot of time making sure it was perfectly square before bolting it to the floor. That may make the difference and if it's off it will most likely contributre to your rubber blocks binding.