Rotary Lift Installed -2?s 1 Problem

[hevnbnd]

Ok I got the lift up and running and I have a couple of questions.

The right side is a little higher than the left. I have tightened the equalizer cables to what seems to be pretty tight. I can see three threads above where the bolt goes into frame on the lift. Maybe someone with another Rotary A10i or similar can chime in here on how tight theirs are. Any other suggestions on fixing this?

2nd question is how do the feet look on mine. Attached are some pics. Do I have them facing the correct way or is there even a wrong way? They seem to only make a little contact on one side of the feet which makes me a little nervous.

 

[hevnbnd]

Well well, this does not look good at all. My left post is about 1" lower than my right. There is nothing wrong with the lift. Both arms are the exact same distance from the base. So what do I do now... I am thinking about cutting out a 4x4 pad around each post and pouring new concrete that is level there... That just sounds expensive. Anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[OldCarGuy]

Are you sure that the floor is 1” higher at one post than the other? How are you determining this? If there is a 1” from one column to the other, I would consider making up a steel plate as large as the baseplate. And install it under the column using longer lags making up for the plate thickness...

Assuming that the floor isn't out that much. More likely the two columns are not parallel and or plumb. If they aren't, the arms will not be at the same level.

The lift comes with shim to make the necessary adjustments to bring the columns plumb. If this isn't enough, you will have to either purchase more. Or make some from suitable material.

 

[revlover]

Start from your concrete. See if your ground is level from left to right.
Then put a level on your posts from top to bottom... see if that's level... if not, you may want to shim your posts.
Then raise the lift and then lower onto the first safety lock. Pull all four arms together to see how off-level they are and then start leveling from there. The bolts on the equalizer cables don't need to be tightened all the way... your goal is to make sure they're even. So... loosen one side... see if that helps, or tighten the other side... or visa versa... it's really trial and error until it's perfectly level. A good indicator that your lift is level on both sides is when you raise the lift, the safety latches engage at the same time... click, click, click.

Hope this helps.

 

[1320stang]

One thing you can do if you had longer anchors would be to put nuts on the bolts and run them down to the concrete then put your post on then more nuts. You use the nuts to raise the post to level it. When that is done, I would figure out what your thickness is (maybe use modeling clay?) and make some sort of a shim that would fit under there within the area of the bolts, place the post back on and grout the gap.

 

[hevnbnd]

Ok OLDCARGUY here is a pic of what I did to determine if it was level or not.

I thought about the steel plate idea as well. I guess my main concerns with this is how would I go about getting the old bolts out and still use the same bolt holes? Not sure that is possible. So what do you think? Is it 1 1/2" lower? That is the distance I get from bottom of level 2x4 to ground.....

As for the posts being level. I have used the shims to level up both posts. They are level on all sides and it appears that they are engaging the safety latches at the same time. I guess it could not use the equalizer cables to make up the distance? Is that a bad idea?

I can set a 1 1/2" board on top of one of the yellow feet and then the car is level. Not sure that is very safe either.

Man I hate that I have gotten myself into this..

 

[revlover]

One thing you can do if you had longer anchors would be to put nuts on the bolts and run them down to the concrete then put your post on then more nuts. You use the nuts to raise the post to level it. When that is done, I would figure out what your thickness is (maybe use modeling clay?) and make some sort of a shim that would fit under there within the area of the bolts, place the post back on and grout the gap.

I don't know why, but I laughed when I read this comment.

Anyway, two post equalization issues are pretty common. Wait until Junkman sees this post... he'll know what to do...

 

[BillK]

hb,
Not to be an alarmist, but your user name may come true sooner than you would like if you dont get this correct. Stop asking questions here, where every single one of us is guessing and CALL THE MANUFACTURER !!!!! If you have to, pay to have one of thier reps or installers come out and tell you the correct (meaning safe) way to fix the problem. I know of a couple of guys that are no longer with us and a couple that were seriously injured due to improperly installed or improperly used lifts. The assymetrical ones like you have are even more likely to cause problems. One thing I am certain you need to do is get the back support off that flimsy frame connector.

Be safe !
Just my opinion,

 

[bmwpower]

Start from your concrete. See if your ground is level from left to right.
Then put a level on your posts from top to bottom... see if that's level... if not, you may want to shim your posts.
Then raise the lift and then lower onto the first safety lock. Pull all four arms together to see how off-level they are and then start leveling from there. The bolts on the equalizer cables don't need to be tightened all the way... your goal is to make sure they're even. So... loosen one side... see if that helps, or tighten the other side... or visa versa... it's really trial and error until it's perfectly level. A good indicator that your lift is level on both sides is when you raise the lift, the safety latches engage at the same time... click, click, click.

Hope this helps.

What he said. +1

 

[1320stang]

I meant to say metal shim. If you've ever looked at light poles or transmisson towers, this is how they do it.

If the area the leg sat was flat, you could cut a plate that was the desired thickness that is bigger than the foot, cut the old studs off and put new studs in alternate locations as far away from the originals as possible (rotate 90 degrees). The plate would have holes in these locations and holes that were countersunk on the bottom side for the leg holes. Put Grade 8 or better (is there better?) bolts in from the bottom of the plate and attach to the legs, then put down onto the new studs and bolt them down.

I guess you could shim the plate if the area wasn't flat.

 

[ron in sc]

When mine was installed the guys checked the places on the floor where the posts were to be installed, witht the posts in place, with a transit level. That checked out ok so we assumed the floor was very level. But when they installed the posts the arms were to low and made just a little bit of contact with the floor. This was determined after the posts were bolted to the floor. This happened because my floor was not perfectly level and was an issue since I selected the very low three stage arms. To fix this problem the guys had to come back with the size spacer plates that I wanted to use to raise the posts. Rotary makes these plates. I went with 1/2" plates, so now the lowest the arms will go with the screw up flat top pads is about 3 1/2".

When they came back to put the plates under the posts they had to first deal with the anchors they had installed. Those anchors were to short with the new plate. Well when they drilled the holes for the anchors the week before they drilled the holes all the way through the concrete. I asked at the time why they did that and they said holes should always be drilled all the way through in case their is a problem with an anchor. So before they put the new plates down they pounded the anchor bolts all the way through. Then they put plates under posts and installed new longer Hilti anchors.

They also used some of those U shaped shims that came with the lift to level/ orient or whatever it's called before they torqued the nuts on the anchors all the way down.

 

[jamm]

Holy ****!!! How did your floor get poured 1-1/2" out of level? Is it an old floor that has sunk?

I would definately talk to the manufacturer about a solution since the floor is the problem and the lift needs to be modified. I'm sure this isn't the first time something like this has happened.

If you don't go that way then I would suggest getting a 1-1/2" thick plate that is larger than the post baseplate with holes towards the outside edge (3/4" min.). Cut the existing anchor bolts flush to the floor and install the new plate. You can then either weld the post baseplate to the new plate or weld studs to the new plate and bolt the post back in place.

The most important thing before you decide anything is to think it through first this time.

 

[jamm]

Well when they drilled the holes for the anchors the week before they drilled the holes all the way through the concrete. I asked at the time why they did that and they said holes should always be drilled all the way through in case their is a problem with an anchor.

I had to laugh at this one. I was always taught never to punch through the concrete. Have you ever noticed that when a hammer drill is used to drill all the way through a wall. It almost always spalls the opposite side, typically in a cone shape. If the anchor bolt is inserted to far in the hole you can tighten it initially but with stress it can actually rock itself loose. Another reason not to drill all the way through a floor is that the bottom of the anchor (where the majority of the swedge holding power comes from) is now susseptable to any moisture under the slab. Hello rust and corrosion, goodbye car. It's not worth the possible failure to do it incorrectly.

That's my opinion. I hope yours stands for many, many years.

 

[ron in sc]

I had to laugh at this one.

I had the same concerns you expressed. I discussed them with the fellows who installed the lift, one of whom was the owner of the company which is an authorized Rotary dealer. They installed and service all the lifts at the BMW plant in Greer, SC and were highly recommend to be by some folks on a Porsche webforum I visit. The owner told me that with a quality foundation drilling all the thru is no problem and is routinely done by people who know what they are doing. They also did not use hammer drills for the holes. They used a rotary hammer which made drilling thru the cement pretty quick and without all the extra vibration you get with a hammer drill which I personally think are pretty ineffective unless you are drilling thru mortar.

My foundation is a stem wall system. Three separate pours, footing, concrete in all cells and then 6 ½" to 7" of 4000 psi concrete with fiberglass installed over 6 gauge welded wire supported by 3" upper slab bolsters. The 30 day test indicated concrete was 4680 psi. so I presume it would be somewhat psi now about a year after the pour.

Had they not drilled all the way thru the concrete the anchor bolts would have been to short and I have no idea how much of a mess it would have involved to fix that problem.