All Automotive Lift Repair Florida lifts are made of 3/4″ thick rolled steel [-shaped forklift channel columns. This is what makes an Automotive Lift Repair Florida lift stand out! In comparison, most of our competitors use 3/16″ to 5/16″ sheet metal (some only 1/4th as thick as that is put on a brake and bent to “form” their columns. Bent sheet metal is stressed sheet metal, which under load continues to stress.
Ultimately, it can (and often does) crack and spread (unbend itself). A manufacturer can’t build better when the goal is to build cheaper.
Automotive Lift Repair Florida’s steel column is inherently stronger than either bent sheet metal or extruded columns. Never! This is the kind of strength and solidity you surround yourself with when you choose an Automotive Lift Repair Florida lift. After nearly 100 years, forklifts still don’t use sheet metal posts and plastic slide blocks!
Some of our competitors say our lifts are “overbuilt,” and we accept the compliment. Won’t less expensive lifts work too?” The answer is no! All the “extra” steel in an Automotive Lift Repair Florida lift lets you pick up vehicles that other lifts can’t. Some competitors may rate their lifts at the same capacities, but the issue isn’t capacity—it’s ability. bag of cement, but can you hold it at arm’s length safely? For how long?
COLUMN FOOTINGS
Automotive Lift Repair Florida footings are made of 3/4″-thick steel plate, the thickest in the industry.
Competitive lifts with smaller footprints that exert high pressure don’t provide stable footing. Large footprints like Automotive Lift Repair Florida’s exert lower pressure, providing better stability for any lift.
Competitors’ lifts that concentrate weight on a small footprint exert more pressure on the floor, reducing stability for both the lift and its load.
Many competitors try to compensate for small footprints by adding 90-degree angle iron to the lift’s foot. These angle irons obstruct mechanics trying to roll equipment around the shop.
COLUMN WIDTH
For added strength and stability, Automotive Lift Repair Florida spreads the load. That’s why our lift columns range from 18″ to 22″ wide. By comparison, most other lifts only have 6-10″ column widths. When lifting a vehicle six feet in the air, it’s no different than lifting a 100-lb. barbell—you space your hands shoulder-width apart for stability.
Now for a quick laugh. If a customer accidentally drove into an Automotive Lift Repair Florida lift, they’d likely have to replace their car. But if the same thing happened to a competitor’s sheet metal column, you’d be replacing both the lift and the car. Case closed.
MECHANICAL SAFETY LOCKS
The safety locks on all Automotive Lift Repair Florida lifts are ALL-POSITION locks, engaging every two inches as the lift ascends. Many competitors’ locks don’t engage until the lift is 18″ or even 36″ off the ground. Automotive Lift Repair Florida believes if a car is even 3″ in the air, the lift should operate in total safety! Under our lifts, you feel completely confident and safe at any height. Why buy a lift without mechanical safety locks that engage as soon as the lift starts rising? It’s like working under a car held up by a floor jack.
Our lifts offer additional safety without additional cost. We prioritize safety for your protection, your shop’s reputation, your employees, your investment, and your customers’ vehicles.
NEXT, COMPARE CARRIAGES
Automotive Lift Repair Florida carriages are made of 3/4″ welded steel plate. We emphasize “welded” because most competitors build their carriages using the same weak sheet metal as their columns. Our carriages grip the arm and distribute the load throughout, whereas competitors rely on the arm pin, placing 100% of the shearing force on it.
Welding is the most expensive way to build a carriage, but we’re not in the business of cutting corners. Welding results in the strongest possible carriage, unlike competitors who bend metal, weakening it in the process.
Our design ensures the swing arm fits securely into the carriage between two pieces of 3/4″ steel plate. We use a 1″ steel swing arm bolt to pin the arm into the carriage, virtually eliminating shearing forces.
Competitors’ carriages are often built the opposite way: the arms fit over the carriage and are pinned in, leading to sagging arms over time as holes grow out of round.
BEARINGS
All Automotive Lift Repair Florida lifts use at least 16 double-sealed, self-lubricating steel ball bearings housed in steel casings throughout the carriage design. Years ago, all lifts used steel bearing rollers, but most competitors have switched to plastic sliders to cut costs. Plastic sliders don’t have the longevity of steel bearings and require heavy greasing, which attracts grit and accelerates wear.
When plastic sliders wear out, replacements wear even quicker as they rub against the scratched steel column. Similar to worn brake rotors, once damage is done, replacing sliders isn’t enough—you’ll eventually need a new column.
CYLINDERS
Automotive Lift Repair Florida lifts use two of the largest cylinders in the lift industry. Large cylinders make lifting easier on the structure, reduce pump pressure, and prolong the life of the electric motor and pump.
For all safety precautions, do not neglect to consult the manufacturer’s manual that comes with your lift.
Smaller cylinders need to work at higher pressures to lift the same load, causing wear on hydraulic components. Competitors’ lifts with higher operating pressures often suffer from leaking or bursting hydraulic hoses, while we use steel lines to prevent this. We stand by our lifts with a warranty on cylinders for as long as you own your lift!
CYLINDER LIFTING AND DIRECT DRIVE CYLINDERS
Our 9,000-lb.-capacity and below lifts use a leaf chain system to raise the carriages, offering minimal maintenance compared to competitors’ cable systems that require frequent greasing, maintenance, and eventual replacement.
SAFETY SYSTEMS
Automotive Lift Repair Florida integrates automatic safety systems throughout our lifts. We don’t even consider them separate safety features—they’re simply part of what makes our lifts the best in the industry.