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HybridZ

How NOT to unstick a lift with a car on it...


Mikelly

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Well Friday Doug Carrow came down and we screwed around the place for a while. Then we loaded Tom's T56 Tranns into the back of Doug's truck and headed off to UPS... 157# is too heavy for them, sooo I need to figure out how to lighten the box. GREAT! So Home we go... Next, we try to solve my lift issues... We work to get them system filled with the proper amount of fluid and any leak issues resolves, which we do. Then we raise the unit several times. The power switch on the unit is bad, so we resort to turning the unit on at the panel. Anyway, after we are confident that out fluid/ bleed issues are resolved, we decide to put my white Z on the lift and raise it. No issues. We go to lower it... NOTHING. Thing won't budge. So I bump the power to get the unit off its safety catches and still, nothing. Doug goes behind the car and gives it a gentle nudge and the thing drops about 18 inches at such an abrupt manor that the car shifts on the lift pads (Which need new roubber feet BTW!) and the car comes unsettles from the lift on the Drivers side... Scary... We end up having to use a floor jack and a section of pipe to raise the car back up enough to get the lift arms back in place, and then we let the car down... Talk about scary!

 

The unit needs the tracks greased, the cables re-tightened and a new switch as well as arm pads. This unit is older and needed some TLC, but for $900 what would you expect??? Next time I'll have a pro come in and do the complete install on a unit I buy used...

Mike :D

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Wow. Scary. I have an older lift that I personally pulled from a buddies shop when they got new ones. Regreased the cables and refilled the fluids. Haven't had any scares like that fortunately. All to the tune of $500. I did have to redo the rubber pads. Made mine from a new mudflap I got at a trailer dealer for $10.

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Well we certainly tested the strength of the safety catches which worked BTW! We'll get it sorted out... I'm in no real hurry right now. I've got some more welding to do on the white car, and I'd like to get the grey car on the lift so I can swap the rear control arms out on it, and then move the cquare tube arms to the white car. I also need to make some front control arms and two sets of TC rods, since I sold the set off my Z to a customer who had an event coming up in April... Which has come and gone, so I hope he did well! Anyway, I'll get some pads ordered for the lift this week, and then tighten up the cables and grease the rails, and give her another test or two UNLOADED... I also have a service call in to have a tech come out and inspect the unit.

 

Mike :D

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