A good car lift or hoist can be needed in any type of garage or even at home, as trying to work on cars by sliding under them is ineffective; a hoist allows you to see every angle of the underbody of the car and also bring in larger tools and equipment for the work you're doing. Whether you have a lift at home or in a commercial garage, you might have a few questions about working with them to ensure you're safe and know what's involved in using the lift. Here are a few answers to common questions about car lifts. Contact the manufacturer of your car lift if you have additional questions or concerns.

1. Can cars be parked on lifts for an extended period of time?

Very often this will depend on the type of lift you have and the strength of the hydraulics. If the lift is safely in place and a brake of some sort is engaged, it should be able to hold your car indefinitely. However, note that cars are designed to hold their weight on the tires and axles, not on the underbody. Rather than worrying about the strength of the lift, you might instead be concerned with any potential damage you can do to the car itself. If you do want to use a lift for storing your car, opt for a parking lift. This is one that lifts the car by its tires and not the underbody.

2. What if the arms of the lift aren't lifting at the same time?

In a hydraulic lift, lines may need to be bled from excess air. When there is too much air in one set of lines, this will cause it to lag behind the other arms as they lift. Your lift's manufacturer can usually instruct you on how to bleed the lines so that they then operate equally.

3. What are asymmetric arms?

Symmetrical refers to things that are even, whereas asymmetrical refers to things that are purposely uneven. Asymmetric arms are purposely shorter in the front. This allows for a greater lift of the back end while keeping the front end lower to the ground, for easier access to the driver or passenger door. For repairs that need to be done on the steering column or for accessing the electrical panel, dashboard, and other such parts, a lift with asymmetric arms can be the better choice.

Share