[Chrysler300] 4 Post Lifts - Warning

["Jess" <jpmiklas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

As an addendum to the "4 Post Lift" discussion we had a few months back, I have to report that my
1 year old EAGLE EQUIPMENT SS7000   4 Post Lift collapsed this weekend. 

After examining the wreckage, it appears (in my lowly opinion!!) that a design flaw was the culprit. The 99% all steel construction relies on 8 polyurethane "blocks" inside the guide posts. The crossmembers have two "pins" that insert into these blocks. Although the blocks are almost 2" thick, the pins protude only 1/2" to 5/8" into the blocks. When these pins wear thru the edge of  the blocks, down comes baby, cradle and all. In this case baby was a Dodge Durango, but if it had happened 3 days ago, baby would have been a beautiful 1970 440  6-pak Super Bee... and yes, the Durango is SMASHED. 

This particular unit was a "free standing" model with large steel feet. Those feet curled up like cardboard. It is possible, I think, that the car would NOT have fallen if the bases had been bolted down - and I mean REALLY bolted down - not with just a few bolts with anchors;  but I still would have had  a vehicle up on a non-operable lift.

If you have one of these lifts, I'd suggest you bolt it down pronto!! All these type of lifts are all manufactured by the same people and are all quite similar if not identical (EXCEPT Backyard Buddy), so you might want to check the pin & blocks on yours! Some companies advertise that their lifts are better because they upgrade or overbuild the original design and maybe those have addressed this problem already. If you find a similar short pin situation as I have described, you might want to install longer pins and maybe sleeve the holes, which is what I will be doing on my other lifts.

This unit also had the automatic "safety stops" which are supposed to catch the lift as it starts coming down. They work fine in a straight updown operation, but once the unit twists or tilts, the minimal grab area is negated. 

Jeff Miklas


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