vehicleliftguide-march2023 - 10

COVER STORY
wheelbases, then it would make more
sense to move up to the larger XA14,
14,000-lb scissor lift that has much longer
runways. But you need to have a lot
more bay space for these lifts. The small
lift still takes up a 13' by 28' bay. And that
includes using Rotary's aligners, which
are more compact.
" What's unique about [our aligners]
is that they don't have the towers with
the cameras that go in front of the lift, "
Matthews explains. " Our cameras actually
mount to the side. So you don't have
to have that extra space in front of the
lifts to do alignments. Our 1090 and 1065
aligners help save space and enable someone
that doesn't have a lot of space or a
small bay to be still able to perform alignments
and earn revenue on these jobs. "
Matthews acknowledges that lift
companies have become more safety conscious
with all of the testing and inspections
that are part of the industry today.
He says that Rotary is one of the founding
members of ALI, so they are very much
in favor of these certifications, but they
only test the strength or capacity of the
lift. What is not covered in the certification
process is the durability of the lift.
" Longevity and low cost of ownership
are really important, " says Matthews.
" Those are all things the company is
passionate about, and we make sure that
technicians and shops are able to use our
lifts and earn money with them for a very
long time. "
Durability testing is one of the most
important aspects of Rotary's lifts besides
its safety certification, Matthews explains.
" We cycle our lifts 20,000 times with
full load. It's akin to what an automotive
manufacturer does when they're designing
a vehicle. There's a lot of strength testing,
which is what goes into that Gold Label
testing. With durability testing, that's the
determinant of longevity that the lift is
going to last for a long time. "
With over 150 new electric vehicles
that are out now or will be coming out
10 I Vehicle Lift Guide I March 2023
BendPak's AP series lift is ideal for EVs.
According to Brian Spikes, vice presiTwenty
to 30 years ago,
your grandfather's Cadillac,
weighing 4,500 lbs, was the
largest vehicle being lifted.
Today, we lift 25' long fourdoor
dually trucks that
weigh 12,000 lbs. We also
saw the introduction of
the unibody vehicle, where
there was no frame on
which to lift.
Brian Spikes, vice president and
general manager, Challenger Lifts
in the next two to three years, shops
will need to start preparing for this new
technology that many techs have not
seen before, and it will require some new
equipment to handle them properly.
" There will be a lot of new things that
a technician will have to worry about, "
Matthews says. " Shops will have to make
sure they have the right equipment. The
lift, for example, must be able to reach
in and contact the specific pickup points
that are right next to the battery underneath
the vehicle. "
dent and general manager of Challenger
Lifts, they launched several products for
new automotive technologies (i.e., EVs)
at the 2022 SEMA Show last November.
" Our EnviroLift wide series in-ground
lift offers an industry-leading distance
between cylinders, providing more
room for battery removal and the width
required to service today's wide-bodied
or exotic vehicles. "
Spikes says they have two new models
of battery lifting tables designed to
safely remove a battery of up to 3,300 lbs
from underneath a lifted electric vehicle
(EV). And Challenger also introduced an
adjustable 12K two-post lift, which can be
installed in three widths and heights - a
feature available on their 10K, 16K, and
20K models.
" All 12K through 20K offerings serve
the heavy-duty market, " says Spikes. " We
also launched medium-duty 5K mobile
columns. These will allow shops with
limited space to have the flexibility of a
mobile column system in a more compact
form and at a lower price point. "
Finally, Spikes says Challenger
added a new feature to their popular
four-post lifts: hot-dipped, galvanized
runways. " These rust-resistant runways
are perfect for shop environments that
encounter melting snow and ice and the
vehicleliftguide-march2023

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