vehicleliftguide-march2023 - 15

lbs,' but the problem is the way it is loaded. They could
have 10,000 lbs in the back and 6,000 lbs up front. That's
not really a safe lifting application. So, it's a little bit different
on our side, perhaps, than it would be on the lightduty
side. "
Boyer explains that heavy-duty repair shops have a lot
of options when it comes to purchasing a new lift. It really
depends on factors such as budget, space, type of facility, and
even the groundwater level for those looking at in-ground lifts.
" I think in a perfect world, everybody would probably
have an axle-engaging in-ground lift, " says Boyer. " But some
facilities are rented or leased, and they can't put things in
the ground or permanently mount them to the floor. Other
issues are going to be budgetary. There's really no distinct
disadvantages to an in-ground lift, with the exception of cost
and modifying the floor, where you have to cut into the floor
if you don't already have an existing lift that you're replacing. "
Boyer notes there are a lot of compromises with whether it
is better for a certain shop to go with an above-ground lift or
perhaps a mobile column lift. " They all have trade-offs. With
mobile column lifts, you have two steps - an additional step
to remove wheels because you're picking them up from the
wheels. You have to pick the vehicle up, set a jack stand, and
use a high lift wheel dolly to remove a tire and wheel before
you can do brake work, for example. "
But a mobile column lift also costs less, according to Boyer.
" It's going to cost half or a third of what it costs to put in an
in-ground lift. That's where customers have to start making
a trade-off. How much am I willing to give up from a convenience
standpoint or a throughput standpoint vs. the money
you have to spend on a lift? "
Tim Kerr, engineering sales support manager for StertilKoni,
says shops that opt for a mobile column lift over an inground
lift have more things to worry about. For example, he
says you need to think about if the floor is level and whether
the rebar structure in the concrete is sufficient enough to lift
one of these vehicles.
Kerr explains that there are a lot more steps involved in
doing brake work, tire work, and hub work on a mobile column
lift. " Any time you add additional steps, you're just adding
the possibility for human error. So with an in-ground lift,
obviously, there's an added cost, and it's more complicated
than mobile columns, but you eliminate a lot of those additional
steps. And each one of those steps has the element of
human error that can be involved. "
One thing is for certain; the industry is changing along
with the new vehicle technologies. Shops in the market for a
new lift must be prepared to handle this new fleet of vehicles,
whether it is a gas, diesel, EV, or commercial truck.
Circle 4 on card or click " PTEN e-inquiry " on VehicleServicePros.com
March 2023 I Vehicle Lift Guide I 15
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