Help Needed Assembling Bradbury 4 Post Car Lift

[ProDave]

Yes I know it's a long shot on here.

But I'm trying to help a friend who has bought a second hand Bradbury 4 post car lift similar to this one http://www.used-garage-equipment.com/vehicle-lifts/4-post-lifts/bradbury-40-series-4-post-vehicle-lift/ramp/prod_183.html#

He's stumped on re assembling it (he didn't dismantle it) the problem is re assembling the powered leg.

I won't bore you with the details until someone that might help comes along. So has anyone assembled one of these or have instructions how to correctly assemble one?

 

[Evans Electric]

You'll be lucky TBH Dave !!! :yawn

 

[OnOff]

Do you have the exact model number? Try this link. If you can be ar5ed you can zoom in on each page then use Windows 7 Snipping Tool to save each page. Then combine them with Acrobat or similar..........

http://www.freeowner...-manual-pdf.pdf

Actually my mate used to be an insurance inspector (for Plant Safety) he MIGHT still have the documents/manuals they gave him............no g'tees but I'll ask! He does demolition work now, seems the Chrimbo parties are better, more booze/birds & Columbian nose candy laid on!

 

[OnOff]

The Yanks are better for giving out info tbh:

http://www.directlift.com/manuals/propark8s.pdf

http://www.revolutionlift.com/assets/manuals/RFP14.pdf

 

[kme]

If you`re still stuck when I get return - the garage next door had 2 fitted 2nd hand - I can get hold of the guys that did the fit

 

[ProDave]

Thanks KME

I'll describe the problem so you can ask them when you see them.

The driven leg is basically a tube with a section removed. i.e if you look at it's section it's a big "C" shape.

In the middle of the leg is the tall hydraulic ram. Two flat "straps" hang down from the top of this to lift that corner of the car deck (the other 3 legs lift the platform via wire ropes)

When they got the dismantled hoist, the "straps" were unbolted from that corner of the car deck.

Now they have bolted them to the deck, but with the straps outside the leg. Now the heads of the bolts won't fit through the gap to pop it back inside the leg.

So you need to assemble it inside the leg? but of course then there's no access to get the bolts in.

To my mind, the only way this is possible is to further dismantle the leg, so you are left with just the hydraulic ram. Hang the deck from it's straps, and then lower the leg down over the ram. But that's a lot of weight to lift quite high to do that.

they have spoken to the guys that dismantled it, and they said they just "wiggled" the leg until the two bolts popped through, springing the gap open in the process, but it seems near impossible to do that in reverse.

The only other suggestion was to get the grinder out and enlarge the gap in part of the leg, but that's firmly into bodge it territory (though I can't see what harm it would actually do)

 

[Apache]

Dave is this ramp for professional use? These arn't the sort of thing that wants getting wrong if people are working underneath.

 

[ProDave]

Dave is this ramp for professional use? These arn't the sort of thing that wants getting wrong if people are working underneath.

No for private use. The guy is a classic car collector, he has about 10 classic cars in various states of repair ranging from pristine and on the road, to rusting hulks awaiting restoration.It is however in his furniture storage warehouse (that's his main business furniture retailing) along with half a dozen of his cars, so perhaps a grey area, but he's the only one that will use it.

Just to be clear, I'm not assembling it. I've wired the supply to it, but putting the thing mechanically back together is something he's puzzling over and I'm just trying to help him.

 

[Andy™]

a mate of mine has a 4 post ramp (no idea of make / model). i can take some pics of it either tomorrow or sat if you want?

but from what you said, the ram is in the post section? i know on this one there is nothing in the posts, other than a steel cable hanging from the top to the bed - all the guts are under there

 

[ProDave]

a mate of mine has a 4 post ramp (no idea of make / model). i can take some pics of it either tomorrow or sat if you want?

but from what you said, the ram is in the post section? i know on this one there is nothing in the posts, other than a steel cable hanging from the top to the bed - all the guts are under there

Yes on this one, the ram is in the middle of the "driven" leg. And steel ropes connect via pulleys to lift the other 3 legs as the driven one raises.

I note according to a label on it, the steel ropes are due for replacement by 2014 so I hope he has factored that into his sums.

 

[Andy™]

very different mechanism to the one i can get to then, so not much use looking at that

 

[Technician]

On some of these the ram is under one side of the lift.

On others the lift is achieved by a set of four load nuts

on each post, each driven by a chain that rotates a screw.

I think the ram type is preferable, because just about ALL

of the wire rope can be examined.

 

[ProDave]

I had word today he's fixed it.

In the end he adapted a spring compressor to temporarily spring the gap in the leg open to allow the bolts to pop in.

He now reports it's working fine.