check the cables on your lift
10-12-2020, 08:19 AM
#41
Team Owner
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Location: Greenville, Indiana
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Mikelj,
Found manuals for Direct Lift: https://directlift.com/manuals/
The first one I looked at says to: Wipe down with Penetrating Oil on a regular basis.
It also showed pictures of damaged cables on page 20.
Plasticman
Found manuals for Direct Lift: https://directlift.com/manuals/
The first one I looked at says to: Wipe down with Penetrating Oil on a regular basis.
It also showed pictures of damaged cables on page 20.
Plasticman
10-12-2020, 09:40 AM
#42
Melting Slicks
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2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C3 of the Year Finalist
My lift manual just says to lubricate the cables and sheeves with a light oil monthly. Since mine goes up and down maybe 4 times a month, I assume that time period is much longer.
10-12-2020, 12:25 PM
#43
Race Director
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FWIW, I went out early this morning and bought a gallon jug of WD40. Wiped down all of my cables with a rag soaked in WD. Used a spray can of WD to hit the pulleys and their bushings. I have no Zerk fittings.
Found one loose set screw... tightened it up. Ran the lift UP/DOWN a number of times. No issues.
This lift is 12 years old, and this was the first time I've touched it. It doesn't get many ups and downs..
Found one loose set screw... tightened it up. Ran the lift UP/DOWN a number of times. No issues.
This lift is 12 years old, and this was the first time I've touched it. It doesn't get many ups and downs..
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mikelj (10-12-2020)
10-12-2020, 01:34 PM
#44
Melting Slicks
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I was wondering if WD40 might qualify as a light oil.
10-12-2020, 01:43 PM
#45
Race Director
I guess I missed that note in my almost 20 years old AutoLifters instructions - or forgot about it over the years. I wiped the cables down this morning with a rag soaked in Tri Flow penetrating oil. At least I didn't have any snagging on the cables.
10-12-2020, 03:30 PM
#46
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You guys are just fine, IMO. Some of our lifts stay in one position for 4-7 YEARS with no up and down or care of any kind. If you are going up and down daily, that''s one thing. The way most hobbyists use these, once a year for a check-up and wipe down is more than adequate.
10-13-2020, 12:10 PM
#48
Safety Car
Most of the cable failures I have seen were the result of having the safety locks improperly adjusted and not having cable guards on the pulleys. If the locks are not properly adjusted, it is quite possible to hit a single lock on the way down which stops only that corner while the remaining 3 corners continue to drop. Unfortunately, if you do not have cable guards, the cable will come out of the groove in the sheave and when you see what has happened, and start back up, the cable pulls around the bolt and spacer, not the sheave. I did this one time right after I got my lift years ago, but was aware of the issue, and did not try and run the lift back up! I stopped where I was and pulled the inspection covers off, and sure enough, the cable had come out of the groove! Jacked that corner back up and put the cable back in the sheave, and spent the next couple of hours making cable guards and adjusting the mechanical locks. Since that time, I have never lowered my lift without paying close attention to all 4 corners of the lift,
Regards, John McGraw
Regards, John McGraw
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10-25-2020, 08:30 AM
#49
Cruising
"I was wondering if WD40 might qualify as a light oil."
Short answer...no, at least not in this application. The CRC Chain & Cable lube, pictured above, is the most readily available product. We use it faithfully, about twice a month, but our lifts are in constant use.
Short answer...no, at least not in this application. The CRC Chain & Cable lube, pictured above, is the most readily available product. We use it faithfully, about twice a month, but our lifts are in constant use.
Last edited by real550A; 10-25-2020 at 08:31 AM.
10-25-2020, 08:41 AM
#50
Team Owner
I didn't know there was special wire rope lube and have just wiped down the cables with a rag soaked in motor oil - my only failure was when my hydraulic ram basically had a ruptured seal and shot hydraulic fluid all over the garage floor WITH my split window on the lift.
It was a damned scarry few minutes lowering the car down when I discovered it - there was just enough "juice" left in the tank to get the car on the floor.
It was a damned scarry few minutes lowering the car down when I discovered it - there was just enough "juice" left in the tank to get the car on the floor.
10-25-2020, 12:44 PM
#51
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If you're going to run that hoist up and down every day, might be a good idea to set it up where you can see the cables.
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