Lift Manufacturer: "We do not recommend you grease these moving parts." Also Lift Manufacturer: "We sell replacements for the parts you did not grease."
Hi Eric, Retired elevator mechanic here and that thing is pretty similar to what we call a roped hydro. Looks to me like you did a great repair job and you have a much prettier helper that I ever got to work with. 😁
well yea they can only sell you one lift maybe two then after that they gotta sell u parts every 40months & everyone one else.. they give u 3 years cuz they know wear items is 3years and 4 to 6months is about when you'll need the parts.. & if its before 3years then its most likely a manufacture defect & they should cover it... how alot of companies seem to do it, how many times have u heard oh man my warranty JUST ran out too... So if your warranty is 2years on something well you better be inspecting that thing at 1year 10months & they might not even replace the wear items anyways
I don't even work on cars and I love the channel. It ain't about working on cars, it's about the soothing experience of watching a smart person work. Great episode.
I love work! I could watch it all day! ;-). I have to concur, it is soothing watching Eric work. I'm an old retired mechanic myself unfortunately way past even working on my own car but I still like this channel and I even learn a lot from watching Eric.
Nicely said. Watching Eric has helped me fix my Yukon and Honda as well as my families cars to avoid high shop costs. Now my neighbors ask me to help fix theirs and I learn with each job.
The reason not to lube is; lube in the open can attract dust which is abrasive to the plastic bushings. Take the one damaged pulley and the lightly damaged pully and have new brass bushings installed at a machine shop. Then lube them, and it'll not break again before you retire. 2 years on a 50k machine and already replacing parts IS Planned obsolescence.
I get that but like the old man said, " Any grease is better than no grease at all.". Also weird is the hydralic pull to lift. Eric mentions the it is less great for lifting since you lose the area of the shaft, but from my experience the big loss is in safey. If the gland seal fails then the lift comes down, which is much more likely than a piston seal failure (which if you know your hyrdaulics will at best lead to a very slow drift.) I love designing active lubrication free bearings but this isn't desirealble nor needed here.
@@paulmoir4452 Think about how long the stroke is on that hydraulic cylinder. If they pull, they can size the shaft for the load; if they push, they have to make the shaft much larger to keep it from bending as it extends.
Retired mechanic and teacher. Love your channel and honesty. You got balls too showing that comeback on the evap control valve but your integrity was well demonstrated. That's what keeps your customers. They know you're honest and taking care of them. God bless you, your family and business.
Retired airline mechanic, it seems to me that the comment section is a very valuable part of a TH-cam video for both you and your viewers. Great place to exchange ideas and everyone gets even more out of the video . This reminds me of a old DC-9 slat actuator in the forward cargo compartment. Two huge actuators, stack of pulleys and massive cables coming from each wing.
Nice to see a shop owner who cares about his equipment and safety of his mechanics. Maybe it's partly because you also have to work under that lift, but I expect it's mostly because your a decent human and not a scum bag. I worked for a place that let the alignment rack go until the pin was worn almost halfway through before they finally had it repaired. After I refused to use the hoist and do alignments on dually moving trucks and snow plow trucks they figured maybe it was time.
I ran a beam-crane installed only 12 years before I arrived, but it was WW2 surplus, with fraying cables and the pulleys etched with the cable pattern. And then I had to unload steel @ double the stated rating. I'm lucky it didn't fall apart.
DO NOT LUBRICATE THE SHEAVES OR PIN. Lubricating them will prevent premature wear, failure, and unnecessary replacement, and nobody wants to prevent that! Sincerely, The Lift Company.
Well obviously not lubing them didn’t work because the thing wore out in two years so I think lubrication will be the way I’d be going too. Even if it does wear out eventually at least will be easier to get the thing apart because nothing will be seized up
Eric, love the content! As an old retired machinist I would suggest you take the old pulley to your machinist buddy. He can put it in a milling machine and use his off set boring attachment and remove the old bushing. If you don't use lube then he could make a bushing out of oilite or sintered bronze. This is self lubricating and might be what's in there already, it was hard to tell. Since you like lube, as I do, he could use some bearing bronze. It's pretty easy to machine a bushing for a press fit leaving a little to take out after installing it. You can be very accurate with the boring attachment. He could use a large lathe but set up is easier IMO in the mill. In fact you could take both of the old pulleys to him. I'm sure he could repair both of them. I don't know how much they charged you but you'd have to weigh the cost to fix to the cost of replace. If I was a little closer I'd do it for the cost of a couple of wobble pops!😂
Wow, I learned something new from Eric and Greg in one vid. Thanks for the insight. A thought or question. Would a hardened steel bushing work better or last longer? I am shade tree guy fixing mine and my families stuff to avoid costs so just trying to learn. Thank you for sharing, Greg.
@@richardcranium5839 I'm curious why you would recommend a Japanese bearing, not that there is any assurance that a brand's product are made in any particular country. After re-engineering the assembly for those, there would still be no assurance that all bearings on the shaft would receive grease.
@@deconteesawyer5758 I don't think of Torringons as a brand, but as a type of bearing. That might not be right, but I got what they were getting at with the suggestion.
@@--_DJ_-- I had never heard of them. Quick look reveals they made all sorts of bearings back when they were in business before the brand was sold off. Might as well say put one of those what-shama call it bearings on there. Or put a Timken bearing on. But that's up to you.
Eric, try getting the pulley’s to a machinist and ask them to true up the holes or bores in the pulley they could use bronze or brass bearings press fit and recut to the same size as the old one.
Living in your area the lube is probably not an issue. I live in Southern New Mexico which is basically a giant sandbox. Anything that is greased attracts grit. Imagine introducing sand into those bushings.
I work for a railroad, in the shops that work on rail cars, they have massive lifts that use 6” round screws and nuts that lift rail cars up for maintenance. When those lifts get maintained they use the same grease
Hey Eric. Love the videos. I'm watching from Northern Ireland. I've been a mechanic for almost 20 years and I'm learnin so much from your videos. Love the channel. Keep up the great work.
Dude, I think the hive mind of all these awesome tradesmen/skilled techs make our daily worlds go round. None of us can readily know every little thing. All of us together can "yep" it up and confirm, it's always out of warranty and the moneymaker machines always crap in the middle of whatever makes the worst/busiest part of your chosen field. I work as a driveway/shadetree warrior. Where I work, though, the clapped out LeBlond toolroom lathe and ancient full manual Bridgeport are the shroedinger machines. Always clean and lubed until required for some quick repair. Then the table wont move, spindle feed wont disengage, work light has a broken bulb... The air compressor one though, that always grinds the day to a halt. Of the machines that can run without air, every single one reminds ya how often that blower nozzle is handy to have. Peace be with ya. Im hoping no machines revolt on Tuesday when Im back from Labor day weekend here in the States.
@16:01 - I worked on rock crushers. The reps came out to the shop and extolled the virtues of "sealed" bearings (pillow block style) and how they would never need greased. They didn't need to be greased at maintenance because they physically destroyed themselves long before their service life was due.
I enjoyed when they came out with lifetime sealed bearings and then when the bearing went to hell while the car was under warranty the dealer said well the bearings not under warranty because its lifetime is over😳 Dodge caravan
I treated myself at age 65 to a first ever shop building including a 14k # 2 post lift. I am past most serious car repair, but I have long dreamed of this capacity. I did my first oil change (the wife's Buick) a couple of weeks ago and two of my boys stopped by on the same day to use the lift and changed their oil. With the oil change money we saved by doing our own oil changes on this lift, I only need to do 358 more oil changes to break even on the lift purchase! The lift is scheduled for its first serious repair to a 12k+ service van, so its capacity will get first near capacity load. My shop isn't for production work or income. It is pure retirement hobby. I enjoy all of your videos. I vicariously work through you, remembering my employment years, from the comfort of my retirement recliner. I am in the shop several days each week, but mostly for simple pleasure.
Hi Eric, love the videos and content, keep it going. The bearings in the pullies (sheaves) are an off the shelf part available from your local bearing supplier, they are called DU bushes. I'd get a handful of them and have them on the shelf rtg too. If time allowed maybe consider a yearly service and replace any bearings before it got to the point of wearing the sheaves or pins.. Normally these type of bearing are used as a linear bearing (up and down the shaft), high load rotary use is not one of their strong points. Lubing is recommended by the bearings manufacturers in marginal applications.
It looks like the sleeves might have been inset in the pully, not sure it'd be super easy. They could have done a better design, and they don't want them lubed because they don't want idiots using the wrong lube on the bearings(since it'll destory them). The thing is.. running them dry will kill them before running them with the improper lube.
When greasing these type of bearings, you have to be carefull which grease you use. Grease should not contain molybdeensulfide, as this wil interact with the solid grease inside the pockets in the bearings, and effectly reducing their effect.
@@JW...-oj5iw There was a movie in 1973, The Brothers O’Toole (which came out the year before Blazing Saddles), in which the The town was known for being a mining town for Molybdenum . Because it wasn’t really good for anything, they called it Molly be damned. I knew this bit of trivia would com in handy some day. I only saw that movie when it first came out on TV.
I have known of your channel for years but never really started watching it until recently, and I must say it's fantastic. I'm going back to being a tech, mechanic, whatever you want to call it, after over 5 years of being out of the business. This channel has been invaluable to help me get back in the mindset of thinking like a tech. Thanks Mr. O.
Welcome to the world of industrial maintenance where you beat things apart that we're never designed to come apart or that have welded themselves together. And you're already great at it !!!!!!
Mrs. O giving you the fire eyes side to side smirk; I do wonder how she shares the snark back. Bet it's cute and to the quick. Its nice to see two happy people, not phoning it in.
I’ll say one thing. Back when I was a teenager and worked at a bicycle shop, they had us use Tri-Flo, which was a “dry” lubricant. They used WD-40 as an example of what NOT to use and we even had a BMX bike as a demo for anyone who questioned that. We had a chain, front sprocket, and freewheel which had been lubed with WD-40 for a year, removed, and preserved in zip-lock bags, and hung on display in the shop to be untouched. Then a Tri-Flo version on the bike, with requisite mud, beach sand, etc, all obvious and present and same duration of use as WD-40. We couldn’t prove the duration but argued that the results spoke for themselves. The WD-40 gearset had obvious wear between each tooth, actually increasing slack in the chain, because the tooth low spots were deeper, and the teeth were narrower. On top of that, the chain links had FAR more play laterally and the two chains were different lengths, both identical parts when new. Point is this. Sometimes, the lubricant itself, if exposed to the “elements”, can act like the proverbial shit magnet and retain the shit(here being bits and pieces destined to chew away at crucial parts) allowing the shit to do the bad deed of shutting up your shit. Sorry for my lack of eloquence here. My usual prose fell away for a minute. It’s a tough decision though. Regardless of how we try to prevent it, the wrong stuff finds it’s way into the wrong place at the wrong time a wrongs us until we are forced to right the wrong. The other night I had to line the ceiling in my garage with poly plastic because the blown ceiling was conspiring to spontaneously fall onto the car hood I was respraying. And of course well after I had painted it but before it dried. Because of course it did. So even after covering the ceiling(!!), vacuuming the floor, covering the floor, revacuuming the floor, and basically closing off that section with plastic, the dehumidifier wasn’t really keeping THAT air dehumidifier. I mean the steam coming off of me was enough to take it from 52% to 65% in a matter of ten minutes, because now the air space was much smaller. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. At least the hazing could be fixed with a heat gun used very carefully. But dammit. I think the manufacturer said no lube because they were afraid it would retain damaging particles. They should have a solution though. I’d suggest the PB Blaster dry graphite lubricant. It sprays on, stains whatever you are lubing in black(!), but leaves a nice film for a very long time which does not “grab” dirt. Now my Suburban has nice black overspray on the tan carpet under the driver’s seat. Oh, and it doesn’t budge no matter what I used to try to scrub it away. Nice. Damned if you do………
Once again, Eric you are very fortunate to have a wife who is so good with patience and communication in a shop environment. She appears to be a real asset to the business. I am sure you appreciate it and treat her like the jewel she is. God Bless and stay safe. Any bearing or bushing should never be without grease, your pin and that sheave proved that once you had them out.
Eric O., you don’t deserve to be criticized for how you care for your equipment. You obviously are safety minded, and manage your work in the safest way possible given the problems with your lift.
Eric, Really enjoy your channel. A hot rod friend hooked me on you. The zip ties work awesome but the skin flint in me starts counting with zero, 1 , 2 thus saving 3 ties. LOL. Thanks for inviting us to watch your operation. Your trouble shooting skills are awesome. I spent years working with process controls in an industrial plant and the techniques are identical to those you use on cars.
We use that grease in a very high heat and pressure environment, has saved us literally several thousand dollars over the years in downtime and replacing very expensive bearings
Thank You for introducing me to the vise grip slide hammer a few years ago. Truly a simple, but damn effective tool for getting things out when no other method will do.
I saw the Vice Grip Slide hammer Made by Las Vegas Tool Company at the SEMA show years ago! As Soon As I Saw that tool, I purchased one! Other companies now produce it.
They are a great tool, but please wear eye protection when using them. I was snapping them on to a bolt two weeks ago, and a small piece of metal from the bolt went into my eye. Ended in a trip to emergency room and a rather unpleasant procedure on my eye. I'm lucky , I've recovered, but please use eye protection .
Eric, for a shop as busy as yours, it is essential and a must to do proper PM on your equipment in order to keep your shop operating efficiently and safe at all times. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! I ran a military maintenance shop for the better part of 7 years and it was one of my pet peeves, when the mechanics would try to skimp on our monthly checks and services on our equipment. When you run a tight ship like I believe you do, you will have nothing but success in your business.
I think it would have been a good time to visit ye Olde machine shoppe and machine new pins with grease grooves and zirks. The old sheeves could have new bushings pressed in. Now every month get out the old grease gun and lube er uo.
I doubt you'll get any complaints that this wasn't fixing a car. We love to see all the aspects of the shop and I'd bet most of us fix our own stuff as much as possible be it lifts, dishwashers, garbage disposals, or other such.
It's always a pain when you have to fix your tools before you can fix the item in question. But, in the end you do what you gota do. One solution is to buy good tools.
I was the alignment tech for close to 50 years. Last shop had the super duty scissor lift. The heavy line guys used it because it would pickup most anything up. Of course this caused settling and stretching problems which screwed up my alignment calibrations. You would think at 70K they would not abuse the lift, but they did. The old style lift you showed had its problems, you showed one of them. Okay you asked for it, first the pin does not rotate it is the pulleys. This bushing is I believed called "oil-light" and does not require lube. I am sure you will hear sand and salt stick to grease and there is the problem. I would suggest to blow the pulley area out with compressed air only. In you area of the country this failure would be somewhat expected. You saw, you attacked it, you fixed it. Great Job. After ran for a few days or weeks I would put a long level on the ramps and make a quick check on calibration. Not as good as a transit, but gives quick check. Don
I am not a bushing expert, but I believe bushings should be lubricated, except for when they shouldn't. It's more of an aesthetic thing.... And in conclusion, the only reason I watch these things is to see the enticing and delightful Mrs. O.
I have had wheel alignments done at a local tire shop for a long time, and i can only hope that they are as meticulous in aligning their equipment as Mr. O is, but probably not.
If the alignment rack uses the wireless or laser wheel sensors it doesn't matter how level the rack is, just has to be close enough for computer to compensate for.
@@fjb666 you're right. My shop has a wireless alignment machine, we can alignment any vehicle anywhere we choice and the alignment will be perfect.. We went away from four post hoist.. Scissor hoists seem to be the best so far..
My mechanic is as obsessive as Mr. O but operates at 1/2 the speed. Doesn't matter, I will take meticulous over fast - he never leaves loose bolts on my car like the stealership did.
Yes, I will accept perfection until I can Improve on it! My C5500 wheel alignment yesterday the rear axle is non adjustable. So I guess that the adjustment is what would be the distance from the Center of the front pins to the (?? vertical pin in the spring stack?) Went from 9/32 to 4/32. So hopefully better ride?
The cylinder shortens to lift to make the design simpler, the ram is self guiding when it is getting shorter. If it lifted when extending, the ram would need to be more rigidly braced under the rail. I have a 20 year old ALM lift that is similar, and all the sheaves are greased, I would absolutely grease yours also if it was mine.
Close is O K on the cables, it's the safety catches that MUST BE LEVEL ESPECIALLY ON AN ALIGNMENT LIFT since you ALWAYS lower the lift to rest on them. They give you a level platform to do an accurate alignment.
Tip for the zip ties. Instead of putting the end into the slot in the correct direction, flip it around. It provides enough friction to hold it and you can pull it off later.
Or have it fall off and wish you hadn't tried to save 20 cents worth of zip ties which cost you an hour of head scratching. I just buy the ones with the tab to release them if I want to get them off, but they are only the big ones so they aren't the best for marking stuff. I use colour codes on hydraulics, no fun having the boom go left when it is supposed to go right.
Might want to have a local machine shop look into rebuilding the two worn pulleys. Maybe have a greaseable roller bearing installed. The system the hoist co came up with sure looks like the weak link.
My thought also. Roller bearings for the lateral loads would last a long time in the seemingly pot metal pulleys. Then, should only have to adjust for cable stretch in the years to come.
That's actually not a bad idea if something can be retrofitted easily. The problem I see is finding a durable enough roller bearing that is as short as the pulley/bushing setup. Can't stack anything any taller obviously. The pulley price if I recall from the beginning wasn't too hateful. It was the shipping that was expensive.
Or press fit a bronze bushing and turn the pin for grease grooves. The bolt on the end should not have any loading so one could probably drill it a bit more and put a grease zerk there. Just give it a squirt every now and then, problem solved.
@@r2db I was wondering if a bronze or even nylon replacement bushing could be pressed in to recondition the warn out pulley. With the stacking of the pulleys and the top and bottom pin journal of the lift frame, I don’t think a grease fitting is possible. Maybe Mr. O ought to pull the pins and lube them routinely (contrary to manufacturer recommendation) just to prevent a repeat of this failure.
The top sheave has the most force on it (turning the cable 180 deg is 2x the load, the rest are a 90 deg turn which is 1.4x the load) in the stack...so it makes sense it was the first to go. The number 2 reference had my wife and I laughing unreasonably hard! Enjoyed much!
Thanks for noticing that. In 2000+ comments you are the only other person that mentions it! Saves me some typing. What I was trying to figure out is why there aren't two pulleys with the 2X load since two legs are in front and two in back. I had to look at the parts layout at the manufacturers site. The other rear leg has the cable come back to it via the other channel (to the right of the one he is working on) and so distributes the load over 2X 90 degree turns.
Have Abom make a pin with a grease passage on the off load side into the bushing and a zerk fitting on the end. Great video, reminds people that there are many "parts" of the business of fixing cars.
Similar to what I thought. nice to have a dust shield. Like a plastic bucket with U slot for the cables to pass through mounted to the underside of the lift, it could keep airborne grime from landing on the top shive or perhaps a wiping device that the cables pass through and keeps the cables clean. Like they use on bridges to keep the cables separated.
I bought a used Bendpak alignment lift 15 years ago. Ive changed those pulleys once. I also grease the heck out of them. So far so good after 15 years of use,then again the replacement parts where machined out of solid metal. I got 1 newer twin post that’s had more issues than all the old used ones I have. Good job on the vids.
When I was an alignment tech and had downtime I would take a can of penetrating oil and spray down a light film all over the alignment rack, and then rub it in with a rag. The oil would soak in and help slow down the rust
I’m an aircraft mechanic and we use that Mobil shc on wheel bearings and landing gear axles. Your right it works dam well. Our application is for 40k lbs aircraft screaming down a runway at 150 knots.
We run a similar or identical challenger lift at work, and it wipes out those sheaves every 4-6 months. We average 15 operations a day on the lift. Grease has extended that slightly but it is clearly an inferior product. The pin is soft and wears quickly, the sheaves turn to powder.
See if you can get an old pin, if a file bites into the metal it is indeed too soft. Then it would be worth having a local shop make some from hardened/chromed stock.
One thing that I have learned from working with cables is that they should always be loaded to some degree. Slack cables will only cause problems. Great videos brother! Thomas. Mississippi.
One thing I've learned about cables from watching youtube is wire rope cables like that should themselves be lubricated because the strands in the rope slide against each other as the cable goes around the pulley (the outside of the cable is a slightly larger diameter than the inside - something has to give to get that to happen), and if they're dry, they wear out from internal rubbing of the strands. Always lube everything, the cable itself, the sheaves, the pins, etc. Them saying not to lube it is just to keep their parts department busy.
Keep in mind that this in the finger lakes region of NY. The salt eats everything up. In the immortal words of Neil Young "Rust Never Sleeps". I'm shocked the lift looks that clean. The shops I've worked in never had four posters that looked that good.
@@slashrjl You're spot on there! I had to beg for new turntables for an alignment rack and we kept them locked up in the alignment machine. It goes against common sense to ignore maintenance on tools and equipment regardless of who owns them. That's what makes you money right?
Ya, coz these manufacturer companies seem to think that shops are gold mines. They sell equipmeny so outrageously expensive that the shops have no choice, but to charge an arm and leg for a quick 5min toe adjustment (in most cases). The reason your wheel alignment is so expensive is these ignorant, greedy, equipment manufacturers. They caused this.
I worked on the 103rd Floor of WTC 1 for a decade ... can't tell you how much respect I had for the Otis maintenance crews ... there were a few mishaps over the years ... short falls before the e-locks engaged ... had a clerk who had that happen to her, but she was a trooper (sweet young gal from Harlem, wouldn't hand her pocket book to the Po-lice man when he was trying to help her off ... lol) ... Port Authority had people that had disclaimer forms and check books in hand to keep them quiet ... glad you got the lift repaired/tuned up Eric ... my Dad had a dealership and saw or heard of many mishaps from lifts ... expensive, but I'm sure you'll sleep better knowing it's fixed ... have a Happy and Safe Holiday weekend !
Eric, it has been my experience that if you rotate a shaft worn on one side by a pulley by 180 degrees, the flat side would be against the pressure side of the pulley and the hub will not be stuck in the valley and the pin would come out a little easier.
Cables are dynamic. As they stretch they twist and the strands rub as well as tighten on the core and the opposite when the load is reduced. If it was me some lubricant designed for wire rope would be on my list... :-)
I wondered too, if some fluid film or something similar might help prevent cable corrosion on hard to wash areas, or perhaps ensure less wear on the pot metal/cast aluminum pulleys.
Make a cable wiper out of a piece of carpet. Mount it above the cables and close to the pulleys. Lube the carpet and it will lube the cables as they move back and forth.
@@LynxStarAuto The cable is pulled by a zylinder on which the cables are permanently fixed to. Your advice applies for friction pulley systems such as elevators have. Oiling the cable on this lifter is definitely a good idea. In fact, it should come pre-oiled just as any elevator and ropeway cable comes.
You're a brilliant man you know that they need lubrication just like when they tell you these vehicles don't need their fluids changed lifetime fluids haha
As long as you’re using a synthetic grease, lube them. Petroleum based greases will degrade plastic,rubber and nylon bushings. Maybe that’s why they say don’t lube them.
These types of purposes they want lithium grease usually, but who gives a fuck, even if you used regular old grease it'll last longer than running it dry.
I think you did the right thing greasing the moving parts. My dad's old garage didn't have such complicated lifts. We had an old ram lift with I beam rails. No safety locks on it. Only ever had 1 car slip in the 30 years he owned the garage. It was less than a foot off the floor and we got to kick him in the arse for what could have been a serious accident. It was all in good fun but we all learned a lesson and never made that mistake again. Good to see that you have fun too. LOL. Take care and be safe out there....oh and keep the videos coming.
I just love your videos. Thanks so much for this one. Although I'm not an auto repair expert, I do have engineering expertise in larger construction equipment including lattice and boom cranes. So I think I may be able to explain why your lift manufacturer doesn't recommend lubricating these bearings. In most automotive applications, these bearings would, of course, be lubricated. But in block and tackle design where twisted steel cable is employed, this lubrication may actually be harmful. Here's why. As twisted steel cable bends over a pulley and is loaded, the cable rubs against itself and the pulley, and in that process it sheds very small (microscopic) bits of steel, iron and iron oxide. These traces are so small that you won't even notice them with the naked eye, and this shed material is usually vibrated off in operation or blown off of the part in the form of a microscopic dust. However, if this shed is captured in lube, over the course of time, the lube actually becomes an abrasive slurry which is similar to jeweler's rouge. This abrasive slurry then abrades the material which you had intended to lubricate. Some engineers handle this problem by adding a zerk and demanding regular pressure lubrication thereby expelling the abrasive slurry. Other engineers eliminate the grease entirely and therefore eliminate the development of the abrasive slurry. These are different approaches to the same problem, and either approach can be justified by the design engineer. I just thought you might be interested in the engineering justification for this lubeless approach.
While I respect the theory, in practice, that fine dust will still make its was inside the shaft, and embed itself in the nylon washers, and in between the pulleys and pin. That's just life. During service, pulling the pins out and blowing out the junk every so often is probably the recipe for longevity. Also, coincidence that of the 4 corners, the only one that failed is the one he installed dry? 🤔 I don't think so.
It makes sense the top one wore out first, as it has 40% more force on the bushing due to the cable doing 180 deg around it vs 90 deg for the other three.
@@chrisnyc4688 At 23:38, it looks like only the top cable is doing the full 180 on that set of sheaves. Presumably, the other front corner's cable is doing two 90s to get there. On the one hand, it seems odd to have the cable going all the way around the lift for that one front corner; on the other, it has to get there somehow, and it puts some of the tension on the opposite side of the lift, rather than concentrating it all on the cylinder side. I initially thought the 180 degree wrap on that one sheave was likely a factor, but considering the lift is rated for twice what they have ever put on it, I think it more likely there was some defect in the pin or top sheave that caused the premature failure.
Our shop just got a new 4 post in may. Hasn’t seen a winter yet… only some brake fluid!! Lol! You’ve inspired me with mention of your maintenance routine to be mindful of the maintenance that comes with a 4-post! Thanks eric
Whenever two materials are in touch to each other and they move, friction will turn to heat and heat destroys it. Therefore, lubrication is the right way to go to prevent friction.
I would have even lubed the plastic washers and thrust surfaces. Lubed surfaces keep moisture away and let mating parts move easier with less friction. Mechanics know lubrication is very good thing.
Eric, Great video and very interesting subject/setup - thank you! Those pins are probably case hardened and once thru that thin hard layer they wear very rapidly. Paul (in MA)
I've done lots of this hoist work. And you're right on the money I would never put those in dry although I have seen them do that trick I think you're right on the money I've never had a problem doing that and that pulley set should have lasted you 10 years not two or three! Some of the older lifts had greaseable pins!! All the best from Canada
Also a good way to level is to lift the lift off the locks and adjust cable so the deck is level on all four sides. The set the lift on the locks and level it again but this time leveling the lock ladder. Gets it perfect everytime
Awesome job, must agree with several of the comments. VERY NICE to see a shop owner taking care of the equipment. Have worked on WAY TOO MANY shops that if a lift was half ass working even if locks didn't work, it was in "good shape".
I can see the rust line on the cable adjuster , where the stud was sticking out . You can get a very close adjustment by lining that to the jam nut . I would pay to have a new pin made with grease holes and a fitting , you would never have a problem with that again
It'd happen again, but over a much longer period of time, if they had designed this better it'd be easier to just replace the nylon sleeves inside each pulley. The bearings will wear out before the grease would eat them away for sure, but just making the sleeves replacable is probably better than either option.
It would be a good idea to replace the worn bushings in the pulleys. Mcmaster carr carries almost all common sizes and types of bushings. Looks like the lift is designed for planned obsolescence. The system can be easily modified to add a grease nipple to supply grease to all four pulleys, an axial hole through the pin and radial holes to each pulley bushings will do the job.
You may be able to find them in a place that handles Industrial Transmission Equipment , such as bearings , gears , bushings ,belts , etc. There is a place about a half a mile away . They can measure bearings , bushings , etc . Many items are built around standard sizes . It eliminates an exclusive item which would be expensive .
@@KingRattBut wouldn't that give it a chance to last longer therefore cheating the manufacturer out of possible service calls and replacement parts. Let's think ahead for their sake 😂😂😂
You did a fine job replacing those worn out sheaves, and you were correct to lube them prior to assembly. You can have a local machine shop bore out the centers of the "bad" sheaves and make new centers and press them in. I think that it would be cheaper than buying new sheaves. You can also have that machine shop make the washers out if nylon or bronze which will last much longer than the plastic washers. I was a machinist all my working career until I retired in 2013.
Actually that is a typical work shop stuff, with out the tools the work gets harder, and gets less money for the shop if the tools aren’t in operation, I’m glad you make sure your stuff in the shop works good, make more shop repair vids for us once they break.
Great job E. I've used lifts but never worked on them. My feeling is in the environment that the lift operates in I too would lube the pulleys and shaft.
You might consider taking the pin to a machine shop and center drill and place some drill holes into the pin at each pulley and place a grease fitting to lube the assembly.
He actually can use the old pin center drill drill the grease holes on the worn side because if he mounts that pin the good side will be where the load actually is and the other side will have the gap but he must also lock the pin from turning. I know he is inventive enough to do this without explanation.
From the Mobil website: "Mobilith SHC 1500 is an NLGI 1.5 Grade / ISO VG 1500 grease with a synthetic base fluid. It is intended for use in plain and rolling element bearings operating at extremely slow speeds, under heavy loads and high temperatures." So, perfect application. :)
6:13 Eric, time to get a new SD card. That glitch is a sign of impending doom. :( They're disposable items though. Their flash cells can only be written and erased a set number of times. 🤷🏻♂️
When the boss is at risk, they make better decisions. US Mail airplane flyers kept getting ordered to fly mailplanes in bad weather, leading to accidents. After a rule was passed that the pilot could haul the local boss up in the plane with him to see the conditions, bosses stopped ordering suicide mail flights.
Needs must.You had a good idea what the issue could be and did what you needed to do to get the work done. Brings back a memory of seeing a coach stuck on the lift because a mechanic didn't report an issue with it. That required a call to the manufacturer to get a tech out to get the bus down before the lift could be fixed.
Though unfamiliar with this alignment rack, have observed all alignment racks are broken when brand new. This is very true of the Bear brand with the flashing red LEDs as the wheel position setup has insufficient measurement accuracy to provide true data. I gave up and now use an expensive inclinometer to determine camber and use turning plates to determine castor with the inclinometer. For toe in then strike circumference lines right on the tire and set using those lines extremely accurately. This method has proved to be far better than any alignment I have ever paid for. My car and truck track so well it is almost unbelievable compared to the hack jobs have paid for.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
Lift Manufacturer: "We do not recommend you grease these moving parts."
Also Lift Manufacturer: "We sell replacements for the parts you did not grease."
Well, yeah! (sarcasm)
#facts
Well said. I was thinking the same thing.
Capitalism in a nutshell.
Better than "we don't sell replacements for the parts you did not grease" meaning that you have to buy a whole replacement lift.
“Some things are better when they’re slippery.” Truer words were never spoken. 🤣
He's a bush expert
Yep, sounds right!
I still cant understand why they tell you not to lube it .... it is clearly a bushing with pockets to catch grease/lube.
Eric spreading nuggets of life wisdom all over! 😂
Bon Jovi wrote a song 🤔🤔🤔🤔
@@bigdaddymak1439 an album*
Sketchiest part of that whole exercise was the ladder! 😂😂
That ladder looks like the biggest hazard in the shop
Not to mention sitting on top of it!
Wrong way to be on that style..
It's OK, Eric was practically safety strapped by holding onto the bolt!
@@bobsgunk1871 It only says "No Step" on my ladder, it doesn't mention anything about not sitting on there. :)
Hi Eric, Retired elevator mechanic here and that thing is pretty similar to what we call a roped hydro. Looks to me like you did a great repair job and you have a much prettier helper that I ever got to work with. 😁
Should it be lubed?
We lubed hoist ropes (wire ropes) in the trade. It was a special sticky ,thick oil and if I remember right it smelled pretty bad. 😁@@donniev8181
For such an expensive piece of equipment, I am surprised that the lift has such a short warranty.
well yea they can only sell you one lift maybe two then after that they gotta sell u parts every 40months & everyone one else.. they give u 3 years cuz they know wear items is 3years and 4 to 6months is about when you'll need the parts.. & if its before 3years then its most likely a manufacture defect & they should cover it... how alot of companies seem to do it, how many times have u heard oh man my warranty JUST ran out too... So if your warranty is 2years on something well you better be inspecting that thing at 1year 10months & they might not even replace the wear items anyways
I don't even work on cars and I love the channel. It ain't about working on cars, it's about the soothing experience of watching a smart person work. Great episode.
I concur. It's always satisfying to watch a master at work.
I love work! I could watch it all day! ;-). I have to concur, it is soothing watching Eric work. I'm an old retired mechanic myself unfortunately way past even working on my own car but I still like this channel and I even learn a lot from watching Eric.
Plus the commentary, jokes, and SARCASM! LOVE IT!
Nicely said. Watching Eric has helped me fix my Yukon and Honda as well as my families cars to avoid high shop costs. Now my neighbors ask me to help fix theirs and I learn with each job.
I never tire of watching other people work! Plus I can yell at them and call them idiots and not get punched in the mug!! (course not Eric, lol)
The reason not to lube is; lube in the open can attract dust which is abrasive to the plastic bushings. Take the one damaged pulley and the lightly damaged pully and have new brass bushings installed at a machine shop. Then lube them, and it'll not break again before you retire. 2 years on a 50k machine and already replacing parts IS Planned obsolescence.
This idea is Very Very Intelligent. Brass bushings. Worth their weight in Gold, to insure safe and steady operation. Fab idea!!!
I get that but like the old man said, " Any grease is better than no grease at all.". Also weird is the hydralic pull to lift. Eric mentions the it is less great for lifting since you lose the area of the shaft, but from my experience the big loss is in safey. If the gland seal fails then the lift comes down, which is much more likely than a piston seal failure (which if you know your hyrdaulics will at best lead to a very slow drift.) I love designing active lubrication free bearings but this isn't desirealble nor needed here.
For 50K you can get a full stainless steel machine, with brass and a better lift system. This machine looks like a 1k AliExpress special
@@paulmoir4452 Think about how long the stroke is on that hydraulic cylinder. If they pull, they can size the shaft for the load; if they push, they have to make the shaft much larger to keep it from bending as it extends.
@@wallace3953 Bronze bushings not brass .
Retired mechanic and teacher. Love your channel and honesty. You got balls too showing that comeback on the evap control valve but your integrity was well demonstrated. That's what keeps your customers. They know you're honest and taking care of them. God bless you, your family and business.
Retired airline mechanic, it seems to me that the comment section is a very valuable part of a TH-cam video for both you and your viewers. Great place to exchange ideas and everyone gets even more out of the video .
This reminds me of a old DC-9 slat actuator in the forward cargo compartment. Two huge actuators, stack of pulleys and massive cables coming from each wing.
It is fun watching Eric work on something other then rusted out cars. A nice little change of scenery to keep it fresh.
I'm very glad that when I was working on cars I never had to deal with the road salt issues Eric has to deal with.
Nice to see a shop owner who cares about his equipment and safety of his mechanics. Maybe it's partly because you also have to work under that lift, but I expect it's mostly because your a decent human and not a scum bag. I worked for a place that let the alignment rack go until the pin was worn almost halfway through before they finally had it repaired. After I refused to use the hoist and do alignments on dually moving trucks and snow plow trucks they figured maybe it was time.
I ran a beam-crane installed only 12 years before I arrived, but it was WW2 surplus, with fraying cables and the pulleys etched with the cable pattern. And then I had to unload steel @ double the stated rating. I'm lucky it didn't fall apart.
@@elultimo102 brave man
the locks would stop it falling on anyone
@@curtisroberts9137 Brave might not be the word I would have chosen.
Oh hey I think I worked there too. 😄
DO NOT LUBRICATE THE SHEAVES OR PIN. Lubricating them will prevent premature wear, failure, and unnecessary replacement, and nobody wants to prevent that!
Sincerely, The Lift Company.
ROFL
What you posted came immediately to mind for me as well.
🤣😂🤣👍
Haha
Well obviously not lubing them didn’t work because the thing wore out in two years so I think lubrication will be the way I’d be going too. Even if it does wear out eventually at least will be easier to get the thing apart because nothing will be seized up
Mrs. O looked like a "Price is Right" hostess while running the lift. Great video on this lift and how it works.
"COME ON DOWN!!!!" "A NEW CARH!!!!" loved that show!
Not a good reference. We all love TPIR ladies, but they may have been treated poorly..idk. i wish the best for lady " O"
She's better looking though...
I agree, more pics of Mrs O.
Haha!
Mr O you just won a new alignment rack!! 😂
Eric, love the content! As an old retired machinist I would suggest you take the old pulley to your machinist buddy. He can put it in a milling machine and use his off set boring attachment and remove the old bushing. If you don't use lube then he could make a bushing out of oilite or sintered bronze. This is self lubricating and might be what's in there already, it was hard to tell. Since you like lube, as I do, he could use some bearing bronze. It's pretty easy to machine a bushing for a press fit leaving a little to take out after installing it. You can be very accurate with the boring attachment. He could use a large lathe but set up is easier IMO in the mill. In fact you could take both of the old pulleys to him. I'm sure he could repair both of them. I don't know how much they charged you but you'd have to weigh the cost to fix to the cost of replace. If I was a little closer I'd do it for the cost of a couple of wobble pops!😂
Wow, I learned something new from Eric and Greg in one vid. Thanks for the insight. A thought or question. Would a hardened steel bushing work better or last longer? I am shade tree guy fixing mine and my families stuff to avoid costs so just trying to learn. Thank you for sharing, Greg.
i was thinking that pin should be harder maybe some torrington bearings that are greaseable
@@richardcranium5839 I'm curious why you would recommend a Japanese bearing, not that there is any assurance that a brand's product are made in any particular country. After re-engineering the assembly for those, there would still be no assurance that all bearings on the shaft would receive grease.
@@deconteesawyer5758 I don't think of Torringons as a brand, but as a type of bearing. That might not be right, but I got what they were getting at with the suggestion.
@@--_DJ_-- I had never heard of them. Quick look reveals they made all sorts of bearings back when they were in business before the brand was sold off. Might as well say put one of those what-shama call it bearings on there. Or put a Timken bearing on. But that's up to you.
Eric, try getting the pulley’s to a machinist and ask them to true up the holes or bores in the pulley they could use bronze or brass bearings press fit and recut to the same size as the old one.
Already offered that but thankls=
Bonus points if use you use Dorman replacement parts to fix it!
Or something from napper.. still not a sponsor
@@adventureoflinkmk2 The good ol' classic Napper
More like bonus money coming out of your wallet after the dorman part either doesn’t fit or breaks within the first month of use
@@redcatxb125 yup Dorman is garbage
Up in Canada Cordone is our go to for repeat repair . The 2nd or 3rd time goes alot quicker.
Your channel is the only channel worth donating too! Thanks O family
Scrap it and upgrade to strings and a ruler...never fails ;)
NICE IVAN, VERY NICE. Did you get the HOSE THAT MOVES IN YOUR GARAGE OUT YET ? THAT WAS A BIG ONE FOR SURE.
Be nice Ivan.
@@LeewardStudios YA, Fix that HEMI. KSR uses a kit with aluminum rods, Kevin uses fishing reels & line.
Works in a pinch!! What's up Ivan!!
@@conrailfan6277 Sure does.
The only thing that seemed scary sketchy was riding that old wooden step ladder side saddle. Great video. "We can fix anything!"
Only scary when you violate the ladder labels and stand on top of there
@@mrmotofy Yep, it says no step, nothing mentioned about sitting on there.
I was watching that.. $50,000.00 for lift.. He might invest $50.00 on a good ladder...
Living in your area the lube is probably not an issue. I live in Southern New Mexico which is basically a giant sandbox. Anything that is greased attracts grit. Imagine introducing sand into those bushings.
Thanks for the warning to cover my eyes when you blow out all that dirt. I hate getting stuff in my eyes you're a good man !!!
I work for a railroad, in the shops that work on rail cars, they have massive lifts that use 6” round screws and nuts that lift rail cars up for maintenance. When those lifts get maintained they use the same grease
Lol, love the intro.
That's particularly interesting. Your railroad experience adds to the persuasiveness of Eric O's recommendation.
Love the diversity in the videos lately, If i was in that situation I would have lubed the sheivs also, great work!!!
Hey Eric. Love the videos. I'm watching from Northern Ireland. I've been a mechanic for almost 20 years and I'm learnin so much from your videos. Love the channel. Keep up the great work.
Dude, I think the hive mind of all these awesome tradesmen/skilled techs make our daily worlds go round.
None of us can readily know every little thing. All of us together can "yep" it up and confirm, it's always out of warranty and the moneymaker machines always crap in the middle of whatever makes the worst/busiest part of your chosen field.
I work as a driveway/shadetree warrior. Where I work, though, the clapped out LeBlond toolroom lathe and ancient full manual Bridgeport are the shroedinger machines.
Always clean and lubed until required for some quick repair. Then the table wont move, spindle feed wont disengage, work light has a broken bulb...
The air compressor one though, that always grinds the day to a halt. Of the machines that can run without air, every single one reminds ya how often that blower nozzle is handy to have.
Peace be with ya. Im hoping no machines revolt on Tuesday when Im back from Labor day weekend here in the States.
@16:01 - I worked on rock crushers. The reps came out to the shop and extolled the virtues of "sealed" bearings (pillow block style) and how they would never need greased. They didn't need to be greased at maintenance because they physically destroyed themselves long before their service life was due.
I enjoyed when they came out with lifetime sealed bearings and then when the bearing went to hell while the car was under warranty the dealer said well the bearings not under warranty because its lifetime is over😳
Dodge caravan
They aren't THAT stupid; They do it on PURPOSE to increase SALES..."Planned Obsolescence"...Finding that on MORE, and MORE products these days...
I treated myself at age 65 to a first ever shop building including a 14k # 2 post lift. I am past most serious car repair, but I have long dreamed of this capacity. I did my first oil change (the wife's Buick) a couple of weeks ago and two of my boys stopped by on the same day to use the lift and changed their oil. With the oil change money we saved by doing our own oil changes on this lift, I only need to do 358 more oil changes to break even on the lift purchase!
The lift is scheduled for its first serious repair to a 12k+ service van, so its capacity will get first near capacity load. My shop isn't for production work or income. It is pure retirement hobby. I enjoy all of your videos. I vicariously work through you, remembering my employment years, from the comfort of my retirement recliner. I am in the shop several days each week, but mostly for simple pleasure.
Hi Eric, love the videos and content, keep it going. The bearings in the pullies (sheaves) are an off the shelf part available from your local bearing supplier, they are called DU bushes. I'd get a handful of them and have them on the shelf rtg too. If time allowed maybe consider a yearly service and replace any bearings before it got to the point of wearing the sheaves or pins.. Normally these type of bearing are used as a linear bearing (up and down the shaft), high load rotary use is not one of their strong points. Lubing is recommended by the bearings manufacturers in marginal applications.
It looks like the sleeves might have been inset in the pully, not sure it'd be super easy. They could have done a better design, and they don't want them lubed because they don't want idiots using the wrong lube on the bearings(since it'll destory them). The thing is.. running them dry will kill them before running them with the improper lube.
No ball bearings for a part like that, course they'd have to re-design the pulleys maybe.
When greasing these type of bearings, you have to be carefull which grease you use. Grease should not contain molybdeensulfide, as this wil interact with the solid grease inside the pockets in the bearings, and effectly reducing their effect.
@@casparberends2719 ... Better to just use the word "moly" than try to write the whole thing and misspell it. Molybdenum disulfide.
@@JW...-oj5iw There was a movie in 1973, The Brothers O’Toole (which came out the year before Blazing Saddles), in which the The town was known for being a mining town for Molybdenum . Because it wasn’t really good for anything, they called it Molly be damned.
I knew this bit of trivia would com in handy some day. I only saw that movie when it first came out on TV.
I kept trying to reach you about that extended warranty but someone kept hanging up on me!
Best comment ever lol
Ope
LOL
I have known of your channel for years but never really started watching it until recently, and I must say it's fantastic. I'm going back to being a tech, mechanic, whatever you want to call it, after over 5 years of being out of the business. This channel has been invaluable to help me get back in the mindset of thinking like a tech. Thanks Mr. O.
I just went back to wrenching after a 20 year break. Engineers have learned to hate techs more than they did back then. smfh
@@liljohnnie69 Ain't that the friggin truth!! Damned engineers! It's worse than ever.
@@liljohnnie69And I'm sure your love for engineers has grown?? When pigs fly❤❤
Welcome to the world of industrial maintenance where you beat things apart that we're never designed to come apart or that have welded themselves together. And you're already great at it !!!!!!
Mrs. O giving you the fire eyes side to side smirk; I do wonder how she shares the snark back. Bet it's cute and to the quick.
Its nice to see two happy people, not phoning it in.
The wisdom of Eric O: "some things are better when they're slippery". Well said!
"Hello, I'm Slippery Shaft. Let's talk about lubricating our parts before installing them."
@OBEY Obey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?
Interesting video, please make more when other machines break.
I second that idea.
I’ll say one thing. Back when I was a teenager and worked at a bicycle shop, they had us use Tri-Flo, which was a “dry” lubricant. They used WD-40 as an example of what NOT to use and we even had a BMX bike as a demo for anyone who questioned that. We had a chain, front sprocket, and freewheel which had been lubed with WD-40 for a year, removed, and preserved in zip-lock bags, and hung on display in the shop to be untouched. Then a Tri-Flo version on the bike, with requisite mud, beach sand, etc, all obvious and present and same duration of use as WD-40. We couldn’t prove the duration but argued that the results spoke for themselves. The WD-40 gearset had obvious wear between each tooth, actually increasing slack in the chain, because the tooth low spots were deeper, and the teeth were narrower. On top of that, the chain links had FAR more play laterally and the two chains were different lengths, both identical parts when new. Point is this. Sometimes, the lubricant itself, if exposed to the “elements”, can act like the proverbial shit magnet and retain the shit(here being bits and pieces destined to chew away at crucial parts) allowing the shit to do the bad deed of shutting up your shit. Sorry for my lack of eloquence here. My usual prose fell away for a minute. It’s a tough decision though. Regardless of how we try to prevent it, the wrong stuff finds it’s way into the wrong place at the wrong time a wrongs us until we are forced to right the wrong. The other night I had to line the ceiling in my garage with poly plastic because the blown ceiling was conspiring to spontaneously fall onto the car hood I was respraying. And of course well after I had painted it but before it dried. Because of course it did. So even after covering the ceiling(!!), vacuuming the floor, covering the floor, revacuuming the floor, and basically closing off that section with plastic, the dehumidifier wasn’t really keeping THAT air dehumidifier. I mean the steam coming off of me was enough to take it from 52% to 65% in a matter of ten minutes, because now the air space was much smaller. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. At least the hazing could be fixed with a heat gun used very carefully. But dammit. I think the manufacturer said no lube because they were afraid it would retain damaging particles. They should have a solution though. I’d suggest the PB Blaster dry graphite lubricant. It sprays on, stains whatever you are lubing in black(!), but leaves a nice film for a very long time which does not “grab” dirt. Now my Suburban has nice black overspray on the tan carpet under the driver’s seat. Oh, and it doesn’t budge no matter what I used to try to scrub it away. Nice. Damned if you do………
Tri-Flow on BMX chains.. That takes me back about 30 years. I can smell it now,and it smells like bananas.
Once again, Eric you are very fortunate to have a wife who is so good with patience and communication in a shop environment. She appears to be a real asset to the business. I am sure you appreciate it and treat her like the jewel she is. God Bless and stay safe. Any bearing or bushing should never be without grease, your pin and that sheave proved that once you had them out.
Eric O., you don’t deserve to be criticized for how you care for your equipment. You obviously are safety minded, and manage your work in the safest way possible given the problems with your lift.
Eric, Really enjoy your channel. A hot rod friend hooked me on you. The zip ties work awesome but the skin flint in me starts counting with zero, 1 , 2 thus saving 3 ties. LOL. Thanks for inviting us to watch your operation. Your trouble shooting skills are awesome. I spent years working with process controls in an industrial plant and the techniques are identical to those you use on cars.
4 ties?
Hah! I was even a skin flint counting.
We use that grease in a very high heat and pressure environment, has saved us literally several thousand dollars over the years in downtime and replacing very expensive bearings
Thank You for introducing me to the vise grip slide hammer a few years ago. Truly a simple, but damn effective tool for getting things out when no other method will do.
I bought one two years ago, a great asset to have when the time comes. I bought it from Eastwood, they sell great automotive tools and equipment.
I saw the Vice Grip Slide hammer Made by Las Vegas Tool Company at the SEMA show years ago! As Soon As I Saw that tool, I purchased one! Other companies now produce it.
@@franksanchez911 it’s a must have tool more many applications. Great for tugging nails out of wood you don’t want to damage with a claw hammer.
They are a great tool, but please wear eye protection when using them. I was snapping them on to a bolt two weeks ago, and a small piece of metal from the bolt went into my eye. Ended in a trip to emergency room and a rather unpleasant procedure on my eye. I'm lucky , I've recovered, but please use eye protection .
Why wouldn't you soak the area with penatrant overnight before tackling it the next day.
Eric, for a shop as busy as yours, it is essential and a must to do proper PM on your equipment in order to keep your shop operating efficiently and safe at all times. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! I ran a military maintenance shop for the better part of 7 years and it was one of my pet peeves, when the mechanics would try to skimp on our monthly checks and services on our equipment. When you run a tight ship like I believe you do, you will have nothing but success in your business.
Eric, my Dad us to say "A drop of oil makes the world go around". Great advise that I've lived by my entire life. Thanks for Sharing!
So thankful my hoist has greaseable pins n pulleys. You have inspired me to do my maintenance tomorrow. or maybe monday.
Monday's a holiday, so better put it off until Tuesday.
I think it would have been a good time to visit ye Olde machine shoppe and machine new pins with grease grooves and zirks.
The old sheeves could have new bushings pressed in.
Now every month get out the old grease gun and lube er uo.
@@robodude666 Nah, Tuesday's for tacos. Gonna have to wait until Wednesday, probably.
Post the video on here! The subject is obviously popular!
That was quite neat Eric, never knew how those things worked exactly. Was definitely worth watching. Cheers.
That pin is hardened holy crap there’s a lot of tension around the pulleys cool vid mr o I just learned something about lifts I never knew
I doubt you'll get any complaints that this wasn't fixing a car. We love to see all the aspects of the shop and I'd bet most of us fix our own stuff as much as possible be it lifts, dishwashers, garbage disposals, or other such.
Yeah..... and most of the kids (and grandkids) stuff also.
It's always a pain when you have to fix your tools before you can fix the item in question. But, in the end you do what you gota do. One solution is to buy good tools.
@@shadetreemech290 True enough, but fixing your tools is better than having to pay someone else to fix your tools. BTW, love the name Shade.
I was the alignment tech for close to 50 years. Last shop had the super duty scissor lift. The heavy line guys used it because it would pickup most anything up. Of course this caused settling and stretching problems which screwed up my alignment calibrations. You would think at 70K they would not abuse the lift, but they did. The old style lift you showed had its problems, you showed one of them. Okay you asked for it, first the pin does not rotate it is the pulleys. This bushing is I believed called "oil-light" and does not require lube. I am sure you will hear sand and salt stick to grease and there is the problem. I would suggest to blow the pulley area out with compressed air only. In you area of the country this failure would be somewhat expected. You saw, you attacked it, you fixed it. Great Job. After ran for a few days or weeks I would put a long level on the ramps and make a quick check on calibration. Not as good as a transit, but gives quick check. Don
I am not a bushing expert, but I believe bushings should be lubricated, except for when they shouldn't. It's more of an aesthetic thing.... And in conclusion, the only reason I watch these things is to see the enticing and delightful Mrs. O.
I have had wheel alignments done at a local tire shop for a long time, and i can only hope that they are as meticulous in aligning their equipment as Mr. O is, but probably not.
No shit.... I was thinking same thing....
I'm gonna even look at the floor to try and see "levelness" !!
If the alignment rack uses the wireless or laser wheel sensors it doesn't matter how level the rack is, just has to be close enough for computer to compensate for.
@@fjb666 you're right. My shop has a wireless alignment machine, we can alignment any vehicle anywhere we choice and the alignment will be perfect.. We went away from four post hoist.. Scissor hoists seem to be the best so far..
My mechanic is as obsessive as Mr. O but operates at 1/2 the speed. Doesn't matter, I will take meticulous over fast - he never leaves loose bolts on my car like the stealership did.
Yes, I will accept perfection until I can Improve on it!
My C5500 wheel alignment yesterday the rear axle is non adjustable. So I guess that the adjustment is what would be the distance from the Center of the front pins to the (?? vertical pin in the spring stack?) Went from 9/32 to 4/32. So hopefully better ride?
The cylinder shortens to lift to make the design simpler, the ram is self guiding when it is getting shorter. If it lifted when extending, the ram would need to be more rigidly braced under the rail. I have a 20 year old ALM lift that is similar, and all the sheaves are greased, I would absolutely grease yours also if it was mine.
I'm not a bushing expert but considering the load, I agree with you. Anytime you can reduce friction on an application like that it's a good thing
I love that you're not afraid to attack whatever it is that needs repaired. Good job.
Eric installed the lift so it shouldn't be too surprising he would be willing to replace failed parts.
Love seeing "extra" stuff like this. If you can fix a car, you can fix a lift. ;)
Mechanicing is mechanicing, whether it's cars, motorcycles, lawn mowers, lifts, smokers ;-) It's always a treat when Mrs. O makes an appearance.
Exactly, including aircraft, boats, even HVAC equipment. It's all kinda the same after you learn how stuff goes together.
Add a couple ks.
Close is O K on the cables, it's the safety catches that MUST BE LEVEL ESPECIALLY ON AN ALIGNMENT LIFT since you ALWAYS lower the lift to rest on them. They give you a level platform to do an accurate alignment.
I don't work in your shop but I feel like I do thank you for all you do thanks for the videos
Certified bushologist here and I would recommend trimming your bush monthly at the minimum
Lube it! The lovely Mrs O running the lift! You know who the boss is!
Tip for the zip ties. Instead of putting the end into the slot in the correct direction, flip it around. It provides enough friction to hold it and you can pull it off later.
Or have it fall off and wish you hadn't tried to save 20 cents worth of zip ties which cost you an hour of head scratching. I just buy the ones with the tab to release them if I want to get them off, but they are only the big ones so they aren't the best for marking stuff. I use colour codes on hydraulics, no fun having the boom go left when it is supposed to go right.
They don’t want you to lubricant them so they can have work and make money on service calls
Definitely designed to wear out.
I was going say the same thing. 👍
Bingo
Planned Obsolescence at its best!
Hit the nail on the head, Got to sell spare parts somehow.
Might want to have a local machine shop look into rebuilding the two worn pulleys. Maybe have a greaseable roller bearing installed. The system the hoist co came up with sure looks like the weak link.
My thought also. Roller bearings for the lateral loads would last a long time in the seemingly pot metal pulleys. Then, should only have to adjust for cable stretch in the years to come.
there's more money in service parts than selling a superior product
That's actually not a bad idea if something can be retrofitted easily. The problem I see is finding a durable enough roller bearing that is as short as the pulley/bushing setup. Can't stack anything any taller obviously. The pulley price if I recall from the beginning wasn't too hateful. It was the shipping that was expensive.
Or press fit a bronze bushing and turn the pin for grease grooves. The bolt on the end should not have any loading so one could probably drill it a bit more and put a grease zerk there. Just give it a squirt every now and then, problem solved.
@@r2db I was wondering if a bronze or even nylon replacement bushing could be pressed in to recondition the warn out pulley. With the stacking of the pulleys and the top and bottom pin journal of the lift frame, I don’t think a grease fitting is possible. Maybe Mr. O ought to pull the pins and lube them routinely (contrary to manufacturer recommendation) just to prevent a repeat of this failure.
The top sheave has the most force on it (turning the cable 180 deg is 2x the load, the rest are a 90 deg turn which is 1.4x the load) in the stack...so it makes sense it was the first to go.
The number 2 reference had my wife and I laughing unreasonably hard!
Enjoyed much!
Thanks for noticing that. In 2000+ comments you are the only other person that mentions it! Saves me some typing. What I was trying to figure out is why there aren't two pulleys with the 2X load since two legs are in front and two in back. I had to look at the parts layout at the manufacturers site. The other rear leg has the cable come back to it via the other channel (to the right of the one he is working on) and so distributes the load over 2X 90 degree turns.
“Some things are just better when they’re slippery”
Eric O
2022
Words of wisdom to live by. Have to print that one out and mount it over the mantle.
Have Abom make a pin with a grease passage on the off load side into the bushing and a zerk fitting on the end. Great video, reminds people that there are many "parts" of the business of fixing cars.
Similar to what I thought. nice to have a dust shield. Like a plastic bucket with U slot for the cables to pass through mounted to the underside of the lift, it could keep airborne grime from landing on the top shive or perhaps a wiping device that the cables pass through and keeps the cables clean. Like they use on bridges to keep the cables separated.
Always smart to have critical spares on hand.
Looks like the pin goes before the wheel does.
I bought a used Bendpak alignment lift 15 years ago. Ive changed those pulleys once. I also grease the heck out of them. So far so good after 15 years of use,then again the replacement parts where machined out of solid metal. I got 1 newer twin post that’s had more issues than all the old used ones I have. Good job on the vids.
When I was an alignment tech and had downtime I would take a can of penetrating oil and spray down a light film all over the alignment rack, and then rub it in with a rag. The oil would soak in and help slow down the rust
I’m an aircraft mechanic and we use that Mobil shc on wheel bearings and landing gear axles. Your right it works dam well. Our application is for 40k lbs aircraft screaming down a runway at 150 knots.
We run a similar or identical challenger lift at work, and it wipes out those sheaves every 4-6 months. We average 15 operations a day on the lift. Grease has extended that slightly but it is clearly an inferior product. The pin is soft and wears quickly, the sheaves turn to powder.
See if you can get an old pin, if a file bites into the metal it is indeed too soft. Then it would be worth having a local shop make some from hardened/chromed stock.
One thing that I have learned from working with cables is that they should always be loaded to some degree. Slack cables will only cause problems. Great videos brother! Thomas. Mississippi.
One thing I've learned about cables from watching youtube is wire rope cables like that should themselves be lubricated because the strands in the rope slide against each other as the cable goes around the pulley (the outside of the cable is a slightly larger diameter than the inside - something has to give to get that to happen), and if they're dry, they wear out from internal rubbing of the strands. Always lube everything, the cable itself, the sheaves, the pins, etc. Them saying not to lube it is just to keep their parts department busy.
Holy crap, $50,000, with extra effort of daily rinsing, regular maintenance, and the loss of one bay! No wonder alignment is so expensive.
Keep in mind that this in the finger lakes region of NY. The salt eats everything up. In the immortal words of Neil Young "Rust Never Sleeps". I'm shocked the lift looks that clean. The shops I've worked in never had four posters that looked that good.
@@brianneil2485 I think that's down to the difference between an owner and an employee looking after equipment.
@@slashrjl You're spot on there! I had to beg for new turntables for an alignment rack and we kept them locked up in the alignment machine. It goes against common sense to ignore maintenance on tools and equipment regardless of who owns them. That's what makes you money right?
Ya, coz these manufacturer companies seem to think that shops are gold mines. They sell equipmeny so outrageously expensive that the shops have no choice, but to charge an arm and leg for a quick 5min toe adjustment (in most cases). The reason your wheel alignment is so expensive is these ignorant, greedy, equipment manufacturers. They caused this.
I worked on the 103rd Floor of WTC 1 for a decade ... can't tell you how much respect I had for the Otis maintenance crews ... there were a few mishaps over the years ... short falls before the e-locks engaged ... had a clerk who had that happen to her, but she was a trooper (sweet young gal from Harlem, wouldn't hand her pocket book to the Po-lice man when he was trying to help her off ... lol) ... Port Authority had people that had disclaimer forms and check books in hand to keep them quiet ... glad you got the lift repaired/tuned up Eric ... my Dad had a dealership and saw or heard of many mishaps from lifts ... expensive, but I'm sure you'll sleep better knowing it's fixed ... have a Happy and Safe Holiday weekend !
Eric, it has been my experience that if you rotate a shaft worn on one side by a pulley by 180 degrees, the flat side would be against the pressure side of the pulley and the hub will not be stuck in the valley and the pin would come out a little easier.
Cables are dynamic. As they stretch they twist and the strands rub as well as tighten on the core and the opposite when the load is reduced. If it was me some lubricant designed for wire rope would be on my list... :-)
I wondered too, if some fluid film or something similar might help prevent cable corrosion on hard to wash areas, or perhaps ensure less wear on the pot metal/cast aluminum pulleys.
Make a cable wiper out of a piece of carpet. Mount it above the cables and close to the pulleys. Lube the carpet and it will lube the cables as they move back and forth.
The cables cannot be lubed otherwise they will slip on the pulleys, and that is no joke when it happens. Ask me how I know.
@@LynxStarAuto The cable is pulled by a zylinder on which the cables are permanently fixed to. Your advice applies for friction pulley systems such as elevators have. Oiling the cable on this lifter is definitely a good idea. In fact, it should come pre-oiled just as any elevator and ropeway cable comes.
You're a brilliant man you know that they need lubrication just like when they tell you these vehicles don't need their fluids changed lifetime fluids haha
As long as you’re using a synthetic grease, lube them. Petroleum based greases will degrade plastic,rubber and nylon bushings. Maybe that’s why they say don’t lube them.
These types of purposes they want lithium grease usually, but who gives a fuck, even if you used regular old grease it'll last longer than running it dry.
I think you did the right thing greasing the moving parts. My dad's old garage didn't have such complicated lifts. We had an old ram lift with I beam rails. No safety locks on it. Only ever had 1 car slip in the 30 years he owned the garage. It was less than a foot off the floor and we got to kick him in the arse for what could have been a serious accident. It was all in good fun but we all learned a lesson and never made that mistake again.
Good to see that you have fun too. LOL. Take care and be safe out there....oh and keep the videos coming.
"some things are better when they're slippery". Never a more true statement
I just love your videos. Thanks so much for this one. Although I'm not an auto repair expert, I do have engineering expertise in larger construction equipment including lattice and boom cranes. So I think I may be able to explain why your lift manufacturer doesn't recommend lubricating these bearings.
In most automotive applications, these bearings would, of course, be lubricated. But in block and tackle design where twisted steel cable is employed, this lubrication may actually be harmful. Here's why. As twisted steel cable bends over a pulley and is loaded, the cable rubs against itself and the pulley, and in that process it sheds very small (microscopic) bits of steel, iron and iron oxide. These traces are so small that you won't even notice them with the naked eye, and this shed material is usually vibrated off in operation or blown off of the part in the form of a microscopic dust. However, if this shed is captured in lube, over the course of time, the lube actually becomes an abrasive slurry which is similar to jeweler's rouge. This abrasive slurry then abrades the material which you had intended to lubricate.
Some engineers handle this problem by adding a zerk and demanding regular pressure lubrication thereby expelling the abrasive slurry. Other engineers eliminate the grease entirely and therefore eliminate the development of the abrasive slurry.
These are different approaches to the same problem, and either approach can be justified by the design engineer.
I just thought you might be interested in the engineering justification for this lubeless approach.
While I respect the theory, in practice, that fine dust will still make its was inside the shaft, and embed itself in the nylon washers, and in between the pulleys and pin. That's just life.
During service, pulling the pins out and blowing out the junk every so often is probably the recipe for longevity.
Also, coincidence that of the 4 corners, the only one that failed is the one he installed dry? 🤔 I don't think so.
@@LynxStarAuto ... Looks like the word anticipation algorithm tricked you.
Watching you work on mechanical objects, even this (I.e. not a car), is like watching an artist at work. You make everything look so effortless.
It makes sense the top one wore out first, as it has 40% more force on the bushing due to the cable doing 180 deg around it vs 90 deg for the other three.
There would have to be one other that was 180 deg (the other front one)
@@chrisnyc4688 At 23:38, it looks like only the top cable is doing the full 180 on that set of sheaves. Presumably, the other front corner's cable is doing two 90s to get there.
On the one hand, it seems odd to have the cable going all the way around the lift for that one front corner; on the other, it has to get there somehow, and it puts some of the tension on the opposite side of the lift, rather than concentrating it all on the cylinder side.
I initially thought the 180 degree wrap on that one sheave was likely a factor, but considering the lift is rated for twice what they have ever put on it, I think it more likely there was some defect in the pin or top sheave that caused the premature failure.
Our shop just got a new 4 post in may. Hasn’t seen a winter yet… only some brake fluid!! Lol! You’ve inspired me with mention of your maintenance routine to be mindful of the maintenance that comes with a 4-post! Thanks eric
Whenever two materials are in touch to each other and they move, friction will turn to heat and heat destroys it. Therefore, lubrication is the right way to go to prevent friction.
I would have even lubed the plastic washers and thrust surfaces. Lubed surfaces keep moisture away and let mating parts move easier with less friction. Mechanics know lubrication is very good thing.
Husband's know it too haha
Eric,
Great video and very interesting subject/setup - thank you! Those pins are probably case hardened and once thru that thin hard layer they wear very rapidly.
Paul (in MA)
I've done lots of this hoist work. And you're right on the money I would never put those in dry although I have seen them do that trick I think you're right on the money I've never had a problem doing that and that pulley set should have lasted you 10 years not two or three! Some of the older lifts had greaseable pins!!
All the best from Canada
Also a good way to level is to lift the lift off the locks and adjust cable so the deck is level on all four sides. The set the lift on the locks and level it again but this time leveling the lock ladder. Gets it perfect everytime
Awesome job, must agree with several of the comments. VERY NICE to see a shop owner taking care of the equipment. Have worked on WAY TOO MANY shops that if a lift was half ass working even if locks didn't work, it was in "good shape".
Excellent video. I can not find anyone to work on mine and believe I can fix my lift using your example...Thank You
I can see the rust line on the cable adjuster , where the stud was sticking out . You can get a very close adjustment by lining that to the jam nut . I would pay to have a new pin made with grease holes and a fitting , you would never have a problem with that again
Id agree
Damn good idea about making a custom pin.
It'd happen again, but over a much longer period of time, if they had designed this better it'd be easier to just replace the nylon sleeves inside each pulley. The bearings will wear out before the grease would eat them away for sure, but just making the sleeves replacable is probably better than either option.
40 grand and no grease nipples. Jeez
SMA and This old Tony collab? Awesome!
It would be a good idea to replace the worn bushings in the pulleys. Mcmaster carr carries almost all common sizes and types of bushings. Looks like the lift is designed for planned obsolescence. The system can be easily modified to add a grease nipple to supply grease to all four pulleys, an axial hole through the pin and radial holes to each pulley bushings will do the job.
I was going to suggest the same thing about the grease nipple. That's maybe an hour job for a slow machinist. I'd probably make my own bushings too.
Exactly! And the worn out pulley can be re-bushed with a better bushing material
@@steveofire56765 should have been engineered for a bearing.
You may be able to find them in a place that handles Industrial Transmission Equipment , such as bearings , gears , bushings ,belts , etc. There is a place about a half a mile away . They can measure bearings , bushings , etc . Many items are built around standard sizes . It eliminates an exclusive item which would be expensive .
@@KingRattBut wouldn't that give it a chance to last longer therefore cheating the manufacturer out of possible service calls and replacement parts. Let's think ahead for their sake 😂😂😂
You did a fine job replacing those worn out sheaves, and you were correct to lube them prior to assembly. You can have a local machine shop bore out the centers of the "bad" sheaves and make new centers and press them in. I think that it would be cheaper than buying new sheaves. You can also have that machine shop make the washers out if nylon or bronze which will last much longer than the plastic washers. I was a machinist all my working career until I retired in 2013.
Actually that is a typical work shop stuff, with out the tools the work gets harder, and gets less money for the shop if the tools aren’t in operation, I’m glad you make sure your stuff in the shop works good, make more shop repair vids for us once they break.
I would fully trust a lift maintained by you.
Great job E. I've used lifts but never worked on them. My feeling is in the environment that the lift operates in I too would lube the pulleys and shaft.
You might consider taking the pin to a machine shop and center drill and place some drill holes into the pin at each pulley and place a grease fitting to lube the assembly.
Hey! You beat me to it! I've been thinking that the whole time, watching and reading comments. Great minds think alike. 👍
He actually can use the old pin center drill drill the grease holes on the worn side because if he mounts that pin the good side will be where the load actually is and the other side will have the gap but he must also lock the pin from turning. I know he is inventive enough to do this without explanation.
From the Mobil website: "Mobilith SHC 1500 is an NLGI 1.5 Grade / ISO VG 1500 grease with a synthetic base fluid. It is intended for use in plain and rolling element bearings operating at extremely slow speeds, under heavy loads and high temperatures." So, perfect application. :)
That two hammer trick worked like a charm. I had worn, gouged pins that just did not want to come out without a torch. Nice job.
Perching on top of that ladder looked sketchier than being under the ramp whilst repairing it 😂
6:13 Eric, time to get a new SD card. That glitch is a sign of impending doom. :( They're disposable items though. Their flash cells can only be written and erased a set number of times. 🤷🏻♂️
Its either that or the software used to edit/render the videos
HAHA dude! How did you even catch that??
I’ve worked in a few shops over the years we’re the lifts we’re super sketchy wish more bosses took care of there equipment like you
When the boss is at risk, they make better decisions.
US Mail airplane flyers kept getting ordered to fly mailplanes in bad weather, leading to accidents. After a rule was passed that the pilot could haul the local boss up in the plane with him to see the conditions, bosses stopped ordering suicide mail flights.
Needs must.You had a good idea what the issue could be and did what you needed to do to get the work done. Brings back a memory of seeing a coach stuck on the lift because a mechanic didn't report an issue with it. That required a call to the manufacturer to get a tech out to get the bus down before the lift could be fixed.
Though unfamiliar with this alignment rack, have observed all alignment racks are broken when brand new. This is very true of the Bear brand with the flashing red LEDs as the wheel position setup has insufficient measurement accuracy to provide true data. I gave up and now use an expensive inclinometer to determine camber and use turning plates to determine castor with the inclinometer. For toe in then strike circumference lines right on the tire and set using those lines extremely accurately. This method has proved to be far better than any alignment I have ever paid for. My car and truck track so well it is almost unbelievable compared to the hack jobs have paid for.