Does BendPak need safety system?

[Kurt Combs]

Before anyone tells me; yes I know it is a safety device.

My BendPak lift has a safety stop system that is running me nuts. It requires the lifting of a pin while positioning the yellow lift arms under the vehicle. It then engages a lock system so the arms can't be moved. While I can see in lawsuit happy society the manufacturer needing such a device, I don't see where it is doing me any good, nor is it saving me from myself. My reasoning is that once the arms come in contact with the frame of the vehicle they can no longer move, even without the locking system. Back in the day, when I worked in a service station, we did not have these types of locks on our lifts, but granted the lifts were of a different design (single post into the floor). I always check a vehicle when the arms contact the frame and again when I have the tires are a few inches off of the floor. So I don't see how the arms can move with all that weight on them. Am I missing something?

BendPak safety system.jpg

[FreakysFords]

Short answer, yes. Load shift has dropped many a vehicle.
Raise lift empty, see if pins extend past bottom of lift arm block. They should contact the floor, releasing the lock when down. If lift is shimmed too high, they won't push up when lift is down. I've seen some people put plats on the floor to push the pins up.

[Kurt Combs]

Hi FreakysFord. I will check that tomorrow, if it works I owe you one (one what I don't know). It would be seriously cool if I didn't have to pull up on those round rings when adjusting the arms!

[averagef250]

My dad has an old Rotary two post, maybe 40 years old. It doesn't have the arm locks and I've lifted vehicles thousands of times without any problems whatsoever.

My current lift is a Western Chinese POS and it has the same locks as your Rotary, but you can lock them out so they don't interfere. I tend to use the arm locks on the china POS lift because the pin fits in the arms are sloppier compared to the old Rotary at my dad's.

I guess the reality is one lift arm from the 40 year old rotary weighs more than a column and both arms of the Chinese thing.

[Donnie]

I think that the ALI aka the American Lift Institute has implemented the requirements on lifts that are registered to meet their safety specs.
There are a lot of lifts on the mkt that do not have these locks...........They do add a safety factor, but some are a pain to use, but getting your truck off of the lift when one arm has missed the contact point is a pain in the ass too..................Donnie

[cowbay]

I think that the ALI aka the American Lift Institute has implemented the requirements on lifts that are registered to meet their safety specs.
There are a lot of lifts on the mkt that do not have these locks...........They do add a safety factor, but some are a pain to use, but getting your truck off of the lift when one arm has missed the contact point is a pain in the ass too..................Donnie

Exactly it is a requirement. I know OSHA is finally stepping in to mandate standards which shall follow the ALI standards. It is crazy that so many lifts out there are not capable to meet it's supposed ratings. If I am working under something I want it to be safe. As for Bed Pak most of it's lifts meet the standards but not all. I have the 12,000 lift and it does meet the standards. Since we are a working shop I have it inspected for insurance purposes. Nothing I do is worth having someone get hurt or killed.

[toddspeed]

Nothing I do is worth having someone get hurt or killed.

Amen (and I'm not religious )

I spend a lot of time at the race track, and they won't even let you fuel a car without full nomex and a helmet. Nor can you put so much as a finger under a car off the ground without a jack stand. It may be a PITA but never want to see anyone get hurt messing with cars!