Class 7 MOT requirements: What equipment do you need?

With a Class 7 MOT bay in your workshop, you can offer new services to your customers — and add new revenue streams with it.

But setting up as a test centre comes with red tape and regulations. You’ll need DVSA-approved equipment with the right specs and features to match the extra requirements that come with Class 7 MOTs.

So aside from the standard MOT tools, what do you need to set up a new bay?

Here’s what you should be looking at:

 

Vehicle lift (or pit)

Every Class 7 MOT involves an inspection of the underside of the vehicle. You’ll need either a lift or a pit — and some workshops use both.

Here’s what you need to look for in each:

A Class 7 MOT lift needs:   ·         A SWL of at least 3,500kg ·         Wheel platforms at least 4.8m long ·         Platforms that raise 1.4m from the floor ·         Jacking beams with a SWL of 2,600kg

A Class 7 inspection pit needs:   ·         An uninterrupted working length of at least 6m ·         A width between 760mm and 1.3m ·         A depth between 1.4m and 1.8m

 

In most cases, installing a lift will be the easiest option (and the most affordable). A vehicle inspection pit comes with groundworks and structural changes, but a lift is a simpler installation.

That’s why we usually recommend our Light Commercial Four Post Lift for Class 7 MOT bays.

But that doesn’t mean a pit is a bad choice — especially if you’re looking to the long term.

While an LCV lift will cover you for Class 7 vehicles up to a certain weight, an inspection pit can be used with a wider range of vehicles, including some of the heaviest and longest vehicles around.

So if you’ve got the space and the budget (and you’re looking to futureproof your workshop), an inspection pit can be a better option for some workshops and what they need.

 

Headlamp tester

Headlamp testing is a sensitive task, and it needs a precise setup to match. So as well as choosing the right equipment, you’ll also need to think about the installation itself.

 

A headlamp tester should be:   ·         DVSA-approved ·         Rail-mounted ·         Calibrated

Your installation needs:   ·         A flat and level vehicle standing area ·         A standing area 4.5m x 2.5m (this can be your lift platforms, or across a pit) ·         600mm clearance behind the tester’s optical head

 

For most workshops trying to meet the Class 7 MOT requirements, we recommend our 2500 Headlamp Tester. With photodiode technology for automatic positioning, it’s one of the easiest ways to get an accurate alignment for the sensitive tests your teams are carrying out.

 

Brake tester

Accurate brake testing is crucial for any MOT.  But it’s especially true for Class 7 vehicles, which carry significant loads that put extra strain on their brakes.

That’s why any brake tester you use for MOTs needs to be DVSA-approved — like our Class 7 In-Ground Brake Tester.

As well as the equipment itself, you need to design your setup carefully, depending on the type of brake tester you use.

 

A roller brake tester should be:   ·         Installed centrally in an area at least 14m x 3.5m ·         Placed with at least 4.2m of level floor to the front and rear of the tester ·         Placed so that any part of the tester is at least 600mm from a pit, lift platform or lift recess

 

Emissions analyser

With a Class 7 MOT bay, you’re required to have emissions analysers for both diesel and spark ignition engines.

 

Petrol analysers should be:   ·         DVSA-approved ·         Calibrated ·         Up to date with the current database

Diesel analysers should be:   ·         DVSA-approved ·         Calibrated

 

For most workshops, it makes sense to choose equipment that can handle both at once, like our Petrol & Diesel Emissions Analyser. It’s DVSA-approved and accredited to the latest Euro 6 standards — and built for all-weather environments in temperatures as low as -15°C.

 

Setting up a test station?

If you’re expanding with a Class 7 MOT bay, we’re here to help — and we don’t just mean equipment.

As well as all the kit we supply to workshops, we also help our customers with every stage of setting up for MOTs — from site surveys and drawings to installations and DVSA applications.

You can see our full range of equipment in our Class 7 MOT bay package — or talk to an expert who can help you find exactly what you need.