How to extend the life of your hydraulic vehicle lifts

October 28, 2024 By Pavan Jheeta

For most workshops, a hydraulic lift is one of their biggest investments.

It’s a hard-wearing piece of kit that can survive heavy-duty use on a daily basis — but only if you give it the care and attention it deserves.

So if you’re looking to get the most out of your lifts (and get more from the money you’ve invested), your teams need to know the best practices to keep them healthy.

Here’s what you need to know to keep your hydraulic vehicle lifts in top condition:

Proper training

No matter how robust a piece of equipment is, it won’t last long if it’s being misused.

There are huge forces in action with a hydraulic vehicle lift — and it could be in constant use for years. That means every bad habit and poor practice can stack up, and cause serious damage to your lift over time.

So while safety is a huge factor in making sure everyone’s trained to use a lift properly, there’s an economic factor, too. You need to be sure that every member of staff is using your lifts in the way the manufacturer intended — to keep your vehicle lifts happy and healthy for as long as possible.

Visual inspections

Just like with training, inspections are about safety.

But they’re also about getting the most value out of your kit — so your teams can spot problems early on before they escalate into serious issues.

It doesn’t have to be too technical, or take up too much time. But a regular routine of visual inspection — looking for signs of wear and tear, or misaligned parts — could make a huge difference to the lifespan of your hydraulic lifts.

In practice, that usually means regular checks of the:

Electrical wiring
Hydraulic hoses
Seals and joints
And hydraulic cylinders.

Regular cleaning

Hydraulic vehicle lifts come with plenty of moving parts. And when dirt and grime are left to build up, the particles and residue can interfere with those moving parts.

You can end up with stiff joints, corroded seals, or extra friction on your hydraulic cylinders — which can all lead to excessive strain on the most important parts of your lifts.

So the best hydraulic lift maintenance will always include regular cleaning, with special attention on its moving parts and hydraulic components.

In many cases, it’s as simple as wiping down the lift with a mild detergent and water, before drying off the cleaned parts to avoid the long-term effects of moisture.

But just like any workshop equipment, different machines come with different care instructions — so you should always stick to the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning chemicals and methods.

Lubrication

Hydraulic lifts rely on moving parts in close contact — and under heavy strain.

There’s a lot of potential for friction, which can wear down the materials and components over time.

So if you want to get the most out of the vehicle lifts you’ve invested in, you should be regularly adding lubricant to the parts and components that need it — especially with joints and bearings.

You can even use products that automatically lubricate certain parts of your lift — like our Lubricant/Grease Pot that’s designed for specific models of our Mobile Column Lifts.

But watch out:

Most lubricants aren’t a neutral chemical. They can react with the materials inside your vehicle lift, and could even corrode the parts in your lift.

So just like the cleaning chemicals, you should check the manufacturer’s recommendations for the type of lubricant you can use — and only use the ones that have been marked as safe for your particular lift.

Professional maintenance

There’s a lot you can do in your own workshop to help extend the life of your hydraulic lifts.

But without deep product knowledge and technical expertise, there’s always a limit to what you can handle in-house.

So for any workshop that’s looking to get the most out of their investment, nothing beats the regular support of specialised technicians — especially when it comes from the supplier themselves.

With an Afterkare service contract, you can get hands-off and stress-free maintenance visits from qualified engineers who specialise in the exact models of lifts you use — so you can be sure that your lifts are getting the best possible care to keep them ticking along for longer.

But as well as regular maintenance visits, you’ll also get: