Car Hoist Safety – Things to Do and Check When Lifting a Vehicle

One thing you should bear in mind is that a car hoist is NOT a car jack, a mechanical ladder, and definitely NOT a crane. It is made to serve only ONE PURPOSE – which is to hoist vehicle and provide support. That said, you have you to pay attention to car hoist safety guidelines when operating one to ensure that you’d be able to use it properly.

An automotive hoist MUST only be used for its intended purpose… and NOTHING ELSE. Also, operators must be trained on how to operate the hoist to ensure safe operation. On that note, only trained operators must be allowed to use the hoist. If you are not knowledgeable about car hoist operation, then never attempt to use it as this can only lead to disastrous results.

Before you lift a vehicle using an automotive hoist, you should take time to read the safety guide for car hoist operation which will be presented below.

Lift and Area Inspection

First of all, you have to inspect the automotive lift before hoisting the car. Also, make sure that the area where the car will be lifted is clear of by-standers and workers. You also have to ascertain that the lift is free of any forms of obstruction. The lift must be fully lowered before placing the car into the lifting platform. The adapter and supports should be positioned out of the car’s ways when grounding it in place.

Double Check Hoist Capacity

It is critical that you are aware of the rated capacity of the hoist that you will be working on. This is necessary to ensure safe operation of car hoist. Remember to never ever overload the hoist lift. Look into the hoist nameplate to check for its rated weight capacity. For instance, if the maximum capacity is 10,000 pounds, then you have to ascertain that the vehicle that you will be lifting won’t exceed this limit.

Find Center of Gravity

As a trained hoist operator, you should know how to find the center of gravity to ascertain that the weight of the vehicle that you will be lifting is evenly distributed. Bear in mind that each vehicle has varying center of gravity due to numerous factors including wheel base, weight distribution, and drive train location. Make certain to position the vehicle in accordance to the spotting device and designated lifting points.

Take note of the above-mentioned car hoist safety guidelines when lifting any types of vehicle to ensure proper and safe hoist operation.

Common Sense Ideas For Avoiding a Truck Accident

Accidents are events that we all dread; accidents in our vehicles can cause serious injury and even death.  A truck accident, those involving the big semi trucks and cars can be so bad that they leave little hope of survival.  What can the average motorist do to protect themselves from accidents caused by trucks?  Actually, there are a lot of little things you can do to insure your safety, the safety of the truck driver as well as those around you.

First, don’t drive too close to the truck.  If they have to stop suddenly you won’t be able to stop and the likelihood of driving underneath increases drastically.  Another thing, if you can’t see the drivers mirror they sure as heck can’t see your car.  For your safety stay back at least 2 seconds and preferably more.

Second, give them a wide berth; they can’t turn as easily as we do so they need that added space to turn.  If they don’t see you there the back tires could roll right up and over your cab.

Third, on a freeway don’t pass on the right.  Trucks have the tendency to move right as soon as they can, if you’re there they could just push you off onto the shoulder.  Have patience and allow them to get over to the right so you can pass on the left.

Fourth, never ever drive between two semi trucks, that’s going to be one painful truck accident should one of them squeeze you out.

Fifth, truck drivers are under tremendous pressure to deliver their freight as quickly as possible.  What that means to you and other drivers on the roadway is drivers often drive tired and their reflexes might not be 100%.  So just be aware of this and give them added space.

The bottom line is you need to treat trucks as the large beasts that they are and give them all the space and respect they need.  Try not to be in too much of a hurry, pay attention and the life that might be saved could be yours.

How do you know if your car’s engine oil needs changing?

Regular oil changes are a critical part of car maintenance to prevent damage and optimize performance. Oil is the ‘blood’ in your engine. It lubricates the moving parts and ensures they do not wear each other down or even weld together under the extreme pressure and heat inside the engine. It also helps to control the temperature of the engine, carrying away heat from the pistons and cooling the engine as it circulates around the oil system. It’s a fairly straight forward mechanical operation to change the oil or to stop oil leak and with your car owner’s documentation you should be able to save time and money by doing it yourself.

Take a look at the condition of the oil in the car by using the dipstick. If it’s dirty black or dark brown, feels gritty between the fingers or smells of burning it needs replacing. It can be a good idea to replace the oil if you’ve purchased a new second hand car, otherwise it’s worth checking every 3000 miles or 6 months or so. If the oil is colored light brown it’s probably okay. If unsure you can compare it to the color of new oil. If your oil pressure gauge keeps coming on you may have a leak or be burning oil. You can tell if you burning oil from the smoke coming out of the exhaust. It’s likely a seal will have perished somewhere inside the engine. Changing the oil won’t fix this problem but topping it up can keep you going until you can get to a garage. Because oil is SO critical to the running of your engine you should get this checked out as soon as possible. Low oil pressure can lead to critical and permanent engine damage and can cause serious harm to your wallet.

There’s plenty more to oil than meets the eye. Check out the Oil Pressure Gauge Guide blog for more information.

What Is A Portable Car Hoist?

A portable car hoist will come in handy on those days when you are in the middle of no where and you happen to get a flat tire. The flat tire will be easily changed when you use a portable car hoist. You will place the portable car hoist in the trunk of your car and store it there for those days when you will need to use it. You can pull out the portable car hoist change your tire and then place it back when you are done.

The portable car hoist is different than a car jack. A car hoist works with different mechanisms to hoist your car into the air. The car jack will be a much smaller investment and will do the same purpose however a car hoist is much safer to use. A bracket of supports will hoist your car into the air where you will then be able to change the tire. Other circumstances of using a portable car hoist would include when you need to perform a oil change. You can use the car hoist to lift the car in the air where you will then perform your duties on the car and then lower the car back down. Scissor lift tables can also be used in a garage to lift your car during maintenance.

The portable car hoist can be given as a gift during birthday times and holidays to the car enthusiast who loves to work on cars and does not have the means to place a permanent car hoist up. The same purpose is applied when using the portable car hoist as when using a permanent car hoist. Either way the car that is requiring work to be done on will be done faster with these methods than with the not so sturdy car jack. You can feel assured that the car hoist is safer than that of a car jack.