When it comes to car lifts, there are a couple of main variations that are classified according to the means by which they are able to move vehicles. You’ll commonly see lifts that make use of chains to pull automobiles upward, but another mechanism that works well is a hydraulic lift system. We’ll go over the advantages of a hydraulic car lift and why you might choose to use it over chain lifts.
How Do Hydraulic Lifts Work?
Hydraulic lifts are able to move cars upward when a pump in their structure pushes a liquid from a fluid container to a hollow cylinder. As the cylinder fills with the liquid, a piston component inside it is forced to move upward, which generates the movement of the lift. The initial movement of the pump is activated with electricity. To lower the car again, the process is reversed.
Advantages
They Take up Less Space
A chain lift needs to commit space to overarching framework beams in which the chains move to operate the lift. Hydraulic lifts can be much more compact, since they are pushing up from the bottom of the platform, rather than pulling the platform from above. Take the Harding Steel SUV-Lift, for example. Its design is able to be so streamlined—with only two vertical columns, a moving platform, and a base—because those columns contain hydraulic cylinders.
They Have Fewer Parts
When a car lift uses a chain, the system needs many different moving parts to create upward and downward movements. If any one of those is strained excessively, it could cause an imbalance in the lift where the corners are not raised precisely level. Alternatively, the system could cease to function overall. The advantage of a hydraulic car lift is that it’s much simpler in design, with just its fluid-filling cylinders. There are fewer places where it might break down, and it is easier for the pistons to move uniformly together under heavy loads.
If you want hydraulic lifts for cars installed to make better use of parking for your building, get in touch with Harding Steel. We’ll help you find a mechanical or automated parking lift that will work best for the dimensions and needs of your specific parking area or structure.