The most dangerous thing we do all day long is one most of us don’t think about: we raise a vehicle weighing a ton or three high in the air and work beneath it.
And yet, lifts aren’t maintained well in most shops. I’ve seen lifts out of plumb, bent legs, lifts with inoperable safety locks, and I’m old enough to have worked on in-ground lifts with controls that left the car’s height up to little more than chance.
So here are a few friendly tips for you. Rookies, take note, but you old-timers don’t click away just yet—you might have some deferred maintenance to attend to as well. Some of this you may feel you can handle, and some you may want to farm out. Use your noodle!