6 common questions about portable car lifts

6 common questions about portable car lifts

Answers and insights into these inquiries.

Sponsored by QuickJack

Taking your detailing to new heights with portable car lifts is still a new concept to many shops, so we get a lot of questions. Here are questions and answers to the six we hear most often.

Q | Which lift should I get?

A | There are a lot of factors that go into choosing car lifts for detailing, such as rated load capacity, safety features, ALI certification, manufacturer reputation, design and price. QuickJack offers an easy-to-use online measuring guide with a step-by-step video tutorial to help you choose the most appropriate model for your operation. Check it out here: www.quickjack.com/support/measuring-guide. 

Q | Do I need an air compressor to run my lift?

A | Nope. QuickJack’s portable power unit is electric over hydraulic and contains a built-in flow divider to ensure equal fluid pressure is given to both cylinders without any air required. You will need an air compressor during initial setup to fill the secondary cylinder that helps QuickJack lower smoothly to the ground when there is no weight on the frames, but no air compressor is required for lift operation. 

Q | I work on a lot of trucks. Why don’t portable lifts have higher rated
capacity? 

A | QuickJack portable lifts max out at 7,000 lbs. rated load capacity — that’s enough to handle a full-size pickup like an F-150 or a Ram 1500. Once you start getting into heavy-duty pickups and work trucks, the lift components would have to be so big to handle the load that the lift wouldn’t be portable anymore. 

Q | Can I set up my portable low-rise lift on a slight slope?

A | We recommend always using any lift on a flat surface. Using a portable low-rise lift on a surface with more than a 3-degree slope is considered unsafe.

Q | Is it OK to only use one frame to lift a vehicle?

A | No. QuickJack lifts are designed to lift an entire vehicle using both frames to engage the OEM-recommended lifting points. Any attempt to alter this configuration is dangerous and will void your warranty.

Q | Can I leave a vehicle on the lift unattended?

A | Got a phone call or need to take a break right as you’re about to get to start washing a car? As long as the mechanical safety locks are engaged, you can leave a vehicle raised on a QuickJack lift indefinitely.

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