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BIMMERPOST Universal Forums General Automotive (non-BMW) Talk + Photos/Videos Are service pits used in North America at all?

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      08-03-2020, 12:40 PM   #23
aerostar
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Originally Posted by Emilime75 View Post
Do the Jiffy Lube type places not have to meet OSHA requirements?
Just a classic case of someone on the internet making shit up and putting keywords like OSHA or "the law" into the sentence to make it seem real.
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      08-04-2020, 11:09 PM   #24
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Pits used to be very common, back when lifts cost a lot more and were much more complicated (needed huge hydraulic cylinder embedded down into the foundation). With the new cheaper lifts, they have been rendered largely obsolete (and most that I ever saw were really just pits, not fancy underground workshops).
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      08-05-2020, 03:16 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuidoK View Post
I don't think they're outlawed. Lots of (most?) semitruck/bus service stations use pits.
This is of course because it's not so easy to lift a 10+ tonne vehicle as it is to lift a car.

Also a pit is safer in lots of situations compared to a lift.
A lift can collapse, a vehicle can fall from a lift, and, in this instance, the bushings have to be torqued in the riding position: If you want to achieve that on a lift you have to put a lot of pressure under the wheel while the car is on the lift. That is a very dangerous situation.
A commercial 2-post lift if correctly installed is not going to collapse even after 50 years. All certified lifts have safety locks.

To torque suspension bolts, I've simply used my under-hoist transmission jack under the wheel to load the suspension (at the corner of the car) where the torque sequence is required to set the bushings at the correct position. I just lift the corner of the car off the lift arm pad a few millimeters. No danger in using that technique.
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      08-05-2020, 10:43 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmhumr View Post
I've been to brand new Valvoline instant oil change places that have pits, so I don't think it has anything to do with regulation. It's just the cheaper and safer option for shops that don't offer tire or suspension work.
I was at one of these also to get oil change on the truck in the middle of bfg. It also had a pit. It seems useful for these types of places as we stayed in the truck the whole time. Pretty sure you can't stay in the vehicle if they are lifting it.
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      08-06-2020, 05:12 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maynard View Post
Pits used to be very common, back when lifts cost a lot more and were much more complicated (needed huge hydraulic cylinder embedded down into the foundation). With the new cheaper lifts, they have been rendered largely obsolete (and most that I ever saw were really just pits, not fancy underground workshops).
In-ground lifts are still manufactured and offered by most of the major lift companies. This thread got me curious enough to research when the 2-post above-ground lift was introduced. As far as a date, Rotary claims it's first 2-post lift was introduced in 1976. I would have thought much earlier, more like the 1950's. Rotary claims to be the inventor of the automotive hydraulic lift in 1927.

The problem with a pit is with a brand like BMW or Mercedes. The oil filter is up top, vs. underneath near the oil drain.
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      08-06-2020, 10:30 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh View Post
In-ground lifts are still manufactured and offered by most of the major lift companies. This thread got me curious enough to research when the 2-post above-ground lift was introduced. As far as a date, Rotary claims it's first 2-post lift was introduced in 1976. I would have thought much earlier, more like the 1950's. Rotary claims to be the inventor of the automotive hydraulic lift in 1927.

The problem with a pit is with a brand like BMW or Mercedes. The oil filter is up top, vs. underneath near the oil drain.
True but you still have to drain it. On my Z4M I had bought a pump to suck out the oil through the fill tube. Worked pretty well.
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