Lift van, 2 years later.

[subi-crosser]

I missed an SVX function 2 years ago because I was finishing a Wheelchair Lift van for a customer. I installed the lift, after extensive mods to make it fit the van.
I had not heard a word about the van untill today. I recieved a call that the lift quit working last night.
I asked the guy what the problem was, and he told me. I KNEW that one of the limit switches had a problem and where to look.
I asked him if the van was being used often. He said, "Yes! We use it almost every day! That lift has been used HUNDREDS of times!".

I had not heard a word about the van since it left the shop 2 years ago!
I didn't know if it was totaled, caught on fire, nothing!

I had the 'problem' fixed in 10 minutes, but found a few issues with the vehicle, so I have it back in my possession for the first time since the WELDS cooled! I did a couple adjustments and will be lubricating the lift and checking the fluids. The big issue is that the FLOOR of the van is tearing loose from the uni-body, so I have to creare a couple brackets to overcome Ford's inferior design. I guess that Ford thought that all the weight applied to the floors would be going DOWN. With this configuration, the center of the floor is being subjected to about 2,000 pounds of LIFT! (600 pounds, hanging on a 4 foot platform) spread out over 14 inches of floor.

I'm not a mathictical genoius, and know that the numbers don't work. What I didn't know was the amount of weight that was being lifted when I built the van! Then a 300 pound wheelchair was added to the mix after delivery!

I think that I did GOOD that I 'over- engeneered' this project to compensate for 'unknowns', and got 2 years out of it with NO problems!
The van will be back in service in a couple days, and it will lift small cars without hurtin the floors!

( I LOVE my second job!!)

[svxAL]

Good to hear that you are making/fixing these vehicals for people keep up the good work!