Guide to installing Automotech AS-7230 scissor lift
Discussion
After spending a few years pondering over which car lift to fit I finally pulled the trigger on a Automotech Services AS-7230 scissor lift. I struggled to find a good guide of how to fit and use these so thought I’d detail my experiences here in the hope it’ll be of use to someone.
I'd always wanted a car lift and had designed my workshop/garage with this in mind. The workshop is metal framed, resulting in a roof clear of beams and enough clearance to lift a Land Rover Defender to over 2m. I also strengthened the floor with large amounts of re-bar and by digging deep recesses where the legs of a 2 post lift would sit.
I couldn’t decide on which type of lift to buy, 4 post, 2 post or scissor lift. In the end somebody on here advised me that it really didn’t matter which lift I purchased as it’d be better than laying on my back. So I decided on a scissor lift and started researching. Some manufactures give little detail on the specs of their lifts, such as air locking or hydraulic locking etc. And as I was going to be working on a lowered Lotus Elise the height of the lift when fully lowered was a deciding factor. I considered recessing the lift into the floor as the concrete was thick enough, however the mess it would create, the endless chiseling to get the floor level and dealing with the re-bar caused me to abandon this plan. After much searching and comparing I ended up choosing the Automotech AS-7230 scissor lift. This is a 3 ton, duel hydraulic ram, full rise scissor lift. I had read a few positive reviews and it looked well built, plus the company was based in the UK. It uses a slave second ram with parachute valves to prevent the lift from falling if the primary ram or hose fails. This means you can stop the lift at any height and there is no need for physical locks.
So after handing over £2159 I drove the 3 hours to Rugeley to collect my new lift. I did this to save on the delivery costs and to have a chat with the guys about installation tips. Plus they threw in the oil which cannot be delivered. As soon as I walked into the Automotech showroom I knew I had made the right choice, the guys are knowledgeable, helpful and are on the end of the phone to assist with installation questions. Plus the equipment is great quality and constantly upgraded.
Following a wet 3hr return drive I faced the challenge of getting the lifts onto the garage floor.
Everything was very well packaged. I think each side of the lift weighs 300kg. The engine lift worked well and after some head scratching and with the help of a couple of trolley jacks they were on the floor.
After getting the ramps squared up and in position I connected the clearly labeled hydraulic hoses to the ramps and control box. The clear hose is the low pressure return line.
Then I connected the power cable to my 32A supply using an industrial 3 pin 32A plug and filled the header tank with oil. To blead the system I raised the lift until it stopped and continued to run the pump to push all the air out of the system.
The lift was lowered and raised a few times and the upper optical limit switch adjusted so the motor tripped when the lift was at 1.9m.
I put the Elise on the lift to make sure both ramps covered the front jacking points which are a long way from the sills. You can put the ramps any distance apart (you’d need longer hoses) but the recommended gap is 800mm. To fit the Elise I set the gap to 750mm.
I measured the distances between the 2 lifts when lowered and raised, I noted they were closer together when raised than when lowered. Using a level I realized the left hand ramp was angled inwards. Using a strip of steal as a shim I drilled some holes to allow the securing bolts to pass though and while tilting the lift the wife pushed the shim into position. This resulted in both sides lifting parallel.
Using a large SDS drill I drilled the holes in each corner of the lifts, hoovered out the holes and then hammered the expanding bolts into position. This was scary as if I couldn't bash the bolts down to the required depth there was no way I’d get them out again!! Luckily there were no issues and all bolts were tightened to the required torque.
Last job was to fit the hose covers which proved tricky as the hoses stick up and move when the lift goes up and down, however with a bit of brute force and ignorance they went down and with the end ramps fitted, jobs a carrot.
Oh and I made some wooden ramps to lift the Elise high enough to get the supplied lift blocks under the jacking points. These were the first try, I later removed the top 2 layers.
I’m really happy with the install, if you’re thinking of getting a lift I’d highly recommend it. If you have the required tools they are easy to fit or you can have them fitted by the suppliers. The quality is really good and it’s a pleasure to work standing/sitting down instead of laying twisted on my back.
I'd always wanted a car lift and had designed my workshop/garage with this in mind. The workshop is metal framed, resulting in a roof clear of beams and enough clearance to lift a Land Rover Defender to over 2m. I also strengthened the floor with large amounts of re-bar and by digging deep recesses where the legs of a 2 post lift would sit.
I couldn’t decide on which type of lift to buy, 4 post, 2 post or scissor lift. In the end somebody on here advised me that it really didn’t matter which lift I purchased as it’d be better than laying on my back. So I decided on a scissor lift and started researching. Some manufactures give little detail on the specs of their lifts, such as air locking or hydraulic locking etc. And as I was going to be working on a lowered Lotus Elise the height of the lift when fully lowered was a deciding factor. I considered recessing the lift into the floor as the concrete was thick enough, however the mess it would create, the endless chiseling to get the floor level and dealing with the re-bar caused me to abandon this plan. After much searching and comparing I ended up choosing the Automotech AS-7230 scissor lift. This is a 3 ton, duel hydraulic ram, full rise scissor lift. I had read a few positive reviews and it looked well built, plus the company was based in the UK. It uses a slave second ram with parachute valves to prevent the lift from falling if the primary ram or hose fails. This means you can stop the lift at any height and there is no need for physical locks.
So after handing over £2159 I drove the 3 hours to Rugeley to collect my new lift. I did this to save on the delivery costs and to have a chat with the guys about installation tips. Plus they threw in the oil which cannot be delivered. As soon as I walked into the Automotech showroom I knew I had made the right choice, the guys are knowledgeable, helpful and are on the end of the phone to assist with installation questions. Plus the equipment is great quality and constantly upgraded.
Following a wet 3hr return drive I faced the challenge of getting the lifts onto the garage floor.
Everything was very well packaged. I think each side of the lift weighs 300kg. The engine lift worked well and after some head scratching and with the help of a couple of trolley jacks they were on the floor.
After getting the ramps squared up and in position I connected the clearly labeled hydraulic hoses to the ramps and control box. The clear hose is the low pressure return line.
Then I connected the power cable to my 32A supply using an industrial 3 pin 32A plug and filled the header tank with oil. To blead the system I raised the lift until it stopped and continued to run the pump to push all the air out of the system.
The lift was lowered and raised a few times and the upper optical limit switch adjusted so the motor tripped when the lift was at 1.9m.
I put the Elise on the lift to make sure both ramps covered the front jacking points which are a long way from the sills. You can put the ramps any distance apart (you’d need longer hoses) but the recommended gap is 800mm. To fit the Elise I set the gap to 750mm.
I measured the distances between the 2 lifts when lowered and raised, I noted they were closer together when raised than when lowered. Using a level I realized the left hand ramp was angled inwards. Using a strip of steal as a shim I drilled some holes to allow the securing bolts to pass though and while tilting the lift the wife pushed the shim into position. This resulted in both sides lifting parallel.
Using a large SDS drill I drilled the holes in each corner of the lifts, hoovered out the holes and then hammered the expanding bolts into position. This was scary as if I couldn't bash the bolts down to the required depth there was no way I’d get them out again!! Luckily there were no issues and all bolts were tightened to the required torque.
Last job was to fit the hose covers which proved tricky as the hoses stick up and move when the lift goes up and down, however with a bit of brute force and ignorance they went down and with the end ramps fitted, jobs a carrot.
Oh and I made some wooden ramps to lift the Elise high enough to get the supplied lift blocks under the jacking points. These were the first try, I later removed the top 2 layers.
I’m really happy with the install, if you’re thinking of getting a lift I’d highly recommend it. If you have the required tools they are easy to fit or you can have them fitted by the suppliers. The quality is really good and it’s a pleasure to work standing/sitting down instead of laying twisted on my back.
Edited by Smokin Donut on Saturday 9th November 02:35
Edited by Smokin Donut on Thursday 16th January 01:20
sjj84 said:
Very helpful thank you. I'm looking at purchasing the mid rise version. How much oil is required and what are the electrical requirements?
My biggest concern is getting it delivered without having a forklift to unload it!
It was about 13 liters of oil I think, its not overly expensive probably around £30-£40.My biggest concern is getting it delivered without having a forklift to unload it!
You need a 32A supply and I fitted the recommended 32A type C breaker (Minimum trip current: 5 to 10 times rated current), in the garage fuse-box which won't be tripped by the large motor start up currents. However I'm not sure this is necessary as the garage is supplied by a standard 32A domestic breaker in the houses main fuse-box and this has never tripped. And you'll obviously need some 32A rated cable and I'd suggest a 32A industrial 3 pin plug. I think all in these cost me £25.
The important thing is to perform the bleeding procedure to the letter, if any air remains in the system the lift won't work properly. And to ensure the lift has been shimmed level.
Ideally I should have built the floor with the required recesses so the lift was flush with the floor. Hindsight is a great thing!!
peterperkins said:
Nice walkthru and pics. Thanks
What sort of safety devices does it have for when you are working underneath the car?
It uses a slave second ram with parachute (one way) valves to prevent the lift from falling if the primary ram or a hose fails. This means you can stop the lift at any height and there is no need for physical locks. The technician at the factory explained that if you cut any of the hoses the lift won't drop more than 10mm.What sort of safety devices does it have for when you are working underneath the car?
There is also a laser that cuts the motor if the ramps come out of alignment, however the only reason this would happen is if you have air in the system as the pressure balancing line ensures both ramps raise at the same speed.
Edited by Smokin Donut on Wednesday 23 October 21:35
This is very useful timing, I've been looking at the Automotech lifts as well, I have a VX220 so your Elise comments are useful.
The 7430H caught my eye, a little more than the 7230, however looks like it could be handy with cars with lower ground clearance, did you consider this / any other thoughts?
As well as the vx220 we have a Touareg and a Fiesta, so the ability to get them all up in the air is important.
Cheers
Rob
The 7430H caught my eye, a little more than the 7230, however looks like it could be handy with cars with lower ground clearance, did you consider this / any other thoughts?
As well as the vx220 we have a Touareg and a Fiesta, so the ability to get them all up in the air is important.
Cheers
Rob
robsdesk said:
This is very useful timing, I've been looking at the Automotech lifts as well, I have a VX220 so your Elise comments are useful.
The 7430H caught my eye, a little more than the 7230, however looks like it could be handy with cars with lower ground clearance, did you consider this / any other thoughts?
As well as the vx220 we have a Touareg and a Fiesta, so the ability to get them all up in the air is important.
Cheers
Rob
I did consider the 7430H but I didn't have enough length in my workshop floor and was worried the length of the front ramps would push the car further to the back of the workshop than I would have liked. I wanted the car to be centralized when in the air so I could work at the front or the back sat on a stool.The 7430H caught my eye, a little more than the 7230, however looks like it could be handy with cars with lower ground clearance, did you consider this / any other thoughts?
As well as the vx220 we have a Touareg and a Fiesta, so the ability to get them all up in the air is important.
Cheers
Rob
Total length of 7430-H is 3.9m and 7230 is 2m, its almost double the length.
My thoughts on the 7430H lift:
- For sure mine involves more messing with pieces of wood etc. and the first time you lift a lowered car it can be a pain to setup. However once you have the position and blocks setup it was easy to repeat (I marked the position of the rear of the drivers door on the ramp for each car so I could easily repeat the position).
- I also want to put different cars, such as Range Rovers, Defenders, Porsche 911's, Beach buggies etc on the lift and with mine I can set the car anywhere forward and aft over the ramp. The low rise ramp has the wheel wedge at the front what on longer cars would dictate where they sat over the ramps.
- When working on the car you have to step over and work around the frame/ramps on the floor. If working on old cars all the crud will end up on the frames.
- When not in use it presents a larger obstruction on the floor of the workshop.
- 7430 has hose lengths for a 935mm gap between the ramps and the 7230 is 800mm. You can decrease the gap a little (I did by 50mm) but the excess hose length has to go somewhere and probably won't fit under the cover trays if you decrease it my too much. The Elise has jacking points very close together at the front.
- The 7430 has an air feed for the lock which I wanted to avoid so I could stop the ramp at any height (I'd check with Automotech on this as they update their lifts from time to time).
- However if you have the space the 7430 does look like a better option for lowered cars and would be quicker to get cars on and up. I guess it depends what you plan to do with the lift.
I have a habit of over thinking these things and to be honest either lift will be great! The above points are just my thoughts and my be way off the mark. I'd been debating which lift to get for such a long time I just made a decision and went for the one i figured would work. It was a revelation working on the Golf while standing up!
Thanks for that, the length is a very valid point - I can fit the longer ramp in to our garage, but I hadn't considered the impact on walking around it, this would be a pain around my workbench. The approach you've taken with wooden blocks / buying the additional Low rise ramps would probably be a better option.
How do you handle lifting the Elise - undertray on or off?
Thanks again,
Rob
How do you handle lifting the Elise - undertray on or off?
Thanks again,
Rob
kambites said:
Out of interest, how do you use it to lift the Elise, given that the rear jacking points are hidden under the under-tray? I've vaguely considered a lift but couldn't really see a way to use it conveinently with the Elise.
I'm still working on this as the Golf has taken priority as its not running (wife's car). Some people claim to lift with jacking points B and A using a ratchet strap from the front of the car to the lift to avoid it tipping backwards. I'm not happy with this.Elise Shop do these jacking blocks https://www.elise-shop.com/lift-pucks-elise-exige-... that go between the under-tray and the engine tray. If I understand correctly this means so long as you get you're blocks in the right place you can jack from points C without taking off the under-tray. I've ordered a set and once the Golf is off the lift I'll let you know how I get on. Otherwise you'd need to remove the 2 rear under-trays first, which is fine for major long term work, but no good for a quick Cat change or wheel arch clean etc.
There is a solution to every problem, just varies in how much of a ball ache it is!
As there is some interest, a few further thoughts:
During the installation Automotech were very helpful and knowledgeable on the phone. I noticed the female connector for the upper limit optical proximity sensor was wired differently (wire colors didn’t match) to the male connector. I called Automotech and they said to plug it in. When I did the lift wouldn’t operate. When I unplugged the sensor the lift worked. After some testing I realized the sensor wasn’t working and the incorrect wiring had probably shorted it. Automotech dispatched a replacement that arrived the next day and with the wire colors matching it worked fine.
I used an airline and hoover to clean out the drilled holes before hammering the expanding bolts, you have to get these all the way down first time!
If your workshop is at the bottom of the garden (like me) hiring a trailer and engine lift (I already had both) should work, but it’s not as easy as it looks. Don’t underestimate the weight of the ramps, they are HEAVY. And lifting them isn’t easy, at first I lifted from the top and the ramps just extended, leaving the bottom frame on the trailer. I had to lift from the mounting points for the end ramps with a rope around each end stopping it extending.
You can push the lifts around on the floor if you sit down and use your feet but not far, you need to get them close to final position before putting them on the ground.
I’d suggest if you you’re worried about doing the installation yourself and don’t have the tools/equipment to hand I’d consider paying to have the lift installed by Automotech.
I personally enjoy the challenge of building things, with the resultant understanding of how it works.
During the installation Automotech were very helpful and knowledgeable on the phone. I noticed the female connector for the upper limit optical proximity sensor was wired differently (wire colors didn’t match) to the male connector. I called Automotech and they said to plug it in. When I did the lift wouldn’t operate. When I unplugged the sensor the lift worked. After some testing I realized the sensor wasn’t working and the incorrect wiring had probably shorted it. Automotech dispatched a replacement that arrived the next day and with the wire colors matching it worked fine.
I used an airline and hoover to clean out the drilled holes before hammering the expanding bolts, you have to get these all the way down first time!
If your workshop is at the bottom of the garden (like me) hiring a trailer and engine lift (I already had both) should work, but it’s not as easy as it looks. Don’t underestimate the weight of the ramps, they are HEAVY. And lifting them isn’t easy, at first I lifted from the top and the ramps just extended, leaving the bottom frame on the trailer. I had to lift from the mounting points for the end ramps with a rope around each end stopping it extending.
You can push the lifts around on the floor if you sit down and use your feet but not far, you need to get them close to final position before putting them on the ground.
I’d suggest if you you’re worried about doing the installation yourself and don’t have the tools/equipment to hand I’d consider paying to have the lift installed by Automotech.
I personally enjoy the challenge of building things, with the resultant understanding of how it works.
Edited by Smokin Donut on Sunday 10th November 23:09
Toaster Pilot said:
Do they have a showroom or is it just a warehouse?
They have a small showroom displaying smaller tools (wheel balance machine, tool chests etc.) but no car lifts. I think they function test the lifts themselves before packaging them up. If you phone them they may let you see a lift being function tested as the workshop is next door to the showroom?In your pic of the rubber block lifting the white car, is that a hockey puck between the rubber block and the car? Why have you used it on top of the block?
What size drill bit did you need for the floor bolts?
I've been tempted to buy one of these for months, keep putting it off as I really don't need it, but your thread has made me decide to go for it. Tried to order one today and typically they're out of stock of the model I want in 240v, hopefully be available at the end of the month. Also going to order an engine crane to assist in fitting, looks to make the job much easier.
What size drill bit did you need for the floor bolts?
I've been tempted to buy one of these for months, keep putting it off as I really don't need it, but your thread has made me decide to go for it. Tried to order one today and typically they're out of stock of the model I want in 240v, hopefully be available at the end of the month. Also going to order an engine crane to assist in fitting, looks to make the job much easier.
You mention you might use it for lifting a Defender. I've considered one of these for working on my 110 but am unsure whether it will work well with Defender's chassis rails being set so far in from the outside fo the car. Are the lifting platforms the right width to pick up on a Defender chassis?
sjj84 said:
In your pic of the rubber block lifting the white car, is that a hockey puck between the rubber block and the car? Why have you used it on top of the block?
What size drill bit did you need for the floor bolts?
I've been tempted to buy one of these for months, keep putting it off as I really don't need it, but your thread has made me decide to go for it. Tried to order one today and typically they're out of stock of the model I want in 240v, hopefully be available at the end of the month. Also going to order an engine crane to assist in fitting, looks to make the job much easier.
Which model are you going for? Like you I don't really need it, and it is all this threads fault!What size drill bit did you need for the floor bolts?
I've been tempted to buy one of these for months, keep putting it off as I really don't need it, but your thread has made me decide to go for it. Tried to order one today and typically they're out of stock of the model I want in 240v, hopefully be available at the end of the month. Also going to order an engine crane to assist in fitting, looks to make the job much easier.
sjj84 said:
In your pic of the rubber block lifting the white car, is that a hockey puck between the rubber block and the car? Why have you used it on top of the block?
.
Not all cars are designed to be lifted on the vertical edge, some vw pre approx 2000, ford Granada/Scorpio amongst others. Incorrect use will crush the edge. As these cars were designed for their jack to be fitted supporting on the flat section of the cill at the top of the vertical seem. 2 post lifts on those cars should be lifting on either solid box sections/ other mounts or use something like this puck with a slot cut in it so it supports the sill correctly..
sjj84 said:
In your pic of the rubber block lifting the white car, is that a hockey puck between the rubber block and the car? Why have you used it on top of the block?
What size drill bit did you need for the floor bolts?
I've been tempted to buy one of these for months, keep putting it off as I really don't need it, but your thread has made me decide to go for it. Tried to order one today and typically they're out of stock of the model I want in 240v, hopefully be available at the end of the month. Also going to order an engine crane to assist in fitting, looks to make the job much easier.
The reason I started this tread was to reassure people who were undecided. I waited years before ordering mine, you're back will thank you later.What size drill bit did you need for the floor bolts?
I've been tempted to buy one of these for months, keep putting it off as I really don't need it, but your thread has made me decide to go for it. Tried to order one today and typically they're out of stock of the model I want in 240v, hopefully be available at the end of the month. Also going to order an engine crane to assist in fitting, looks to make the job much easier.
I'm by no means an expert on using these lifts as I only installed it in Aug and have only lifted the Elise and Golf. My thoughts are that some cars will take some time messing with blocks of wood/rubber and hockey pucks etc. before you can lift them. But once you've done it once it should be easy to replicate.
I can't remember what size drill bit I used but 16mm rings a bell??? If you call Automotech they will tell you. My concrete was SOLID and without the SDS drill I don't think I would have got all the way down.
AS SMB said: The Golf has a seam sticking out under the sill that the OEM jack (which has a slot in it) uses to locate. The large flat rubber blocks come with the lift and would crush the seam so I used an angle grinder to cut groves out of hockey pucks to fit over the seam without crushing it. You can pick up hockey pucks for a few quid on ebay.
blueST said:
You mention you might use it for lifting a Defender. I've considered one of these for working on my 110 but am unsure whether it will work well with Defender's chassis rails being set so far in from the outside fo the car. Are the lifting platforms the right width to pick up on a Defender chassis?
I haven't tried to lift the Defender yet, its a 2016 so I was only going to do a bolt check and wax-oil. If you measure between the chassis rails and they are less than 800mm from inside edge to inside edge its potentially not going to be easy to lift. I considered a couple of lengths of heavy duty rectangular box section placed across the ramps and lifting from these. I'm beginning to wondering why all the cars I own appear to be tricky to lift................Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff