Rotary Lift offers three affordable retrofit options to install a new certified lift in an existing pit. According to the company, these retrofit options are offered for repair shops looking for an affordable option to upgrade heavy-duty inground lifts that are 20 to 40 years old.

Rotary Lift’s 70Q, MOD30 and MOD35 heavy-duty inground lifts are available as direct structural “frame only” replacements for all Rotary Lift standard inground lifts, as well as most competitive inground lifts of this vintage. If an existing pit is still good, Rotary Lift says that this strategy can save shops up to 50% of the cost of installing a new heavy-duty inground lift in a new pit. At the same time, installing one of the new ALI-certified lifts will bring the shop into compliance with ANSI safety standards and International Building Code (IBC) requirements, according to Rotary Lift.

Each hydraulic jack in a Rotary Lift heavy-duty frame-only retrofit inground lift has from 25,000 to 35,000 lb. capacity. In most 20- to 40-year-old pits, each inground lift cylinder is rated at 18,000 lbs. Before the Rotary Lift retrofit options can be considered, the shop’s existing pit must be evaluated by a structural engineer to ensure it is in good condition and to determine how much additional load it can support.

“The cost of a new pit is a big part of the investment in a new inground lift,” said Doug Spiller, Rotary Lift’s heavy-duty product manager. “We’ve found the majority of 20- to 40-year-old inground lift pits can safely handle additional lifting capacity. When that’s the case, Rotary Lift provides viable and economical choices to upgrade to a higher-capacity, certified inground lift with minimal pit modification and cost.”

The three retrofit options are as follows, with benefits of each described by the company:

70Q:

• Available with two to three posts for a lifting capacity of 50,000 to 75,000 lbs.
• Simple push button controls eliminate manual equalization of handles.
• Can be built in custom lengths from 13 to 24 ft. in 1 foot increments, to fit the wheelbase needs of all shops.

MOD30:

• Available with two or three cylinders for a lifting capacity from 60,000 to 90,000 lbs.
• Ergonomic upright control console features joystick controls and technology that lets technicians access service, diagnostic and maintenance information, including up to 10 memorized whellbase settings.
• Energy-efficient electric drive assembly requires just a half horsepower motor for wheelbase adjustment.

MOD35:

• Available with two or three multi-stage hydraulic cylinders to provide best-in-class lifting capacity of 70,000 to 105,000 lbs.
• Patent-pending pendant-only remote control lets technicians operate the lift from anywhere around the vehicle for more efficient spotting and lifting.
• Electric console can be located up to 100 ft. away from the lift, providing technicians with additional work space around the vehicle.