A tail lift is an auxiliary lifting equipment installed on medium-tonnage trucks, vans and other vehicles. It simplifies loading and unloading: it lowers to the ground and rises to the floor level of the vehicle, and on some models, its angle of inclination is adjustable. During operation, it is subject to high loads, so it requires regular maintenance and repair. In this article, we will analyze common causes of tail lift failures - what they are, why they occur and how to fix them.
Tail lift failure categories
At first glance, the tail lift has a simple design, but its construction is quite complex. In addition to the platform, there is a lifting mechanism with hydraulic drives and a cylinder, a hydraulic station with batteries, an electric motor, pumps and a control unit. A breakdown can be in any unit, such a cause must be found and eliminated.
Let's take a closer look at the main categories of malfunctions:
- In hydraulics, these are key units that ensure the lifting of loads. Most often, a fluid leak appears, which leads to the failure of the entire system. Depressurization occurs due to the wear of seals or their external damage. Restoration includes replacing seals with new ones, as well as installing elements that have failed: pumps, valves, bushings or high-pressure hoses.
- In mechanics, this is natural wear of hinge pins, bushings, platforms, booms or hydraulic cylinder units. In most cases, they are replaced, welding of some elements is allowed. Sometimes adjustment is enough, it can be done at a service center.
- In electrical engineering, it ensures convenient control of hydraulics and safety during work. Repairs include only the replacement of failed elements, with the exception of large units such as an electric drive or a control unit. In them, elements that have burned out or received other damage are subject to replacement.
The main reasons for the breakdown of the tail lift
Why do hydraulic tail lifts break? - among the most common reasons, experts point out the following:
- Overload - the manufacturer strongly recommends not to exceed the permissible loads and indicates this information in the technical data sheet. Modern equipment has a fairly large margin of safety and for most tasks it is quite sufficient. However, it is not recommended to exceed these limits, since this is fraught not only with breakdowns, but also with accidents: the load can fall and cause injury.
- Ignoring maintenance - it includes certain operations that help prevent equipment malfunctions. For example: over time, metal / rubber shavings and other contaminants accumulate in the hydraulic fluid, they damage the seals, which leads to depressurization. If it is replaced in a timely manner, the seals will last longer. Maintenance also includes diagnostics; if the technicians detect wear on a certain unit, they will also replace it.
- Neglect of other manufacturer's recommendations - in addition to loads, the manufacturer may provide other requirements, such as pressure, power, climatic conditions, etc. If these rules are followed, the equipment will work for a long time, otherwise you will have to face repairs. If you do not want to eliminate such consequences, carefully read this information.
- Mechanical damage - most often occurs as a result of road accidents or careless operation of the equipment.
- Errors when choosing a hydraulic side - each model is designed for a certain lifting capacity, differs in size and functionality. You also need to take into account the installation features: what kind of machines the equipment is intended for, its capabilities, such as nominal and maximum load. Quite often there are cases when owners buy equipment with modest characteristics and try to exploit it to the maximum. All this ultimately leads to multiple breakdowns and complex repairs. To avoid such cases, it is recommended to carefully read the descriptions and consult a specialist before purchasing.
What to do if the tail lift fails?
Doing repairs yourself is always a big risk. The hydraulic system, mechanics and electrical control of such installations are quite complex, so if a person without experience takes on the job, he will face serious difficulties. For example, improper assembly of the hydraulic pump can lead to accidents due to the load falling.
Contacting specialists is a reasonable decision. If you notice that the hydraulic tail lift has started to work with jerks, jams or other failures, it is better to send the equipment to a specialized service. Do not use if there is play in the hinge joints, the buttons on the remote control are jammed and in other similar cases. This is contrary to safety requirements, these faults require elimination. We repair and maintenance of tail lifts are carried out strictly according to technical regulations. Our technicians will carry out diagnostics, identify and eliminate the breakdown. We use only original spare parts, replace them with a performance check. Our consultant will provide detailed information.