Shop owners who want to ensure that they are buying vehicle lifts that reach the highest levels of safety and performance choose lifts that have been third-party certified to comply with ANSI/ALI ALCTV-1998 standards. In fact, 47 states plus Washington, D.C., and numerous local governments use the International Building Code which requires that all installed vehicle lifts be certified to this standard. Other regulators, such as New York State, Worksafe B.C., and the Ontario Ministry of Labour, have taken even stronger steps, with region-wide regulation supporting requirements for ANSI-compliant lifts. But what many shop owners don’t realize is that installing aftermarket replacement parts on a vehicle lift can invalidate the lift’s certification and create risk management issues.
“Certification of an automotive lift includes a process for documenting the lift’s components within the control drawings, submitting required stress calculations, and documenting that component performance does not adversely impact lift performance,” explained R.W. O’Gorman, president/CEO of the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI). “Replacing worn, damaged or broken parts only with parts furnished or approved by the original equipment manufacturer is key to a shop owner’s risk management efforts. If you were responsible and savvy enough to buy a third-party certified lift in the first place, why potentially place safety and performance at risk by installing imitation parts?”
Rotary Lift recommends using only original equipment (OE) replacement parts to ensure proper fit and function on any brand of vehicle lift.
OE parts were designed and built specifically for a particular lift. Aftermarket parts are reverse-engineered to fit. If they aren’t made of the same materials as the originals, they may not last as long, resulting in increased downtime. The tolerances of the parts may also be different from the originals. This can have a serious effect on lift performance and reliability over time. Plus, because they are built by outside companies, aftermarket parts will not always reflect the latest design improvements made by the lift manufacturer.
“Many people think that buying imitation parts will save them time or money,” said Ron Lainhart, Rotary Lift parts and service manager. “But often that isn’t the case. Sometimes imitation parts actually cost more or they’re not in stock, so you have to wait longer than you would if you bought an OE part from your local distributor. Genuine Rotary Parts are competitively priced and have been tested to meet ANSI standards. Plus, we guarantee that standard wear parts will ship within 24 hours or the freight is free.”
Lainhart also warns shop owners to be alert to counterfeit parts. The Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act that was signed into law by President Bush in 2006 states that it is illegal to misrepresent a part built by a third party as a genuine replacement part. These counterfeit parts may be labeled “Made for Rotary Lift Model XXX.” To ensure that you are buying genuine OE replacement parts, purchase them from factory-authorized distributors and installers.
For more information about Genuine Rotary Parts or any other Rotary Lift products or services, contact your local Rotary distributor, call Rotary at (800) 640-5438 or visit www.rotarylift.com. For more information about vehicle lift certification, visit the ALI website at www.autolift.org.