[aerostar]

Originally Posted by Emilime75

Do the Jiffy Lube type places not have to meet OSHA requirements?

Just a classic case of someone on the internet making shit up and putting keywords like OSHA or "the law" into the sentence to make it seem real.

[Maynard]

Pits used to be very common, back when lifts cost a lot more and were much more complicated (needed huge hydraulic cylinder embedded down into the foundation). With the new cheaper lifts, they have been rendered largely obsolete (and most that I ever saw were really just pits, not fancy underground workshops).

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

I don't think they're outlawed. Lots of (most?) semitruck/bus service stations use pits.
This is of course because it's not so easy to lift a 10+ tonne vehicle as it is to lift a car.

Also a pit is safer in lots of situations compared to a lift.
A lift can collapse, a vehicle can fall from a lift, and, in this instance, the bushings have to be torqued in the riding position: If you want to achieve that on a lift you have to put a lot of pressure under the wheel while the car is on the lift. That is a very dangerous situation.

A commercial 2-post lift if correctly installed is not going to collapse even after 50 years. All certified lifts have safety locks.

To torque suspension bolts, I've simply used my under-hoist transmission jack under the wheel to load the suspension (at the corner of the car) where the torque sequence is required to set the bushings at the correct position. I just lift the corner of the car off the lift arm pad a few millimeters. No danger in using that technique.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by jmhumr

I've been to brand new Valvoline instant oil change places that have pits, so I don't think it has anything to do with regulation. It's just the cheaper and safer option for shops that don't offer tire or suspension work.

I was at one of these also to get oil change on the truck in the middle of bfg. It also had a pit. It seems useful for these types of places as we stayed in the truck the whole time. Pretty sure you can't stay in the vehicle if they are lifting it.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Maynard

Pits used to be very common, back when lifts cost a lot more and were much more complicated (needed huge hydraulic cylinder embedded down into the foundation). With the new cheaper lifts, they have been rendered largely obsolete (and most that I ever saw were really just pits, not fancy underground workshops).

In-ground lifts are still manufactured and offered by most of the major lift companies. This thread got me curious enough to research when the 2-post above-ground lift was introduced. As far as a date, Rotary claims it's first 2-post lift was introduced in 1976. I would have thought much earlier, more like the 1950's. Rotary claims to be the inventor of the automotive hydraulic lift in 1927.

The problem with a pit is with a brand like BMW or Mercedes. The oil filter is up top, vs. underneath near the oil drain.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

In-ground lifts are still manufactured and offered by most of the major lift companies. This thread got me curious enough to research when the 2-post above-ground lift was introduced. As far as a date, Rotary claims it's first 2-post lift was introduced in 1976. I would have thought much earlier, more like the 1950's. Rotary claims to be the inventor of the automotive hydraulic lift in 1927.

The problem with a pit is with a brand like BMW or Mercedes. The oil filter is up top, vs. underneath near the oil drain.

True but you still have to drain it. On my Z4M I had bought a pump to suck out the oil through the fill tube. Worked pretty well.