Stertil-Koni announced that the company has developed a free-standing, rolling pit jack with a capacity of 30,000 lbs. The jack is specifically designed to safely operate on the pit floor entirely independent of upper pit edges.
Lifting is done by an air-driven, fully hydraulic pump actuated by tandem foot pedals. One pedal raises the piston to be in contact with the vehicle being lifted, while the other allows precision lifting in small increments. This approach is intended to enable the service technician to be “hands-free” to work on the vehicle or operate other tools.
According to the company, tens of thousands of aging, below- floor, concrete pits in America’s heavy-duty workshops currently do not have the proper equipment to enable mechanics to safely remove under-vehicle components, including transmissions, axles, exhaust systems and more. As a result, many pits are rendered virtually useless other than for routine inspections and standard lubrication maintenance.
With the new system, the jack frame is supported on wheels for easy relocation within the pit, but the frame immediately settles to the floor when a load is applied. Finally, the jack is designed to draw the piston back quickly and easily, even when unloaded, to ensure that the vehicle does not contact the jack while driving over the pit.
Both the piston rod and the pump piston are hard-chrome plated for protection against corrosion and water. The carriage of the Rolling Pit Jack is also automatically lowered to enhance safety when handling loads of one ton or more. The integral locking brakes are likewise designed for maximum stability, notes Stertil-Koni.
Two models are available. The FPJ-150-F is fitted with a fixed vertical piston and the FPJ-150-U has a vertical piston that also moves side to side.