My old method for aligning elevator guide rails was all feel and no tools

I used to just eyeball the plumb line and adjust those rail brackets by hand until it looked straight. Took forever and I'd always be going back to tweak things after the car ran rough on test. About 6 months ago I picked up a cheap laser alignment kit from a supply house in Chicago, cost me around $180. Now I can set those rails dead nuts straight in half the time. The first job I used it on was a 4-stop hydraulic in an old office building, no callbacks for noise or wobble. Anyone else switch to lasers or still trusting the old string and level?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix15520d ago

Last year I switched over to a laser on a 6 stop job downtown and honestly it was a game changer. My old method was basically the same as yours, lots of squinting and redoing brackets after the test run. That first ride after I set the rails with the laser, the car was so smooth I almost didn't believe it. It just feels good knowing you aren't going to get that phone call a week later about a rough ride. Have you had any issues with the laser getting knocked out of alignment on the job site?

aaron67720d ago

Man, I gotta disagree with you on that one. I've had too many lasers get bumped or accidentally moved on busy job sites to trust them completely. I'll stick with my levels and shims, it's slower but I know it's right.