A newly installed hydraulic lift should normally move smoothly and steadily.
But what happens when a newly installed lift begins to shake during operation?
Recently, we had a real troubleshooting case involving a two-rail, two-cylinder hydraulic guide rail lift.
The customer reported that the platform was shaking intermittently while going upward. It would not simply rise smoothly; instead, it moved with a noticeable “jerk, pause, jerk” motion.
There was also some shaking during lowering, but the problem was more obvious during upward movement.
Rather than immediately replacing any components, we decided to troubleshoot the lift step by step.
The First Check: Guide Rails and Rollers
Because the equipment uses guide rails, the first possibility we considered was mechanical friction.
A problem with guide rail alignment, guide roller adjustment, lubrication, or damage could potentially cause uneven platform movement.
The customer inspected the guide rails carefully.
There were no obvious scratches or abnormal wear marks.
The guide rollers were also checked and were rotating freely.
The rails were lubricated as an additional test.
Unfortunately, the platform still shook.
This made it less likely that the guide rail or roller system was responsible for the problem.
Checking the Chain and Safety Wire Rope
The next step was to inspect the chain and safety wire rope.
We considered whether the safety wire rope might have been adjusted too tightly and could be creating resistance during movement.
For the test, the customer was asked to disconnect the chain and safety wire rope and loosen the safety wire rope.
It is important to clarify that the safety wire rope is a safety protection component, not a component intended to carry the normal lifting load.
Even after the adjustment, however, the shaking remained.
So we continued.
Isolating the Hydraulic Cylinder
The next test was more important.
We wanted to know whether the shaking was actually being caused by the platform and mechanical system, or whether the hydraulic cylinder itself was behaving abnormally.
The customer disconnected the mechanical components and allowed the hydraulic cylinder to operate independently.
During this test, an interesting symptom appeared.
The cylinder itself produced an intermittent, segmented sound while operating.
This was a major clue.
If the platform is shaking, but the cylinder is also operating intermittently when isolated from the platform, the hydraulic system becomes a much stronger suspect.
Checking the Pump Station
We then checked the hydraulic power unit.
The pump station sounded normal.
There was no obvious abnormal noise from the pump station itself.
The unusual sound seemed to be coming from the cylinder.
At this point, we had already checked several possibilities:
Guide rails → guide rollers → lubrication → chain → safety wire rope → mechanical resistance → pump station
None of these checks explained the problem.
So we began looking more closely at the hydraulic circuit.
Could There Be Air in the Hydraulic System?
One possibility was air trapped inside the hydraulic cylinder or hydraulic lines.
This can happen during installation or commissioning, especially when hydraulic piping is relatively long.
Unlike hydraulic oil, trapped air can be compressed. If air remains in the system, the cylinder may not move as smoothly as expected.
Depending on the system, trapped air can contribute to:
Jerky movement
Intermittent cylinder movement
Vibration
Unusual hydraulic noise
Uneven lifting
Uneven lowering
Based on the symptoms we observed, trapped air became the most likely explanation.
Bleeding the System
For this particular lift, we asked the customer to carry out a hydraulic bleeding procedure.
The cylinder was first returned to its fully closed position.
The manual lowering valve on the pump station was then opened so that oil could return.
The cylinder was raised again, but it was stopped before reaching the maximum position.
It was then lowered again.
This cycle was repeated approximately three or four times.
The purpose was to allow trapped air to escape from the cylinder and hydraulic lines.
After that, the cylinder was connected back to the platform.
The complete lift was then operated through several additional raising and lowering cycles.
The system was monitored during the process.
The Problem Was Basically Gone
After bleeding the hydraulic system, the customer tested the lift again.
The result was very different.
The previous intermittent shaking was basically gone.
The platform moved much more smoothly.
This confirmed that the hydraulic system was the most likely source of the problem, with trapped air being the likely cause.
The important point is that the cylinder itself was not necessarily defective.
The guide rails were not defective.
The rollers were not defective.
The safety wire rope was not the problem.
The pump station was also operating normally.
The problem was most likely related to air remaining in the hydraulic circuit after installation.
Why Systematic Troubleshooting Matters
This case is a good example of why hydraulic equipment should be diagnosed step by step.
When a lift shakes, it is easy to immediately suspect the mechanical structure.
But several different systems can produce similar symptoms.
For example:
Mechanical problems may cause:
Friction
Scratching
Abnormal roller movement
Uneven resistance
Hydraulic problems may cause:
Jerking
Intermittent cylinder movement
Hydraulic noise
Vibration
Uneven lifting
The symptoms can sometimes look similar.
That is why isolating individual components and systems can save a lot of unnecessary work.
A Useful Tip During Installation
For guide rail hydraulic lifts, we recommend paying particular attention to hydraulic bleeding during installation and commissioning.
This is especially important when the hydraulic lines are relatively long.
After the hydraulic system has been installed and connected, the system may require proper bleeding before the lift reaches its normal operating condition.
If a newly installed hydraulic lift shows abnormal shaking, don't immediately assume that a major component is damaged.
First check the basics.
Check the guide rails.
Check the rollers.
Check the mechanical connections.
Check the safety components.
Listen to the pump station.
Then, if the mechanical components appear normal, investigate the hydraulic system.
And don't forget one simple possibility:
There may still be air in the hydraulic circuit.
Final Thoughts
Every installation gives us another opportunity to learn.
This particular case started with a shaking platform and ended with a relatively simple solution.
The most valuable part was not simply finding the cause.
It was the troubleshooting process.
Instead of replacing parts based on assumptions, we isolated the different systems and tested them one by one.
That approach helped us determine that the problem was most likely caused by trapped air in the hydraulic cylinder and/or hydraulic lines.
For hydraulic lifting equipment, careful installation, commissioning, testing, and systematic troubleshooting are just as important as the equipment itself.
A smooth lift starts with a properly commissioned hydraulic system.
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