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Just realized our building is still using cable-hoist traction elevators from the 80s
I work in a 12-story office building downtown that still runs three Dover lifts from 1986. The new guy keeps calling them 'hydraulic' and I correct him, but now I'm wondering does it even matter for daily maintenance? The old cable systems run smoother than some modern MRLs I've seen, but parts are getting impossible to find. Anyone else stuck maintaining older traction machines and have a line on sourcing brake shoes for these?
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nancy_wood8d ago
Had the same mindset until I rode a friend's new MRL and felt that cheap jerky stop. @kimw57 nailed it, those old Dovers are tanks but parts hunting is a full time job now.
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simonk9822d ago
I remember working in a building that had a 1956 Otis still running smooth until they ripped it out for some cheap MRL. The old guy who trained me, @kimw57 he would say those Dovers just need love and parts. But sourcing brake shoes for those is a nightmare, I feel your pain. Have you tried checking with some of the old school supply houses on the east coast that deal with obsolete stuff? They might have some NOS sitting in a dusty warehouse. The cable systems are way smoother for sure, but when a part goes you're stuck for weeks.
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