4 post lift
- Thread starter screwy
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saabman
Well-known member
With a Bendpack HD-9, you dont have to bolt it to the floor. Cant speak to other lifts.
jimmie jam
Well-known member
not necessary to bolt a four poster to the floor at all.
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
Generally, no. They're usually very stable without bolting them down.
ghnl
Well-known member
No floor bolting needed. Actually many come with (or have available) caster kits that'll allow one to move the lift around (with the lift in the lowered position).
MSG C5
Well-known member
I have two Corvette friends who have 4-post lifts; i.e. Bend Pak and Back Yard Buddy. Both have optional casters and can move the lifts, so no bolts required.
The Bend Pak is even installed over a Race Deck floor with no problems.
Go for it!
Someday....
The Bend Pak is even installed over a Race Deck floor with no problems.
Go for it!
Someday....
Fiberglass Fred
Well-known member
It's not absolutely required, but it makes a huge difference in structural integrity.
I saw one 4 post that fell when 1 of the posts bent and gave out. Had the other 3 posts been bolted down, it most likely would have been able to hold up the top car and not damage the car below. Furthermore, the one post probably wouldn't have given out in the first place, if it been bolted down.
In that case, I'm not 100% sure, but I think it fell because the one post skewed out of being true 90 degrees to the floor. Maybe the lift was bumped by another car. Or maybe the lift was moved and not totally square when they set it back down. In any event, many people noted that there wouldn't have been any damage had it been bolted down.
Hopefully one of you guys can find the story (and pictures) about it somewhere on the internet. I looked just now and was unable to locate it.
I saw one 4 post that fell when 1 of the posts bent and gave out. Had the other 3 posts been bolted down, it most likely would have been able to hold up the top car and not damage the car below. Furthermore, the one post probably wouldn't have given out in the first place, if it been bolted down.
In that case, I'm not 100% sure, but I think it fell because the one post skewed out of being true 90 degrees to the floor. Maybe the lift was bumped by another car. Or maybe the lift was moved and not totally square when they set it back down. In any event, many people noted that there wouldn't have been any damage had it been bolted down.
Hopefully one of you guys can find the story (and pictures) about it somewhere on the internet. I looked just now and was unable to locate it.
darkk
Well-known member
If it was a quality lift to start with, there wouldn't have been any problem. We have a BendPak HD9XW 4 post not bolted and it is pretty sturdy. I don't think I would worry about it. They even sell a caster kit to move it with and without a vehicle on it. Not with the vehicle way up obviously...
gsport
Well-known member
i'm pretty sure that all these lift break downs are "all" from operator error and not the fault of the lift.. i like the portability of my four post when i need it, it's not bolted down.
I suppose it couldn't hurt to bolt a 4 post down....but my BendPak HD9 is not and it's fine. Evne with my Excursion raised...all is good.
While I understand GTViper's side, I can't imagine any lift company would sell a lift with the wheels if it "had" to be bolted down.
While I understand GTViper's side, I can't imagine any lift company would sell a lift with the wheels if it "had" to be bolted down.
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smooth72
Well-known member
I have a direct lift that is not bolted and I feel totally secure under it.
I've only found two documented 4 post failures I've been able to find over the past 6 years of reading about them.
From what I remember reading both lifts collapsed because of a problem with the pulley/sheave system that allowed one cable to go slack. Neither brand incorporated a dual safety lock system that engages the secondary locks instantly if a cable becomes slack, breaks, or comes off a pulley.
The first one was an AutoLifters who subsequently went out of business after the ordeal. I had the pics of this one backed up on a disk somewhere years ago, the pics have long since been deleted from the existing old threads. It had a BMW on the lift at the time. I will post the failure pics if I run across them again.
But here are a couple pics to show what an Autolifters lift looks like:
And here is some pics to look at from the corvette forums of the failed Perfect Park 7000:
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I've noticed with mine that the more weight you put on it, the sturdier it feels.
I have the caster set posted. And it is super easy to push around in a circle by yourself like the guy does! But not too many homeowers will be doing donuts with thier lifts, they are more likely to push it outside or sideways to the next bay. To do this you need to point the wheels the direction your going, and it's way easier with two people, but one can do it by pushing one column and then the other in equal increments till you get where you want it.
Texas Aggie
Well-known member
I'm sure there are lots of varying opinions on this subject, but I ended up bolting down my Bendpak HD-9 lift. I have an epoxy floor that is fairly slick (but far from a "mirror" finish). The first time I pulled the car on the lift with it unbolted, I got up on the ramps and felt the entire lift shift forward when I stepped on the brakes. I think it's fairly important to keep the columns perfectly vertical, so I ended up bolting mine down. Maybe I could've learned a technique to be softer on the brakes and avoid the sliding problem, but I didn't want to take any chances. In addition, my wife has to park in a fairly tight spot next to the lift. If she ever bumped one of the columns pulling in or out, I think the bolts add some level of structural integrity (but I sincerely hope I never have to test that).
Obviously, the manufacturers sell casters to roll the lift around so they must believe that it's not necessary. But if I'm going to be the one under the car, I want to make sure it's secure. Just my 2 cents.
Obviously, the manufacturers sell casters to roll the lift around so they must believe that it's not necessary. But if I'm going to be the one under the car, I want to make sure it's secure. Just my 2 cents.
One think to think about other that rigidity of bolting it down is something that I have read people say has happened to them. If your pulling up on the lift and hit the brakes too hard when 2 wheels are on the ground and 2 wheels on the lift you can make the lift slide across the floor some.
Mine is not bolted and I've never had this happen, but I drive on super slow and don't slam on the brakes either.. But good reason to not stand directly in front of the lift when guiding someone else onto it.
Mine is not bolted and I've never had this happen, but I drive on super slow and don't slam on the brakes either.. But good reason to not stand directly in front of the lift when guiding someone else onto it.
I saw the video and thought that would work great for me but was concerned about the strength. I need to get the garage built before I start shopping for lifts
mikeyr
Well-known member
The pics of the failed lift is a Lifts Unlimited and it failed because a bolt backed out on a pulley sheave and let the cable go. 7 or 8 years ago they sent a hand drawn drawing by a 4 year old, some bolts and a rusty metal plate to all the owners roughly explaining where to mount the plate to prevent it from happening. I actually could not figure out the drawing and never did the upgrade but I check the lift often. I plan on doing the upgrade someday but I am well aware of the failure mode so I keep an eye on it. I was super disappointed with their drawing and instructions, pretty sure he had his 4 year old or grandson draw it AND the instructions up, misspelled words with poor handwriting, showed what a non-quality company this is.
I still have the lift, I planned on selling it when I moved and buying a Bend-Pak but I could not get enough money for it, so I moved it to my new house, going on 10+ years with that lift, no issues, it works great. They are still in business and have fixed the problem.
I still have the lift, I planned on selling it when I moved and buying a Bend-Pak but I could not get enough money for it, so I moved it to my new house, going on 10+ years with that lift, no issues, it works great. They are still in business and have fixed the problem.
I would have absolutely zero desire to get under any hoist that wasn't bolted down.
Sure, it's nice to have the portability, be realistically, how often are you gonna be shuffling and repositioning your hoist?
In the event of an earthquake or uses error (it CAN happen to anyone) wouldn't it be nice to know that you've done the most you can to keep your toys, yourself and anyone else working in your shop as safe as possible?
Doesn't take much to put in a few (or even get someone to put in a few) hilti anchors and secure that bad boy. Even if you want to move it around down the road , it's not much effort to unbolt it, and grind off the studs to be level with the floor.
Sure, it's nice to have the portability, be realistically, how often are you gonna be shuffling and repositioning your hoist?
In the event of an earthquake or uses error (it CAN happen to anyone) wouldn't it be nice to know that you've done the most you can to keep your toys, yourself and anyone else working in your shop as safe as possible?
Doesn't take much to put in a few (or even get someone to put in a few) hilti anchors and secure that bad boy. Even if you want to move it around down the road , it's not much effort to unbolt it, and grind off the studs to be level with the floor.
Fiberglass Fred
Well-known member
I understand that if the lift is rigid, then that's better. And I understand that it's mostly/exclusively operator error creating these failures. Still, bolting them down is a good back up for when something else goes wrong.
I think of it like a book case. The sides and shelves can hold themselves up, but attaching the back makes it 10x stronger. I see the floor as being the "back" that ties it all together.
I figure you could have a primary place where it's bolted, and maybe occasionally move it. But then you'd move it back and bolt it back down...and if it's too hard to line up the posts to the bolts each time, then the lift probably isn't very rigid, and needs the bolts all the much more so.
Looking at those pictures, it is clear that bases on the front two posts are not where they are supposed to be. Heck, one post is at a 45 degree angle. I understand that is probably an effect of the collapse, not the cause of the collapse. At the same time, if those front posts were bolted down, I bet there would have been significantly less damage there. Hanging down a few inches more or less might seem to important, unless you're the guy standing under there when it happens.
I think of it like a book case. The sides and shelves can hold themselves up, but attaching the back makes it 10x stronger. I see the floor as being the "back" that ties it all together.
I figure you could have a primary place where it's bolted, and maybe occasionally move it. But then you'd move it back and bolt it back down...and if it's too hard to line up the posts to the bolts each time, then the lift probably isn't very rigid, and needs the bolts all the much more so.
while this isn't the exact accident I was thinking of, it is quite similar.And here is some pics to look at from the corvette forums of the failed Perfect Park 7000:
Looking at those pictures, it is clear that bases on the front two posts are not where they are supposed to be. Heck, one post is at a 45 degree angle. I understand that is probably an effect of the collapse, not the cause of the collapse. At the same time, if those front posts were bolted down, I bet there would have been significantly less damage there. Hanging down a few inches more or less might seem to important, unless you're the guy standing under there when it happens.
The Wizard
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2010
- Messages
- 88
In the case of an earthquake, I feel it would be better to not have the lift bolted down so it could "walk" an inch or so if needed. Being too rigid can be a bad thing and lead to a catastophe. When I discussed my thoughts with Bendpak prior to purchasing and installing my HD-9, they agreed with my thought process. I spoke with Jeff regarding this matter too, and he agreed as well FWIW.
So, in my case, I didn't bolt mine down to laziness or anything, but I figured I'd be better off in case of an earthquake. Being in CA, earthquakes happen quit frequently as you guys know. Just my opinion of course.