9K two post for a pick-up truck?

[MushCreek]

I know; 9000 lbs. is 9000 lbs. Is a 9K asymmetrical two post considered adequate for a full-size pick-up? My '72 F250 is around 4700 lbs, and my '95 F150 4X4 is about 4200, according to google searches. At my age, I don't anticipate working on anything heavier. If I get an older truck, it will be lighter than that. My old '40 Ford was less than 3000 lbs. My concern is that pick-ups generally don't have very good weight distribution. I'm talking a few times a year usage for a hobbyist, not commercial use. There are lots of affordable 9K lifts out there.

 

[finn]

My Regular Cab Super Duty has been sitting on the 10k BendPack since before Christmas, and shows no sign of toppling over. Worked fine on the crew cab Ram, too.

If in doubt upgrade to at least a 10k lift.

That’s what I ended up doing. The lighter lift would have saved me a little money, but I wouldn’t be comfortable putting the trucks on it.

Also, if you are working on a full sized pickup, get a wide version of whatever brand lift you end up with.

 

[bigdav160]

I pick up my two trucks (8600lbs) with a Rotary 9000 asymmetric lift. It doesn't like it that much but it'll do it.

 

[mike93lx]

I know; 9000 lbs. is 9000 lbs. Is a 9K asymmetrical two post considered adequate for a full-size pick-up? My '72 F250 is around 4700 lbs, and my '95 F150 4X4 is about 4200, according to google searches. At my age, I don't anticipate working on anything heavier. If I get an older truck, it will be lighter than that. My old '40 Ford was less than 3000 lbs. My concern is that pick-ups generally don't have very good weight distribution. I'm talking a few times a year usage for a hobbyist, not commercial use. There are lots of affordable 9K lifts out there.

Weight distribution of the vehicle doesn't matter. It is either balanced when you lift or not. A bigger lift won't address that, you just lift it further forward than an SUV or car

 

[CJM8515]

It would be smart to put a trans.engine stand jack under the hitch or frame to keep it up there and balanced. I warn everyone who wants to lift a larger full frame suv or truck-make sure the arms are far enough out to support the load. The rear arms dont belong behind the bed where it meets the cab-they belong on the spring perches or frame near that area.

 

[MushCreek]

Seems to be a big price jump going to a 10K lift, and I'm still on the fence about even buying a lift. I won't use it that much, but it sure would be nice when I need it. IOW, I need to buy the cheapest lift I can find, new or used.

 

[pattenp]

I have a 9k Challenger lift and have lifted 6000lb trucks with no problems. The weak point is the concrete connection. Make sure you have good concrete.

 

[3rdgendslmech]

my bigger truck weighs almost 8K was thinking about getting a 9K lift but I'm bumping it up to a 10K for extra insurance.

 

[MushCreek]

I have a 9k Challenger lift and have lifted 6000lb trucks with no problems. The weak point is the concrete connection. Make sure you have good concrete.

I have a good 6" slab, only 8 years old. I had it poured extra thick in anticipation of a lift. I also have a 12' 4" ceiling for the same reason.

 

[speed bump]

Ive seen my F-350 (2011 cclb diesel with about 500 lbs of tools in it) on a 9k lift at the dealership (tare is about 8600 with me in it if I remember correctly).

 

[47p2]

All lifts are not created equally... be careful what you buy. Here's a test report on a 10K lift... Click

 

[ex-x-fire]

It would be smart to put a trans.engine stand jack under the hitch or frame to keep it up there and balanced. I warn everyone who wants to lift a larger full frame suv or truck-make sure the arms are far enough out to support the load. The rear arms dont belong behind the bed where it meets the cab-they belong on the spring perches or frame near that area.

Good luck with that, most of the recent trucks are so long that you can't reach those rear points. The truck makers don't care. There's a full size Toyota I work on that has a gas tank cover that covers the frame. They do give you a little notch to lift at the frame but it's in the cab corner area. I'm just glad most of these trucks are unloaded.

 

[firebirdparts]

155” wheelbase trucks are hard to pick up. You need long arms for that. If your trucks are not long bed supercabs any lift will do fine.

 

[Jim greengo]

All lifts are not created equally... be careful what you buy. Here's a test report on a 10K lift... Click

Wow!

 

[Dureault_s]

Crew can short box Duramax on a challenger 9k asymmetrical 2 post and there is no problem other then lifting point problems. In the process of making custom lift pads for it tho to make it easier. Getting perfect lifting points is trail and error. If your limited on space in the garage try find a buddies hoist and put ur truck on it to find perfect spot then measure out front and back from posts and transfer measurements to your garage. ****** jack if your really doing something serious underneath. Drill through floor and use wedge anchors and epoxy. A mistake I regret I never did!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MrSurly]

Crew cab Short box Duramax here as well on my 9K Worth Asym. The lift doesn't care at all. Runs up the same speed as with the Mini on it. (getting the Mini situated on it takes longer, tho...so low and short!)
That link above illustrates what I worry about when I see a "10,000# lift" and the shipping weight is only 1500lbs! You can paint, you can polish/chrome/decal/camouflage a lot of the visible elements of a cheap dinky lift... but you can't fake MASS. Don't let the salesman tell you about how "heavy duty" it is...if it isn't even heavy.

 

[3rdgendslmech]

What's ironic about that link is that, Greg Smith posted the video, yet it looks just like the 2 post base plate lifts they advertise and sell.
I've kinda lived by a motto "believe half of what you hear and all of what you see"
Companies make videos like this as part of a sales pitch. Was that really a 10K rated lift? Can you believe that the total of the plates was 15,000.
As far as the lift failing with the weight on it, if you've any kind of common Sense if you're lifting a vehicle and it's not lifting even you need to reposition.

 

[Lucid Moments]

I have lifted my crew cab Ram 2500 on a 9k lift. Truck weighs 7700 lbs according to Dodge. Did it just fine. As others have mentioned I put a tall transmission jack under the trailer hitch, and one under the front end as well just for safety's sake, but that was just for balance, not to help with the weight.

 

[Diesel Dan]

Not all 9K lifts are equal for sure.
This is a 9k floor plate Worth and will dwarf those imported lifts.

 

[WIKDRacing]

I have a Danmar D-10ACX and lift my F-350 regularly for oil and fuel filter changes.

 

[CraigStu]

Retired 5 yrs ago fro working as a Lexus tech. The largest SUVs were in the 550-5800# area and we lifted them constantly on 9000# Rotary asymmetrical lifts. I usually fudged them a little more forward than the normal sedans.

 

[pogrelis97]

I have a 9k two post and I don't put more than a half ton truck on it. It will lift 9k and I've done it before, I just don't trust it. I'm hopefully upgrading to a 12k lift soon so I can lift newer 3/4 and 1 ton diesels.

 

[Handyandy23]

As some others have said, not all 9k lifts are equal. ALI certified lifts are tested at 1.5X their rated limit, so a 9K ALI lift was actually tested at 13,500 pounds and had no failure or obvious signs of degradation. That is a lot more than the sub-5,000 pound trucks OPer wants to lift.

That being said, I have one of the non-certified 9K 2-post lifts, and it lifts my 5,600 pound truck with no issues at all. Like others said, balance point might be harder to find, but as far as lifting and holding up the weight safely, zero issues.

There's no point in overkilling it with a huge lift that you don't need IMO. Engineers already factor in a pretty large safety factor in their ratings, and then add on top the ALI safety factor if you have a certified lift, and I don't think you have any issues lifting ~60% of the rated capacity.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

From a trusted manufacturer... 9k is 9k. Actually 9k rated is more like 13k+ with safety factor.

 

[sz0k30]

From a trusted manufacturer... 9k is 9k. Actually 9k rated is more like 13k+ with safety factor.

Absolutely! I don't understand all those people that think #9,000 actually only means #4-5000?

 

[finn]

My lift is 10k and my F450 is right at 9600 tare going across the pit scales.

I won't be putting it on the lift simply because I don't have good sense of where the cg is.

Absolutely! I don't understand all those people that think #9,000 actually only means #4-5000?

 

[c39er]

All lifts are not created equally... be careful what you buy. Here's a test report on a 10K lift... Click

Looks like Chinese 2 post lifts are dangerous.
I'll never buy one now.

 

[Aahz]

I've posted on this topic numerous times and I will do it again.
A 9,000 lbs. capacity lift is rated at 9,000 lbs overall capacity, but each arm is only rated to 1/4 of that capacity. Each arm (in this case) is rated at 2,250 lbs. If you exceed 2,250 lbs. at any one arm, you are exceeding the capacity of the lift. With pickup trucks, it is relatively easy to overload a lift with a truck loaded up with tools.

In addition, vehicles should always be lifted by the manufacturer's recommended lifting points. (That is why the ALI Lifting Points Guide is issued with every AL/ETL Certified Lift.) Just like any other tool in the toolbox, it is there to make your life easier.

Trial and error are common practices and also one of the most common reasons for fatal accidents in lifting vehicles.

 

[walrus]

Looks like Chinese 2 post lifts are dangerous.
I'll never buy one now.

Thats why I bought a Rotary

 

[MushCreek]

If I'm interpreting that failure video correctly, they had 15K pounds on it, not well balanced. I'm planning on less than 5K lbs. VERY carefully balanced. I know enough to not lift an unbalanced load or an excessive load. I'm not going to pick up a truck full of concrete blocks in the bed. People do that stuff, though. I once watched a 'professional' rigger move a $100K, 11,000 lb. CNC machine with an 8K forklift. He had a big basket of scrap on the back as a counterweight. The lift wasn't strong enough to pick it up, so he revved up the engine and jerked on the stick to lift it. Not so bad when he was traveling with it, a couple inches off of the floor, but he removed it from a flatbed about 4' off of the ground. I don't have that kind of balls.

On a related topic- don't they sell safety stands to use when a vehicle is on a lift? A pita, I'm sure, but I'm a hobbyist that has all day to get the job done.

 

[Low50s]

If I'm interpreting that failure video correctly, they had 15K pounds on it, not well balanced. I'm planning on less than 5K lbs. VERY carefully balanced. I know enough to not lift an unbalanced load or an excessive load. I'm not going to pick up a truck full of concrete blocks in the bed. People do that stuff, though. I once watched a 'professional' rigger move a $100K, 11,000 lb. CNC machine with an 8K forklift. He had a big basket of scrap on the back as a counterweight. The lift wasn't strong enough to pick it up, so he revved up the engine and jerked on the stick to lift it. Not so bad when he was traveling with it, a couple inches off of the floor, but he removed it from a flatbed about 4' off of the ground. I don't have that kind of balls.

On a related topic- don't they sell safety stands to use when a vehicle is on a lift? A pita, I'm sure, but I'm a hobbyist that has all day to get the job done.

Yes they make stands Greg Smith has them or even look at bestbuyautoequipment I like to shove one under the hitch of the pickups I work on they are extended cab long bed Chevy so the frame flips up right behind the cab so to lift on spring mounts truck has to be forward. This is all done on a 18k Mohawk 2 post but I still like to put some kind of stand or brace up

 

[firebirdparts]

I would lift 10,000 pounds with a 10,000 pound lift. Otherwise you are just rerating the lift based on total ignorance. There’s no benefit. You do get a sense of the arm deflection at the max when you do that.

 

[finn]

I would lift 10,000 pounds with a 10,000 pound lift. Otherwise you are just rerating the lift based on total ignorance. There’s no benefit. You do get a sense of the arm deflection at the max when you do that.

Read Aahz’s post.

The instructions that came with my 10k lift are very clear that the load must be balanced or the lift must be defatted.

There is no practical method to determine if a 10000 lb load is perfectly balanced, so, by definition, you have to retain some margin if you are going to comply with the manufacturer’s owl design recommendations.

 

[47p2]

Oops that wasn’t good...Click

 

[Joe69]

I never like to use equipment near its rated limit. If you push something to its limit frequently, you need to upsize. That's just my opinion, but it's not worth getting hurt over. I'm not saying I haven't done it, but I'm wary the whole time.

A true 7k lift would do most of what I would use it for, but I will be looking at a 9k unit.

 

[Joe69]

Oops that wasn’t good...Click

What was he thinking, trying to stop it? Get the hell out of the way!!!

Joe

 

[ExxWhy]

That last video was painful to watch.

 

[3rdgendslmech]

Someone posted a link to a video in one of the more recent lift threads about lift failures. They all had 2 things in common just like this one does. 1. If you looked close enough they all looked like they failed in the same way like this video.....the arm locks looked to be disabled or not set properly. 2. Not really relative but all the cars had foreign tags

 

[vision8]

Rotary 2 post asymmetrical ( 2002 build date ALI certified ) raises my 2004 Ram 2500 4 X 4 Auto Quad Cab 8 foot box ( 8,200 lbs ) with absolutely no problem . My lift is anchored in a 12" x 4' x 14 ' slab with 3/4" anchor bolts .You need common sense and patience when positioning the arms and truck location before raising to the upper limit of the lift .

 

[Chuckles]

Sorry dupe