shoping for 4 post lifts

[danieldolin]

Hi guys, I am new to the forum and am in the market for a 4 post garage lift mostly for storage of a 3rd car in a 2 car garage with slightly over 10' ceilings.

I have narrowed my search to the Bendpak HD-9ST or the new 7,000lb model by Qualify Lifts (a division of Challanger) though I think I am leaning towards the Bendpak. This is mostly because I do not believe the Quality lift has flexability with the power unit placement and I think I would rather have the air locks vs the manual ones as I do not want to be squating down to the floor to lower the lift holding the lock release bar...

While searching I came across a backyard buddy video, and while I do not believe most of what they are hyping, it did bring up one good point about lifts with adjustable lock ladders, the entire weight of the lift and your car are basically suported by the strengh of the bolt attaching to the lock ladder... When I search Bendpak for more details about this, there is information about the strength of the bolt itself (14,000 lbs IIRC) but there is no mention about how this bolt is actually attached to the lock ladder itself... which is basically what is holding up the runways.

Any Bendpak HD-9 owners that can chime in about the construction of this peice or any upclose pics of how it is connected to the adjustment bolt would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I was going to order with the alluminum ramps, drip trays, casters, and jack tray. Any other accessories that are a must have? I have a budget craftsman air compressor but I think that should be sufficient for the locks.

Great to find a forum like this for garage related questions, I am a regular on a Porsche forum that has been invaluable to learning about my 987 Boxster, now I just need some more info about how to store it so my daily driver is not left outside!

Thanks Guys!

Dan

 

[mad57]

I have both lifts a bend pak and a back yard buddy, both are very stout lifts love them both. i bought the byb used the price was right, i bought the bp off jeff here good guy quality lift. either choice is good but you will lean towards the bp it has the certification and the price will be lower than byb. good luck with your search if you have any questions pm me,later mad57.

 

[Stuart in MN]

A ceiling height of just over 10 feet may be pretty tight, even with a Boxster on top...what size car will be parked underneath? Make sure you measure carefully.

 

[revlover]

Height calculator.

http://www.bendpak.com/HD-9 Series Clearance Heights.pdf

May be worth checking out.

 

[c39er]

Hi guys, I am new to the forum and am in the market for a 4 post garage lift mostly for storage of a 3rd car in a 2 car garage with slightly over 10' ceilings.

I have narrowed my search to the Bendpak HD-9ST or the new 7,000lb model by Qualify Lifts (a division of Challanger) though I think I am leaning towards the Bendpak. This is mostly because I do not believe the Quality lift has flexability with the power unit placement and I think I would rather have the air locks vs the manual ones as I do not want to be squating down to the floor to lower the lift holding the lock release bar...

While searching I came across a backyard buddy video, and while I do not believe most of what they are hyping, it did bring up one good point about lifts with adjustable lock ladders, the entire weight of the lift and your car are basically suported by the strengh of the bolt attaching to the lock ladder... When I search Bendpak for more details about this, there is information about the strength of the bolt itself (14,000 lbs IIRC) but there is no mention about how this bolt is actually attached to the lock ladder itself... which is basically what is holding up the runways.

Any Bendpak HD-9 owners that can chime in about the construction of this peice or any upclose pics of how it is connected to the adjustment bolt would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I was going to order with the alluminum ramps, drip trays, casters, and jack tray. Any other accessories that are a must have? I have a budget craftsman air compressor but I think that should be sufficient for the locks.

Great to find a forum like this for garage related questions, I am a regular on a Porsche forum that has been invaluable to learning about my 987 Boxster, now I just need some more info about how to store it so my daily driver is not left outside!

Thanks Guys!

Dan

Here are some ladder pics from a HD14 and a Rotary SMO 12,000 4 post lift. I don't know that I would worry about the ladder failing. The cables provide safety too.

 

[Fastback]

That looks like my Direct lift, but my threads are not as long so I have less adjustment for leveling.

Is rotary importing everything now?

 

[e-tek]

I have the BP HD9XT. After all the hype, all you need to know is that a Boxster (which I am just in the process of buying!) weighs under 3,0000 pounds and the BP 9HT is rated at 9,000lbs, which means it's been tested to 12,000lbs! That baby aint going nowhere (and neither has anyones 9,000lb vehicle for that matter!).

The BP, with certification, customer service, quality materials and build quality sells itself and I haven't heard of anyone regretting the purchase. I did a poll a while back and it's the most purchased by GJ folks.

I just joined the 987 Forum - any others I should look at?

 

[c39er]

That looks like my Direct lift, but my threads are not as long so I have less adjustment for leveling.

Is rotary importing everything now?

Rotary has it's higher end mostly USA made professional line- and the cheaper full import home owner DIY type line of lifts-like the Revolution lifts. Who knows how much longer any lifts will be made in the USA.
My Rotary SMO12 (12,000lb) is a way heavier and better built lift than the BP14TLX (14,000lb) lift..

 

[danieldolin]

A ceiling height of just over 10 feet may be pretty tight, even with a Boxster on top...what size car will be parked underneath? Make sure you measure carefully.

Thanks for the concern, but I have measured, double, and tripple checked... Bendpack HD-9ST lists that it can be safely adjusted to have the 2nd highest lock positions be between 67 and 68.8 inches from the top ramp to the ground, leaving between 62 and 63.8 inches under. 2007 boxster S has a listed heigt of just under 51". 51+68 = 119 and my ceiling is about 122" which leaves 3" clearance up top (not much, but enough I think) and then the car under currently is a 2011 Honda Civic which is about 58" high and the under clearance will be about 63" leaving 5" there.

 

[danieldolin]

I have the BP HD9XT. After all the hype, all you need to know is that a Boxster (which I am just in the process of buying!) weighs under 3,0000 pounds and the BP 9HT is rated at 9,000lbs, which means it's been tested to 12,000lbs! That baby aint going nowhere (and neither has anyones 9,000lb vehicle for that matter!).

The BP, with certification, customer service, quality materials and build quality sells itself and I haven't heard of anyone regretting the purchase. I did a poll a while back and it's the most purchased by GJ folks.

I just joined the 987 Forum - any others I should look at?

I have found Planet-9.com forum to be awsome. It origionally started as a Cayman only forum, but has grown to include all 987 models. Lots of great information and like I have just learned here, lots of quick replys to all your questions Just be carefull looking at the modifications sections, you will find yourself soon spending a lot of money on your 987... there is also a lot of great DIY info on there.

here is a pic of mine after a fresh polish + wax with my Griots Garage DA orbital!

 

[danieldolin]

Here are some ladder pics from a HD14 and a Rotary SMO 12,000 4 post lift. I don't know that I would worry about the ladder failing. The cables provide safety too.

That was where my brain fart was... I failed to remember that even if the lock ladder bolt weld fails, the lift will only drop a fraction of an inch (slack in cables) until it is back supported by the cable system on that corner. Plus as others have said, The Boxster is less than 1/3 the certified weight, so should not be much of a problem.

What about the air locks? I was just going to use the below tire inflator air compressor I have in my garage already. It has a 1.5 gallon tank inside and the PSI can be adjusted down... I think I read you only need 30 PSI to run the locks. So this should be sufficient correct?

 

[danieldolin]

Another question as it relates to height... As I will only be able to lift to the 2nd highest lock position, is it possible to put in a manual stop of some kind to prevent the lift from raising any higher than that? I do not want to accidently run the top of my car into the ceiling one day if I can prevent it somehow?

One more question I thought of... When I watch the online videos of people using thier HD-9's, when lifting it makes a very loud "click" noise when it is on its way up as each lock engages each position of the lock ladder... Can you hold down the air lock release while lifting to eliminate this until you reach your desired lock height? I know that the locks hitting each level is a safety feature but seems annoying.

 

[danieldolin]

One more technical questions about the power unit location, I believe I have seen pics of this but can not find them now, but can the power unit be mounted on the front of the unit and not the side? Where I placed the red circle in the image below...

 

[Matt M PA]

Danieldolin....the air locks. Yes, you could use that smaller compressor, or get the air tank this BP sells to release the locks. (it takes on pressure when the lift raises)

You could hold the airlock button when raising to avoid the noise, but this noise also tells you that you have passed the locks. You need to pass all 4, then lower onto them to hold the weight while raised. Whether or not they all click at the same time will also tell you how well they're adjusted. You'll get used to the noise.

The power unit can be mounted in either side of one post...then the lift can be assembled so that this post is front-left or right-rear. Yes, you can mount where your red circle is..or directly opposite of the post...there are brackets in those two places on that one pole.

As far as stopping at a given point...I'd suggest marking one of the posts when the crosspiece is in the spot you'd want.

Finally....if you really only have 2" clearance, it's really tight. As mentioned above...you need to go a short distance past the locks at the height you want to hold the lift....then lower onto the locks.

 

[Cryptic1911]

^ Yeah, I hold the air lock release button while going up so it doesn't make alot of racket, but I let them drop before I get to the height I want, so I do hear them click at the height that I'm looking for.

As for the air, it doesn't take much, so a small compressor would work fine. I bought the air bottle, but didn't think it was worth the money, so I returned it. For the price it cost, I got a small temporary compressor, fittings, and a hose to use until we get the large one hooked up

 

[danieldolin]

Danieldolin....the air locks. Yes, you could use that smaller compressor, or get the air tank this BP sells to release the locks. (it takes on pressure when the lift raises)

You could hold the airlock button when raising to avoid the noise, but this noise also tells you that you have passed the locks. You need to pass all 4, then lower onto them to hold the weight while raised. Whether or not they all click at the same time will also tell you how well they're adjusted. You'll get used to the noise.

The power unit can be mounted in either side of one post...then the lift can be assembled so that this post is front-left or right-rear. Yes, you can mount where your red circle is..or directly opposite of the post...there are brackets in those two places on that one pole.

As far as stopping at a given point...I'd suggest marking one of the posts when the crosspiece is in the spot you'd want.

Finally....if you really only have 2" clearance, it's really tight. As mentioned above...you need to go a short distance past the locks at the height you want to hold the lift....then lower onto the locks.

If I put the 2nd highest lock level at 67" then I would have about 4" of clearance on top, and 4" clearance on the vehicle below as well, I think that would be fine... Think I read that you only need to raise about 1" to undo the locks.

As far as marking the posts, I have seem pics of people doing that, which will work, but I was looking for a fail safe mechanism... Could you put a clamp of some sort on the cables so that it will stop raising at a certain point? Just a thought, I am not really that familiar with how hydrolics and pully systems work.

 

[danieldolin]

^ Yeah, I hold the air lock release button while going up so it doesn't make alot of racket, but I let them drop before I get to the height I want, so I do hear them click at the height that I'm looking for.

Thanks, that exactly what I was thinking I would do... let it make the clicking noises all the way up every once and a while just to check adjustment issues, but for the most part hold the air lock as you raise up until you get near your desired height, then let it go for the last couple locks.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Thanks for the concern, but I have measured, double, and tripple checked... Bendpack HD-9ST lists that it can be safely adjusted to have the 2nd highest lock positions be between 67 and 68.8 inches from the top ramp to the ground, leaving between 62 and 63.8 inches under. 2007 boxster S has a listed heigt of just under 51". 51+68 = 119 and my ceiling is about 122" which leaves 3" clearance up top (not much, but enough I think) and then the car under currently is a 2011 Honda Civic which is about 58" high and the under clearance will be about 63" leaving 5" there.

On a Bendpak, do you have to run the lift up a couple inches past the lock point and then drop it back down to set it in place? That's how it works on the Stinger four post lift in my garage, but I'm not familiar with the details on a Bendpak. If so, you need to take that into consideration for the overall height.

 

[danieldolin]

On a Bendpak, do you have to run the lift up a couple inches past the lock point and then drop it back down to set it in place? That's how it works on the Stinger four post lift in my garage, but I'm not familiar with the details on a Bendpak. If so, you need to take that into consideration for the overall height.

This is correct for the Bendpak as well, but I am under the impression you only go up about 2 inches beyond the lock and drop it down. Then to lower you first raise 2 inch, release the locks, then lower the lift.

It will be a tight sqeeze in my garage, but I think I will be okay.

 

[Matt M PA]

I can't imagine that a clamp or other such idea would work. And...I still think you're almost asking for trouble with only 4" clearance on the top side.

I use mine often, recently changing the oil in my Excursion. It lifts that rig like it's nothing. Due to the roof line of my garage, I need to back the Excursion onto the lift to get it high enough for working.

Also, I don;t know the layout of the garage...but where is the garage door when the car is within 4" of the roof? I'm assuming the garage is deep enough to back the car on...raise it...and have the door open above the hood?

 

[danieldolin]

I can't imagine that a clamp or other such idea would work. And...I still think you're almost asking for trouble with only 4" clearance on the top side.

I use mine often, recently changing the oil in my Excursion. It lifts that rig like it's nothing. Due to the roof line of my garage, I need to back the Excursion onto the lift to get it high enough for working.

Also, I don;t know the layout of the garage...but where is the garage door when the car is within 4" of the roof? I'm assuming the garage is deep enough to back the car on...raise it...and have the door open above the hood?

I appreciate your concern Matt, couple things I was thinking about... The garage is deep enough, even before I do the high lift conversion on the door, it does not really overhang the parking area if I were to pull my car all the way forward. Small car, long garage... we opted for the 4' extention on the garage when building the house. Worst case, if it is too close, I will just blow through the top of the garage with some sort of cutout... there is attic space up there that is currently unused and no rooms over the garage. Second, I will be opting for the 110 volt motor, so the lift will raise slower. I have no intention of running a 220 line if the 110 motor is available.

My question about the clamp... what stops the lift from raising when it gets to the top... it looks like there is something on the top of the cable that is actually what stops it from going higher. Maybe I am wrong about this, but if this is what stops the lift from raising higher, why could you not affix something similar 4" or so lower on the cable that acts to stop the lift at that lower level... Just a thought. Good old red electrical tape around the post at the correct level seems to be the norm in the pics I see as a back up method

 

[c39er]

The hydraulic cylinder piston when retracted to the end of it's stroke is what stops the lift from rising any more when the lift is fully raised.

 

[NitroPress]

Good old red electrical tape around the post at the correct level seems to be the norm in the pics I see as a back up method

Red vinyl tape is so... 40s. Us modern digital types use blue painter's tape.

And it's all you really need - use a ladder and a helper to determine your highest clearance once, and mark the post.

 

[Stuart in MN]

And it's all you really need - use a ladder and a helper to determine your highest clearance once, and mark the post.

This is what I did, and it works fine.

 

[danieldolin]

This is what I did, and it works fine.

Red vinyl tape is so... 40s. Us modern digital types use blue painter's tape.

And it's all you really need - use a ladder and a helper to determine your highest clearance once, and mark the post.

For those that have clearance issues and use the tape method... is 3 inches above the lock positions enough clearance to safely operate the lift. i.e. high enough to be able to fully release all the locks with out a problem when lowering. I really have about 4 inches but do not want to get too close if I do not have to...

 

[danieldolin]

Okay, so pretty much decided on the HD-9ST now after reading all the good things people have to say about it and Bendpak on this forum. Next decision is black or blue...

For those that have / use a 4 post lift for everyday storage, how do you line up your car properly each time? I was thinking of mounting one of those curved security mirrors up on the far wall of the garage to look at while pulling in. Anyone else do this? What kind and how big is your mirror (they come in all different sizes / shapes)

Also, what stuff do you buy for your lift... I know the drip trays are cheap and flimsy, but I think I will ask to have them thrown in when I purchase the lift. Do the casters work? I was thinking I would put the casters on a few times a year, maybe to roll the lift away from the side wall a little bit while waxing / polishing the car so I can lift the car to work on the lower parts / sides instead of getting on the floor to do it. Also, maybe push it closer to the wall or the back of the garage for winter storage when I will not be using the raised vehicle for 5-6 months.

Next is jack tray... can I use this with a floor jack? or will it only work with bottle jacks? Is it safe to only jack up one side of the car with a floor jack while on the lift anyway? I am not really sure but sounds like I may be asking for trouble with that one... Anyone find a usefull purpose for the jack tray if not using it for jacking?

I do not plan to do a lot of work on the car... maybe getting the lift will inspire me to start chaning my own oil.

Anything else I should be getting with the lift?

 

[Kalstar]

10'6 ceilings here. My four post fits fine. That said, be careful of the pivot arm on the garage door. I measured and remeasured to verify both cars would fit but did not take into account that angled bar. Second time I put the car up the garage door was closed, when I opened it that bar started the scratching at the back window over the roof and down onto the windshield frame, bound up on the weather striping around the window and reversed itself. Needless to say 4k in insurance later my car looks back to normal. Use my stupidity as a lesson for yourself.

Edit, to add to your lates post. The bridge and bottle jacks work just fine, but I would not put up only one side of the car, front to back yes, side to side no. My lift moves around a bit over time. Few inchs or so every few months, casters are great to realign the lift. The aluminum ramps are awesome.

 

[danieldolin]

10'6 ceilings here. My four post fits fine. That said, be careful of the pivot arm on the garage door. I measured and remeasured to verify both cars would fit but did not take into account that angled bar. Second time I put the car up the garage door was closed, when I opened it that bar started the scratching at the back window over the roof and down onto the windshield frame, bound up on the weather striping around the window and reversed itself. Needless to say 4k in insurance later my car looks back to normal. Use my stupidity as a lesson for yourself.

Edit, to add to your lates post. The bridge and bottle jacks work just fine, but I would not put up only one side of the car, front to back yes, side to side no. My lift moves around a bit over time. Few inchs or so every few months, casters are great to realign the lift. The aluminum ramps are awesome.

I was planning on getting the aluminum ramps so I can remove them easily each time I raise the car up for storage. I am learning that the lift will move, especially if you have a slick (epoxy or painted) floor. Anyone put anything on the bottom of the posts to prevent this? or would you be better off just letting it move around a few inches here and there and re-alligning every once in a while...

I guess I would be concerned about putting something on the bottom of the posts and having 1 or two posts stick while 1 or two may move slightly and then having it be not only moved, but no longer square.... Better to just let the entire lift "float" around a few inches maybe? what do you guys think?

 

[danieldolin]

took some more measurments just to be sure... the useable parking surface in my garage is 237" long. The outside dimentions of the HD-9ST is 174" long, so I will have 63" left. I figure I would want at least 24" in the front to be able to walk by the lift, which leaves about 39" in the back, plenty of room for the 36" aluminum ramps.

Now, thinking about the door overhand when in the up position... currently my garage door track hangs down 30" from the ceiling. How close to the ceiling can I expect that to be once the high lift conversion is complete? If I am thinking about this correctly, every inch up would equate to an inch less of overhang while in the up position.

Looking at where the garage door comes to now in the up position, if I can cut 24" from that location (get the rails within 6" of the ceiling) then it looks like the door would only overhang the first 20" of the lift. Since my Porsche is not longer than the lift, that would mean I can park forwads or back up on the lift as the first 20" of the car is not very high on either end...

Is this possible? anyone do a high lift conversion with a liftmaster 3800, how close can the door rails get to the ceiling?

 

[ket-tek]

If I put the 2nd highest lock level at 67" then I would have about 4" of clearance on top, and 4" clearance on the vehicle below as well, I think that would be fine... Think I read that you only need to raise about 1" to undo the locks.

As far as marking the posts, I have seem pics of people doing that, which will work, but I was looking for a fail safe mechanism... Could you put a clamp of some sort on the cables so that it will stop raising at a certain point? Just a thought, I am not really that familiar with how hydrolics and pully systems work.

This is correct for the Bendpak as well, but I am under the impression you only go up about 2 inches beyond the lock and drop it down. Then to lower you first raise 2 inch, release the locks, then lower the lift.

It will be a tight sqeeze in my garage, but I think I will be okay.

I lift my truck about 2-3" from the ceiling and it has enough room to unlatch.

The earlier questions about the ladder bars is correct, the bolt does hold the weight, but as mentioned already the cables will still be hold it also. And the bottom of the ladder is almost touching the bottom of the leg at the floor anyway. It's not going anywhere, even if by some freak chance the bolt/weld failed. The beauty of the ladders is being able to make the runways lift/lock level but still rack to the floor if your concrete is sloped, as most residential garage floors are.

 

[danieldolin]

I lift my truck about 2-3" from the ceiling and it has enough room to unlatch.

The earlier questions about the ladder bars is correct, the bolt does hold the weight, but as mentioned already the cables will still be hold it also. And the bottom of the ladder is almost touching the bottom of the leg at the floor anyway. It's not going anywhere, even if by some freak chance the bolt/weld failed. The beauty of the ladders is being able to make the runways lift/lock level but still rack to the floor if your concrete is sloped, as most residential garage floors are.

Thanks for confirming that a few inches is enough space.