Long Runways, Low Columns: The HD-9XL Is Built for Wheelbase, Not Ceiling

The BendPak HD-9XL is the extended-length member of the 9,000 lb four-post family. Its runways measure 182.25" — long enough for stretched-wheelbase vehicles that overhang a standard four-post — while its columns stand only 88" tall. That pairing is unusual and it is the whole point of the model: length where a long car needs it, restraint where a low ceiling demands it.

Will It Fit?

Length is the constraint here, not height. Outside length is 198" and overall length including approach ramps is 224.5". That is a genuinely long footprint — measure the full depth of your bay, including any workbench, water heater or shelving at the back wall, before you commit.

Ceiling. Columns are 88". Maximum lifting height to the top of the runway is 75", from a maximum rise of 70". Add the height of a vehicle parked on the raised runways to that 75" figure and compare against your lowest obstruction. Because the columns are short, this is one of the few four-post lifts that will physically stand in a garage with a modest ceiling.

Width. Overall width is 110.25". Width between columns is 100.25", which BendPak also expresses as 8.35 ft, and drive-thru clearance between the carriages is 86.5", expressed as 7.20 ft. Those inner figures — not the overall width — are what a wide vehicle actually has to pass between.

Runways and wheelbase. Runways are 19" wide and 182.25" long, adjustable to 35" or 41" apart, giving a centerline of 56.75" or 63" and outside edges of 75.75" or 82". Minimum wheelbase at full rated capacity is 135", with reduced ratings for shorter vehicles: 115" at 75%, 95" at 50% and 80" at 25%. Note the irony worth planning around — a lift built for long vehicles is derated for short ones.

Power. 220 VAC / 60 Hz / 1 Ph. Rated noise is 45 dB.

Your responsibility. Bay dimensions, slab condition and the electrical circuit are the buyer's to confirm, ideally before the lift ships. Read the installation manual's site requirements and have an electrician verify the supply.

Base Plates You Can Set Down Rather Than Bolt Down

The HD-9XL uses 10" x 12" base plates at the foot of each column. On a freestanding four-post lift the base plate is doing structural work that a two-post lift hands to anchor bolts — it spreads the column load across a wider area of slab and resists the tipping moment that a raised, off-centre vehicle creates. That is what makes a freestanding installation credible in the first place.

Cables, Sheaves and the Numbers BendPak Publishes

Lifting runs through heavy-duty 3/8" aircraft cable, four cables carrying the load through four columns, driven by a single hydraulic cylinder mounted underneath the runway. The cables run over dual-hub sheaves, which are wider and more expensive to manufacture than a single-hub design. The reason they exist is fatigue: a cable bending over a narrow sheave works harder at the bend, and that bend is where cables fail. A wider sheave increases the bend radius and reduces the working stress at the one point that matters.

The rollers are oversized and self-lubricating on 1.25" roller axles, and internal anti-sway slider blocks in each column control carriage rock under a shifting load.

Two published figures worth confirming. BendPak states that each lifting cable is rated at 14,000 lbs, and separately that the four cables combined represent 640% of the lift's rated capacity. Those two statements do not reconcile exactly against the 9,000 lb rating, so we are reproducing both as the manufacturer publishes them rather than picking one or quietly correcting it. If the cable rating is decision-relevant for you — an insurer or an inspector asking for it, for example — contact us and we will confirm the current figure against BendPak's engineering documentation before you order.

Locking and Descent

Adjustable lock ladders in each column provide 14 locking positions, spaced every 4". The locks are spring-loaded and engage automatically as the lift rises — each audible click is a mechanical position that will hold the vehicle independently of hydraulic pressure. For a lift used for long-term parking, that matters more than lifting speed: a stored vehicle sits on steel, not on oil.

Perfect For

• Long-wheelbase collector cars. Full-size classics that overhang a standard four-post runway sit properly on this one.
• Crew-cab and long-bed pickups, and full-size vans — where length, not weight, is what rules out a shorter lift.
• Home garages with a modest ceiling. The 88" columns are what make a four-post lift possible in a building a high-rise model would not fit.
• Shops that need to move the lift. The base plates and caster kit make relocation a job rather than a project.

What's in the Box

The lift ships as a freestanding four-post assembly: four columns with 10" x 12" base plates, the extended runways with rail kit, the electric-hydraulic power unit, cables, sheaves, lock ladders and non-skid approach ramps. Items BendPak lists as optional are separate purchases and do not arrive with the lift — the caster kit, drip trays, longer approach ramps and the RBJ4500 rolling jack among them. Order them alongside the lift if you want them at installation.

Specifications

One dimension to confirm before you measure the bay

BendPak's own materials give this lift an overall length of 224" in one place and 224.5" in another. Half an inch will not matter in most garages. If it matters in yours, ask us and we will confirm it against the current factory drawing rather than have you plan around a guess.

Certification, Stated Plainly

The certification BendPak publishes for this model is a European conformity marking: CE approved and certified as meeting or exceeding European Standard EN-1493.

Be precise about what that is. A European conformity marking is the manufacturer's own declaration against European directives; it is not a North American third-party lift safety listing and does not substitute for one. Some insurers, fleet safety policies and local jurisdictions require that listing specifically. If yours does, get the requirement in writing and contact us — we will confirm this model's current status before you order.

Shipping and Delivery

Ships by freight to the lower 48 states, free of charge. You must be able to unload the shipment or take pickup at the carrier's terminal — it arrives crated and heavy, so plan for a forklift, a loading dock, or an equipment trailer and enough hands. Residential delivery is available and carries a residential fee.

Inspect before you sign. Check the crate and its contents while the driver is present and note any damage on the bill of lading before signing. A clean signed BOL makes a freight damage claim very hard to pursue.

Warranty

Covered by BendPak's published warranty, linked on this page. That document governs coverage, term and the claim process, and nothing here restates a term it does not state.

Do not disassemble, modify or attempt a repair before filing a warranty claim. It is the most common reason a valid claim is denied. Stop using the equipment, photograph the fault in place, and contact us first.