BendPak 12AP-SRT: a 12,000 lb two-post lift that deliberately stops at working height

Almost every two-post lift is sold on how far up it goes. The 12AP-SRT is sold on how far up it does not go, and BendPak is unusually straight about why. This is a short-rise lift built for tire, wheel, brake and detailing work — the jobs you do standing beside a car, not under it. In exchange for giving up walk-under height you get a full 12,000 lbs of rated capacity from a machine whose posts stand only 93.5 in. / 2,377 mm tall. That is a two-post lift that will physically stand in a garage with an ordinary domestic ceiling.

Take that trade seriously before comparing this against a full-rise lift on price. If your work is wheels-off, this buys you the ceiling. If your work is exhausts and gearboxes, buy something taller.

Will It Fit?

The posts are 93.5 in. / 2,377 mm tall, so overhead clearance is rarely the problem — though you still need room to stand the columns up during installation. Side to side you need 155 in. / 3,937 mm overall, with 119 in. / 3,026 mm between the posts, about 10 ft. Drive-through between the carriages is 102.25 in. / 2,598 mm, roughly 8.5 ft. Power is 208-230 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 1 Phase, 5 HP, drawing 23 Amps. One detail people miss on a baseplate lift: the plate joining the columns stands 1.5 in. / 36 mm proud of the slab across a width of 9.5 in. / 240 mm, and you will drive over it every day.

Ceiling, slab and circuit are the buyer's responsibility to verify before ordering. Our record does not state the required concrete thickness or compressive strength for this model, and on any two-post lift the whole load path ends at the anchors, so please do not assume a figure. It is in the installation manual linked on this page, and we will confirm it in writing if you ask.

Check the maximum rise before you order

This is the one figure to nail down before you buy. Four published figures for the maximum lifting height differ, and BendPak is the authority on which one governs.

If the exact rise decides your purchase — and on a short-rise lift it often does, because the point is clearing your knees rather than your head — ask us to confirm it in writing before you order. We will get the current figure straight from BendPak. What is not in doubt is the shape of the thing: this raises a vehicle to bench height, not standing height.

Arms that do not need swapping, and a restraint that holds them

The arms are a 2-in-1 design. Rather than sell you a symmetric lift or an asymmetric one, BendPak's Bi-Metric arms let you load a vehicle with its centreline at the columns or behind them, on the same lift, without changing hardware. In a one-bay shop that matters: the asymmetric position swings the doors clear so the driver can get out, and the symmetric position is what you want under a long wheelbase. Swapping arm sets to get both is a job nobody does twice.

Holding those arms is a forged-steel automatic restraint that grips through a full 360 degrees, rated against more than 2000 pounds of side force. It engages on its own as the lift rises, so there is no step to forget, and a single-point release lets the locks off on descent with one finger instead of a handle at each column. Tire and wheel work is exactly the duty that punishes a weak restraint, because pulling a seized wheel means shoving hard against a raised vehicle.

Load is published per arm as well: 3,000 lbs / 1,360 kg on any one arm, and 6,000 lbs / 2,721.5 kg per axle, inside the 12,000 lbs / 5,443 kg total. An unevenly loaded vehicle can reach a per-arm limit long before it reaches the headline number.

Pads and the optional stacking adapters

The screw pads are double-telescoping with polyurethane faces, spun up by hand to meet the frame and level the vehicle on uneven pick-up points. BendPak also offers 2.5 in. and 5 in. stackable adapters, sold separately, which drop into the pad receiver and store on a column-mounted rack. With both fitted the published minimum height under the adapters rises to 11.75 in. / 298 mm — worth checking against your lowest vehicle before buying adapters.

Perfect For

• Tire and wheel shops where nothing goes overhead and ceiling height is the binding constraint.
• Detailing and reconditioning bays that need a car at a comfortable working height all day.
• Home garages with a standard ceiling that want real two-post capacity rather than jack stands.
• Shops adding a second position for quick jobs, keeping the tall lift free for under-car work.

What's in the Box

Two columns with the expandable top beam; the power side post carrying the power unit, safety lock release and lowering handles; four triple-telescoping Bi-Metric arms with double-telescoping screw pads; heavy-duty 1/2 in. aircraft-quality equalizer cables; the padded overhead safety shutoff bar and the automatic arm restraints. The 2.5 in. and 5 in. stacking adapters and the frame cradle pads are accessories, not included unless added to your order.

Specifications

Certification, stated honestly

Our data for this model records no third-party safety listing of any kind. That is a statement about our records rather than an accusation about the lift, but it is the honest answer. A manufacturer's own declaration that a product meets a standard and an independent body's assessment against that standard are different documents with different weight, and it is the second kind that insurers, fleet policies and some local code officials ask for by name. If a listing is a condition of your cover or your permit, establish which scheme is required, then ask us in writing and we will pursue documentation tied to this model from the manufacturer before you commit.

Shipping and delivery

This item ships free within the lower 48 states, so there is nothing to add at checkout.

The carrier delivers to the kerb and stops there. Decide how it comes off the truck before delivery is booked: a forklift on site, or collect it yourself from the freight terminal, often simpler for crated columns. A residential address carries a residential fee. Warehouse pickup can be arranged for this brand — call us to set it up. Inspect the crate before signing and write any damage on the bill of lading at the time; a clean signature is very hard to walk back afterwards.

Warranty

The warranty document governing this lift is linked on this page. Read the term and the exclusions there rather than in any summary, ours included. One rule applies whatever it says: do not dismantle a part you intend to claim on. Photograph it in place, leave it assembled and call us first. Stripping a component is the most common way a good claim is lost.