BendPak 16AP: nothing on the carriages to grease, for the life of the lift

Ask any workshop what actually goes wrong with a two-post lift after five years and you will hear about the sliding surfaces. Carriages that run steel on steel need grease, grease attracts brake dust, and a neglected column eventually drags, chatters and wears its guides oval. The 16AP avoids the argument by not having the maintenance item: its carriages ride on a self-lubricating dura-glide UHMW polyethylene bearing system. Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene is slippery by nature and does not need a grease gun, which is why the same material shows up in conveyor rails and chute liners.

That is a small thing that compounds. Around it sits a 16,000 lbs two-post lift with an oversized cable sheave diameter to reduce cable fatigue, and BendPak's Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System holding the arms through a full 360 degrees against more than 2000 pounds of side force.

Will It Fit?

Take these to the bay before you order. The overhead beam, not the vehicle, is what usually fails to fit.

• Ceiling. Overall height 169 in. / 4,294 mm; floor to top switch 163 in. / 4,128 mm.
• Width. Overall width 168 in. / 4,267 mm, outside posts 149 in. / 3,785 mm, inside posts 126 in. / 3,199 mm (10.5 ft between columns). Base plates 28 in. / 710 mm, standing 9.5 in. / 241 mm proud of the post.
• Drive-through. 107.75 in. / 2,740 mm, roughly 9 ft, measured between the carriages.
• Working height. Under clearance at the top lock is 76 in. / 1,930 mm; maximum lifting height with adapters is 89.75 in. / 2,280 mm, or about 7.45 ft to the top of the arms.
• Arm reach. 36 in. / 931 mm closed, out to 65 in. / 1,651 mm.
• Power and noise. 220 VAC, 60 Hz, 1 Phase; under 70 dB in operation.

Ceiling, floor and circuit are the buyer's responsibility to verify, and a lift that will not stand in the room is not a warranty matter. Our record does not state the required concrete thickness or strength for this model — on a two-post lift the entire load goes into the anchors, so please do not assume it. The installation manual linked on this page carries the figure, and we will confirm it in writing on request.

Two figures to confirm before you order

Both of these can decide a purchase, and the published figures for each differ. Every figure is below, with the source it comes from.

A quarter of an inch of pad height is the difference between a lowered car going over the arms and grounding on them, and the rise figure matters if your ceiling is tight. If either number is decisive for you, ask us to confirm it in writing before ordering and we will get the current figure straight from BendPak. For reference, this model's published top-lock lifting height is 82.25 in. / 2,089 mm.

Getting under a low car, then a high one

Drop-end arms are the reason a lift this tall can still take a lowered vehicle: the last section of each arm steps down, putting the pad below the height of the arm body. Double-telescoping screw pads then wind up in two stages to meet a truck's frame rails without a stack of loose blocks — the blocks being both the slow way and the way pads get left behind under a moving vehicle.

Arms adjust from 36 in. / 931 mm to 65 in. / 1,651 mm, and the expandable top beam lets the lift be configured for a wide or a narrow drive-through when it is installed. Decide that at install time; it is not a comfortable thing to reconsider later.

Restraint, locks and the moment it matters

A two-post lift is at its least forgiving when weight moves while the vehicle is up — a gearbox coming out, a fuel tank going in, a technician leaning into a wheel arch. The Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System is built for that instant: a forged-steel, full-perimeter grip that holds through 360 degrees, rated against more than 2000 pounds of side force, engaging without anyone having to remember to set it, and releasing on a lever when it is time to swing the arms clear.

The safety locks engage automatically the whole way up, and release from a single point, so lowering does not involve walking round the columns with a bar in your hand. Above it all sits a padded overhead shutoff bar that stops the carriage before a vehicle roof reaches the beam.

Perfect For

• Busy independent shops that want a bay to cover a compact car in the morning and a heavy pickup in the afternoon.
• Serious home and collector garages with the ceiling for a high-rise lift and no appetite for a greasing schedule.
• Fleet workshops running vans and light commercial vehicles day in, day out.
• Tyre and brake specialists, where quick, repeatable arm setting saves more time than any other feature.

What's in the Box

Only what the feature list actually states is supplied: dual hydraulic direct-drive cylinders, the electric/hydraulic HVLP power system, the self-lubricating dura-glide UHMW polyethylene bearing system, drop-end arms, double-telescoping screw pads, the Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System, the padded overhead safety shutoff bar and the single-point safety release. Additional adapter sets and rolling jacks are not listed as included — check before ordering, not after.

Specifications

Certification

The 16AP is listed as ALI Certified in its own feature list. The practical meaning is that an independent body has assessed the design against a recognised safety standard, rather than the manufacturer declaring conformity on its own authority — and it is that second-party assessment which insurers, fleet policies and some local code officials ask for by name. If you need documentary evidence tied to a specific model and serial number for an inspection or an insurance file, ask us in writing and we will obtain it. A line in a feature list is a good indicator; a certificate in your file is what satisfies an auditor.

Shipping and delivery

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

The carrier brings it to the kerb and no further. Sort out unloading before the truck is booked: a forklift or telehandler at your premises, or collect it yourself from the freight terminal, which is frequently the easier route for something crated this long. A residential address attracts a residential fee. Warehouse pickup can be arranged for this brand — call us to set it up. Look the shipment over before you sign, and write any damage on the bill of lading there and then; a clean signature is very difficult to argue with later.

Warranty

The governing warranty document is linked on this page — read the term and its exclusions there rather than trusting a paraphrase. Whatever the terms say, one rule holds: do not take apart a component you mean to claim on. Photograph it, leave it assembled and speak to us first. A stripped part is the commonest way a valid claim is lost.