HD-973PX: the triple stacker built around long vehicles, not average ones

The HD-973PX is the version of this three-level parking lift you buy when the vehicles are the problem. Its runways are 208.5" (5,296 mm) long, the upper platform rises 151.5" (3,849 mm), and — the figure that quietly rules out most stackers — it will carry its full rated load on a wheelbase of 140" (3,556 mm). Full-size crew-cab pickups, long SUVs and boxy vans are exactly the shapes that do not fit a system sized for sedans.

It stores three vehicles in one parking space: 7,000 lbs on the upper deck, 9,000 lbs on the lower, and the third on the floor beneath. Indoors or outdoors, as a stand-alone unit or built into rows.

Three figures in the current description we cannot reconcile

This page has carried some comparative marketing copy for a long time, and it does not agree with the specification we hold for this lift. We would rather show you both than quietly delete one.

The left-hand column reads like copy that has travelled with the model family rather than measurements taken from this machine; the right-hand column is this lift's published specification. Plan your building from the right-hand column, and if any of these three decides your purchase — your ceiling, the length of your bay, or the clearance you need under a raised vehicle — ask us to confirm the figure in writing before you order. We will get the answer from the manufacturer rather than pick whichever number reads better.

Will It Fit?

• Ceiling height. Column height is 169.75" (4,312 mm). Measure to the lowest obstruction in the bay, not to the ridge.
• Floor space. 110.5" (2,807 mm) wide by 252.25" (6,409 mm) long, with 100" (2,546 mm) between the columns.
• Drive-through clearance. 86.5" (2,197 mm), and the lift can be set up for drive-through operation up to three deep.
• Upper platform. Maximum rise 151.5" (3,849 mm), maximum lifting height 157" (3,988 mm), 90 seconds to full rise.
• Lower platform. Maximum rise 82" (2,083 mm), maximum lifting height 87" (2,210 mm), 50 seconds to full rise.
• Runways. 208.5" (5,296 mm) long and 19" (482 mm) wide, spaced 35" (889 mm) or 41" (1,041 mm) apart.
• Power. 220 VAC / 60 Hz / 1 Ph.

Verifying the ceiling, floor plan and supply is the buyer's responsibility. The base frames distribute the load, which is what makes the system suitable for ordinary residential or commercial concrete rather than a purpose-poured pad, and it can go on asphalt when concrete footers are fitted. Our record does not state a required slab thickness or strength; the installation manual linked on this page carries it, and we will confirm it in writing on request.

Wheelbase is the real capacity limit

A rated capacity on a four-post platform assumes the load is spread along the runways. Park something heavy and short and it concentrates between fewer support points, so the platform derates. Both decks publish the curve, and the upper deck — the one people load last and think about least — is the demanding one:

Axle limits apply on top of that: 3,500 lbs (1,588 kg) per axle on the upper deck and 4,500 lbs (2,041 kg) per axle on the lower. Find the line your shortest, heaviest vehicle sits on before you decide.

Each platform moves on its own

Conventional car stackers suspend the bottom platform from the top one with chains or cables. Both decks travel together, the gap between them is fixed, and reaching the middle vehicle means moving the top vehicle first. Here each platform is driven separately: you lower only the deck you want, the rest of the stack stays put, and the gaps are yours to set rather than every vehicle having to be about the same height.

Locks, cables and the trip bar

Multi-position safety locks sit in each column at 4" (102 mm) spacing, giving 34 positions on the upper platform and 16 on the lower — close enough spacing that choosing a parking height is genuinely a choice. Lifting is by a hydraulic cylinder enclosed beneath each platform set, working with heavy-duty 3/8" lifting cables.

Backing the primary locks are redundant anti-fall spring-loaded catches that halt downward movement of either platform if a cable fails, and independent backup slack-cable safety latches. The hydraulic circuit has an integrated flow restrictor, so a ruptured hose produces a controlled descent. A padded trip bar with a limit switch prevents the lower vehicle from contacting the upper platform — in a stack where the operator cannot see the roof of the lower car, that is the failure most likely to happen, and it has a dedicated switch guarding it.

Perfect For

• Owners of long or tall vehicles — crew-cab pickups, full-size SUVs, vans — that a shorter stacker cannot take.
• Collectors and enthusiasts stacking three vehicles in the footprint of one, with access to any of them.
• Dealers and storage operators raising vehicles per square foot without extending the building.
• Mixed use, since the manufacturer positions the PX for parking, storage and service alike.

What's in the Box

Only what this product's feature list states is supplied: two independently operated platforms with full-length aluminium decking, powerful hydraulic cylinders with heavy-duty 3/8" lifting cables, multi-position safety locks in each column, adjustable lock ladders, automatic safety locks with redundant anti-fall devices, independent backup slack-cable safety latches, the push-button pneumatic safety release, the padded trip bar with limit switch, the integrated hydraulic flow restrictor, the electric-hydraulic power system, grease nipples on every sheave and axle, and a wide base plate. Drive-through ramps and 4,500 lb air-hydraulic rolling jacks are optional, not included — settle those with the order.

Specifications

Certification, stated plainly

Our product record for the HD-973PX does not carry a third-party safety-listing document. That is a statement about our data, not a verdict on the machine. The useful distinction is between a manufacturer declaring conformity on its own authority and an independent body examining a design and issuing a listing against it; insurers, local code officials and some fleet policies ask for the second kind specifically. Multi-level vehicle storage also draws planning and building-control interest that an ordinary service lift does not. If any of that bears on your installation, ask us in writing before you order and we will obtain a written answer from the manufacturer.

Shipping and delivery

Freight only, to the lower 48 states. This item ships free, so there is nothing to add at checkout. The shipment weighs 5,948 lbs.

Delivery is kerbside only. Arrange unloading before the truck is booked — a forklift or telehandler on site, or collection from the freight terminal, which is often the practical answer for columns and runways this long. A residential address carries a residential fee, and warehouse pickup can be arranged for this brand — call us to set it up. Inspect the shipment before signing and note any damage on the bill of lading at the time; once a clean signature is given a damage claim becomes very difficult.

Warranty

The governing warranty document is linked on this page — read the term and the exclusions there rather than a summary. And whatever it says, never disassemble a part you intend to claim on. Photograph the fault, leave the assembly alone and contact us first; a stripped component is the usual reason a claim that should have been paid is refused.