The Smallest Four-Post Footprint Here — and Still an Open-Centre Service Lift

The BendPak HD-9ST is the narrow-width member of the 9,000 lb four-post family, and it is the one that fits where the others do not. Width between the columns is 89.75" and drive-thru clearance is 76.5", on columns just 88" tall and an outside length of 174". That is a genuinely small envelope for a lift rated at 9,000 lbs.

Will It Fit?

The width figures are the whole decision. Overall width is 110.25", but the numbers that matter are the inner ones: 89.75" between the columns, which BendPak also states as 7.45 ft, and 76.5" of drive-thru clearance between the carriages, stated as 6.35 ft. Measure your widest vehicle at its widest point — mirrors on most trucks, bed flares on some — and compare it against the drive-thru figure, not the overall width. A narrow lift that your truck cannot get onto is not a saving.

Ceiling. The columns stand 88", which is what makes this lift possible in a low garage. Maximum rise is 70" and maximum lifting height to the top of the runway is 74.5". If you intend to stack, add the upper vehicle's height to the lifting height and check against the lowest obstruction overhead — the garage door track, not the ceiling peak.

Depth. Outside length is 174" and overall length with approach ramps is 200".

Runways and wheelbase. Runways are 19" wide and 164" long, set 37.5" apart with a 56.5" centerline and outside edges at 75.5". Minimum runway height is 4.5". Full rated capacity requires a 115" wheelbase; shorter vehicles are rated down — 100" at 75% capacity, 85" at 50% and 70" at 25%. That derating is real engineering, not fine print: a short vehicle puts its whole mass near mid-span.

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

Your responsibility. Confirming the bay dimensions, the slab and the electrical circuit is the buyer's job and should happen before the lift ships. Read the site-requirements section of the installation manual and have an electrician verify the supply.

Working Room Underneath, Not Just Storage Height

The reason to care about the difference between a parking lift and a service lift is what you can do once the vehicle is up. With the runways raised and the centre open, there is standing room underneath for someone over 6 feet tall to work on an exhaust system, run a transmission jack, or do an oil change without crouching. A narrow lift that gives up rise to save floor space takes that away, and you find out on the first job rather than at purchase.

How the Load Is Carried

Rated capacity is 9,000 lbs, with per-axle limits of 4,500 lbs front and 4,500 lbs rear. Those axle limits, not the total, are the numbers to check for a loaded truck or a vehicle with a strongly biased weight distribution — a vehicle can be within the total rating and outside the axle rating at the same time.

Lifting is by a single hydraulic cylinder mounted underneath the runway, with heavy-duty 3/8" aircraft cable running the load through four columns. The cables, safety locks and sheaves are fully enclosed inside the structure, which on a narrow lift matters more than on a wide one — with less clearance between columns, exposed hardware sits exactly where a door edge or a mirror travels. Enclosure also keeps grit off the cable, and grit is what wears cable out.

Twelve Lock Positions and a Single-Point Release

Adjustable lock ladders in each column give 12 locking positions, spaced every 4". The locks engage as the lift rises, and once the runways are set it is the mechanical locks — not the hydraulics — carrying the vehicle. That distinction is the whole safety argument for a lift used to store a car for weeks at a time.

Perfect For

• Tight single-bay garages. This is the model to look at when a standard-width four-post physically will not go in.
• Owners of narrower vehicles — sports cars, sedans, compact and mid-size trucks that clear the 76.5" drive-thru.
• Home wrenchers who need service capability, not just parking. The open centre and the working height under the runways are what set it apart from a storage-only platform.
• Small professional shops adding lift capacity inside an existing building rather than extending one.

What's in the Box

The lift arrives as a freestanding four-post assembly: four columns, runways with the rail kit and matte finish, the electric-hydraulic power unit with a customizable mounting position, enclosed cables, lock ladders and removable approach ramps. Everything BendPak describes as optional is a separate purchase and will not arrive with the lift — drip trays, the solid deck, drive-thru ramps, the longer approach ramp set, and the 4,500-lb air/hydraulic rolling jacks (Model RJ-45). Add them to the order if you want them at installation.

Specifications

One figure to confirm before you plan around it

Two sources on this page disagree about how high the runways go. The long-standing product copy states that the runways raise to a maximum height of 75". BendPak's specification table for the HD-9ST lists a maximum rise of 70" and a maximum lifting height of 74.5". We are showing you both rather than quietly picking one, because if you are planning a stacked-parking installation, a few inches of rise is exactly the number that decides whether the arrangement works. Contact us before you order and we will confirm the current figure against BendPak's factory specification sheet.

Certification, Stated Plainly

BendPak states that the HD-9ST is ALI certified. It is separately CE approved and certified as meeting or exceeding European Standard EN-1493, and ETL approved.

If your insurer, your fleet policy or a local inspector requires a particular listing, ask them for it by name. Certification is maintained per model and can change over time, so we will confirm the current status with you before you order rather than after the lift is installed.

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.