BendPak HD-9SW 9,000 lb Super-Wide Four-Post Storage Lift

The specification that decides whether a storage lift is any use to an enthusiast is the one at the bottom: how high the runway sits before it starts moving. On the HD-9SW that figure is 4.5 in. — a low-profile deck that a lowered car can climb via the extended approach ramps without its splitter, exhaust or floor pan making contact. Ground clearance is exactly the problem that stops people using storage lifts they already own, and it is designed out of this one from the start.

The rest of the model is width. Post-to-post clearance is 192 in., which is enough for two vehicles side by side on the runways and two more parked underneath — a two-car footprint doing four-car duty. Rated capacity is 9,000 lbs., 4,500 lbs. per axle, and the runways are open-centre, so the lift works as a service platform as readily as a stacker.

Will It Fit?

Height is usually the constraint in a home garage. The columns stand 90 in. tall and the runways rise to 70 in. under the deck, 77 in. to the top of the runway. Measure to the lowest thing in the ceiling — door track, light fitting, beam — and remember you need the car on top plus the roof of the car underneath, not just the lift.

On plan the lift is 202 in. wide overall, 218.5 in. long including the approach ramps and 174 in. without them, with 178 in. of drive-thru clearance between the carriages (14.85 ft). The runways are 164 in. long and 19 in. wide, and the inner pair adjusts between 34.25 in. and 41 in. apart for narrow or wide track widths, which puts their outside edges between 75.25 in. and 81.75 in. Minimum runway height is 7 in.

Power is 220 VAC, 60 Hz, single phase, and the unit runs at 45 dB — quiet enough that a lift in an attached garage is not an event for the rest of the house. Two things no product page can assess stay with the customer: the slab must be sound enough for a freestanding four-post lift carrying up to 9,000 lbs. of vehicle, and the circuit must exist before installation day. BendPak's installation manual, linked from this page, sets out both.

The cable claim, and what it actually means

BendPak states that each lifting cable has a tensile strength of 14,400 lbs., which across four cables gives a combined figure 640% above the lift's 9,000 lbs. rated capacity. Read that as a design margin rather than a licence: the rating is 9,000 lbs. and that is the number you load to. What the margin buys is life. Cable in a lift application fails by fatigue — bent around a sheave, thousands of times, under load — not by being pulled apart, so a big margin plus the oversized sheave diameter is what keeps it healthy over years rather than seasons.

The same thinking runs through the driveline: dual-hub sheaves to cut cable friction, 1.25 in. roller axles, heavy-duty 3/8 in. aircraft cable, and oversized self-lubricating rollers. Cables, sheaves, locks and air lines all run inside the structure, so nothing that carries load is exposed to weather or a reversing bumper, and inspection means looking at the inward face of a column rather than pulling covers off.

Locks that do not need power to work

There are 14 locking positions in each column, spaced every 4 in. The locks are spring-activated, which is the important part: they do not depend on hydraulic pressure or an electrical signal to engage. They click in as the runway passes each position, all four together, and release together on the way down under a push-button pneumatic control. Adjustable lock ladders let the runways be levelled against a floor that slopes.

Behind them sits slack-cable detection that shuts the lift down if a cable stops tracking over its hub — the failure that would otherwise let one corner drift out of level. Anti-sway slider blocks stop the carriages rocking as a vehicle drives on, and the 10 in. x 12 in. base plates spread load into the slab without eating the walkway.

If you need more height or more length

This is the standard-rise, shorter-runway model in the super-wide family, for garages where space is the constraint. Its taller sibling raises the rise to 82 in. and stretches the runways to 188 in. for long-wheelbase trucks. If your bay is tight, the HD-9SW is the one that fits.

Perfect For

• Home garages doubling capacity, where a daily driver is parked outside so a weekend car can stay in.
• Collectors with low cars, where the 4.5 in. deck height and long ramps are the whole reason the lift is usable.
• Dealerships and detail shops needing dense storage that doubles as a service platform.
• Shops with wide vehicles — the super-wide runway spacing exists for exactly that.

What's in the Box

• Four-post structure with 10 in. x 12 in. base plates and internal anti-sway slider blocks
• Runways with rail kit and durable matte finish, adjustable inner spacing
• One kit (pair) of aluminium approach ramps — additional ramps are a separate purchase and are not supplied
• Removable approach ramps for extra drive-under clearance
• Electric/hydraulic power unit with customisable mounting position
• Single hydraulic cylinder mounted beneath the runway
• Enclosed cables, sheaves and multi-position safety locks with adjustable ladders
• Push-button pneumatic safety release and independent backup slack-cable latches

Optional: drive-thru ramps, drip trays, a solid deck to increase storage capacity, and 4,500 lbs. air/hydraulic rolling jacks.

Specifications

Two figures deliberately left blank. Our records hold two different weights for this lift and they do not agree, and the crate line in the manufacturer's block contains an obvious metric error. Rather than print a figure one of our own sources contradicts, we quote freight live at checkout and will confirm crate weight and dimensions against the factory sheet if you need them for a lift plan.

Certification, stated honestly

The product data we hold for this lift makes no third-party safety certification claim, and we will not imply one. Note that BendPak's own copy calls the 9,000 lbs. figure a certified rating; our data does not say which body that refers to, so we are not naming one. That is a documentation gap, not a safety verdict. If your insurer or local authority requires a specific North American third-party lift safety listing, get the exact wording and we will check it against BendPak's documentation before you order.

Shipping and delivery

This item ships free within the lower 48 states, so there is nothing to add at checkout. A four-post lift arrives as a heavy palletised shipment and you need a way to get it off the truck — forklift, dock or rigger — or collect it from the freight terminal. Residential delivery is available and carries a fee. Warehouse pickup can be arranged; the BendPak locations are listed further down this page — call us to set it up.

Inspect before you sign. Damage recorded on the bill of lading with the driver still present is a claim you can pursue; damage found after a clean signature usually is not. Photograph anything that looks wrong while the truck is there.

Warranty

BendPak issues a single warranty document covering its whole product line rather than a term per model; we will send the current copy on request. Keep your installation paperwork, and do not disassemble a component you intend to claim on — stripping a power unit to diagnose it yourself is the most common reason a legitimate claim is refused.