The number that decides your car: minimum wheelbase, published four ways

Rated capacity on a four-post lift assumes the vehicle is long enough to spread its weight sensibly across the runways. Short-wheelbase cars catch people out, because the weight looks comfortable and the geometry does not. BendPak publishes the derating for the HD-7P rather than leaving you to guess: the full rating needs a minimum wheelbase of 115 in., dropping to 100 in. at 75% of capacity, 85 in. at 50% and 70 in. at 25%. Buying for a specific car — a classic, a kit car, a short-wheelbase off-roader — means measuring axle to axle first and reading the table second.

What sits around it is a 7,000 lbs. (3,175 kg) four-post lift in the narrow configuration: 90.25 in. (2,292 mm) between the columns, 76.5 in. (1,943 mm) of drive-through clearance, and runways set 34.5 in. (876 mm) apart. Compact enough to keep a spacious garage looking open, and narrow enough that multiple units stand side by side without demanding much floor.

Narrow on purpose, and stackable side by side

The obvious use of a parking lift is doubling a space: two vehicles in the floor area of one, without extending the building or excavating for an in-ground lift. The less obvious use is arranging several. Because every cable, airline, safety latch and sheave here is routed inside the columns, units placed side by side have nothing exposed to rub together — no chafing on a neighbouring structure, nothing for loose clothing to catch, nothing for weather or chemicals to reach. That routing is what makes a row of these practical, and why the lift looks tidy in a customer-facing space.

Two readings of the runway height, and it is worth resolving

Loading height decides whether a low car reaches the runways without touching, so it matters that our two sources give different figures.

Half an inch decides nothing on a pickup and a great deal on a lowered car's front lip. If low-bodied vehicles are the reason you are buying, ask us to confirm the runway height in writing before ordering — we will get the answer from the manufacturer rather than quote whichever figure reads better. The longer approach ramps supplied here are the other half of the story: ramp angle protects an undercarriage at least as much as deck height.

Cable margin, and the sheaves that make it last

Each aircraft-quality stainless steel cable is rated for 14,400 lbs., a collective rating over 822% of the lift's own capacity. The rope is heavy-duty 3/8 in., fully enclosed within the columns. Dual-hub sheaves double the cable-run surface area, spreading the load the rope sees at its tightest bend, and 1.25 in. roller axles carry it. None of it is glamorous and all of it is why a parking lift is still trustworthy in its second decade.

Locks that engage without being asked, twice over

Four spring-loaded safety locks engage continuously and automatically as the lift rises, so there is no operator step to skip. Descent is the mirror image: stainless steel and aluminium pneumatic cylinders release all four together at the push of a button, which is what keeps a vehicle level on the way down. Stop mid-descent and start raising again and the locks re-engage on their own.

Behind that is a second, independent system: a slack-cable device that engages if slack is detected at any point — the failure mode where one corner would otherwise drop while the other three hold.

Will It Fit?

• Footprint. Overall width 110.25 in. (2,800 mm); outside length 174 in. (4,420 mm); overall length 200.5 in. (5,093 mm).
• Overhead. Column height 100 in. (2,540 mm); maximum rise 82 in. (2,083 mm); maximum lifting height 85.75 in. (2,178 mm). Add the vehicle's own height to that before you look at your ceiling.
• Between the columns. 90.25 in. (2,292 mm), with 76.5 in. (1,943 mm) of drive-through clearance — the narrow configuration, which is the point of this model.
• Runways. 19 in. (483 mm) wide, 158.25 in. (4,020 mm) long, 34.5 in. (876 mm) apart, outside edges 75.5 in. (1,918 mm).
• Base plates. 10 in. x 12 in. at each column.
• Power. 220 VAC, 60 Hz, 1 Ph, at 45 dB, with 17 locking positions spaced every 4 in. (102 mm) and full rise in 35 seconds.

Floor space, ceiling height and the electrical supply are yours to confirm before ordering. Our record states no concrete thickness or strength requirement for this model. The load goes into four base plates rather than anchors, but the slab still has to carry it — and on the caster kit it becomes a point load that moves. The installation manual linked on this page gives the requirement and we will confirm it in writing on request.

Perfect For

• Home garages that need a second parking space more than they need a service lift.
• Commercial parking operations stacking vehicles to increase capacity within an existing footprint.
• Collector and seasonal storage, where a vehicle sits on the locks for months at a time.
• Tidy, customer-facing spaces, thanks to internally routed cables and airlines.

What's in the Box

Only what this product's feature list states: the four-post structure and runways, four aircraft-quality stainless steel cables fully enclosed in the columns, the single under-runway cylinder, the electric-hydraulic power unit, internal anti-sway slider blocks, oversized self-lubricating cable rollers and dual-hub sheaves, multi-position locks with adjustable ladders, the pneumatic push-button release, the secondary slack-cable device, and longer approach ramps. Optional and not included: the four-piece caster kit, usable with or without a vehicle on the structure, and the 4,500 lbs. rolling jack (model RJ-45).

Specifications

Certification, stated honestly

Nothing in this product's data claims a third-party safety listing, and we will not write one in to make the page read better. That is a statement about our records, not a finding that none exists. The distinction that decides real cases is between a manufacturer's own declaration that a design conforms and an independent laboratory listing a specific model against the North American lift safety standard. Insurers, fleet policies and some jurisdictions require the latter and will not substitute the former. If that is your situation, find out what evidence is required and ask us; we will take the question to the manufacturer and answer in writing before you commit.

Shipping and Delivery

Freight only, to the lower 48 states, at 1,756 lbs. (796 kg) in a crate listed at 167 in. x 22 in. x 28 in. Length is as much of a problem as weight, so settle the offload before the truck is booked: a forklift, a dock, or enough people and machinery for a long crate. Terminal pickup works if you have none of those, provided the vehicle can take the length. Residential delivery carries a residential fee, quoted live at checkout with the freight.

Inspect the shipment before signing. Punctures, crushed corners and banding that has shifted are the tells, and anything you find goes on the bill of lading while the driver is standing there. A clean signature states that everything arrived undamaged and is difficult to retract. Photograph the load before it comes off the trailer.

Warranty and Service

BendPak's full warranty document is linked on this page and governs the terms; our record does not restate a period for this model and we will not paraphrase one. Do not take a component apart before you file a claim — a disassembled part is normally treated as a modified part and the claim stops there. Keep the manual with the lift alongside the in-service date, and if you use the caster kit, note where and how often the lift has been relocated: a lift that moves lives a different life from one that does not.