TP9KAC-TUX: the arms are different lengths, and that is the whole point

An asymmetric two-post lift is not a symmetric lift with a marketing word attached. On the TP9KAC-TUX the front arms and the rear arms have genuinely different reaches — the short pair adjusts from 29″ to 41″, the long pair from 37″ to 57″ — and the columns are set up so the vehicle sits further back between them. The consequence is the one thing technicians notice within a day: the car doors open past the columns. On a symmetric lift the driver's door meets the post, and getting in to release a bonnet catch or move a steering wheel becomes a contortion, several times a day, for the life of the lift.

The second half of the design is in the name. Clear floor means the equalisation runs overhead rather than across the bay, so there is nothing between the columns to drive over, sweep around or trip on. Combined with a 9,000 lb capacity, chain-drive cylinders, a dual-point lock release and an automatic arm restraint system, that makes this a general-service lift for cars, crossovers and light trucks in a bay you actually want to work in.

Will It Fit?

Two-post lifts are returned over ceilings and floors far more often than over capacity. Take these measurements before you order:

• Ceiling. The lift's own overall height is 142-11/16″. That is the structure with nothing on it, so your ceiling must clear it plus a working margin — and, if you will raise a tall vehicle to full height, plus the vehicle above the arms. Measure to the lowest obstruction in the bay: usually a door track, light or heater, not the ceiling.
• Bay width. 141″ overall including the power unit, with 110-3/8″ between the columns.
• Drive-through clearance. 7.75 ft — 93-11/16″ between the columns at the carriages. This is the hard limit on the width of anything driven in, and a more common cause of a returned lift than capacity ever is.
• Lift height. 72″ maximum at the pad — 6 ft at the top of the arms — with 68″ of maximum rise under the arms, which is the figure that decides whether you can stand up under the vehicle.
• Minimum pad height. 4″, which is what determines whether a low car can be driven over the arms at all.
• Power. 220V, 20 Amp, single phase. This is not a household-outlet lift — budget for an electrician if the bay does not already have that circuit.
• Concrete. A two-post lift transfers the entire load and the whole overturning moment into two small anchor footprints. Every two-post must be anchored into concrete that meets the manufacturer's thickness and strength requirement, and that requirement is published in the installation manual. It is not printed on this page and we will not guess at it — ask us in writing for the concrete specification before you drill or pour. An unsuitable slab is the one installation problem that cannot be fixed after the fact.

Confirming ceiling, slab, bay width and electrical supply is the buyer's responsibility. A lift that does not fit the building is not a warranty matter, and this one weighs 1,390 lbs in its crate.

Why asymmetric arms are worth choosing deliberately

The asymmetric layout does two things at once. Setting the vehicle rearwards moves its centre of mass towards the columns, which is why each arm is rated at 2,250 lbs rather than the capacity simply being divided four ways. And the differing arm lengths let you reach the manufacturer's lift points on vehicles whose front and rear lift points are nowhere near symmetrical about the centre — which is most modern unibody cars. The result is a lift that is quicker to set up correctly, and an incorrectly spotted vehicle is the failure mode that actually hurts people.

Chain drive, dual-point release and arm restraints

Chain-drive cylinders keep the two carriages synchronised mechanically, so the vehicle rises level rather than relying on hydraulic balance alone. The dual-point lock release disengages both locks from a controlled action rather than each column being freed by hand — nobody reaches into a loaded lift. The automatic arm restraint system locks the arms against swinging once the vehicle is up, which is what stops a pad walking off a pinch weld under load. Low-profile drop-in lift pads come with the lift.

Perfect For

• Independent general repair shops — the mainstream use, where door access and a clear floor pay back every single day.
• Dealership service and used-car prep where technicians are in and out of the cabin constantly and a symmetric lift becomes a genuine nuisance.
• Fleet and municipal workshops running vans and light trucks up to the capacity limit.
• Serious home garages with the ceiling height, a sound anchored slab and a 220V single-phase supply already in place.

What's in the Box

What the current product data lists as included: the lift with asymmetric arms, chain-drive cylinders, the dual-point lock release, the automatic arm restraint system, low-profile drop-in lift pads, saddle pad adaptors (one pair) and stackable adapters. It is finished in black as standard. One honest gap: the product data says stackable adapters are included but does not state how many or what heights, and that is exactly the detail you need in order to know whether a given vehicle can be spotted properly. Ask us in writing for the adapter count and heights before you order — we would rather tell you than have you assume.

Specifications

A labelling difference worth knowing about

This lift is listed and sold here as the TP9KAC-TUX. The stored specification sheet, the manual and our own specification fields head the same machine VP9KAC-TUX. It is one lift under both designations, but if you are cross-checking a spec sheet, ordering parts or matching paperwork to a crate, that is where the confusion comes from. Ask us if anything about the identification does not line up.

Certification, stated plainly

The product data we hold for this lift makes no third-party safety-listing claim, and we are not going to imply one. The distinction matters more on a two-post than on almost anything else we sell: a maker's own declaration that a lift meets a standard is a different thing from an independent testing body examining that lift and issuing a listing against a published standard. Insurers, fleet policies, dealership programmes and some local jurisdictions specifically require the independent listing for a lift on a commercial floor, and an inspection is not the moment to discover the question. If that could apply to you, settle it with them first, then ask us in writing what documentation ships with this lift.

Shipping and delivery

Freight to the lower 48 states, quoted live at checkout for your address so the figure reflects the current rate rather than something typed into a page years ago. This is a 1,390 lb crated two-post lift on a long pallet. You must be able to get it off the truck — a forklift, a dock, or a properly planned unload. If you cannot, tell us before you order and we will route it to a freight terminal for collection, usually the sensible answer at a home address. Residential delivery carries a residential fee. Inspect the shipment before you sign, and record any damage on the bill of lading at the point of delivery — freight damage is a freight claim, not a warranty claim, and a signature given clear is extremely difficult to unwind. Warehouse pickup is available; locations are listed below.

Warranty

The warranty in force is published on our warranty claims page. No coverage period is printed in this description, and that is deliberate rather than an oversight: the term is not stated anywhere in the product data we hold for this model, and we will not put an unsourced number beside the word warranty on a lift. If the structural and parts coverage periods matter to your decision — and on a two-post they should — ask us in writing before you order and we will confirm the current terms. One rule holds regardless: do not disassemble a component before the claim is open. A dismantled cylinder, power unit or lock assembly usually ends a claim on the spot. Photograph the fault, call us, and let the process begin before anything is taken apart.