Triumph NT-9: a 9,000 lb floorplate two-post that still takes a low car

On a two-post lift, the specification that quietly rules vehicles in or out is not the capacity — it is how far the arms come down. The NT-9's drop to 4-1/2". That is low enough to slide a pad under the pinch weld of a lowered car or a coupe with a front lip without ramps, blocks or a run-up, and at the other end of the range truck adapters are included rather than sold as an accessory. One lift, a driveway's worth of vehicles.

Underneath that it is a straightforward floorplate two-post: 9,000 lbs of capacity, 72" of lift height, asymmetric arms, dual hydraulic cylinders, a dual-point lock release and a full raise in 40 seconds. Floorplate means the equalising cables and hydraulic hoses run through a drive-over base plate on the floor between the columns instead of over a beam across the top, which is why the whole lift stands only 111" tall. It is sized for cars, sedans, crossovers and light-duty trucks — the vehicles that make up most of the work in most bays — rather than for one-tonne duallies.

Included while supplies last: a Chicago Pneumatic CP WallAIR 1.5-HP wall-mount air compressor with hose reel and inflation kit. The option to add it appears at checkout.

Before you wire it: the electrical figures on this page are disputed

Do not have a circuit run for this lift until you have the electrical requirement from us in writing. The specification sheet published on this page lists the NT-9 as a 110 Volt unit driven by a 2 HP motor. The manufacturer's own published specification for the NT-9 states a higher supply voltage and a larger motor, and that is the figure carried by other sellers of the same model. The two do not agree, we have not been able to reconcile them from the data we hold, and we are not going to assert either one here.

This is not a footnote. Get it wrong and you either cannot commission a lift you have already paid for, or you pay an electrician twice to do the job once. Ask us for the current factory electrical specification with your order, and wire to what the manufacturer confirms rather than to what a listing says.

Will It Fit?

A two-post is the least forgiving purchase in a garage, because the building has to accept it before the lift can do anything. Take these numbers to your own space with a tape measure — fitment is the buyer's responsibility, and it is far cheaper to discover a problem now than on a freight truck.

• Ceiling. The lift stands 111" overall and, being a floorplate design, has no overhead beam above that. Your ceiling has to clear the column, and then clear the roof of the tallest vehicle you intend to raise on top of the 72" of lift height. Measure your own worst case, not an average one — door openers and light fixtures usually decide it.
• Floor width. 132" overall across the columns, with 106" between the posts. The overall figure is the one your walls have to accept; the between-posts figure is the one your vehicles have to fit through.
• Drive-through. 96" between the carriages. That is the gap a mirror-to-mirror vehicle has to pass on the way in.
• Concrete — disputed, and worth a phone call. The sheet on this page calls for a 3" slab at 3,000 PSI. Published foundation guidance for two-post lifts in this capacity class calls for a thicker slab at that same 3,000 PSI, and we have not found an independent source that endorses 3" for a lift of this rating. So we are not asserting a thickness. Ask us for the factory foundation requirement in writing before you pour, core or drill an anchor — a lift anchored into thin concrete is dangerous in a way that stays invisible right up until it isn't, and asking costs you nothing.
• Power. Disputed — see the section above. Confirm with us before you wire anything.
• Getting it in. Shipping weight is 1,303 lbs. Plan the route from where a truck can stop to where the columns will stand.

Lowered to 4-1/2 inches, which is the number that decides what you can drive on

Arms drop to 4-1/2". On a two-post, the collapsed arm height is the spec that decides whether a given car can be lifted at all — a lowered saloon, a sports coupe with a front lip, or anything with a low rocker pinch weld either clears the arm pads or it does not, and no amount of capacity fixes it. At 4-1/2" the NT-9 sits low enough for ordinary passenger cars without ramps or blocks, which is what makes it practical for a mixed driveway rather than a truck-only tool.

The arms are asymmetric — the manufacturer's own manual lists the NT-9 that way, with double telescoping arms toward the front of the vehicle and single telescoping arms to the rear. The vehicle sits set back between the columns rather than centred on them, which is the arrangement that lets the doors open once the car is in the air. It is the layout to want if most of what you lift is a car you then need to get into. Set the pads on the vehicle manufacturer's designated lift points every time; the low arm height buys you access, not permission to improvise a pickup point.

The floor plate you drive over, and what it buys you

On a floorplate lift the cables and hoses that keep the two carriages level cross the bay in a drive-over base plate bolted to the floor between the columns, not in a beam over the vehicle. Two consequences, and both cut both ways. Nothing crosses above the roofline, so a tall van or a truck with a roof rack is not stopped by an overhead bar and the lift itself fits under a lower ceiling than an overhead-beam lift needs. In exchange you drive over the plate every time and it has to be kept clear of dirt and grease, and there is no overhead bar to act as a top-of-travel stop. If your bay has the height and you would rather have a completely flat floor, an overhead-beam lift is the other choice — this is a genuine design trade, not a compromise.

Dual cylinders, dual-point lock release, and no electric shutoff

Two hydraulic cylinders, one per column, are why the carriages come up together under an uneven load. A vehicle almost never sits with its weight split evenly between the two posts — an engine forward, a toolbox in the bed — and a single-cylinder arrangement has to fight that imbalance through the equalising system. Two cylinders share the work directly: the lift rises level and the locks engage together instead of one side leading the other.

The lock release is dual-point, so both column locks are freed from one control rather than from two separate handles. It is a small thing until you are working alone, which most owners of this lift are.

Worth stating openly because it is on the spec sheet: this lift does not have an electric safety shutoff at the top of travel. Some buyers specifically want that omission — fewer switches, fewer nuisance faults, a purely mechanical stack of safeties — and some will consider it a reason to look at a different lift. The lock ladders, the arm restraints and the operator are the safety system here, so read the manual on lock engagement and check the locks have dropped before you go under a vehicle. Every time.

Perfect For

• Home garages. The 4-1/2" collapsed arm height and the low overall height of a floorplate design are what make this a realistic lift for a residential garage rather than an aspirational one. Settle the electrical question with us first.
• Small independent shops. 9,000 lbs covers the daily mix of cars, crossovers and half-ton trucks; a 40-second raise keeps a bay moving.
• Mixed driveways and collections. Low arms at one end of the range, included truck adapters at the other — the same lift handles a slammed coupe on Saturday and a half-ton on Sunday.
• Low-ceiling bays. No overhead beam and 111" of column, so a garage that cannot take a taller two-post can often take this one. Measure before you order.

What's in the Box

The NT-9 ships as a complete two-post lift — columns, carriages, asymmetric arms, the drive-over base plate, dual hydraulic cylinders, power unit and hardware — and truck adapters are included rather than sold as an extra, which is worth knowing because adapters are a common surprise line item on a lift order. Anchors, if not supplied, and the concrete work are the buyer's side of the job. If your order includes the promotional compressor, it is added as a separate line at checkout.

Specifications

Capacity and lift

Dimensions

Power, foundation and weight

Certification, stated plainly

We do not list a third-party lift safety listing for the NT-9, and we are not going to imply one with a badge. That distinction is worth understanding rather than glossing: a manufacturer's own declaration of conformity is a statement the manufacturer makes about itself, while an independent listing is a testing body's statement about the product. They are not the same document and one does not substitute for the other. If your commercial insurance policy, your fleet policy or your local jurisdiction requires equipment carrying a specific independent listing, verify that requirement for your application before you buy. Many home and small-shop buyers face no such requirement; some commercial operations do.

Shipping and delivery

This lift ships by freight to the lower 48. Freight is quoted live at checkout against your own address, so what you see is the current rate rather than a number typed into a page months ago.

You have to be able to receive it. A two-post lift comes on a pallet and its columns are heavy and awkward; you need a forklift, a loading dock, or the equipment and the help to unload safely — or you select terminal pickup and collect it yourself. Residential delivery is available and carries a residential fee, applied at checkout. Warehouse pickup is available at our Triumph locations.

Inspect the shipment before you sign. Walk around the pallet with the driver still there. Look for bent column edges, torn wrap, crushed cartons and missing pieces, and write anything you find on the bill of lading before signing. A clean signature is the carrier's record that the freight arrived undamaged. Photograph anything questionable and contact us the same day.

Warranty

Coverage is the manufacturer's, and the current terms are published on our warranty claims page. One rule matters more than the rest: do not disassemble a component before a claim is filed. If a cylinder, a power unit or a lock assembly fails, stop, leave it as it is, photograph it and call us. A part that has already been taken apart usually cannot be assessed, and a claim that would have been paid becomes one that cannot be.