VP9KFX 9,000 LB 2 POST FLOOR PLATE - SYMMETRIC

A floor-plate lift has no overhead beam, and that is usually why someone buys one

On most two-post lifts the cables that keep the two carriages level run through a beam across the top of the columns. On the Valor VP9KFX they do not. This is a floor-plate design: the equalising cables run through a plate on the ground between the posts, and the tallest thing in the bay becomes the columns themselves. Nothing spans the space above the vehicle.

This is the two-post to look at when the ceiling, not the floor, is the constraint: a garage with a low roof, a bay with ductwork or a door track overhead, or a workshop where a tall van must come up with no room for a crossbeam. It is a 9,000 lbs symmetric two-post, and the floor plate is the reason it exists.

The trade: the plate is on the floor

Buy it with your eyes open. What you gain overhead you give up underfoot: the plate runs across the drive-on area between the columns, so you drive over it, roll a jack over it and step over it every day. It is low and designed to be driven across, but it is not a bare slab. A clear-floor lift makes the opposite bargain. Pick the one that matches the room you actually have.

Symmetric arms, and the specification that proves it

Arm reach runs 31″ to 45″ at the front and 31″ to 45″ at the rear. Both ranges are identical, and that is what makes the geometry genuinely symmetric rather than symmetric in name: the vehicle sits centred between the columns and loads both posts evenly, rather than set back as an asymmetric lift places it. That is the arrangement most technicians find predictable under a heavy or awkward load, and the one you want for trucks and vans. The trade is real: with the vehicle centred, the doors line up closer to the columns. If your daily work is compact cars, ask us about the asymmetric alternative.

Will it fit? Work through this before you buy

The building decides more of these purchases than the lift does, and every item below is the buyer's to confirm.

• Ceiling. With no overhead beam, the governing height is the columns plus the working room you want above a raised vehicle. Overall height is 111-7/8″. The recommended minimum ceiling height is in the installation manual, so ask us for it before you order. Measure to the lowest thing in the bay: an open door track, a heater or a sprinkler head is what a rising vehicle meets first.
• Width. Allow about 9 ft between the columns, then add door swing on both sides and somewhere to stand. Drive-through clearance between the carriages is 101″.
• Floor. This lift is anchored into concrete, like every two-post lift, and the manual gives a minimum slab thickness and a minimum compressive strength. If nobody knows what the floor is, find out before ordering.
• Power. 220V, single phase, 20 Amp. Get an electrician to confirm the circuit ahead of delivery day.

Rise, pads and load

Maximum height at the pad is 72″, and the rise measured under the arms is 68″. Minimum pad height is 4″, which decides whether a low car can be picked up at all. Height is no use if the pads will not slide underneath. The pads are low-profile spin-up pads adjusted by hand, and stackable adapters are supplied for reaching a factory lift point on a truck with a deep rocker. Rated capacity is 9,000 lbs and each arm is rated to 2,250 lbs. The per-arm figure is the one people overlook, because an unevenly loaded vehicle can reach an arm limit while the lift is nowhere near its total. A full rise takes about 50 seconds.

Safety hardware, and what each piece is for

The automatic arm restraint system engages as the carriages rise, so an arm cannot swing out from under a loaded vehicle, which is the failure that hurts people. The dual point lock release takes the mechanical locks off at both columns in a controlled way rather than one side at a time. Rubber door guards face the columns because a customer's paintwork meeting steel is a bill somebody pays, and internal hose routing keeps the hydraulic lines where nothing in a busy bay can catch them.

Perfect for

• Home and hobby garages with a low ceiling, the most common reason this configuration is chosen over a clear-floor lift.
• Shops in older buildings where beams, ductwork or a roller door track cross the bay overhead and cannot be moved.
• Van, pickup and light commercial work, where centred symmetric loading suits the vehicle better than a set-back position.
• General repair bays wanting a straightforward 9,000 lbs two-post with no overhead structure to install and inspect.

What is included

Two columns with carriages and chain drive cylinders, the floor plate, symmetric arms with the automatic restraint system, low-profile spin-up lift pads, stackable adapters, rubber door guards, internal hose routing, the dual point lock release and the power unit. Anchors, hydraulic fluid and installation vary between kits and installers. Ask us before ordering if any of these affects your quote.

Specifications

Shipping and delivery

The VP9KFX ships as freight within the lower 48 states, crated at 1,270 lbs. The freight charge is calculated live at checkout for the address you enter. Plan the unload before the truck arrives: you need a forklift rated for the load, or a dock. If you have neither, ask us about collecting from the carrier's terminal. A residential delivery address adds a residential fee, shown before payment.

When it arrives, walk round the crate with the driver still there. Note damaged banding, a crushed corner or a dented power-unit carton on the delivery receipt before you sign, photograph it, and call us that day. Once a clean receipt is signed, a damage claim is much harder to make. Check the contents against the parts list within a few days; shortage and hidden-damage claims run on a clock.

Warranty

The current warranty terms, exclusions and claim process are on our warranty claims page. If something fails, photograph it exactly as you found it and speak to us before taking anything apart.