BendPak 10APX-181: a forged-steel arm restraint rated to hold 2000 pounds sideways
The most likely thing to go wrong on a two-post lift is not the hoist. It is an arm moving when it should not — a vehicle settling onto a badly placed pad, a technician putting his weight behind a seized bolt, or the balance shifting the moment a heavy component comes out. The 10APX-181 answers that with an automatic swing arm restraint made from forged steel, gripping through a full 360 degrees and rated to hold against over 2000 pounds of side force.
Two details make it more than a specification. It engages by itself as the lift rises, so there is no step for a busy operator to skip, and a quick-release lever takes the clamping pressure off in one movement when you genuinely need to reposition. Around it sits a 10,000 lbs / 4,536 kg two-post lift built on the same triple-telescoping, Bi-Metric arm set as the rest of the series — and, in this variant, an overhead beam raised to take high-roof cargo vans.
Will It Fit?
This is the tall-beam version and the ceiling is the deciding factor, so read the next section before you order — our sources do not agree on the overhead height. What is not in dispute is the footprint. The lift installs in one of two widths: 135 in. / 3,429 mm or 145 in. / 3,683 mm overall, with 108.25 in. / 2,750 mm or 118.25 in. / 3,004 mm between the columns, and drive-through clearance of 92 in. / 2,337 mm or 102 in. / 2,591 mm. Outside the columns you need 127 in. / 3,226 mm or 137 in. / 3,480 mm. Power is 220 VAC, 60 Hz, 1 Phase, quoted at under 70 dB.
Our record does not state the required concrete thickness or compressive strength. On a two-post lift every pound reaches the floor through the anchors, so please do not assume it — the figure is in the installation manual linked on this page and we will confirm it in writing on request. Ceiling, slab and circuit are the buyer's responsibility to verify before ordering, and on a beam this tall the ceiling is not a formality.
Overhead height — our sources do not agree
This is the specification the whole variant exists for, and we hold two answers for it.
| Where the figure comes from |
What it says |
| The model designation and the copy currently on this page |
Overhead beam of 181 in.
|
| Our spec block and catalogue height field, both shared across the 10AP series |
Height overall 157 in. / 3,988 mm |
| Rise at the carriage, published |
75 in. / 1,905 mm |
| Our catalogue field, lifting height to top of arms |
6.5 ft |
The likeliest reading is that the spec block was inherited from the standard-height model in the same family, but we are not going to present a guess as a measurement. If your ceiling is anywhere near the limit — and 181 in. is over fifteen feet — ask us to confirm the overhead height in writing before you order, and measure to your lowest obstruction rather than to the roof. Lighting, door tracks and ducting are what actually stop a tall lift going in.
Why a taller beam is a different lift, not a bigger one
Capacity is unchanged: the reason to buy the tall variant is a high-roof cargo van, which will otherwise touch the beam long before it reaches working height. That is a real constraint for anyone servicing delivery fleets, camper conversions or box-body light commercials, and it is not solved by a longer arm or a stronger cylinder.
Under the vehicle, the arms are the series' triple-telescoping Low-Pro design with dropped-end pad receivers, so they retract shorter and extend further than a two-stage arm and clear side skirts and running boards on the way in. The Bi-Metric design lets you load symmetrically or asymmetrically without changing arms — which on a van matters mostly for getting the driver's door open in a narrow bay.
Pads, adapters and per-arm limits
Screw pads are double-telescoping and spin up by hand to meet uneven pick-up points. For trucks and vans on rectangular steel frames, BendPak's frame cradle pads use heavy-duty steel with a textured polyurethane lining and fit the arms on 35 mm or 60 mm pins; stacking adapters are offered in 2.5 in. and 5 in. heights. All of those are accessories rather than inclusions. The published maximum load per lift arm is 2,500 lbs / 1,134 kg, against axle limits of 5,000 lbs / 2,268 kg — a laden van with weight over one axle can approach an arm limit while the total is still comfortable.
Perfect For
-
Fleet and delivery workshops lifting high-roof cargo vans that will not clear a standard beam.
-
Camper and conversion specialists working on tall light commercials.
-
Busy general bays that want the restraint and arm geometry of the series with headroom to spare.
-
Tall buildings, workshop or domestic, where ceiling height is genuinely not the constraint.
What's in the Box
Two columns with the expandable top beam and oversized 53 in. and 59 in. carriages; four triple-telescoping Bi-Metric Low-Pro arms with double-telescoping screw pads; the automatic swing arm restraints; safety locks spaced every 3 in. per column with single-point release; the padded overhead safety shutoff bar; 3/8 in. (10 mm) high-strength multi-strand galvanised steel equalising cable over oversized sheaves; and the electric-hydraulic HVLP power unit in a powder coat finish. Frame cradle pads, stacking adapters and the WSA-100 work station — four 110V outlets with 20 amp industrial GFI protection and two air service outlets — are sold separately.
Specifications
| Specification |
Figure |
| Lifting capacity |
10,000 lbs / 4,536 kg |
| Capacity per axle |
5,000 lbs / 2,268 kg front and rear |
| Maximum load per lift arm |
2,500 lbs / 1,134 kg |
| Arm restraint |
360 degrees, over 2000 pounds of side force |
| Overhead height |
Our sources disagree — see above |
| Rise |
75 in. / 1,905 mm at the carriage; 79.5 in. / 2,007 mm with pad; 89 in. / 2,261 mm with pad and 63 mm adapter |
| Minimum height with pad |
4 in. / 102 mm |
| Width overall |
135 in. / 3,429 mm or 145 in. / 3,683 mm |
| Outside columns |
127 in. / 3,226 mm or 137 in. / 3,480 mm |
| Inside columns |
108.25 in. / 2,750 mm or 118.25 in. / 3,004 mm, about 10 ft |
| Drive-through clearance |
92 in. / 2,337 mm or 102 in. / 2,591 mm, about 8.5 ft |
| Front arm reach |
22 in. / 559 mm to 47.5 in. / 1,207 mm |
| Rear arm reach |
29.5 in. / 749 mm to 57 in. / 1,448 mm |
| Screw pad adjustment |
2 in. / 51 mm |
| Motor and noise |
220 VAC, 60 Hz, 1 Phase; under 70 dB |
| Time to full rise |
45 seconds |
Certification
The feature list for this lift states that it is ALI certified. The substance behind that is an independent assessment of the design against a recognised lift safety standard, as opposed to a manufacturer certifying its own work — and the independent version is what an insurer, a fleet policy or a local inspector will ask for by name. What satisfies an audit is a certificate tied to a model and serial number, not a bullet point on a web page, ours included. If you need that evidence on file, ask us in writing and we will obtain it.
Shipping and delivery
Freight only, to the lower 48 states, priced live against your address at checkout — which is why no shipping figure appears in this description.
Delivery is kerbside. Sort out the unload before the truck is scheduled: forklift on site, or collect from the freight terminal, which is often simpler for crated columns this long. A residential address carries a residential fee. Warehouse pickup is available for this brand. Inspect at delivery and record any damage on the bill of lading before signing.
Warranty
The warranty document governing this lift is linked on this page. Read the term and the exclusions there rather than in any summary. One rule applies regardless: do not take apart a component you intend to claim on. Photograph it in place, leave it assembled and speak to us first.
