BendPak 20AP: the number that decides a heavy lift is 5,000 lbs, not 20,000
Two-post lifts are sold on total capacity and used one arm at a time. The 20AP publishes what most listings leave out: a maximum load per lift arm of 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg). That is the figure that governs a bread van with the load stacked over one axle, a fire appliance with a pump on one side, or an ambulance being stripped from the rear — vehicles whose weight is nowhere near evenly spread across four pads. A lift can be rated for 20,000 lbs in total and still be the wrong lift if one corner takes more than its share.
The second thing this model is built around is arm restraint. BendPak's Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System grips through a full 360 degrees and is rated to hold the arms against over 2000 pounds of side force, from forged steel, with a quick-release lever to let it go again. That matters at the exact moment a two-post lift is most dangerous: when a heavy driveline component comes out and the vehicle's centre of balance moves while it is in the air.
Will It Fit?
A two-post lift needs headroom, floor width and a circuit, and the overhead beam is usually what catches people out. Measure before you order.
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Ceiling height. Overall height is 169 in. / 4,294 mm, with the floor-to-top-switch measurement at 162.5 in. / 4,128 mm. Your roof must clear the structure, not just the vehicle.
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Floor width. Overall width is 168 in. / 4,267 mm; outside the posts is 149 in. / 3,785 mm and inside the posts is 126 in. / 3,199 mm. Base plates are 28 in. / 710 mm wide and stand 9.5 in. / 241 mm out from the post.
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Drive-through width. 107.75 in. / 2,740 mm between the carriages. Check this against the widest vehicle you intend to drive in, mirrors included.
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Under the vehicle. Under-clearance at the top lock is 76.5 in. / 1,943 mm, and maximum lifting height with adapters is 90.25 in. / 2,292 mm.
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Low vehicles. Minimum height with the pad fitted is 8 in. / 206 mm, helped by drop-end arms that bring the pad lower at the ends.
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Power. 220 VAC, 60 Hz, 1 Phase. Noise is quoted at under 70 dB, which is quiet enough that a conversation survives a lift cycle.
Confirming your ceiling, your floor plan and your electrical supply is the buyer's responsibility. Our record for this model does not state a required concrete thickness or strength — a two-post lift puts its entire load into a small anchor footprint, so this is not a detail to assume. The figure is in the installation manual linked on this page; ask us and we will confirm it in writing before you commit.
One rise figure, two answers in our data
We would rather flag this than average it away.
| Figure |
Source |
Value |
| Maximum rise |
BendPak published specification, line B2 |
83.25 in. / 2,114 mm |
| Maximum rise under the arms |
A separate field in our catalogue record |
82 in. |
| Maximum lifting height at the top lock |
BendPak published specification, line B1 |
82.75 in. / 2,102 mm |
The gap is small, and for most buyers it is academic. It stops being academic if your ceiling is marginal or you are lifting to a fixed working height: in that case ask us to confirm the rise in writing before you order, and we will get the answer from the manufacturer rather than choose the number that suits the sale.
Arms that reach, and a top beam that moves
Arm reach runs from 35 in. / 893 mm at minimum to 62 in. / 1,678 mm extended, so the same lift can take a compact car's pinch welds and a long-wheelbase truck's frame rails. Double-telescoping screw pads add height in stages instead of forcing you to stack blocks, and the arms can be set symmetrically or asymmetrically depending on whether you need door clearance or balance.
The top beam is expandable, which is a genuinely unusual feature and worth understanding before installation: you can set the lift up for a wide drive-through or a narrow one, on the same hardware, according to the shape of the bay you are putting it in. Get that decision right at install time, because it is not one you want to revisit with a loaded lift.
Columns, bearings and locks
The columns are multi-face rather than single-formed, so load is spread across several faces instead of concentrating on one — the argument is about biaxial loading, which in plain terms is what happens when a vehicle pushes down and sideways at once. The carriages run on a self-lubricating dura-glide UHMW polyethylene bearing system, meaning there is no grease schedule for the sliding surfaces, and an oversized cable sheave diameter reduces the flex fatigue that eventually finishes off equalisation cables on lesser lifts.
Safety locks engage automatically all the way up. Release is single-point: one control drops every lock together, rather than sending someone round the columns with a bar. A padded overhead safety shutoff bar stops the carriage before a roof meets the beam.
Perfect For
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Fleet and municipal workshops running box trucks, tippers, refuse vehicles and utility bodies.
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Emergency-service garages where ambulances and appliances carry weight high and off-centre.
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Heavy independent shops that need one bay to cover everything from a saloon to a Class 5 truck.
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Dealership service departments handling the commercial end of a light-truck range.
What's in the Box
From this product's own feature list: dual hydraulic direct-drive cylinders, the electric/hydraulic HVLP power system, the Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System, double-telescoping screw pads, drop-end arms, the padded overhead safety shutoff bar and the single-point safety release. Adapters beyond the screw pads, and rolling jacks, are not listed as supplied — confirm what you need before ordering.
Specifications
| Capacity |
Figure |
| Lifting capacity |
20,000 lbs / 9,072 kg |
| Maximum load per lift arm |
5,000 lbs / 2,268 kg |
| Arm restraint holding force |
Over 2000 pounds of side force, through 360 degrees |
| Heights |
Figure |
| Overall height |
169 in. / 4,294 mm |
| Floor to top switch |
162.5 in. / 4,128 mm |
| Under clearance at top lock |
76.5 in. / 1,943 mm |
| Maximum lifting height with adapters |
90.25 in. / 2,292 mm |
| Minimum height with pad |
8 in. / 206 mm |
| Maximum rise |
See the table above — our sources differ |
| Widths and reach |
Figure |
| Overall width |
168 in. / 4,267 mm |
| Outside posts |
149 in. / 3,785 mm |
| Inside posts |
126 in. / 3,199 mm |
| Drive-through width |
107.75 in. / 2,740 mm |
| Lift arm reach |
35 in. / 893 mm minimum to 62 in. / 1,678 mm maximum |
| Base plate width |
28 in. / 710 mm |
| Post to base plate |
9.5 in. / 241 mm |
| Power and noise |
Figure |
| Motor |
220 VAC, 60 Hz, 1 Phase |
| Sound |
Under 70 dB |
Certification
This lift is listed as ALI Certified in its own feature list, which puts it in a different position from equipment carrying only a manufacturer's own declaration of conformity: an independent body has examined the design against a recognised safety standard rather than the maker vouching for itself. That distinction is the one insurers, fleet policies and local code officials tend to ask about by name. If your policy or your inspector requires documentary evidence for a specific model and serial number, ask us in writing and we will obtain it — a certification named in a feature list is a good sign, and a certificate in your file is the thing that actually satisfies an auditor.
Shipping and delivery
This lift ships as freight within the lower 48 states. Freight is quoted live at checkout against your own address, so no shipping figure is printed here — the number you see at checkout is the number.
Delivery is kerbside. Decide in advance how the crate leaves the truck: forklift or telehandler on site, or collection from the freight terminal, which for a two-post lift of this size is often the simpler arrangement. A residential address carries a residential fee. Warehouse pickup is offered for this brand. Inspect the shipment before signing and record any damage on the bill of lading at the time — a clean signature makes a later claim very hard to win.
Warranty
The warranty document that governs this lift is linked on this page; read the term and the exclusions there rather than relying on a summary. One practical rule regardless of the terms: do not disassemble a part you intend to claim on. Photograph the fault, leave the assembly as it is and contact us first, because a stripped component is the usual reason a legitimate claim fails.
