Valor VP8K-DX: a four-post you can push out of the way when you need the bay back

The poly caster kit is the reason to buy this version, and it changes what a four-post lift is. A bolted-down two-post owns its bay forever. A four-post on casters is furniture - jack a corner, drop the wheels in, and the whole assembly rolls far enough to sweep behind, park a trailer, or get a second car in for the weekend. For a garage that has to do more than one job, that single accessory is worth more than any spec on the sheet.

The rest is a straightforward 8,000 lb storage and service lift: cable driven, single-point lock release, slack cable safety, steel approach ramps, and the deluxe kit of drip trays and a jack tray on top of the casters.

The jack tray, and why it decides what jobs you can do

Without a jack tray a four-post lift can raise a vehicle but cannot take the weight off its wheels, which rules out brakes, suspension, hubs and tyre work on the vehicle that is up in the air. The tray is the provision for a sliding bridge jack across the runways, and it is what turns a parking lift into something you can actually service a car on. If wheels-free work is anywhere in your plans, this is the configuration to buy rather than the basic one.

Drip trays, which sound trivial until they are not

A stored vehicle drips. A project car with a weeping rear main, a gearbox seal that has been "fine for years", or a differential that marks its territory will do it onto whatever is below - and on a four-post, what is below is either your other car or your floor. Drip trays sit between the runways and catch it. It is the least glamorous item in the box and the one owners are gladdest of in the second year.

The dimensions to measure against

Capacity 8,000 lb. Maximum rise 74.8″ at the top of the runway, columns 86″ tall, and 70″ of clearance beneath the runways for whatever parks underneath. On the floor it occupies 207.3″ with the ramps in place - rounded to 207″ in another of our fields - or 175-1/2″ for the structure alone, by 103-1/2″ wide. There is 94.4″ between the columns and 80″ of drive-through width.

Runway tread is 18.7″, spacing between the runways 37.2″, outside edge to outside edge 74.8″, and lowered runway height 4.3″. Locks engage every 10″, and each column stands on a 10″ x 12″ base plate. Ship weight is 1,695 lb.

Will It Fit?

• Depth. 207.3″ ramps down; 175-1/2″ structure only. If you intend to roll it on the casters, allow for where it will be parked as well as where it will be used.
• Width. 103-1/2″, plus walking space and somewhere for the power unit.
• Height. 86″ of column, plus the roof height of the vehicle stored on top. Watch for opener rails and light fittings, not just the ceiling.
• Beneath. 70″ clear. Measure the lower vehicle at its tallest point, aerials and roof bars included.
• Doors. 94.4″ between columns is what lets you get out of the raised vehicle.
• Ramp clearance. 4.3″ of lowered runway height is the figure a low car has to climb.
• Supply. 115V, 20 Amp, single phase. An ordinary circuit; no three-phase installation needed.
• Slab. The load lands on four 10″ x 12″ base plates, and it lands somewhere different every time you move it. Our data holds no minimum slab thickness or strength for this model, so we will not print one - ask us and we will obtain the requirement from the manufacturer in writing. If you plan to roll the lift regularly, satisfy yourself the whole floor is up to it, not just one spot.

Those measurements are the buyer's to take. We are happy to work through them with you, but nobody at this end can see your garage.

Locks and cables

Single-point manual lock release means the four locks disengage together from one control instead of one column at a time, which eliminates the situation where a lift begins to descend while somebody is still at the far corner. Locking positions every 10″ let you park the lift at a sensible working height sitting on steel, which is where the load should rest rather than on hydraulic pressure.

The slack cable safety system watches for the condition that a cable-driven lift has to design around: a cable that has stretched, jumped a sheave or broken is no longer holding the carriage where the geometry assumes, and the mechanism responds to the slack rather than letting travel continue. The steel approach ramps come with the lift as standard.

Perfect For

• Multi-use home garages - the case the caster kit is built for, where the bay is a workshop on Saturday and a garage on Sunday.
• Renters and anyone who may move, since a lift on casters is a great deal easier to relocate than one that has been fixed in place.
• Owners doing their own brake, tyre and suspension work, using the jack tray for wheels-free jobs.
• Storing a leaky classic above a car that you would rather stayed clean.

If your lift is going into one spot permanently and you already own a jack, the basic configuration of the same chassis will save you money on accessories you would not use.

What is in the Box

Per the manufacturer's feature list, this deluxe build includes drip trays, a jack tray and a poly caster kit in addition to the lift, its power unit and the steel approach ramps. Our data does not state how many drip trays ship and lists no optional accessories, so we are not going to name a number or an upsell we cannot evidence - ask and we will confirm it in writing.

Specifications

Certification, stated honestly

There is no independent third-party safety listing claimed for this lift anywhere in our product record, and we are not going to imply otherwise. Settle it before you buy: insurers, fleet operators and some local building or workplace authorities require vehicle lifts to hold a recognised independent listing, and a manufacturer's own declaration of conformity is not that document. Ask whoever needs to be satisfied what they require, and if you need it in writing, tell us the wording and we will take the question to the manufacturer.

Shipping and delivery

Freight, lower 48, quoted live against your address at checkout rather than estimated in advance. Ship weight 1,695 lb, arriving as columns, runways, ramps and the accessory kit. The receiver unloads: a forklift on site with the capacity and reach for a runway crate, or a terminal collection booked with the carrier - and for a home address the terminal is generally the easier route, because it has a dock and a machine and your driveway has neither. Residential delivery carries a residential fee, which is added at checkout when you select that option.

Before you sign, look. Sight along the runways for bends, check the column feet and the ramp ends for crush damage, count the crates against the manifest, and look for cut banding or oil traces on the wrapping. Anything you find goes on the bill of lading while the driver is standing there, with photographs. Once you have signed clear, the carrier's paperwork says it arrived in good condition, and transit damage is never a warranty matter.

Warranty

The manufacturer runs a limited warranty with a longer term on structure than on parts, subject to normal use and to the usual exclusions for wear items. Our data carries no durations for this model, so none are stated here - ask us for the current written terms before you order and we will send them. Claims are handled at mechanicsuperstore.com/pages/warranty-claims.

Standing advice for any hydraulic lift: when something fails, do not open it. The power unit, cylinder, cable assemblies and lock mechanism must stay untouched until a claim is raised, because a dismantled part is normally treated as a modified one and the cover goes with it. Photograph the fault, note the serial number from a column, stop using the lift, and call us before a tool comes out.