Car Lift Installation Guide: What the Manuals Say Happens Before the First Lift

Before the order

The 10AP manual's site requirements: access to an appropriate power source; a flat, level, steel-reinforced concrete floor, not asphalt or any other surface, not cracked or defective; concrete at least 4.25 inches thick, 3,000 PSI, cured 28 days; anchor positions more than 6 inches from cracks, expansion joints and walls; the motor mounted where it will not be exposed to rain or damp; and BendPak's strong recommendation to consult a concrete specialist early. The MaxJax manual adds a slope limit of 3 degrees, a shim limit of 1/8 inch, a ban on drilling post-tensioned slabs, and a ceiling check: 1 inch minimum above the tallest vehicle at full rise. The electrical guide has the circuit figures to give the electrician before delivery; the 10AP manual says to notify the electrician in advance so they arrive prepared.

Delivery

A two-post lift ships by freight: BendPak lists the 10AP at 1,768 pounds shipping weight, the HD-9 four-post at 1,616 pounds with flatbed and forklift offload, the MaxJax M7K at 980 pounds by LTL freight with a liftgate required, and the Atlas Garage Pro 8000 at 1,800 pounds by its dealer. That means a truck that can reach the garage, someone to receive it, and a way to move a crated column off the truck and across the driveway; the MaxJax manual warns that posts must be securely held by a forklift or other lifting equipment during installation. Inspect the crates for freight damage before signing, because the manuals' warranties do not cover it.

Who installs it

BendPak's dealers quote installation separately; the 10AP manual is written for the installer and its delivery checklist assumes the owner is arranging the site, not raising the columns. The MaxJax manual is written for an owner-installer with a second person, a rotary hammer and the listed tools, and it still requires the licensed electrician. Our reading: a full-height two-post with 1,700 pounds of parts and an overhead beam is installed by a crew that has done it before; a MaxJax, a QuickJack or a scissor lift is within an owner's reach with the manual open and a helper. The ALI's installation standard, ANSI/ALI ALIS, which the MaxJax manual cites, is the standard an installer works to.

Assembly and anchors (two-post)

As the manuals sequence it: lay out the column positions to the manual's drawing and check them against the slab's joints and edges (6 inches minimum from any, per BendPak and MaxJax); raise and plumb the columns; drill the anchor holes with the specified bit (MaxJax: 7/8 inch for its M16 drop-in anchors) to the manual's depth without drilling through the slab (BendPak); clean the holes (MaxJax lists a nylon brush and compressed air); set the anchors as the manual describes, using only the anchors supplied (MaxJax: using components from another source voids the warranty and compromises safety); shim under the base plates to plumb within the limits (MaxJax: 1/8 inch maximum); then torque the anchors to the manual's figure, which we do not quote. BendPak's 10AP has an overhead beam and a padded shutoff switch at 139.5 inches; its wiring is routed over the beam and connected by the electrician. The MaxJax manual's re-installation rule is worth repeating: inspect every drop-in anchor for setting and damage each time the lift is re-installed, and do not re-install if any anchor or the concrete is defective.

Hydraulics and fluid

Hoses connected per the manual (MaxJax: both cylinders' hoses must be equal in length within 5 percent, because the lift is hydraulically equalized and unequal hoses cause unequal lifting); fluid of the grade the manual names, in the quantity it names (the Atlas dealer lists 3 to 5 gallons of AW32 or AW46 hydraulic oil, not included, for the 9KOHX); the power unit never run dry (MaxJax: damage not covered). The MaxJax manual also warns that the pump can develop over 5,000 PSI and that the relief valve is not to be adjusted or removed.

The electrician

The 10AP manual: all wiring by a licensed electrician to local, state and federal codes; the electrician connects a cord and plug or hard-wires the power unit, provides the breaker, and installs a thermal disconnect if local code requires; the limit switch cable is connected by the electrician. The MaxJax manual: 110 or 220 VAC protected by an appropriate breaker or fuse, a licensed electrician for any electrical work, improper installation not covered by warranty. That is the whole of what either manual lets an owner do electrically, which is to call someone.

First lift and the checks after

The manuals sequence the first operation as: raise the lift empty through its full travel, checking that the safety locks engage at each position and release together; lower; then raise a vehicle a few inches, stop, check that the arms and pads are placed at the maker's lifting points (QuickJack ships ALI's Lifting Points guide) and that the vehicle is level and stable; raise to working height and lower onto the locks before anyone goes under. BendPak's 10AP manual requires operators to be trained and supervised and keeps untrained people away; its maintenance pages set inspection intervals the owner follows after. ALI's position, in its FAQ, is that a lift cannot be certified after installation because the structure cannot be validated in the field, which is the argument for doing the installation to the manual the first time.

Portable and scissor lifts

A QuickJack has no anchors and no assembly beyond the frames, hoses and the power unit; its pages give the lift point spread (37 to 60 inches on the TL frames, 43 to 66 on the TLX) and say the frames' locks engage at mid and full rise. The BendPak MD-6XP's sales sheet lists a 110 V motor, and dealers quote BendPak's shop-air requirement for its pneumatic lock release. The installation for both is the floor check (flat, level, a slope limit) and the circuit; the portable lift guide and scissor lift guide cover the lifts.

The one-page checklist

Stage	Done by	What the manuals require
Site	Owner, concrete specialist	Slab thickness, PSI, cure, reinforcement verified; joints and walls mapped; ceiling and width measured; no post-tensioning
Power	Licensed electrician	Circuit to the manual's nameplate figures, breaker, disconnect if local code requires
Delivery	Freight carrier, owner	Forklift or liftgate; crates inspected before signing
Assembly	Installer (or owner with a helper, for portable lifts)	Columns plumbed and shimmed within limits; supplied anchors only, set as described; hoses equal; fluid as specified
Wiring	Licensed electrician	Power unit and limit switch connected
First lift	Installer, owner	Empty full-travel test, locks checked, then a vehicle at the maker's lift points, lowered onto locks before anyone goes under
After	Owner	The manual's inspection schedule; anchors re-inspected on every re-install (MaxJax)