Four-Post Lift Installation Guide
Anchored or free-standing? Learn what to consider when deciding how your four-post lift should be installed in your garage or shop.
A Common Question
Are bolt-down anchors needed to secure a four-post lift? At Wrenchers this question comes up often.
The reasons are many. Maybe you do not want to drill holes into a pristine slab of concrete. Or maybe you’re not the type who likes long-term commitments? Wrenchers understands. Rest assured there are other four-post lift owners like you.
Wrenchers knows you have a lot riding up in the air. Somedays, it’s your buddy’s new Vette atop your four-post lift. Other days it might be a Corolla that was a rental in its previous life. Maybe you have a four-post in your home garage to store your really nice Porsche or big-block Chevelle.
No matter the score, a four-post lift from Wrenchers is certainly more-than-sturdy and likewise plants weight at all four columns onto your concrete slab. But with such hefty and rigid lift equipment, is it really critical to bolt down and anchor the lift’s base plates to the concrete?
Truth is Wrenchers Four Post lifts are designed to be used either with or without bolt-down anchors attached through each base plate. That said, bolting your lift down does add another layer of confidence, especially if your work surroundings flirt with the severe side of lift use. Or if seismic activities may occur in your area. Depending on how you plan to use your lift, you may be able to simply proceed with it in place on your slab. Before you do though, it is important to review some additional information.
Hold Tight or Keep Free?
Consider how the lift will be used, whether mobility matters, and the types of forces it may experience in your garage or shop.
Do you like to have the easy option to relocate your four-post lift for working efficiency?
Did you know a Caster Kit is available to allow some four-post lifts to be mobile?
Do you use your lift for storage, mechanical repairs, or maybe body repairs?
Do you use heavy-hitting tools to make large repairs with cable pullers, air chisels, etc.?
Does your lift get rigorous use from multiple techs who drive onto the lift rapidly and stop quickly?
Everyday Lift Use
Is the lift in your garage typically used for vehicle service, exhaust system removal, vehicle storage, or drivetrain repairs? These types of normal activities are anticipated during lift engineering and do not raise a concern requiring that the lift be bolted down to concrete.
Other Forces to Consider
Pulling vehicles onto a lift obviously loads weight downward onto the runways. There is also another force to consider. In some cases, if a vehicle is driven onto a lift quickly and the vehicle’s brakes are then applied abruptly, the forward force in an extreme case presents an amount of lateral load.
Know that it is best to have experienced personnel drive and park a vehicle carefully up on a lift. Whether it is bolted down or not.
This does not always mean California. In 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah had a large earthquake roll through. Western Pennsylvania did have a relatively small earthquake during the same year.
Although the last two noted are outside the norm, point is that they can occur just about anywhere. If you would rather go with the odds that earthquakes are really unusual events where you are, know that a Wrenchers’ four post lift is definitely built strong and supports all of the rated capacity that you add to it.
If You Bolt Down
16 holes drilled in concrete — use base plate as guide.
Four expansion sleeves (aka Wedge Anchors) at each column.
Four anchor bolts at each column — torqued to 85–95 lb.-ft.
Provides added lift holding strength.
Best to Consider
You will want to evaluate if your shop will use a four-post lift as many other shops do, or if you may often perform jobs that place heavier than normal demands on the four-post lift and its placement.
How Do Things Sit?
Concrete thickness is important whether you plan to bolt down your lift or simply place it in a suitable position and begin lifting vehicles.
Each four-post lift model has its own concrete requirements that are listed in the respective user manual. Depending on model and lift capacity requirements, thicknesses generally range from 4.25” minimum thickness/3,000 PSI to 6.5” minimum thickness/3,000 PSI and cured for at least 28 days after pouring.
Concrete condition is also important. This means there should not be excessive or large cracks on concrete. Especially at areas where each base plate on the lift’s columns set.
Concrete requirements vary by model and lift capacity. Use the requirements listed in the respective lift's user manual for the model being installed.
Check the Surface
Whether you choose to bolt down your four-post lift or use it resting on your concrete slab, it definitely needs to be placed on a level slab. The installation goal is to have the lift as level as possible with no more than a 3 percent slope on the concrete.
If the runways on the lift are not level, neither is the vehicle that is placed on the runways. This can ultimately affect repair quality and also allow the vehicle to roll on the runways.
Level concrete is also important if the four-post lift is fitted with the optional caster kit.
Want a Portable Lift?
Wrenchers Caster Kit makes your Four Post Lift Portable, Versatile, and Adaptable. Best of all, Wrenchers calls it HELPFUL.
Are there days in your shop when your lift would serve much better if it were at the other end of your garage? Maybe a flatbed tow truck is dropping off a long bed, crew cab with a blown trans and you need more approach room to load it on your four-post lift?
View Caster Kit
Going Mobile?
Moving your four-post vehicle lift might make everything easier. If you have your sights set on Wrenchers Bendpak HD-7 or BendPak HD-9 , know that you can equip either model with a Caster Kit.
This means that you can skate that big four-post lift across your concrete slab to a more useful spot. Did we mention it’s even possible to move the lift around with a vehicle loaded onboard?
With or Without Anchors?
The decision to bolt down your four-post auto lift largely depends on reasons such as if extreme or forceful vehicle repairs are sometimes performed that may laterally stress the lift’s placement. Or if there is a decent possibility of earthquakes in your area. And of course, what your comfort level may be.
In these cases you may decide bolting down your lift is your best option.
Otherwise, know as an example that lifts such as a 9,000-lb. capacity HD-9 lift remains safe and ALI certified without anchor bolts. This means even busy auto repair shops can typically and safely raise vehicles on four-post vehicle lifts that are not bolted into position.
Find Your Four-Post Lift
Wrenchers offers four-post lifts with capacities that range from 7,000 lbs. up to 40,000 lbs. with a variety of different lift capacities in between. The good news is that a four post lift from Wrenchers will always perform well when installed to best match your shop’s need.
Four-Post Lift Installation Guide
Anchored or free-standing? Learn what to consider when deciding how your four-post lift should be installed in your garage or shop.
A Common Question
Are bolt-down anchors needed to secure a four-post lift? At Wrenchers this question comes up often.
The reasons are many. Maybe you do not want to drill holes into a pristine slab of concrete. Or maybe you’re not the type who likes long-term commitments? Wrenchers understands. Rest assured there are other four-post lift owners like you.
Wrenchers knows you have a lot riding up in the air. Somedays, it’s your buddy’s new Vette atop your four-post lift. Other days it might be a Corolla that was a rental in its previous life. Maybe you have a four-post in your home garage to store your really nice Porsche or big-block Chevelle.
No matter the score, a four-post lift from Wrenchers is certainly more-than-sturdy and likewise plants weight at all four columns onto your concrete slab. But with such hefty and rigid lift equipment, is it really critical to bolt down and anchor the lift’s base plates to the concrete?
Truth is Wrenchers Four Post lifts are designed to be used either with or without bolt-down anchors attached through each base plate. That said, bolting your lift down does add another layer of confidence, especially if your work surroundings flirt with the severe side of lift use. Or if seismic activities may occur in your area. Depending on how you plan to use your lift, you may be able to simply proceed with it in place on your slab. Before you do though, it is important to review some additional information.
Hold Tight or Keep Free?
Consider how the lift will be used, whether mobility matters, and the types of forces it may experience in your garage or shop.
Do you like to have the easy option to relocate your four-post lift for working efficiency?
Did you know a Caster Kit is available to allow some four-post lifts to be mobile?
Do you use your lift for storage, mechanical repairs, or maybe body repairs?
Do you use heavy-hitting tools to make large repairs with cable pullers, air chisels, etc.?
Does your lift get rigorous use from multiple techs who drive onto the lift rapidly and stop quickly?
Everyday Lift Use
Is the lift in your garage typically used for vehicle service, exhaust system removal, vehicle storage, or drivetrain repairs? These types of normal activities are anticipated during lift engineering and do not raise a concern requiring that the lift be bolted down to concrete.
Other Forces to Consider
Pulling vehicles onto a lift obviously loads weight downward onto the runways. There is also another force to consider. In some cases, if a vehicle is driven onto a lift quickly and the vehicle’s brakes are then applied abruptly, the forward force in an extreme case presents an amount of lateral load.
Know that it is best to have experienced personnel drive and park a vehicle carefully up on a lift. Whether it is bolted down or not.
This does not always mean California. In 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah had a large earthquake roll through. Western Pennsylvania did have a relatively small earthquake during the same year.
Although the last two noted are outside the norm, point is that they can occur just about anywhere. If you would rather go with the odds that earthquakes are really unusual events where you are, know that a Wrenchers’ four post lift is definitely built strong and supports all of the rated capacity that you add to it.
If You Bolt Down
16 holes drilled in concrete — use base plate as guide.
Four expansion sleeves (aka Wedge Anchors) at each column.
Four anchor bolts at each column — torqued to 85–95 lb.-ft.
Provides added lift holding strength.
Best to Consider
You will want to evaluate if your shop will use a four-post lift as many other shops do, or if you may often perform jobs that place heavier than normal demands on the four-post lift and its placement.
How Do Things Sit?
Concrete thickness is important whether you plan to bolt down your lift or simply place it in a suitable position and begin lifting vehicles.
Each four-post lift model has its own concrete requirements that are listed in the respective user manual. Depending on model and lift capacity requirements, thicknesses generally range from 4.25” minimum thickness/3,000 PSI to 6.5” minimum thickness/3,000 PSI and cured for at least 28 days after pouring.
Concrete condition is also important. This means there should not be excessive or large cracks on concrete. Especially at areas where each base plate on the lift’s columns set.
Concrete requirements vary by model and lift capacity. Use the requirements listed in the respective lift's user manual for the model being installed.
Check the Surface
Whether you choose to bolt down your four-post lift or use it resting on your concrete slab, it definitely needs to be placed on a level slab. The installation goal is to have the lift as level as possible with no more than a 3 percent slope on the concrete.
If the runways on the lift are not level, neither is the vehicle that is placed on the runways. This can ultimately affect repair quality and also allow the vehicle to roll on the runways.
Level concrete is also important if the four-post lift is fitted with the optional caster kit.
Want a Portable Lift?
Wrenchers Caster Kit makes your Four Post Lift Portable, Versatile, and Adaptable. Best of all, Wrenchers calls it HELPFUL.
Are there days in your shop when your lift would serve much better if it were at the other end of your garage? Maybe a flatbed tow truck is dropping off a long bed, crew cab with a blown trans and you need more approach room to load it on your four-post lift?
View Caster Kit
Going Mobile?
Moving your four-post vehicle lift might make everything easier. If you have your sights set on Wrenchers Bendpak HD-7 or BendPak HD-9 , know that you can equip either model with a Caster Kit.
This means that you can skate that big four-post lift across your concrete slab to a more useful spot. Did we mention it’s even possible to move the lift around with a vehicle loaded onboard?
With or Without Anchors?
The decision to bolt down your four-post auto lift largely depends on reasons such as if extreme or forceful vehicle repairs are sometimes performed that may laterally stress the lift’s placement. Or if there is a decent possibility of earthquakes in your area. And of course, what your comfort level may be.
In these cases you may decide bolting down your lift is your best option.
Otherwise, know as an example that lifts such as a 9,000-lb. capacity HD-9 lift remains safe and ALI certified without anchor bolts. This means even busy auto repair shops can typically and safely raise vehicles on four-post vehicle lifts that are not bolted into position.
Find Your Four-Post Lift
Wrenchers offers four-post lifts with capacities that range from 7,000 lbs. up to 40,000 lbs. with a variety of different lift capacities in between. The good news is that a four post lift from Wrenchers will always perform well when installed to best match your shop’s need.
Are bolt-down anchors needed to secure a four-post lift? At Wrenchers this question comes up often. The reasons are many. Maybe you do not want to drill holes into a pristine slab of concrete. Or maybe you’re not the type who likes long-term commitments? Wrenchers understands. Rest assured there are other four-post lift owners like you.
Wrenchers knows you have a lot riding up in the air. Somedays, it’s your buddy’s new Vette atop your four-post lift. Other days it might be a Corolla that was a rental in its previous life. Maybe you have a four-post in your home garage to store your really nice Porsche or big-block Chevelle. No matter the score, a four-post lift from Wrenchers is certainly more-than-sturdy and likewise plants weight at all four columns onto your concrete slab. But with such hefty and rigid lift equipment, is it really critical to bolt down and anchor the lift’s base plates to the concrete?
Truth is Wrenchers Four Post lifts are designed to be used either with or without bolt-down anchors attached through each base plate. That said, bolting your lift down does add another layer of confidence, especially if your work surroundings flirt with the severe side of lift use. Or if seismic activities may occur in your area. Depending on how you plan to use your lift, you may be able to simply proceed with it in place on your slab. Before you do though, it is important to review some additional information.
Is the lift in your garage typically used for vehicle service, exhaust system removal, vehicle storage, or drivetrain repairs? These types of normal activities are anticipated during lift engineering and do not raise a concern requiring that the lift be bolted down to concrete.
Pulling vehicles onto a lift obviously loads weight downward onto the runways. There is also another force to consider. In some cases, if a vehicle is driven onto a lift quickly and the vehicle’s brakes are then applied abruptly, the forward force in an extreme case presents an amount of lateral load. Know that it is best to have experienced personnel drive and park a vehicle carefully up on a lift. Whether it is bolted down or not.
This does not always mean California. In 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah had a large earthquake roll through. Western Pennsylvania did have a relatively small earthquake during the same year. Although the last two noted are outside the norm, point is that they can occur just about anywhere. If you would rather go with the odds that earthquakes are really unusual events where you are, know that a Wrenchers’ four post lift is definitely built strong and supports all of the rated capacity that you add to it.
You will want to evaluate if your shop will use a four-post lift as many other shops do, or if you may often perform jobs that place heavier than normal demands on the four-post lift and its placement.
Concrete thickness is important whether you plan to bolt down your lift or simply place it in a suitable position and begin lifting vehicles. Each four-post lift model has its own concrete requirements that are listed in the respective user manual. Depending on model and lift capacity requirements, thicknesses generally range from 4.25” minimum thickness/3,000 PSI to 6.5” minimum thickness/3,000 PSI and cured for at least 28 days after pouring. Concrete condition is also important. This means there should not be excessive or large cracks on concrete. Especially at areas where each base plate on the lift’s columns set.
Whether you choose to bolt down your four-post lift or use it resting on your concrete slab, it definitely needs to be placed on a level slab. The installation goal is to have the lift as level as possible with no more than a 3 percent slope on the concrete. If the runways on the lift are not level, neither is the vehicle that is placed on the runways. This can ultimately affect repair quality and also allow the vehicle to roll on the runways. Level concrete is also important if the four-post lift is fitted with the optional caster kit.
Wrenchers Caster Kit makes your Four Post Lift Portable, Versatile, and Adaptable. Best of all, Wrenchers calls it HELPFUL. Are there days in your shop when your lift would serve much better if it were at the other end of your garage? Maybe a flatbed tow truck is dropping off a long bed, crew cab with a blown trans and you need more approach room to load it on your four-post lift?
Moving your four-post vehicle lift might make everything easier. If you have your sights set on Wrenchers Bendpak HD-7 or BendPak HD-9, know that you can equip either model with a Caster Kit. This means that you can skate that big four-post lift across your concrete slab to a more useful spot. Did we mention it’s even possible to move the lift around with a vehicle loaded onboard?
The decision to bolt down your four-post auto lift largely depends on reasons such as if extreme or forceful vehicle repairs are sometimes performed that may laterally stress the lift’s placement. Or if there is a decent possibility of earthquakes in your area. And of course, what your comfort level may be. In these cases you may decide bolting down your lift is your best option.
Otherwise, know as an example that lifts such as a 9,000-lb. capacity HD-9 lift remains safe and ALI certified without anchor bolts. This means even busy auto repair shops can typically and safely raise vehicles on four-post vehicle lifts that are not bolted into position.
Wrenchers offers four-post lifts with capacities that range from 7,000 lbs. up to 40,000 lbs. with a variety of different lift capacities in between. The good news is that a four post lift from Wrenchers will always perform well when installed to best match your shop’s need.