BendPak XPR-10AS Bay Layout: Two Configurations Compared for Tire and Wheel Shops

When a small-fleet operator in southern Minnesota called us about adding a second BendPak XPR-10AS to a two-bay shop that handled tire rotation and wheel work for a dozen company pickups, the real question wasn’t which lift to buy, it was how to arrange two lifts so techs weren’t tripping over each other. We ended up quoting two different bay layouts side by side, drive-thru facing versus offset parallel, and installed a version of each in similar shops so we could compare real workflow instead of just theory. Here’s how the two configurations stacked up for a crew doing high volume tire and wheel work, and which one we’d recommend depending on your bay dimensions.

Layout One: Drive-Thru Facing Pair

The first configuration we compared was two BendPak XPR-10AS units installed facing the same direction, drive-thru style, in a bay roughly 24 feet wide. The expandable top beam on each unit meant we could set a slightly narrower stance than the widest possible configuration and still clear full-size pickups with mirrors folded, which mattered because this fleet ran three-quarter-ton trucks with towing mirrors. Drivers pulled straight through from the front overhead door and out a rear door, which eliminated backing maneuvers entirely.

For tire rotation and wheel work specifically, this layout let one tech run both lifts from a shared tool cart positioned between them, since both lifts faced the same tire changer and balancer setup along the side wall. The downside showed up during busier mornings: with both trucks nose-in facing the same direction, a tech working the front wheels on lift one sometimes blocked the walking path to lift two’s controls. It wasn’t a dealbreaker, but it added a few seconds of navigation per job that adds up over a dozen vehicles a day.

Layout Two: Offset Parallel Pair

The second configuration set the two BendPak XPR-10AS lifts parallel to each other but offset by about six feet, with one lift’s front columns roughly even with the other lift’s rear columns. This staggered arrangement meant a tech could walk a straight line between the tool cart and either lift without crossing through the other lift’s working envelope, which mattered more than we initially expected once trucks were actually up in the air with arms extended.

The tradeoff was that offset parallel needs a slightly deeper bay footprint to make the stagger work without cramping the columns near the side wall, which isn’t always available in older shop buildings. For this southern Minnesota client, the building had the depth to spare, so we recommended offset parallel and it’s the layout they ultimately kept. Techs reported fewer near-miss collisions with rolling tool carts and a smoother flow moving from truck to truck during peak rotation days.

How Bay Width Actually Decides the Layout

Before comparing workflow, we always start with a tape measure, because the BendPak XPR-10AS needs enough width per bay to fully extend the expandable top beam without columns crowding a shared wall or an adjacent lift’s swing arc. Drive-thru facing pairs generally need more total width but less depth, while offset parallel pairs need more depth but can work in a narrower overall footprint. Shops built with a single service bay in mind often only have the width for one configuration, which makes this decision less about preference and more about what the building allows.

We also factor in door placement. A shop with only a front overhead door has to use one layout or the other for both entry and exit, while a shop with front and rear doors can support true drive-thru on both lifts. This southern Minnesota client had doors on both ends of the building, which is part of why drive-thru facing was even on the table as a real option rather than a theoretical one we ruled out immediately.

Workflow Timing: What We Actually Measured

We tracked rough cycle times across both layouts during comparable service days, focusing on tire rotation and wheel work specifically since that was the dominant job type for this fleet. Drive-thru facing averaged slightly faster vehicle-in-vehicle-out times because trucks never had to back up, but per-tech productivity was marginally lower because of the walking-path conflicts we mentioned earlier. Offset parallel had a few extra seconds of driving maneuver per vehicle but noticeably smoother tech movement once the truck was up.

Over a full day with a dozen trucks rotating through, the difference wasn’t dramatic in either direction, which told us both layouts work fine for this volume. Where it would matter more is a shop pushing twenty or more vehicles daily through two bays, where every wasted step compounds. For that higher-volume case we’d lean offset parallel every time, and that’s the guidance we now give other fleet operators asking about bay planning for a comparable two-lift setup.

Arm Reach and Truck Fit in Both Layouts

Regardless of layout, the telescoping arm design on the BendPak XPR-10AS was the real workhorse for this fleet’s mixed truck sizes, since the same pair of lifts had to handle half-ton pickups on some days and heavier three-quarter-ton service trucks on others. The asymmetric column placement gave enough clearance for the wider rear axles on the service trucks without needing to widen the top beam to its max setting every time, which kept cycle times consistent regardless of which layout we tested.

One detail that mattered in both configurations was pad height under the frame rails on lift trucks with aftermarket rocker guards. We spent extra time during install adjusting drop-end arm height so pads landed on factory pinch points rather than the rocker guards, which is a common miss on fleet trucks that came from the factory without them and got them added after purchase. Getting that dialed in during setup saved recurring adjustment time on every rotation afterward.

Which Layout We’d Recommend for Most Small Fleets

If you’re planning a two-lift bay for tire rotation and wheel work and your building has the depth to spare, we’d point most small-fleet operators toward the offset parallel layout based on what we saw here and on other installs since. It scales better as volume increases, it reduces tech collisions during busy rotation days, and it still lets you run two BendPak XPR-10AS units at full capacity without compromising on arm swing or expandable beam width. Drive-thru facing remains the better call when your building only has width to spare and both a front and rear door already exist.

Either way, the decision is worth making before the concrete work starts, not after. We walk every fleet customer through a bay layout drawing as part of the quote process, and for readers comparing lift models before they get to layout at all, our two post lift buying guide and our breakdown of tire shop lift setup considerations are good starting points, along with our notes on ongoing lift maintenance once the bay is running.