The QuickJack Story
It Started With a Better Way to Get a Car Off the Ground
Our story begins in the offices of BendPak Inc., the world's leading producer of car lift systems and automotive service equipment. In the summer of 2013, BendPak’s Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Jeff Kritzer, had a revelation. During a scheduled trip to a local race track, he noticed that the race crews were straining themselves to set up jack stands under their cars. Sure, quick-pump racing floor jacks are okay, but the crews were obviously exerting a lot of energy and wasting a lot of time.
Jeff had the same thought many inventors before him have had before coming up their “Eureka moment.” What if BendPak were to develop a brand new product to address the shortcomings that have plagued the race circuit and DIY market for decades? He imagined a product that would completely redefine vehicle maintenance. After 100 years of floor jacks and jack stands, getting cars off the ground shouldn’t be such a chore.
When Jeff returned to the BendPak offices in Santa Paula, CA, he presented his ideas to BendPak’s drafters, engineers and testing crews. Over the next few days and weeks, portable car lift prototypes were developed and tested over and over again. This new car lift would have to meet a few criteria:
Four Requirements. No Compromises.
From the beginning, the idea behind QuickJack was simple.
Meet BlackJax
The first successful car lift prototype to meet these criteria was called BlackJax. Why BlackJax? It sounds cool. And Jeff really likes the card game Blackjack. Before releasing the product to the public, it was important to test out the reaction of racers and drivers at the track and elsewhere. So, we sent several units to the first interested takers. The response was overwhelmingly positive. The BlackJax (soon to be QuickJack) looked like a winner.
Where does the "BL" in BL-5000SLX, BL-7000SLX, etc. come from?
When we first invented QuickJack, it was called the BlackJax. So, we registered our new portable lift's model identification with "BL" for "BlackJax Lift." It turns out, unsurprisingly, that we couldn't find website domain names or open trademarks with that name/logo, so a different approach was needed. We already had some of the parts in place, so we left the model numbers alone and revised the name to QuickJack. Since then, we've kept the "BL" on all subsequent models for the sake of continuity. All's well that ends well, we suppose!
From Prototype to a New Way to Lift
The original idea worked. We just kept finding ways to make it better.
QuickJack is officially born.
We continued to tweak our new car lift for optimal safety, speed and portability. After several intensive months of testing and designing, the newly minted and renamed QuickJack was officially born in 2014. The global patent was applied for two months later in North America, Europe and China. Since there was nothing even remotely similar to QuickJack, the product took a few lumps in the early going. Our dedication to customer service and the resources afforded by BendPak made it possible to rapidly make necessary improvements.
The SLX generation arrives.
Toward the end of 2015, the SLX model was introduced with automatic mechanical locks, replacing the manual locks of the first model. Along with zero-leak quick-connect fittings, refinements in the power unit and other structural improvements, QuickJack was awarded the internationally recognized CE mark.
Refining the details.
Small changes continued to make QuickJack more useful for more vehicles. Urethane pinch-weld blocks were introduced for use on unibody vehicles, while SLX frames were shortened without sacrificing lift-point reach, helping QuickJack fit beneath Porsche models and other short-wheelbase vehicles.
EXT expands the reach.
EXT car lift models arrive with frames six inches longer than standard-length SLX frames. The additional reach opens QuickJack to more vehicles while an extension accessory gives SLX owners another way to accommodate wider lift-point spreads.
Longer vehicles get their QuickJack.
The XLT takes frame length even farther, addressing luxury electric vehicles and other vehicles with long, hard-to-reach lift-point spreads. QuickJack continues moving beyond the compact cars and track vehicles that inspired the original concept.
The TL generation raises the bar.
The next generation of QuickJack arrives with the TL series. The updated design adds three inches of lifting height, giving owners more room underneath their vehicles while preserving the portability, low-profile design and automatic mechanical safety locks that define QuickJack.
More reach for a changing vehicle market.
Extended TLX frames provide greater lift-point reach for longer cars, trucks and SUVs, while the extra-long 6000ELX expands compatibility for vehicles with especially wide lift-point spreads, including modern EVs and other long-wheelbase vehicles.
More capacity. More coverage. Still portable.
More than a decade after the original idea took shape, QuickJack now serves everything from compact sports cars to heavier cars, trucks, SUVs and EVs. The family includes the ultra-portable 3500SLX, 6000TL and extended TLX models, the extra-long 6000ELX, and 8000TL and 8000TLX models for vehicles that demand greater lifting capacity. Accessories continue to expand what owners can do with their QuickJack, including new ways to position, adapt and use the system around the garage.
We're not done raising the bar.
The vehicles in our garages keep changing, and QuickJack will keep changing with them. We're continuing to develop solutions for more vehicles, greater lifting capacity and new ways to make QuickJack even more useful around the garage. Expect more capacity, more versatility and more accessories designed to expand what you can do with QuickJack. The next chapter is already taking shape.
Thanks for Reading
Many of our improvements happen because customers like you speak up and tell us what you want. We love feedback, no matter what it is, and we look forward to building our story with you. We want to thank automotive professionals and dedicated DIY’ers alike for their overwhelming support and enthusiasm for both cars and QuickJack. Without all of you, we wouldn't be able to do what we love, to help you do what you love.
Be sure to find us on Facebook, subscribe to our QuickJack YouTube channel, and check out our Quick Tips videos for some great advice on how to get the most out of your portable car lift.
Share Your Feedback
Born at BendPak
QuickJack began with an idea inside BendPak and continues to benefit from decades of experience designing, engineering and supporting automotive lifting equipment.
Visit BendPak.com