Challenger Lifts CL10AXP9-DPC-QC — Adjustable Versymmetric Two-Post Lift

Most two-post lifts are a fixed object that your building has to accommodate. This one adjusts to the building instead. The CL10AXP9-DPC-QC offers three width settings, from 11' 6.5" to 12' 6.5", and the standard column fits a 12 ft ceiling with optional 2 ft and 3 ft height extensions available on top of that. Between the width settings and the extension options, one part number covers a range of bays that would otherwise need different lifts — and it means a lift bought for one building has a reasonable chance of fitting the next one.

The second half of the specification is speed. This is a QuickCycle build: Challenger quotes a 27-second rise and a 17-second descent. In an express lane doing tyre rotations and oil services, the cycle time is not a vanity figure — it is minutes per bay per day, and it is the reason to pay for this variant rather than the standard-speed one.

Read this before you order: the capacity is stated two ways

We are putting this near the top rather than burying it. Our sources for this SKU do not agree on its capacity. The product title and Challenger's feature list both state 10,000 lbs. This model's own specification sheet states 9,000 lbs. Those are not roundings of each other.

We have deliberately not chosen one. If the difference matters to what you intend to lift — and on a two-post lift it always matters — contact us before ordering and we will get the rated capacity for this exact part number confirmed by Challenger in writing. That is a far better outcome than a lift rated below what you bought it for.

A second, related discrepancy sits in the same data. The feature list describes Versymmetric offset front arms with directSPOT positioning, three-stage arms and arm restraints. The specification sheet for this part number describes the configuration as drive-on pads with QuickCycle, and records the arm configuration as not applicable. Arms and drive-on pads are not the same machine to work on, so ask us to confirm which this part number ships in before you commit.

Will It Fit?

Standard ceiling requirement is 12 ft, with 2 ft and 3 ft height extensions available if your building is taller and you want more rise, or if an overhead obstruction forces the crossbar higher.

Overall height is quoted as 11' 2" or 11' 8" depending on build, and 11' 11" with the cylinder extended — that last figure is the one to check against ductwork, lighting and a door track, because it is the tallest the lift ever gets. The floor-to-overhead-switch height runs from 10' 8.5" to 11' 2.5".

Width is where the flexibility lives: three settings between 11' 6.5" and 12' 6.5" overall, giving 10.15 ft between the columns at the widest. Drive-through clearance — what a vehicle actually passes between — is 100", 106" or 112" according to the width you set. Rise height is 70".

Power is a 3HP motor on 208V–230V, 60Hz, 1Ph. The lift is available in red, blue or black.

The floor and the building are yours to verify. Ceiling height, door header, overhead services and the electrical supply all need confirming before the lift ships. On concrete we hold nothing for this model — no thickness, no strength rating — and a two-post lift puts its entire load into the slab through two base plates, so this is not a detail to assume your way through. Ask us and we will get Challenger's floor requirement in writing before you order.

The equalisation system: a 5" pulley and a 5/16" cable

The pulley is 5" in diameter and the equalisation cable is 5/16". A larger pulley bends the cable over a gentler radius, and bend radius is the dominant factor in how long a wire rope lasts — every pass over a small sheave is a fatigue cycle in the outer strands. It is a maintenance-cost specification rather than a performance one.

The carriage is 48" tall, distributing the load over more of the column so it resists racking under an off-centre load. Challenger also uses a pulley-less jacketed single-point lock release, so one control disengages both columns at once with no exposed release cable to fray.

Details that protect the vehicle, not the lift

Three features here exist to stop you damaging a customer's car rather than to make the lift work: a padded overhead shut-off bar that stops a roof before it reaches the crossbar, standard dual integrated rubber door guards, and premium double-telescoping screw pads that adjust across a range of heights — which cuts down the loose adapters a technician has to hunt for, and a stack of adapters that is not there is the usual reason a pad ends up somewhere it should not be. Structurally, the base plates are fully gusseted for column rigidity at the floor, plated arm restraints and pins resist rust, and the finish is powder coat.

Perfect For

Express service lanes — the QuickCycle rise and descent is bought back in throughput on short jobs. Shops with an awkward bay, where the three width settings and the height extensions turn a lift that would not fit into one that does. Dealerships and multi-bay workshops standardising on one part number across bays that are not all identical. Serious home and enthusiast garages with a genuine 12 ft ceiling and a 208V–230V supply — but confirm the capacity question above first, since that is exactly the buyer for whom the difference between the two stated ratings would matter most.

What's in the Box

The lift with its two columns, carriages and the standard equipment named in Challenger's feature list: dual integrated rubber door guards, the padded overhead shut-off system, double-telescoping screw pads, and the single-point lock release. The 2 ft and 3 ft height extensions are options, not inclusions. Accessories beyond the standard set are not itemised in the copy we hold, so if a specific adapter or accessory matters to you, ask us to confirm it is in the carton rather than assuming.

Specifications

One more inconsistency worth naming: a secondary catalogue field lists overall heights of 143", 145" and 146", which do not correspond to the spec sheet's 11' 2", 11' 8" and 11' 11". Use the spec-sheet figures for planning and confirm with us if you are working to a tight ceiling.

Certification

Challenger records this lift as ALI/ETL certified — third-party assessment, as opposed to a manufacturer's own declaration that its product complies with a standard. That distinction is what an insurer, a fleet safety policy or a local inspector is usually testing when they ask what is installed. Given the configuration question raised above, it is worth being specific with us about which build you are ordering and asking us to confirm that the listing covers it. We would rather establish that in advance with the manufacturer than have it queried during an inspection.

Shipping and Delivery

Ships by freight to the lower 48 states, calculated live at checkout against your delivery address so it reflects current rates rather than a number set in this page long ago. Two-post columns are heavy and arrive crated: you need a forklift, a dock, or to collect from the carrier's terminal. Residential delivery is available and carries a residential fee. Inspect it before signing — check the column packaging, the carriage assemblies and the hydraulic components for impact damage, and note anything you find on the bill of lading while the driver is there. Signing a clean bill of lading is treated as confirming the shipment arrived intact.

Warranty

Warranty claims are processed through our warranty claims page. We have not published a term because we hold no warranty period we would put our name to — ask and we will get Challenger's current wording. Protect the claim the same way every time: do not disassemble the failed component. Take the lift out of service, photograph the failure as it sits, and speak to us before anything is taken apart. A component that arrives in pieces cannot be assessed, and an unassessable claim is refused as a matter of routine.