Challenger Lifts CL16-2-3S: three-stage arms, and what that actually gets you

The "3S" on the end of this model number is the specification worth buying it for. The CL16-2-3S runs three-stage front and rear arms with a reach from 36.625" to 75", and that spread is what lets one lift handle a short-wheelbase hatchback in the morning and a fleet van in the afternoon without anybody fighting the arms into position.

A two-stage arm has a shorter range. It will do most of the work most of the time, and then a vehicle arrives whose lift points sit outside it. The third stage is the difference between "we can take that in" and "we cannot".

The rest is a 16,000 lbs symmetric two-post with 4,000 lbs maximum per arm, extended-height columns and a single-point air lock release. And every CL16 ships with the Stack Adapter Kit, P/N 10315, so the lift arrives able to reach a high-clearance vehicle instead of needing an accessory order first.

Arm reach, pad height and the vehicles at the edges

The two numbers that decide whether a lift suits your vehicle mix are how far the arms reach and how low the pads go, and the CL16-2-3S is unusually clear on both.

Reach runs from 36.625" at the short end to 75" at the long. The short figure matters as much as the long one, because arms that will not retract far enough are just as much of a problem as arms that will not extend. The screw pad range is 5" to 6.5", and that figure is corroborated across this product's records rather than contradicted by them — the minimum pad height and the lowered arm height agree with the specification sheet, which is not something we can say about every lift in this family. If low sills are part of your work, this is a lift whose clearance figure you can plan against.

Maximum rise under the arms is 71", and the lift takes around 62 seconds to get there.

The equalisation hardware

Behind the arms, the parts that hold the two carriages in step are where a two-post either lasts or gradually irritates you. Challenger specifies an oversized 5" diameter steel pulley running heavy-duty 3/8" cable, and a 60" lifting carriage.

The logic is straightforward once stated. A larger pulley means the cable bends around a gentler radius, and a gentler radius means less strain on the outer wires at every cycle — cable fatigue is a bending problem before it is a tension problem. A heavier cable spreads the same load across more material. And a taller carriage puts more distance between its upper and lower bearing surfaces, which reduces the tipping load on the slides and keeps the carriage from wearing a groove into the column.

None of these are features you notice on installation day. They are the reason the lift still runs properly a long time afterwards.

Will It Fit?

This is the extended-height CL16, so ceiling clearance comes first.

• Minimum ceiling. 15'8", 16'2" or 16'8", according to which column option you order.
• Overall height. 186", 192" or 198".
• Floor to overhead switch. 179", 185" or 191".
• Between columns. 120", 126" or 132".
• Drive-thru clearance. 104.25", 110.25" or 116.25".
• Overall width. Two figures exist and we are giving you both: the specification sheet says 154.75", 160.75" and 166.75", a separate field says 155", 161" and 167". Ask us to confirm against the installation drawing if your bay is tight.
• Rise height. The sheet gives 75.5" minimum to 81.5" maximum with stack adapters; another field gives 76" and 82". Treat the difference as unconfirmed and ask if it matters to your building.
• Services. A 3HP motor, 1Ph, 60Hz, 208/230V, plus shop air at 90 to 120 psi for the lock release.

Slab thickness and concrete compressive strength are not part of the specification data we hold, and on a two-post lift the anchors carry the whole argument. Ask us for the installation drawing and have your floor assessed against it before you order. Confirming the slab, the ceiling and the electrical supply is the buyer's responsibility, and it is far cheaper to establish now than after a lift is standing in the bay.

Two columns, one release

The single-point air-actuated lock release drops both columns' locks together from one control. On a lift carrying 16,000 lbs that is a load-stability behaviour rather than a convenience: releasing one side before the other is how a vehicle gets unsettled on the pads. The symmetric layout keeps the vehicle centred so doors open into clear space, and dual integrated rubber door guards are fitted against the day somebody is not paying attention.

Perfect For

• Mixed-fleet workshops where the vehicle list runs from small cars to commercial vans and the arm range is the deciding spec.
• Fleet and commercial service needing 16,000 lbs and 4,000 lbs per arm on a lift that is not fussy about what it is given.
• Shops working on electric vehicles, whose lift points and weight distribution reward arms that adjust properly.
• High-bay buildings that can take the extended-height columns and want the headroom they buy.

What ships with it

Two symmetric columns, three-stage front and rear arms, the cable equalisation system with its 5" pulleys and 3/8" cable, the power unit, the single-point air lock release and the dual rubber door guards.

Included as well, and stated in Challenger's own copy: the Stack Adapter Kit, P/N 10315. That is worth checking against any competing quote, because stack adapters are frequently an add-on line rather than part of the lift.

Specifications

Certification, plainly

The CL16-2-3S is recorded as ALI certified — a third-party lift safety listing rather than a self-declaration by the manufacturer. That distinction is the entire practical value: it is what an insurer, a corporate safety policy or a local inspector asks for by name, and a lift holding one answers the question without correspondence.

Your own requirement is still yours to check. Send us the exact wording you have to satisfy and we will verify it against current documentation for this model before the order goes in.

Shipping and delivery

This lift ships as freight to the lower 48 states. The freight cost is quoted live at checkout for your address, which is why no shipping figure appears in this description — a printed rate goes stale without telling anybody.

Sort the unload out before the collection is booked. This is freight, delivered to the kerb, and getting it off the trailer is the receiver's job — so you need a forklift or telehandler with the rating and the reach to do it, or you arrange to collect from the carrier's terminal instead, which many shops find simpler. Warehouse pickup is also available on this listing. Where the delivery address is residential, a residential fee applies and is added at checkout when that option is selected.

Do not sign for it until you have looked at it. Count the pieces against the packing list, walk around the load with the driver, and write anything you find onto the bill of lading before it leaves — a dented section, torn shrink wrap, a pallet that has shifted. A clean signature ends the carrier's liability, and a claim raised after the truck has gone is a much weaker position.

Warranty

Warranty on this lift runs through Challenger. Our specification data for this model holds a warranty reference rather than a term, and we would rather point you at the current wording than print a duration we cannot stand behind. Ask us to confirm what applies to your configuration, or see the warranty claims page.

One practical rule regardless of the term: do not strip a part you intend to claim on. An opened power unit, cylinder or lock assembly is extremely hard for anybody to assess after the fact, and taking it apart is the most reliable way to turn a covered failure into a disputed one. Leave it as it is, photograph it, and speak to us first.