Challenger Lifts CL20-2: 20,000 lbs, and the headroom to use it

The number that sells a two-post lift is capacity. The number that decides whether it works in your building is height, and that is what the -2 in CL20-2 is about. This is the extended-height version of Challenger's 20,000 lb symmetric two-post, and its column options run 186", 192" or 198" against the standard model's shorter set.

That extra column length is not for show. It raises the overhead crossbeam and the shut-off switch with it — 179", 185" or 191" from the floor depending on the option — which is what lets a tall vehicle go all the way up without the roof finding the beam first. And when even that is not enough, optional 2' column extensions are available to take it higher still.

Under that height sits a serious lift: 20,000 lbs of capacity, 5,000 lbs maximum per arm, two-stage front and rear arms, and adjustable-width symmetric columns.

The equalisation system, in detail

Two-post lifts keep their carriages level through a cable equalisation system, and the components in that system are where a lift is either built to last or built to a price. The CL20-2 uses an oversized 5" diameter steel pulley with heavy-duty 3/8" cable.

Pulley diameter matters more than it sounds. A cable bent around a small sheave is worked harder at every pass; the individual wires on the outside of the bend stretch further and fatigue sooner. Going up in diameter reduces that strain at exactly the point where equalisation cables fail. Pair it with a heavier cable and the stress per strand drops again. Neither change makes the lift do anything new on the day it is installed — they show up as a lift that is still behaving properly years later.

The 60" lifting carriage works on the same principle applied to the column. A longer carriage spreads the load over a taller section of the column, which reduces the tipping moment on the slides and keeps the carriage from wearing a bearing surface into the steel.

Will It Fit?

An extended-height two-post is bought on ceiling clearance, so start there and work down.

• Minimum ceiling. 15'8", 16'2" or 16'8" depending on the column option you take. If your roof cannot take the tallest, the standard-height version of this lift is the honest answer.
• 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. Here the data disagrees with itself and we are not going to pick a side. The specification sheet lists 154.75", 160.75" and 166.75"; a separate field on this listing lists 155", 161" and 167". Before you commit floor space to the inch, ask us and we will confirm against the current installation drawing.
• Arm reach. 38.5" minimum to 62" maximum, two-stage front and rear.
• Rise. The sheet gives 76.6" minimum to 84.6" maximum with stack adapters; another field on the listing gives 77" and 85". Same again — treat the difference as unconfirmed and ask us if it is decisive. Maximum rise under the arms is 71". Rise time is around 62 seconds.
• Services. A 3HP motor, 1Ph, 60Hz, 208/230V, and shop air at 90 to 120 psi for the lock release.

Low vehicles need a word of warning. Three different pad-height figures appear in this product's data: the specification sheet gives a screw pad range of 6.2" to 7.6", while other fields give a 6" minimum pad height and a 6.5" lowered arm height. If you are lifting anything with low sills, that spread is the difference between fitting under it and not — tell us the vehicle and we will get you a confirmed figure rather than guess.

Concrete thickness and compressive strength are not stated in the data we hold, and on a 20,000 lb two-post those are the numbers that anchor bolts depend on. Ask us for the installation drawing and have the slab assessed. The floor, the ceiling and the power supply are the buyer's to verify before delivery.

One control, both columns

The single-point air-actuated lock release disengages both columns at once from one control. On a light two-post that is a convenience; on a lift holding twenty thousand pounds it is a safety behaviour, because releasing one column before the other is how a load gets unsettled. The symmetric, adjustable-width design means the vehicle sits centred between the posts and the doors open into clear space, and dual integrated rubber door guards are fitted to stop a swinging door meeting a column.

Perfect For

• Fleet and truck shops lifting tall vehicles where the standard-height version would run out of column before it ran out of capacity.
• Bus, RV and box-body work where the roofline, not the weight, is the constraint.
• Municipal garages with a fixed heavy roster and high bays.
• Shops planning ahead — the optional 2' column extensions mean the ceiling you have today does not have to cap the lift forever.

What ships with it

The lift as specified: two adjustable-width columns, two-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.

The 2' column extensions are an option, not part of the base listing. If you already know your vehicles need them, ask us to quote them with the lift so the installation is done once.

Specifications

Certification, plainly

This lift is recorded as ALI certified. That is a third-party lift safety listing, and it is what an insurer, a corporate safety policy or a local inspector names when they ask for one — which is the practical reason it is worth paying for.

What it is not is a substitute for reading your own requirement. If a listing is a condition of your cover or your inspection regime, send us the wording and we will confirm it against current documentation before you order.

Shipping and delivery

This lift ships as freight to the lower 48 states. Freight is quoted live at checkout against your own address, so the figure you see is a current rate rather than something typed into a page months ago.

Sort the unload out before the collection is booked. This is freight, delivered to the kerb, and getting the columns 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 column, 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 is handled 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.