Challenger CL12A-2 12,000 lb Symmetric — 2-Post Car Lift

About this 2 post car lift

The Challenger CL12A-2 is a 12000-lb capacity 2 post car lift positioned in Challenger's lift line for buyers who need a lift that matches specific bay constraints — not a generic recommendation. The specs, the ordering flow, and the guidance below are here so you can make the pick with real numbers instead of marketing copy.

Who this 2 post car lift is built for

12,000 lb capacity moves into the light-commercial 2 post car lift range — full-size pickups, cargo vans, and mid-duty work trucks fit comfortably.

Right pick if:

• Truck-heavy shops routinely lifting 3/4-ton and 1-ton pickups
• Fleet and municipal shops handling F-350/Ram 3500 class vehicles
• Any bay where the operator is tired of fighting the arms on trucks

Look elsewhere if:

• Ceiling below 13 ft standard (11'11" low-ceiling variant available)
• You mostly do passenger cars — the CL10AV3 is more affordable and just as good
• You need 16K+ capacity for medium-duty commercial trucks — go CL16 or CL20

Install requirements — pulled from the manufacturer install manual

Every spec below on this 2 post car lift is what Challenger CL12A-2's ALI-audited install and operation manual specifies. If any of these don't match your bay, text a photo of the space to (833) 736-7290 before you order — we'll cross-check the manual against what you send.

• Rated capacity: 12000 lb
• Minimum ceiling clearance: 167" minimum (13'11") — CL12A base ceiling req" — measured floor to bottom of any obstruction (joist, HVAC duct, garage-door track)
• Concrete slab: 4" thickness at 3500 PSI minimum, 28-day cure
• Electrical: 208-230V, 1Ph, 20 A dedicated circuit
• Shop air required: No
• ALI certification: Gold Label — meets ANSI/ALI ALCTV standards for commercial 2 post car lift use

About the manufacturer

Challenger Lifts manufactures its 2 post car lift line in Louisville, Kentucky — one of the only major domestic 2 post car lift brands still building full commercial units on U.S. soil. The Challenger CL-series is what commercial buyers pick when a Made-in-USA build sheet matters as much as the specs — 12-year structural warranty is the longest in the category.

On our three-tier framework, this 2 post car lift sits in our made-in-USA lifetime tier — priced and engineered for that use case, warranted accordingly, and stocked because we've seen the brand hold up in the field.

Ordering, freight, and financing

The Challenger CL12A-2 2 post car lift ships freight from the manufacturer's regional warehouse in 3–5 business days after order. Freight is free anywhere in the 48 contiguous states — the shipping cost is already built into the price you see on this page. Alaska, Hawaii, and international buyers should call for a freight quote before ordering.

Financing is available at 0% APR for 12 months with a 90-day deferred first payment through First Business, our lending partner for equipment purchases. The application is short, the approval usually comes back the same day, and there's no cost added to the price of the 2 post car lift for taking financing — the interest rate really is zero for the first 12 months.

Every purchase is backed by the manufacturer's warranty, plus our own return policy on the crate condition at delivery. Inspect the pallet before signing the freight receipt.

Bay preparation checklist before your 2 post car lift arrives

The install goes fast when the bay is ready. Here's what to have squared away before the freight truck shows up with the Challenger CL12A-2 pallet — most of it takes an hour or two of prep and saves days of rework:

• Concrete verified. Get a core sample or a real measurement of your slab — this 2 post car lift needs 4 thick concrete at 3500 PSI. Old shop floors, home garages built before the 1990s, and any slab poured over sub-grade fill are the ones worth verifying before you drill.
• Ceiling clear point measured. Not just the ceiling — the lowest point in the swing arc: HVAC ducts, garage-door tracks, light fixtures, joist bottoms. This 2 post car lift needs 167" minimum (13'11") — CL12A base ceiling req clear from the slab.
• Anchor locations laid out. Mark where the columns will land. Confirm no plumbing, floor heat, or electrical conduit under those locations before drilling.
• Dedicated electrical circuit run. This 2 post car lift needs a dedicated 208-230V, 1Ph, 20 A circuit landed within reach of the power-side column. Sharing a circuit with a compressor or other high-draw equipment causes nuisance trips under load.
• Two people scheduled for install day. A 2 post car lift install is doable solo but faster and safer with a second set of hands for column raising and cross-tube alignment.
• Torque wrench and hammer drill on hand. The install manual specifies anchor bolt torque values — a click-type torque wrench is not optional. A 1" SDS-Max hammer drill will chew through concrete anchor holes in a fraction of the time of a rotary hammer.

If any of these are a stretch for your shop or garage, a factory-authorized installer can be arranged at additional cost — call for a regional quote.

Not sure the Challenger CL12A-2 will fit your bay?

This is the single most common reason people return a 2 post car lift after freight delivery — the ceiling isn't tall enough, the slab is too thin, or the electrical service can't handle the draw. All three are easy to catch before you order.

Text a photo of your bay to (833) 736-7290. Include a shot of the ceiling from floor level (so we can see joists, HVAC ducts, garage-door tracks), a shot of any exposed slab edges, and a photo of your electrical panel. We'll cross-check the install manual for this specific 2 post car lift against what you send and get back to you — usually the same day, always free, no obligation to buy.

If your bay checks out, we'll help you complete the order. If it doesn't, we'll tell you which model in the same brand family would fit, or whether the fix (raising the ceiling clear point, pouring a slab overlay, adding a subpanel) is worth it before ordering any 2 post car lift.