Challenger CLFP9 9,000 lbs. Open-Top Floor Plate 2-Post Lift

The CLFP9 exists for one reason: a building that cannot take a normal two-post lift. Its columns stand 10 ft. 7/8 in. overall and Challenger lists the ceiling requirement at 10 ft. 2 in. There is no overhead beam - this is an open-top design, with the cable and hose run carried across the floor in a drive-over plate instead of above the vehicle. If your ceiling has ruled out every two-post lift you have looked at, this is the one to look at next.

Capacity is 9,000 lbs., the configuration is symmetric, and the arms are 3-stage front and rear. Two figures on this lift are worth confirming before you order - rise height and electrical supply - and both are set out in full below.

Open top and floor plate: the trade, stated plainly

An overhead two-post lift puts the equalisation cables and the hydraulic hose in a beam above the vehicle. That keeps the floor clear and costs you headroom - the beam is the thing your ceiling has to clear, and it is also what a tall vehicle's roof meets first. An open-top floor-plate lift moves all of that down into a low plate you drive across. You gain the height. What you accept is a plate on the bay floor, which is a genuine consideration if you roll heavy cabinets or a floor jack around constantly.

The plate itself is low profile and designed to be driven over, and it does one thing people underestimate: it takes cables and hoses out of the walking area. A floor-plate bay is a tidier bay than one with hoses looped across it, and there is nothing to trip on or run a castor over.

Lifting is electric/hydraulic with a heavy-duty chain and cable equalisation, and the chain-over arrangement is part of how the ceiling requirement is kept as low as it is. Lock release is a dual-point mechanical pull-lock cable system.

Will It Fit?

This is the section to read twice on this particular lift, because low ceiling is its whole purpose.

• Overall column height 10 ft. 7/8 in.; ceiling requirement 10 ft. 2 in.; overall height also recorded as 120.875 in., unchanged with the cylinder extended.
• Overall width 137.5 in., with 109 in. inside the columns and 98.187 in. of drive-thru clearance.
• Front and rear arm reach 24.5 in. to 44.5 in., with screw pad heights of 4 in. and 5.875 in.
• Maximum rise measured under the arms, 74 in.

Measure to the lowest obstruction over the bay rather than to the ceiling itself - a beam, a door track, a heater, a light or a sprinkler head is what actually decides it. Challenger's concrete thickness and strength requirement is not in our product data, so we will not quote one; ask us for the installation manual before you drill. The slab, the anchors, the headroom and the supply are the buyer's to confirm before delivery.

Two figures to confirm before you order

Published figures differ on two points, and both are given below with their sources.

If either figure decides your purchase - you need a specific working height under the vehicle, or you are having a circuit run - confirm it with us in writing before you order and we will get the current figure straight from Challenger. Speed of rise is listed at 50 seconds.

3-stage arms in a low-ceiling bay

Both front and rear arms are 3-stage. On a lift of this capacity that is about reach range rather than raw strength: a 3-stage arm folds shorter and extends longer than a 2-stage one, so the same lift takes a small car and a light truck in the same bay without swapping anything. Premium double telescoping screw pads reduce the need for adapters, and standard dual integrated rubber door guards protect panels against the doors of whatever comes in. Base plates are fully gusseted, arm restraints and pins are plated, and the finish is powder coat.

Perfect For

• Low-ceiling workshops where an overhead two-post lift simply will not go in.
• Converted or older buildings with beams, ducting or a mezzanine over the bay.
• Home and enthusiast garages in standard-height domestic buildings.
• General service work on cars and light trucks up to the lift's rating.

What's in the Box

• Two columns with fully gusseted base plates
• Low profile drive-over floor plate
• 3-stage front and rear arms with plated restraints and pins
• Premium double telescoping screw pads
• Dual-point mechanical pull-lock cable release system
• Standard dual integrated rubber door guards

Available in red or blue. Accessories are ordered separately.

Certification: read this one carefully

This is the one place where the CLFP9 differs from its stablemates in a way we think you should hear from us rather than discover later. On the other Challenger lifts we sell, the ALI and ETL certification line in the specification block reads yes. On the CLFP9 that line is blank. We do not know whether that means not listed, listed under a different reference, or simply not filled in - and we are not going to guess in either direction, because both a false yes and a false no would be wrong.

For most buyers this never becomes a question. It becomes one when an insurer, a franchise agreement, a fleet policy or a local inspection regime requires equipment carrying a recognised third-party listing. If that applies to you, get the requirement in writing, ask us before you order, and we will get the current listing status for this exact model from the manufacturer.

Shipping and Delivery

Freight only, within the lower 48 states. You will need a forklift or a dock, or you can take terminal pickup instead; warehouse collection is also offered. Residential delivery is available and carries a fee. This item ships free, so there is nothing to add at checkout.

Inspect before signing. Columns, arms and the floor plate travel banded to a pallet; look for crushing, bent flanges and disturbed banding, count everything against the packing list, and record anything you find on the bill of lading while the driver waits. Once it is signed clean the carrier's part is finished.

Warranty

Warranty terms and the claim route are published on our warranty claims page. No coverage period is printed here because our record for this lift holds a link and not a term; ask us and we will confirm it before you buy.

If something fails, contact us before it is dismantled. An opened power unit or a stripped column cannot be assessed afterwards, and that is the single most common way a legitimate claim turns into a dispute. Photograph the fault, note what the lift was doing, and leave it exactly as it is.