The Challenger 108176 lock ladder is the direct replacement for the Challenger lift it came off of. This is the genuine Challenger part — same fit and same working specification as the one already on your lift. Ordering the Challenger lock ladder from us gets you the OEM piece that matches the lift, not an aftermarket knock-off that is close but not the same.

Specifications

• Part number: 108176
• Brand: Challenger
• Type: Genuine OEM lock ladder

Locks fail two ways, and both are dangerous. The pawl can stick — gummed with grease and grit, or a weak return spring — so it doesn't drop into the ladder when it should. Or the ladder teeth and pawl nose wear rounded, so the pawl won't hold and can skip under load. A lock that doesn't engage, or engages and won't hold, defeats the one part standing between a raised vehicle and the floor.

The lock ladder is the toothed steel rail bolted inside each column that the pawl climbs and catches on. Its job is simple and absolute: give the pawl a square, full-depth tooth to rest the load on at every height. When the teeth round over, chip, or the ladder loosens on its mounts, the pawl no longer has a solid shelf to sit on — and a pawl resting on a half-worn tooth is a lift resting on nothing you'd want to trust.

Replacing your lock ladder

Getting the locks right means the pawl seats deep in the tooth, the spring returns it every time, and all the locks click in unison — nothing shallow, nothing sticking. It's not difficult work, but there's no partial credit on the part that catches a falling car. For that reason the complete procedure is worth reading before you start. Full step-by-step: how to replace a lift lock ladder.

Find the right part for your lift

If you are not sure this part matches your setup, the fastest check is the visual breakdown: open our Challenger parts lookup, pick your model, and match your part against the drawing where every item is numbered. Can't read the model plate? our guide to finding your model number shows exactly where it lives on each lift type, and we are a phone call away if you would rather have us confirm it.

Signs the locking system needs attention

Check the return springs and pivots. A stretched, rusted, or broken spring won't snap the pawl home; a corroded pivot binds it. Look for surface rust locking the mechanism, missing or damaged springs, and pins worn loose in their bores. The pawl only protects the lift if it drops fast and sits deep — anything slowing that motion is a defect, not a quirk.

Parts commonly replaced at the same time

Do the whole locking system while it is apart. The companion parts — springs, pawls, release cable — cost little next to the labor of opening the column, and matched hardware is what keeps both sides in sync. Give us your model and we will assemble the complete set.

Safety notes

When a lock stops working right, the whole safety design is compromised. Rounded latch teeth, weak springs, and misadjusted release cables all keep a carriage from seating fully. Service the locking system as a unit, test that both sides engage and release together, and never trust a load to a lock that drags or clicks late.

Before you order

Ordering tip: lock components are model- and vintage-specific, so read the plate before you buy. Since both columns should engage together, plan to service the lock hardware in pairs, and add the release cable if it is frayed. We will confirm the right parts for your production run.

Ordering the right revision

Before this goes in the cart, grab two things off your lift: the model number and the serial number, both on the manufacturer's plate. The serial matters more than most people expect — lift makers revise components between production runs without renaming the lift, and the run your serial falls in determines which revision of this part is correct.

If you are working from a failed part rather than a plate, measure what you have and photograph how it mounts. Send that to us along with the lift brand, and we will check it against the same parts breakdowns our own techs use in the field before you commit to the order.

Why buy your Challenger lock ladder from Auto Lift Services

We install, inspect, and repair Challenger lifts every week — the 108176 is a part we handle in the shop, not a random SKU we drop-ship. The phone answers if you have a question mid-install — call 800-674-9302 — and every part ships genuine, no aftermarket substitution unless you ask for it.