The Challenger 16138R-SK hydraulic cylinder 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 hydraulic cylinder 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: 16138R-SK
• Brand: Challenger
• Type: Genuine OEM hydraulic cylinder

Hydraulic parts almost always fail by leaking. A rod seal starts weeping and the cylinder body goes wet; a hose cracks near its crimp; a fitting's o-ring flattens; the lowering valve stops seating and the lift drifts down overnight. Fluid finds the weakest seal in the loop and pushes past it. The symptom — a puddle, a slow sag, a spongy lift — tells you roughly where in the loop to look.

Not every hydraulic problem is the cylinder. A lift that lowers itself overnight usually has a lowering valve that won't seat or a leaking check, not a bad seal. A lift that jerks or won't reach full height can be a tired pump or a flow valve out of adjustment. And a hose that's cracked near the crimp will spray under pressure — a real hazard, not just a mess to mop up.

Related parts for this lift

The parts below are commonly ordered alongside this one — cables, sheaves, seals, and hardware wear on similar schedules, and most repairs go faster when the whole set is done in one visit.

• Challenger 16138 Hydraulic Cylinder 2 X 68
• Challenger 16138R-QC-04 Quick Cycle Cylinder Rod End

Replacing your hydraulic cylinder

A lowering or flow valve issue — a lift that drifts down or won't reach full height — is often fixed at the valve rather than the cylinder, but it takes a methodical check to be sure. Isolate whether the leak is internal or external, then service or replace the valve and confirm the lift holds height afterward. The step-by-step guide lays out how to trace it. Full step-by-step: how to replace a 2-post lift cylinder.

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 of a hydraulic problem

Inspect every hose end to end. You're looking for cracked or brittle covers, blisters, weeping at the crimped fittings, and any spot rubbing a cable or bracket. A hose that's damp near the crimp is about to let go there. Squeeze it — a healthy hose is firm, an old one goes hard and checked or soft and mushy. Either extreme means replace it.

Parts commonly replaced at the same time

One trip up, one refill, one bleed: order the companion hydraulic parts with this one. A seal kit alongside a cylinder, a fresh hose, and the correct oil turn a partial fix into a finished job. Tell us what lift you have and we will build the kit so nothing is left to fail next.

Hydraulic fluid

The usual fill is ISO-32 hydraulic oil, with some legacy lifts running Dexron ATF; confirm which your lift uses before topping off and keep the two separate. Bleed after filling and check the level again once the air is out — and see your manual for the exact capacity, which is model-specific.

Safety notes

Pressure and cleanliness are the two rules. Bleed the system completely so there is no air to compress, keep contamination out of every open port, and prove the lift holds at full height with no drift before it sees a vehicle. If you are not certain the bleed is complete, do it again — this is not the place to guess.

Before you order

Ordering tip: hydraulic parts are matched to the lift's pressure and geometry, so read the model and serial off the plate and, for hoses and cylinders, have the old part's dimensions. Plan to replace the oil and bleed the system as part of the job, and add a seal kit if you are opening the cylinder anyway.

Check your lift's serial before ordering

The most common reason a lift part comes back is not a defect — it is a revision mismatch. Manufacturers change sub-parts between production runs while keeping the same lift model name, so "it fits my lift model" is not always enough. The model plate carries the serial number that pins your lift to a specific run, and that is the number that settles which version of this part belongs on your lift.

Can't find the plate? Measure the old part — overall length, bolt-hole spacing, thread size on anything threaded — and photograph it from a couple of angles. Send that with your lift's brand and rough age and we will match it against the parts breakdowns we service from every week.

Why buy your Challenger hydraulic cylinder from Auto Lift Services

We install, inspect, and repair Challenger lifts every week — the 16138R-SK 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.