The Challenger 280019 lifting cable is the direct replacement for the Challenger lift it came off of. Cross-referenced as ALS-7226-12 x2, it is the genuine Challenger part — same part number, same fit, and same working specification as the one already on your lift. Ordering the Challenger lifting cable 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: ALS-7226-12 x2
• Brand: Challenger
• Type: Genuine OEM lifting cable

The cables, sheaves, and lock-release parts on a lift make up the tension path — the mechanical chain that ties both carriages together and keeps them rising at the same rate off a single cylinder. Steel cable runs over grooved sheaves, and small release cables trip the safety pawls so the lift can come down. Every one of these parts lives under constant load whenever a vehicle is in the air, which is exactly why they wear.

Equalizer cables are the reason a two-post lift with one cylinder still raises level. One column gets the hydraulic push; the other follows only because the cables physically tie the carriages together over the sheaves. Get the cables, sheaves, and lock timing working as one system and the lift lands both locks at the same click. Let any one of them go and the lift starts arriving at the top crooked.

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.

• Cable Shaft Weldment - Challenger - 280030
• Pulley Plate Assembly - Challenger - 280031
• Pulley Weldment - Challenger - 280032
• Cable, Eq. 26' 8.5" - Challenger - 300007
• Pulley Axle - Challenger - 310011
• Cover - Pulley Access - Challenger - 330039

Replacing your lifting cable

Swapping a sheave means getting the cable off it, driving out the pin without mushrooming it, and putting every spacer and clip back in the exact order it came apart. Anti-seize the pin on reassembly and install the new sheave with the bushing facing out. It's a short job that goes wrong fast if the retention hardware goes back in the wrong sequence, so the step-by-step is worth reading before you start. Full step-by-step: how to replace 2-post lift cables.

Find the right part for your lift

Not certain this is the exact part your lift needs? Start with your lift's model and serial off the data plate, then open our Challenger parts lookup to see the visual parts breakdown for your model — the exploded drawing with every part numbered and priced. If your plate is missing or unreadable, our guide to finding your model number walks through where to find it, or send us a photo and we will identify the lift for you.

Signs a cable or sheave is worn out

Corrosion hides the worst damage. A cable can look intact under surface rust while the strands underneath are pitted and losing strength. Flex it and watch for stiff spots or rust dust falling out — both mean the steel is compromised. Check the sheave bushings too: a copper-colored bushing pushed out the side of a sheave means it's worn and the cable is no longer tracking straight.

Parts commonly replaced at the same time

Think in sets when you order tension parts: cables in pairs, sheaves with their pins, and the lock-release cable if it is due. It is far cheaper to do the whole wear group while the lift is open than to reopen it for the piece you skipped. Tell us your model and we will assemble the kit.

Safety notes

Safety here is simple and non-negotiable: a frayed cable or cracked sheave is an out-of-service condition, not a watch-and-see. Replace at the manufacturer's interval or at the first sign of broken wires, corrosion, or groove wear, and always equalize and cycle the lift empty before it carries a vehicle again.

Before you order

A quick prep before ordering saves a wrong box: confirm your model and serial, and measure the old cable if you can. The same lift can take different cable lengths across its run, so matching the actual part beats matching the brochure. We will verify fit for your serial before anything leaves.

Confirm this is the right part before you order

Lift manufacturers revise parts mid-production without changing the model name, so the same lift bought two years apart can take two different revisions of the same component. Before you order, find the model plate on the lift — on most 2-post lifts it rides on one of the columns at eye level, on 4-post lifts it is usually on a column or the power-unit side runway — and note the full model number and serial. The serial dates the lift to a production run, and that is what decides which revision fits.

If the plate is painted over or missing, take a photo of the part you are replacing next to a tape measure and send it to us. Between the dimensions, the mounting pattern, and what lift it came off of, we can almost always identify the exact part before you spend money on the wrong one.

Why buy your Challenger lifting cable from Auto Lift Services

We install, inspect, and repair Challenger lifts every week — the ALS-7226-12 x2 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.