Forward Lifts 2 Post: Used vs New for Truck Shops in the Des Moines Metro

If you run a heavy-duty truck shop in the Des Moines metro and you’re staring at a stack of quotes trying to decide between used and new, forward lifts 2 post equipment is usually where that decision gets made or broken. We install and service lifts across central Iowa, and the used-vs-new question comes up almost every week from shops doing suspension work, shock replacement, and undercarriage jobs on 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks. The honest answer isn’t always “buy new” — but it’s also not always “grab the cheap used unit on Marketplace.” It depends on age, duty cycle, and what a bad decision actually costs you in downtime.

Why Forward Lifts 2 Post Models Show Up So Often in Truck Shops

Forward has been building asymmetric 2-post lifts for decades, and a lot of the used units circulating through Iowa shops right now are Forward models that were originally installed in dealership service bays or fleet garages. That history matters because these lifts tend to have been maintained on a schedule, which is different from a unit that sat in a hobbyist’s garage getting occasional oil changes. When we evaluate a used forward lifts 2 post candidate for a suspension and shock shop, we’re looking at cable wear, arm pin condition, and whether the hydraulic cylinder still holds pressure without creeping.

For shock and suspension work specifically, the swing arm geometry matters more than most shops realize. You need enough reach to get arms under control arms and axle housings without fighting the columns, and older Forward asymmetric designs were built with exactly that kind of access in mind. A newer unit will give you the same geometry with tighter tolerances and a warranty, but a well-inspected used Forward can do the same job for years if the wear parts get replaced up front instead of after something fails mid-lift.

The Real Cost Breakdown: Lift Price Is Not the Whole Number

This is where most shops get surprised. A used lift might list for a fraction of a new one, but the total cost includes freight or hauling, a pre-install inspection, replacement of cables and safety pins if they’re original, concrete evaluation, electrical work if the shop doesn’t already have the right service, and labor to set columns and align them. We’ve seen shops buy a used lift for what seemed like a steal only to spend nearly as much again getting it certified and installed correctly.

New forward lifts 2 post packages simplify that math because the price you’re quoted usually already accounts for a complete cable and arm set, current safety standards, and a straightforward install since everything is dimensioned to spec. Used units can still make sense — especially for a second bay you’re not running at full capacity — but budget for inspection and parts replacement as a real line item, not an afterthought. In our experience, a used unit that needs new cables, new arm restraint pins, and a hydraulic reseal ends up costing 60-75% of a comparable new unit once labor is included.

Weight Capacity for 3/4-Ton and 1-Ton Trucks

Suspension and shock work on heavy trucks means you’re lifting vehicles that are heavier and taller than the sedans most residential lifts are rated for. A 9,000 lb or 10,000 lb capacity 2-post is the practical minimum for a shop doing regular 3/4-ton and 1-ton work, and if you’re touching medium-duty or dually service trucks with tool boxes and aftermarket bumpers, you should be looking at 12,000 lb or higher. This is true whether the lift is new or used — capacity doesn’t change with age, but wear does erode the safety margin.

We’ve inspected used lifts rated at 9,000 lbs from the factory that, after years of hard use, we would not comfortably certify at full capacity without replacing several components first. That’s not a knock on the brand; it’s just what happens to hydraulic equipment that’s been run daily for a decade. When you’re deciding between used and new, match the rated capacity to your heaviest regular vehicle, then add a safety cushion, and get any used unit’s actual condition verified against that rating before you trust it with a truck on the rack.

What a Proper Install Costs on Top of the Lift Itself

Installation is not optional, and it’s not something a two-person crew should do on a Saturday afternoon with a rented core drill. Concrete thickness and condition need to be verified for anchor bolt pull-out ratings, columns need to be plumb and torqued to spec, and the hydraulic system needs to be bled and tested through a full range of motion before a vehicle ever goes on it. In the Des Moines metro, we typically see straightforward installs run a predictable range depending on whether it’s a straight swap into existing anchor points or a new pad with fresh electrical.

Used lift installs often cost more than new ones because of the unknowns — you don’t always know the anchor bolt history, whether the columns were shimmed correctly last time, or if the electrical was ever inspected. We always recommend a site visit before committing to a used unit’s install price, because what looks like a simple swap can turn into new anchors, a new sub-panel, or even column replacement if there’s frame damage from a previous incident. Get that number in writing before you finalize the purchase.

Safety Certification and Inspection Records Matter More Than Age

A five-year-old lift with full maintenance records and annual inspections can be a better buy than a two-year-old lift that sat unused and unmonitored. When you’re looking at used forward lifts 2 post units, ask for maintenance logs, ask when the cables were last replaced, and ask whether it’s ever failed an inspection. If the seller can’t answer, assume the worst and price accordingly.

ALI (Automotive Lift Institute) certification and inspection stickers are a good sign, but they’re not a guarantee the lift is safe today — they tell you it passed at some point in the past. For a truck shop doing suspension and shock work daily, we recommend a full independent inspection before any used lift goes into service, regardless of what paperwork comes with it. New lifts still need a post-install inspection too, but you’re starting from a known baseline instead of an unknown history.

Downtime Cost: The Number Most Shops Forget to Calculate

Every hour a bay is down waiting on a lift repair is an hour you’re not billing for suspension jobs, alignment prep, or shock swaps. Used equipment carries a higher risk of unplanned downtime simply because it’s had more years to develop hairline issues in seals, hoses, and electrical connections that don’t show up until they fail. If your shop runs tight on bay availability already, that risk needs to be weighed against the upfront savings of buying used.

New forward lifts 2 post equipment generally comes with a parts and labor warranty window that covers the exact period when infant-mortality failures are most likely to show up. That protection has real value for a shop that can’t afford a bay sitting idle for a week waiting on a part. We’ve had truck shops tell us the peace of mind alone justified paying more upfront, especially once they ran the math on what a single lost week of suspension work billing actually costs them.

Our Recommendation for Des Moines Metro Truck Shops

If you’re doing high-volume suspension and shock work and every bay needs to stay productive, we generally steer shops toward new equipment for primary bays and reserve used purchases for secondary or overflow bays where a little more downtime risk is tolerable. That said, a properly inspected used unit from a reputable source, with fresh cables and verified hydraulics, is a legitimate option — we just want the inspection to happen before the check clears, not after.

Whichever direction you go, get a written condition report, confirm the capacity actually matches your heaviest vehicles, and have a qualified installer look at your concrete and electrical before you commit. We’ve helped shops across the Des Moines metro make this call both ways, and the shops that come out ahead are the ones who priced the whole job — lift, parts, install, and downtime risk — before signing anything.