Inspecting a Used Two Post Lift: An Iowa Installer’s Checklist

Inspecting a used two post lift before you buy it can save you thousands in surprise repairs, or it can confirm you’re getting a genuinely solid piece of equipment for a fair number. We’ve walked into more Iowa garages, farm shops, and dealership back lots than we can count to look at lifts someone found on Facebook Marketplace or an auction site, and the difference between a good buy and a money pit almost always comes down to a handful of specific checks. This guide walks through exactly what we look at, in the order we look at it, so you can do the same before cash changes hands.

Why Inspecting a Used Two Post Lift Matters More Than the Price Tag

A cheap lift that needs new columns, cables, and a hydraulic pump isn’t cheap anymore once you add up parts and install labor. We’ve seen buyers get excited about a low asking price, skip a real inspection, and end up spending more on repairs than they would have on a properly reconditioned unit from a dealer. That’s the core reason inspecting a used two post lift has to happen before negotiating price, not after.

The other reason is safety. A two post lift holding a vehicle several feet in the air with worn locks, stretched cables, or a cracked base plate isn’t a minor issue — it’s a hazard for anyone working underneath it. Iowa shops we work with have had close calls with lifts that looked fine from ten feet away but had real structural problems once someone got up on a ladder to look closely. When you’re inspecting a used two post lift, you’re not just protecting your wallet, you’re protecting whoever ends up standing under a raised vehicle in your bay for the next decade.

Start With the Columns and Base Plates

Walk up to each column and look for rust at the base, especially where it meets the floor plate. Surface rust on the outer shell is cosmetic and usually not a dealbreaker. Rust that’s eaten into the steel, flaking off in chunks, or has created pitting you can feel with a fingernail is a different story — that’s structural weakness, and it’s expensive to fix on an asymmetric or symmetric two post lift.

Check that the columns are still plumb and haven’t shifted from the original anchor pattern. Old anchor holes that don’t line up with the current bolts, or fresh concrete patches around the base, can indicate the lift was moved or reset after an anchor pulled out. Also look at the top of the columns for the overhead beam or cross brace — surface rust up there is common, but any visible bending or bowing means the lift has been overloaded at some point and shouldn’t be trusted without a thorough structural evaluation first.

Cables, Sheaves, and the Equalization System

Cables are one of the most common failure points on an older two post lift, and they’re also one of the cheapest things to replace if you catch problems early. Look for fraying, broken strands, flat spots, or kinks anywhere along the visible run. Run your hand along the cable carefully — a frayed strand will catch on a glove or a rag immediately.

Check the sheaves (the pulleys the cables ride over) for grooving, cracking, or uneven wear. A sheave that’s worn a deep groove will chew through a new cable fast, so factor that into your evaluation even if the cables themselves look okay. Also check that both sides of the lift are equalized — if one carriage sits noticeably higher than the other when the lift is at rest, the equalization cable or its adjustment has a problem. This is a normal wear item on any two post lift and we stock replacement cable kits for most major brands, but it’s still a negotiating point worth knowing about before you buy.

Hydraulic System: Cylinder, Hoses, and Fluid

Pull the lift down to its lowest position and look underneath the cylinder for any signs of weeping hydraulic fluid, staining on the floor, or a slow drip. A cylinder that’s leaking at the seal will need a rebuild or replacement, and that’s a real cost to factor into your offer. Check the hoses too — cracked, brittle, or bulging hose sections mean the fluid lines are near the end of their life regardless of how the cylinder itself looks.

Ask the seller to run the lift up and down a few times if power is available. Listen for the pump motor — it should sound smooth, not straining or grinding. Watch the lift’s rise for smoothness; jerky or hesitant movement usually points to air in the system, a failing pump, or a valve issue. None of these are automatically dealbreakers on an older two post lift, but they all belong in your price negotiation.

Safety Locks, Arms, and Pads

The mechanical locks that hold the carriages in place at height are non-negotiable safety items. Engage them at a few different heights and try to feel any slop or looseness before assuming they’re solid. A lock that doesn’t engage cleanly or that releases with even light pressure on the carriage is a repair you need to budget for immediately, not eventually.

Check the lift arms for bent sections, worn pins, or sloppy pivot points, and make sure the arm restraints (the pins or latches that keep arms from swinging out under load) are all present and functional — missing restraints are a common shortcut on lifts that have been resold a few times. Look at the rubber or plastic lift pads too; worn, cracked, or missing pads are cheap to replace but tell you something about how well the previous owner maintained the equipment overall.

Documentation, Age, and Certification History

Ask for the make, model, and manufacture date, and see if the seller has any service records, the original owner’s manual, or documentation of ALI certification if the lift ever had it. A lift with a paper trail is almost always a better buy than one with none, because it tells you the previous owner cared enough to keep records — and it gives you something to reference when ordering parts later.

If you can’t get documentation, at minimum find the data tag on the lift itself (usually on a column near eye level) and note the model number and rated capacity. We can often identify parts availability and rough age just from that tag, which helps you understand what you’re actually buying. If you want a deeper breakdown of pricing once you’ve done the physical inspection, our used two post lift values guide walks through what condition and age actually do to resale numbers, and our used vs new two post lift comparison is worth a read if you’re still on the fence about buying used at all.

When to Call a Professional Before You Buy

Some problems are easy for anyone to spot — obvious rust, missing pads, a cable that’s clearly frayed. Others, like a subtly bent column or a hydraulic system that’s slowly losing pressure, take a trained eye and the right tools to catch reliably. If you’re spending real money on a used lift, a short phone call or an on-site look from someone who installs these for a living is cheap insurance.

We get calls regularly from Iowa buyers who want a second opinion before they commit, and we’re happy to talk through what you’re seeing over the phone or come take a look in person depending on location. Whether you’re the buyer trying to avoid a bad deal or the seller preparing your equipment for sale — our selling a used two post lift guide covers that side — a proper inspection protects everyone involved in the transaction.