Jack for the Car

[JDC]

Wife and I got a flat last night, jacked the van up with the factory jack, where it decided to bend and not get the van up high enough to change the tire. Ended up calling my Dad, who lives close and is a mechanic, brought a 4 way and a floor jack, and on the way we go. What do you guys carry for roadside tire changes? Any advice would be great.

 

[bmxr4life87]

Hf 1.5 ton alum floor jack with a hf 25" breaker bar and a 3" extension and a variety of sockets to fit most cars/trucks and a hf torque wrench so I don't grossly over/undertorque the lug nuts also a set of 3ton jack stands from hf as well it all lives in the trunk and has helped numerous people

 

[Techniker]

I'm a huge fan of the Torin bottle jacks. While I think I have a 6 ton one for my car ($15 at Tractor Supply), I just recently bought a 20 ton one for the added lift height it gives. I found it on sale at a Big Lots for $20, I think it normally runs $40. They work great and are a thousand times better than the useless scissor jack lifts found in a car.

-Techniker

 

[afterburner]

The factory jack on my Passat is known as the widow maker for it's horribly unstable design. Unless you want to carry a mini-style floor jack, I would recommend the HF scissor jack when it goes on sale. Also it would be a good idea to keep some thin but sturdy base pad if you are forced to jack the car on a soft surface.

http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...-jacks/1-1-2-half-ton-scissor-jack-66907.html

 

[RLRRLRLL]

i carried a small floor jack in my pathfinder for when i needed it. in my focus..i just have the factory one...i think...ive never looked haha.

 

[5lima30]

+1 on the Torin 6 ton bottle jack. I've used it several times "in the field" and it works flawlessly. I also have one of the folding 4 way lug wrenches. I pull trailers quite a bit and trailer lug nuts are almost ALWAYS a different size than you factory lug wrench. Don't ask how I know this!

 

[moparmuscle88]

i keep a 20 ton bottle jack in the truck, blackhawk 4 ton floor jack for the garage

 

[Hiball]

I would never be caught out without the factory jack, I dont find myself with too many flats as i run quality tires but in the event of a Puncture i wouldnt want to rely on a floor/bottle jack that maybe has been sitting in my truck for a couple years without use. I Own Fords and have never had a problem with there OEM jacks that come with there vehicles. Now.. With that said.. Its definitely easier to Lift a vehicle with a Hydraulic jack versus the screw type but in a Pinch Ill take the OEM jack.

 

[woody 73]

I am not a big fan of the scissor type jacks,some people swear by them but something about the design bothers me. If you could pick up one of those bottle jacks and put it in your trunk I feel that is the best way to go.

 

[JDC]

I have used a few factory jacks and this is the worst one yet. Why should one not trust a bottle jack or a floor jack in the trunk. This factory jack for a 2005 Caravan proved to be ****. I plan on getting better tire chocks, keeping the factory jack as a stability point, and the bottle to bring the axle up to put the tire on.

 

[Hiball]

I have used a few factory jacks and this is the worst one yet. Why should one not trust a bottle jack or a floor jack in the trunk. This factory jack for a 2005 Caravan proved to be ****. I plan on getting better tire chocks, keeping the factory jack as a stability point, and the bottle to bring the axle up to put the tire on.

Well being that i have 20+ years in the Hydraulic Jack Repair business i know what happens to Jacks when they dont get used very often, Which would generally be the case with a Emergency Use Jack in the Trunk. You can have a various of things happen such as the Seals can Harden prematurely, The jack can get flipped which would could compromise the Oil and possibly allow it to leak out, It can get Air Bound Or you can have Valve issues (Stuck). These are just some of the things that can happen on Under maintainted equipment and Personally i wouldnt take the chance. Only My Opinion...

 

[JDC]

Great information. Have you ever thought of doing a post on jack maintenance and repair? I am honestly always a bit shaky with jacks and that would be a great post from a safety and repair standpoint.

 

[5-0stank]

A floor jack is great to have, but honestly, I don't think the 1.5 ton is big enough. Most cars weigh 3000lbs, easy. I realize you are not lifting the whole car, but I like the added insurance of a bigger jack.

 

[Hiball]

A floor jack is great to have, but honestly, I don't think the 1.5 ton is big enough. Most cars weigh 3000lbs, easy. I realize you are not lifting the whole car, but I like the added insurance of a bigger jack.

The Important thing is "Quality Not Quantity".

 

[Techniker]

The Important thing is "Quality Not Quantity".

Of course, quality is irrelevant if the quantity isn't there in the first place. A 14 mm. wrench from Harbor Freight is a thousand times better than a 13 mm. wrench from Snap-On if I am working on a 14 mm. bolt.

-Techniker

 

[Techniker]

I would never be caught out without the factory jack, I dont find myself with too many flats as i run quality tires but in the event of a Puncture i wouldnt want to rely on a floor/bottle jack that maybe has been sitting in my truck for a couple years without use. I Own Fords and have never had a problem with there OEM jacks that come with there vehicles. Now.. With that said.. Its definitely easier to Lift a vehicle with a Hydraulic jack versus the screw type but in a Pinch Ill take the OEM jack.

Yeah...I mean I love cranking the heck out of my arm for half an hour with a scissor jack in the pouring down rain on a winter's night off the side of the interstate with 85 mph traffic and tractor trailers bearing down on me...Why would anyone want a bottle jack when they would miss out on all of that?!

 

[Techniker]

Oh, forgot to mention how much I love cranking the scissor jack with the coat hanger wire lug wrench included in the factory kit. The only thing better is getting seized lug nuts torqued at 150 ft-lbs off with it while it digs into your hand.

 

[Hiball]

Of course, quality is irrelevant if the quantity isn't there in the first place. A 14 mm. wrench from Harbor Freight is a thousand times better than a 13 mm. wrench from Snap-On if I am working on a 14 mm. bolt.

-Techniker

No Clue what the hell you are talking about but whatever, That why i tend to shy away from this place. The point i was getting at was the older 1 1/2 ton jacks used 1 1/4" diameter Ram cups and some of the Newer 4 ton imports only use 1 1/2" where the "Quality" Jacks use 2+". Aint PSI a *****.

Here is a Link to the Differences if you interested in some Facts.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64594

Edit: I clearly said the Hydraulic jack was easier, But there are numerous things that i mentioned that could turn your jack into a boat anchor rather than a Piece a lifting equipment.

I would never be caught out without the factory jack, I dont find myself with too many flats as i run quality tires but in the event of a Puncture i wouldnt want to rely on a floor/bottle jack that maybe has been sitting in my truck for a couple years without use. I Own Fords and have never had a problem with there OEM jacks that come with there vehicles. Now.. With that said.. Its definitely easier to Lift a vehicle with a Hydraulic jack versus the screw type but in a Pinch Ill take the OEM jack.

Yeah...I mean I love cranking the heck out of my arm for half an hour with a scissor jack in the pouring down rain on a winter's night off the side of the interstate with 85 mph traffic and tractor trailers bearing down on me...Why would anyone want a bottle jack when they would miss out on all of that?!

You completely looked over everything i posted. 1/2 Hour? Overindulge much?

Oh, forgot to mention how much I love cranking the scissor jack with the coat hanger wire lug wrench included in the factory kit. The only thing better is getting seized lug nuts torqued at 150 ft-lbs off with it while it digs into your hand.

The Real question is why are you lugs torqued to 150 ft-lbs? But Hell lets blame the OEM of the Vehicle.

 

[woody 73]

I respect Hiball very much and he has seen everything in his many years; If he says bottle jacks can fail then I can buy that.

At least from my limited experience I have a very old heavy duty scissor jack (the kind that you push it under the car) and it has a very small footprint; now with that being said I have seen on occasion when the ground was at a small slope that the jack has started to raise the car only to fall over.

Maybe the answer is to just carry one of each.

Woody

 

[Techniker]

No Clue what the hell you are talking about but whatever, That why i tend to shy away from this place. The point i was getting at was the older 1 1/2 ton jacks used 1 1/4" diameter Ram cups and some of the Newer 4 ton imports only use 1 1/2" where the "Quality" Jacks use 2+". Aint PSI a *****.

Here is a Link to the Differences if you interested in some Facts.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64594

Edit: I clearly said the Hydraulic jack was easier, But there are numerous things that i mentioned that could turn your jack into a boat anchor rather than a Piece a lifting equipment.






You completely looked over everything i posted. 1/2 Hour? Overindulge much?



The Real question is why are you lugs torqued to 150 ft-lbs? But Hell lets blame the OEM of the Vehicle.

My, my, my don't we get defensive over someone disagreeing? I guess I would too though if my career was repairing expendable equipment.

I believe the word you are looking for is either hyperbolize or exaggerate, not overindulge.

You don't torque your truck lugs to 150 ft-lbs? That's a standard truck lug torque. Cars can range anywhere from 90-110 ft-lbs. Was not blaming the OEM, I was blaming what is a natural occurrence from driving. It happens pretty easily.

You mean you can actually make a career from repairing $120 jacks?

 

[Hiball]

I respect Hiball very much and he has seen everything in his many years; If he says bottle jacks can fail then I can buy that.

At least from my limited experience I have a very old heavy duty scissor jack (the kind that you push it under the car) and it has a very small footprint; now with that being said I have seen on occasion when the ground was at a small slope that the jack has started to raise the car only to fall over.

Maybe the answer is to just carry one of each.

Woody

Its Plain and Simple, Hydraulic Jacks are Not designed to Flipped around/upside down prior to use. Most of your currrent designed Bottle jacks utilize a rubber plug and if inverted they can be prone to leakage... What good will a Jack without Oil do you? If you are working on a Non level surface you can have simliar slippage problems with bottle jacks, Again.. With there small footprint (12 ton and under) you will experience the same issue on the base as well as the Ram end if working on unlevel sitsuations. Its all about common sense and trying to be prepared for all sitsuations.

 

[Hiball]

My, my, my don't we get defensive over someone disagreeing? I guess I would too though if my career was repairing expendable equipment.

I believe the word you are looking for is either hyperbolize or exaggerate, not overindulge.

You don't torque your truck lugs to 150 ft-lbs? That's a standard truck lug torque. Cars can range anywhere from 90-110 ft-lbs. Was not blaming the OEM, I was blaming what is a natural occurrence from driving. It happens pretty easily.

You mean you can actually make a career from repairing $120 jacks?

LOL at Career... If you think Im voicing my opinions based on trying to "Repair expendable equipment" your mistaken. How bout you do some research before you make accusations. You can disagree all you want, Your entitled to your opinion and i can back it up with Facts. Enjoy your evening.. Im done trying to Help the membership out.

 

[A29]

Been known to carry an old Toyota scissor jack in the hotrod. Its too low for a bottle jack. The pick-up gets the factory jack but its never been used.

 

[sselander]

The best thing is to test the factory jack before you get a flat, and see what a POS it is.

Also check air pressure in the spare from time to time.

I actually had my son change the tire on the Mazda so he would know how to use the jack and where to lift it, as well as to remove the the tire.

On my Dodge minivan , the damn spare has been moved towards the front and must be dragged out from underneath the vehicle with a long hook.

Anybody remember the old bumper jacks?, talk about dangerous.

Of course, there is always AAA ...

 

[Techniker]

The best thing is to test the factory jack before you get a flat, and see what a POS it is.

Also check air pressure in the spare from time to time.

I actually had my son change the tire on the Mazda so he would know how to use the jack and where to lift it, as well as to remove the the tire.

On my Dodge minivan , the damn spare has been moved towards the front and must be dragged out from underneath the vehicle with a long hook.

Anybody remember the old bumper jacks?, talk about dangerous.

Of course, there is always AAA ...

Ah farm jacks...

The Dodge is one of the worst for getting to spares. I just hate the truck types in general where you have to hoist down the spare from the undercarriage...

Scissor jacks don't offer any real advantage over bottle jacks in terms of stability and level surfaces. All that matters is that the reaction force pointing straight down from the vehicle cannot be outside of the base of the jack or it will fall. The factory scissor jacks I have always seen don't have any larger base (in some cases they are actually smaller) than any bottle jack so that argument goes out the window. The only thing you really need to check is the minimum clearance mentioned earlier.

 

[Hiball]

Scissor jacks don't offer any real advantage over bottle jacks in terms of stability and level surfaces. All that matters is that the reaction force pointing straight down from the vehicle cannot be outside of the base of the jack or it will fall. The factory scissor jacks I have always seen don't have any larger base (in some cases they are actually smaller) than any bottle jack so that argument goes out the window. The only thing you really need to check is the minimum clearance mentioned earlier.

I dont think anyone was arguing that point. I wouldnt be so fast to say there is "No advantage" to using a Scissor jack as Most vehicles (Especially New ones) have specific Lift points for "Emergency Road side Maintenance" and Normally the jacks fit these specific points very well, Which creates a solid connection between the two. Now.. when working on "Non-Level" surfaces you are playing with fire without using safety precautions.

 

[Techniker]

I dont think anyone was arguing that point. I wouldnt be so fast to say there is "No advantage" to using a Scissor jack as Most vehicles (Especially New ones) have specific Lift points for "Emergency Road side Maintenance" and Normally the jacks fit these specific points very well, Which creates a solid connection between the two. Now.. when working on "Non-Level" surfaces you are playing with fire without using safety precautions.

A previous post someone made about carrying both seemed to imply this.

A very slight advantage, so slight I wouldn't even use that word. There are about a dozen lift points on a car. You should be able to hit them with anything.

 

[Hiball]

A previous post someone made about carrying both seemed to imply this.

A very slight advantage, so slight I wouldn't even use that word. There are about a dozen lift points on a car. You should be able to hit them with anything.

Scissor jacks are intended for Roadside emergencys Only, Such as Tire replacement. You are correct that there lift points under a vehicle but they where never intended for the Scissor jacks. I doubt there even 12 (Safe) lift points under my Full size 2005 F150.

 

[Shredwagon]

Hey Hiball - Can you recommend a quality bottle jack manufacturer? Thanks.

 

[Hiball]

Hey Hiball - Can you recommend a quality bottle jack manufacturer? Thanks.

New Manufacturers US Jack, Hein Werner, Otc (USA), Enerpac or any vintage Walker, Blackhawk, Hein Werner Or actual Lincoln (USA). The problem with the Lower end Bottle jacks is that they are prone to Valve failure as they use a Disc setup that is very cheap to manufacture but has poor functionality over time.

 

[sk farmer]

note to all members. anyone who argues jacks with hiball deserves the "best medicine".

 

[MrMark]

A previous post someone made about carrying both seemed to imply this.

A very slight advantage, so slight I wouldn't even use that word. There are about a dozen lift points on a car. You should be able to hit them with anything.

It's tough to find any lift points outside the four corners on a modern car. There may be 5-7; 12 is nonsense. That's inexperience talking there.

Trying to jack up a car with a bottle jack outside of the factory lift points, which were designed to work with the factory jack in many cases, think Mercedes or BMW, is just stupid.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

I leave the OEM jack in everything, but also carry an additional jack. The truck and the wife's ride have hydraulic bottle jacks (Harbor Freight 10 tonners), and the Bronco has both a Hi-Lift and a 20 ton bottle.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

My, my, my don't we get defensive over someone disagreeing? I guess I would too though if my career was repairing expendable equipment.

I believe the word you are looking for is either hyperbolize or exaggerate, not overindulge.

You don't torque your truck lugs to 150 ft-lbs? That's a standard truck lug torque. Cars can range anywhere from 90-110 ft-lbs. Was not blaming the OEM, I was blaming what is a natural occurrence from driving. It happens pretty easily.

You mean you can actually make a career from repairing $120 jacks?

Why don't you try dialing back a notch or two? Almost every post you have made on this site is designed to start some **** over topics that you are (for the most part) completely ignorant of. Try reading and comprehending what is being said by someone before you pop off with some BS answer.

I have tried to ignore you up to this point thinking that you might not be aware of how abrasive you are, however it's obvious that you either do not know or you don't care. If it is the former, you are now aware, if it is the later, take it somewhere else.

 

[czgunner]

I leave my spare (33x10.5-15) at home unless I'm taking the Jeep a significant distance or wheeling. Same goes for the Hi-lift (farm jack).
I do, however, have a really good plug kit and on board air!

 

[chadster1]

A previous post someone made about carrying both seemed to imply this.

A very slight advantage, so slight I wouldn't even use that word. There are about a dozen lift points on a car. You should be able to hit them with anything.

Please, oh expert of jacks and lifting cars. Educate us ignorant masses of the location of the dozen lift point on a modern car that can be utilized with a bottle jack.

 

[Techniker]

It's tough to find any lift points outside the four corners on a modern car. There may be 5-7; 12 is nonsense. That's inexperience talking there.

Trying to jack up a car with a bottle jack outside of the factory lift points, which were designed to work with the factory jack in many cases, think Mercedes or BMW, is just stupid.

Just like 150 ft lbs lug torque is unheard of on a vehicle?

People must have a hard time talking with you if you take everything so literally. If someone mentions the price of gas being $3, they better watch out lest you point out that it's really $2.98. My point is that there aren't exactly 4 lift points on a car. There are a number of places you can lift on.

Nine lift points right there, I better call and inform them that Mr.Mark says that is nonsense :

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...a=X&ei=R9BhTcOjIoTWgQfQmtzCAg&ved=0CEcQ9QEwCA

 

[Techniker]

Why don't you try dialing back a notch or two? Almost every post you have made on this site is designed to start some **** over topics that you are (for the most part) completely ignorant of. Try reading and comprehending what is being said by someone before you pop off with some BS answer.

I have tried to ignore you up to this point thinking that you might not be aware of how abrasive you are, however it's obvious that you either do not know or you don't care. If it is the former, you are now aware, if it is the later, take it somewhere else.

Latter.

As for the rest of your post: [citation needed].

 

[Techniker]

 

[MrMark]

This is the medical student who works as a front end man and took EE courses for awhile. Talk about a pile. Like the post about measuring DC current with an "inductive clamp" and how inaccurate it is and how "we" engineers wouldn't do that. It must be tough going to Med school while beating on those Ford front ends, lol. No wonder it's hard to find a decent doctor these days.