Extra light weight car jacks?

[noid]

My daily jacks are a AC Hydraulics DK20Q and DK13HLQ, but they are about as far from portable as you can get, they are heavy.

Racing jacks are still ~30lb and have a long handle.

I'm looking for something more than a scissor jack, but less then a racing jack; it doesn't need to be fast, just light and able to lift a car from the front center/rear center, not just the pinch welds.

I recall some 1980's american OEM car jacks that looked almost like full size jacks, just not hydraulic, and light.

Any recommendations along these lines?

 

[GeoBruin]

Heavy Duty Universal Scissor Jack by Agile Offroad – PAD Overland https://share.google/BScuLBbXnbQyCql7B

The same outfit makes lighter versions if you don't need as much lifting capacity.

Edit: Sorry, this is the lighter one I was thinking of.

The Scissor Jack – AGMProducts https://share.google/aLYaZaVFKS6Q1WPTn

 

[Twisted Sid]

What about one of those air bag jacks?

 

[E46 Tony]

Sounds like you need a trolley jack.

2 ton Compact Trolley Jack

Amazing deals on this 2Ton Compact Trolley Jack at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Beerhippie]

Heavy Duty Universal Scissor Jack by Agile Offroad – PAD Overland https://share.google/BScuLBbXnbQyCql7B

The same outfit makes lighter versions if you don't need as much lifting capacity.

Edit: Sorry, this is the lighter one I was thinking of.

The Scissor Jack – AGMProducts https://share.google/aLYaZaVFKS6Q1WPTn

Damn yer hide--I just bought the AGMP jack. Comes with a free tire plug kit, too. Looks like it'll be much easier to use than the screwy VW jack.

Thank you for spending my money--again.

 

[Beerhippie]

Sounds like you need a trolley jack.

2 ton Compact Trolley Jack

Amazing deals on this 2Ton Compact Trolley Jack at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

My problem with any floor-jack style jack is use off of a hard surface. Since the lifting pad moves backwards relative to the wheels of the jack, if the wheels can't roll freely, the vehicle moves instead. Less than ideal. It takes a full 3/4" of plywood to support the weight of a heavy rig on those little wheels. The scissors-type jacks (like the one I just ordered) lift straight up--much safer on rough surfaces.

 

[Old tool guy]

Damn yer hide--I just bought the AGMP jack. Comes with a free tire plug kit, too. Looks like it'll be much easier to use than the screwy VW jack.

Thank you for spending my money--again.

Did you also buy a cordless impact wrench to store in the car with the jack?

 

[Beerhippie]

Did you also buy a cordless impact wrench to store in the car with the jack?

Got that last week--and already put it to plenty of use replacing my front disk brake system.



So it'll be happy living in a Vanagon beating around on rough roads:

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Is this what you are thinking about?
My 87 S-10 truck had one. Probably have to modify where it contacts the vehicle and I don't know if it would handle the weight of lifting from the center.

 

[Snip's]

I recently wanted a scissor jack... Checked the price at HF...
Decided to go Ebay and got a similar OEM Nissan that can handle 2,755 lbs and is galvanized, with free shipping...
No indication it was ever used...
This one....

 

[Beerhippie]

I recently wanted a scissor jack... Checked the price at HF...
Decided to go Ebay and got a similar OEM Nissan that can handle 2,755 lbs and is galvanized, with free shipping...
No indication it was ever used...
This one....

I usually pick these up at yard sales. Toyota seems to be the most common. We use 'em all over the plant for various things.

But they don't have the lifting range of that AGMP--you'd need some cribbing to lift a lifted Vanagon. May still with the AGMP--we'll see.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Get a scissor jack and weld on a bolt that is the same size as your lugnuts. You don't want to have to carry around a handle or some sort of adapter. We use RV stabilizer jacks for longer travel stuff, otherwise a standard one works fine for most vehicles.

I'm a big AGM fan, but the 1/4" adapter is not something to be relied upon. My buddy tried to get away with using a 1/4" gun and it wouldn't lift the back of his 2 seat CanAm X3.

 

[Beerhippie]

Get a scissor jack and weld on a bolt that is the same size as your lugnuts. You don't want to have to carry around a handle or some sort of adapter. We use RV stabilizer jacks for longer travel stuff, otherwise a standard one works fine for most vehicles.

I'm a big AGM fan, but the 1/4" adapter is not something to be relied upon. My buddy tried to get away with using a 1/4" gun and it wouldn't lift the back of his 2 seat CanAm X3.

Are you saying the head of the screw of the AGMP is 1/4"? If so, I'll weld a 3/4"/19mm nut over it.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Are you saying the head of the screw of the AGMP is 1/4"? If so, I'll weld a 3/4"/19mm nut over it.

No, they include an adapter to use a 1/4" gun. Once the threads of the jack have dust and sand on them, the 1/4" gun didn't have enough grunt to lift a UTV.

Personally, I'd just modify a cheap jack.

 

[Chefjpd]

I love my scissor jack ratchet

W
?

 

[Beerhippie]

No, they include an adapter to use a 1/4" gun. Once the threads of the jack have dust and sand on them, the 1/4" gun didn't have enough grunt to lift a UTV.

Personally, I'd just modify a cheap jack.

What size is the hex head of the screw? I'll be using a 1/2" M18 mid-torque on it--plenty enough grunt.

I might do that. if the damned brewers hadn't stolen all my yard-sale screw jacks!

Besides, this jack is meant for off-road vehicles, so has enough lift for the Vanagon without cribbing or welding on extensions. It's also rated for a higher load than a Toyota car jack.

 

[seber]

Any auto scrap yard can provide any size scissor jack you can imagine. I bought one from a one ton truck for $10.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

No idea, I think it might've been 3/4"

What size is the hex head of the screw? I'll be using a 1/2" M18 mid-torque on it--plenty enough grunt.

 

[RTM]

What size is the hex head of the screw? I'll be using a 1/2" M18 mid-torque on it--plenty enough grunt.

Using the impact on the jack might be a poor decision. Been brought up a few times, drills are the preferred choice, the impacting is hard on the mechanism.

ETA, the AGM page says drill on both pages

 

[Beerhippie]

Using the impact on the jack might be a poor decision. Been brought up a few times, drills are the preferred choice, the impacting is hard on the mechanism.

ETA, the AGM page says drill on both pages

Got that, too.

 

[jayemm]

scissor jack socket adapter Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/TONDA-Scissor-Adapter-Ratchet-Standard/dp/B0793PJBB6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[pbon]

I would use an aluminum 1.5 ton hydraulic trolley jack. The scissor jacks are not always stable, though a 12 inch square plywood pad can be used to help. They are also more time consuming to set in place and lift,

For the trolley jack, I agree they don’t roll well on anything but smooth surfaces and that brining an 18 inch by 42” piece of plywood as a base coujd be useful. Those off road trolly jacks cost more but could be worthwhile if you have the money and space.

 

[danielbuck]

how about a small screw jack? Very compact, and weigh considerably less than a scissor jack. I know Toyota trucks and Jeeps used to have them from the factory. they don't use a pump arm like most shop bottle jacks do, they use a rotating motion on the input, so you rotate the wrench around, nice in tight spots, since you don't have a long handle moving up and down hitting the car or whatever. And since it's not hydraulic, it's not going to slowly lower under weight.

They look small, but the extend quite high, I still keep one in my TJ jeep that has 35" tires, and the original bottle jack still is tall enough for me to change a tire. Looks like newer ones are more robust than the old OEM ones.

I don't know that I would use these as my primary jack while working on a vehicle at home, but for something light weight to carry with you in the vehicle in the event that you need to change a tire, they work great.

 

[Steve_P]

^ Yeah, I was going to suggest the OE jack in a Tacoma as they lift very high for their compact size.