Quickjack vs bridge jack?

[Gizzygone]

I placed an order for a 4 post lift.

I didn’t include bridge jacks, but they were on my short list of things to buy.

QuickJacks have been used in place of bridge jacks, and with a Quickjack sale at Costco I’m tempted to save a few hundred bucks…

Pros for QuickJacks:
1: can be used without 4 post lift too
2: cheaper than two bridge jacks
3: doesn’t eat up space under the lift.

Cons for Quickjack:
1: something else to store
2: something else to maintain
3: a bit more cumbersome to set up (but only a few times a year

I’m curious what others think?

The real appeal is that I can use them beside the 4 post (if I don’t want to take the stored cars down to maintain the daily) or on the 4 post

 

[Old Man Roger]

It’s been a while, but I remember one shop I worked in had a 4 post with built in quickjack style lifts on the lift itself. Maybe compare the costs?

 

[Old Man Roger]

A quick google search shows bendpack has a 4 post with built in scissor lift.

 

[Colin Len]

I've never used a real (2 post or 4 post) lift but have spent a lot of time with my Quickjack. While I love my Quickjack for the problems it solves in my garage I also hate using it. It's a whole process to get setup and the frames are heavy. I wouldn't want to be lifting the frames to put them up on the 4-post. Getting them into position is going to be more of a pain than with a bridge jack. Plus the storage issue you mentioned and you'll be pulling the pump unit out in addition to the frames, running the hydraulic lines...

If you really think you will use the Quickjack on it's own and that it serves a good purpose for you other than used as a bridge jack then it could be a nice compromise that does double duty. But if it were me, the second I got a real lift I'd never want to use my Quickjack again.

 

[pbon]

I agree with using quick jacks as a bridge Jack alternative if they can serve double duty for you. Maybe you could use portable jacks or maybe you sometimes have another car you want to work under while one is already on the lift. Otherwise I would buy at least one bridge Jack instead. There are also jacking trays you can buy that span the runners so you can use bottle or floor jacks. I have use the little $59 HF floor jacks on the runners before to lift my BMWs though I now have bridge jacks.

 

[Yetti37]

I'm going through this debate right now. I bought a set of QuickJacks a few years ago and love them. I then bought a 4-post lift for storing vehicles when I had a two-car garage as well as being able to do maintenance. Now that I have a three car garage, I no longer need the 4-post for storage so I decided to combine the QuickJacks and 4-post thinking that it would be a great idea to be able to do all types of car maintenance.

You said cumbersome in your original post and you are absolutely correct. I made a platform to store the QuickJacks in the center of the 4-post thinking this would make it really convenient but unfortunately it is still a pain to set up each time. The gap between the undercarriage of the cars and the runways of the 4-post is maybe an inch more than the thickness of the QuickJacks so it is a tight fit to get them in place. The next issue is that they take up a bunch of space in between the runways and moving them is difficult. I would need modify the platform so that it has some type of rollers on it but after reading about bridge jacks and watching some videos on them, I think that is a much better option. The convenience they provide seems well worth the cost.

 

[Gizzygone]

So, I don’t mind the center storage idea: but then I’d be fighting those every time I want to do an oil change.

I’m not sure with my ceiling height I could get use out of a bridge jack when my truck is on the lift…. Unless I’m able to operate the bridge jack without lifting the runways on the 4 post.

I’d be looking at the 7k models, so I’d be at 100lbs/quick jack.

But… at $1600, vs $2k-4k for bridge jacks… maybe I’m better off with a little extra hassle….

 

[Old Man Roger]

You can get a jack tray for under 200 bucks and use bottle jacks. A lot less hassle.

 

[mike93lx]

I have the 7k quick Jacks and saying they are heavy and cumbersome is an understatement.

The frames are heavy. The pump is heavy. You have lines to deal with. You have to plug it in.

I can't imagine picking them when a purpose-built solution for a 4 post is available, but I haven't owned a 4 post.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Is the 4 post with built in scissor jacks increase in price more than what it would cost to get the quick jacks?

 

[pbon]

They are not built in. Extra cost part that fits the runways and a pair costs the same to twice as much as a quick Jack. I say the same because some have found alternatives to the Bendpak option that fit and cost much less. Often you use only 1 and it certainly is easier to have them in place than to move and set up a quick Jack. I’d just use a Jack tray as a low cost alternative plus maybe floor jacks on the ramps.

 

[Gizzygone]

You can get a jack tray for under 200 bucks and use bottle jacks. A lot less hassle.

They are not built in. Extra cost part that fits the runways and a pair costs the same to twice as much as a quick Jack. I say the same because some have found alternatives to the Bendpak option that fit and cost much less. Often you use only 1 and it certainly is easier to have them in place than to move and set up a quick Jack. I’d just use a Jack tray as a low cost alternative plus maybe floor jacks on the ramps.

So: my plan was to set up and use the 4 post and see what I can get away with on our vehicles and the jack tray (we have an SUV, Pickup Truck and sports car). Ceiling height is limited, so the bridge jack may not even be feasible for the truck, and I plan on using the wide-runway setup on the lift, which may make finding jacking points that much more difficult on a jack tray.

The QuickJacks just happen to be on sale (before my lift has shipped), so I’m tempted to jump on the sale and order them (hence the discussion now)

I have the 7k quick Jacks and saying they are heavy and cumbersome is an understatement.

The frames are heavy. The pump is heavy. You have lines to deal with. You have to plug it in.

I can't imagine picking them when a purpose-built solution for a 4 post is available, but I haven't owned a 4 post.

Do you regret the QuickJacks?

I liked the idea of storing them in between the 4 post runways, so I could slide them into place: but if I needed to use them in the driveway I’d obviously need to shuffle them around more.

The other item I had been looking at is the airbag jacks: they seem a lot easier to move around, and much quicker than other solutions…. But I can’t find much about them, and obviously they’d still require a jack stand to be placed.

 

[mike93lx]

Do you regret the QuickJacks?

I liked the idea of storing them in between the 4 post runways, so I could slide them into place: but if I needed to use them in the driveway I’d obviously need to shuffle them around more.

I actually haven't even used them to lift a car yet.

I bought them last summer and didn't get around to opening the boxes or hooking anything up until the winter due to clutter from my move. I didn't realize that the fittings would require dry time for the sealant, so the project I had in mind couldn't utilize them.

I went to use them last week to do some suspension work and found that I only had three pinch weld pads, so I used a jack. I bought aluminum pinch weld adapters, so I am ready for the next road block.

That said, the frames are extremely heavy. I am a decently big guy at 6'5" and 220, and it is not a simple task to ge them off their wall hooks, onto the ground, in place and then adjusted. I would never, ever want to be in a position where I had to lift them, even a small amount .

I don't have space for a permanently mounted lift, so this is the best I can do. I am sure that I'll like them more after getting some use under my belt and they'll really be nice the next time I have to do something like a 4-way brake job or major suspension work.

 

[pbon]

I don’t know why bridge jacks are worse than any other jack for a truck on a 4 post in a low ceiling garage. Seems like The ceiling height is the same problem no matter how you would lift the truck off the runners. I would raise the ceiling if possible — I raised mine about 2.5’ do I could lift a 6’ tall vehicle 6’ off the ground. I don’t have any jacked up trucks but we do have a couple of E350 vans and family members have suburban/navigator SUV.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Ya the ceiling height shouldn’t have any thing to do with which system you decide to use. Most of the time you would be lifting the vehicle to pull the tires, so it wouldn’t be jacked all the way up.

 

[racecougar]

But… at $1600, vs $2k-4k for bridge jacks… maybe I’m better off with a little extra hassle….

I was going to say that your estimate for bridge jacks was quite high, but I just checked the price on the model I purchased last November. Holy cr@p! I bought a pair for $1250 after rebate ($625 each). They've over tripled in price since then!



Searching around, the best price I see currently is $900 each with free shipping from derekweaver.com. Ouch!

EDIT: Then again, running another search on 4 post lift prices, it looks like those have more than doubled in the past 18 months or so as well. Wow!

 

[racecougar]

I don’t know why bridge jacks are worse than any other jack for a truck on a 4 post in a low ceiling garage. Seems like The ceiling height is the same problem no matter how you would lift the truck off the runners. I would raise the ceiling if possible — I raised mine about 2.5’ do I could lift a 6’ tall vehicle 6’ off the ground. I don’t have any jacked up trucks but we do have a couple of E350 vans and family members have suburban/navigator SUV.

Ya the ceiling height shouldn’t have any thing to do with which system you decide to use. Most of the time you would be lifting the vehicle to pull the tires, so it wouldn’t be jacked all the way up.

I believe the OP's concern is that he wouldn't be able to get under the vehicle to operate a bridge jack to raise the vehicle off of the runways due to low ceiling height and a tall vehicle. In my mind, if the vehicle is really that tall, you could likely reach between it and the runways to operate the bridge jack. That said, the OP hasn't shared his ceiling height or vehicle height, so who knows.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Ahh I see. Ya he could jack it all the way to the ceiling to position the jack, then lower the truck before he lifts it off the rails.

 

[Gizzygone]

I don’t know why bridge jacks are worse than any other jack for a truck on a 4 post in a low ceiling garage. Seems like The ceiling height is the same problem no matter how you would lift the truck off the runners. I would raise the ceiling if possible — I raised mine about 2.5’ do I could lift a 6’ tall vehicle 6’ off the ground. I don’t have any jacked up trucks but we do have a couple of E350 vans and family members have suburban/navigator SUV.

Ya the ceiling height shouldn’t have any thing to do with which system you decide to use. Most of the time you would be lifting the vehicle to pull the tires, so it wouldn’t be jacked all the way up.

With the QuickJacks I could obviously move them off the 4 post and use them in the street (driveway is a hill).

It comes down to locking positions on the 4 post as to whether the bridge jacks could be used with the truck; I’m not sure if they’re feasible if the 4 post is set on the ground position.

There’s a good amount of engineering involved in making more room for the ceiling: we have a large beam spanning the width of the garage, with 2x8 joists hanging below it. At most, I could grab another 7.5” of height if I boxed out the joists.

I was going to say that your estimate for bridge jacks was quite high, but I just checked the price on the model I purchased last November. Holy cr@p! I bought a pair for $1250 after rebate ($625 each). They've over tripled in price since then!



Searching around, the best price I see currently is $900 each with free shipping from derekweaver.com. Ouch!

Yea: it’s absurd. The prices keep skyrocketing too (which is why I tried locking in a lift price now. It wasn’t exactly in the cards, but when you figure prices have doubled on them over the last couple of years, I felt it was time to bite the bullet)

I had a few posts about other brand bridge jacks that may work with the bendpak: one member has given me a boatload of info on the advantage offering which is closer to $1,200. But 2 of those brings me right back to $2400, plus freight.

 

[Gizzygone]

I believe the OP's concern is that he wouldn't be able to get under the vehicle to operate a bridge jack to raise the vehicle off of the runways due to low ceiling height and a tall vehicle. In my mind, if the vehicle is really that tall, you could likely reach between it and the runways to operate the bridge jack. That said, the OP hasn't shared his ceiling height or vehicle height, so who knows.

9’8” ceiling. Truck is about 71” tall. 90% of the reason for the lift is for storing/working on my Camaro. (Can’t fit a truck underneath; but plenty of room for kids toys, etc. also: will be using the 4 post to lift/lower bulky items to the attic above)

Something about reaching between the runway and the vehicle seems unsafe to me; but maybe that’s how they’re operated anyways?

 

[Old Man Roger]

This isn’t the exact brand, but this is what we had at one of the shops I worked at. It wasn’t an alignment rack though.

 

[racecougar]

I had a few posts about other brand bridge jacks that may work with the bendpak: one member has given me a boatload of info on the advantage offering which is closer to $1,200. But 2 of those brings me right back to $2400, plus freight.

Yes, I posted a bunch of info in your other threads on these topics.

9’8” ceiling. Truck is about 71” tall. 90% of the reason for the lift is for storing/working on my Camaro. (Can’t fit a truck underneath; but plenty of room for kids toys, etc. also: will be using the 4 post to lift/lower bulky items to the attic above)

Something about reaching between the runway and the vehicle seems unsafe to me; but maybe that’s how they’re operated anyways?

Ooof. I don't think you'll be able to use the 4-post to do much of anything on your truck, at least not comfortably, as you'll only be able to go up about 3'. That ceiling height is a real killer. I was thinking you had a lifted truck and at least an 11' ceiling. No, typical operation of a bridge jack takes place from underneath the vehicle.

 

[racecougar]

Another item to be mindful of is that Quickjacks or other runway-based lifting methods aren't going to work on most older vehicles, as the frame rails often land in-board of the runways. I believe I called this out in one of your other threads on this topic.

 

[Gizzygone]

Yes, I posted a bunch of info in your other threads on these topics.


Ooof. I don't think you'll be able to use the 4-post to do much of anything on your truck, at least not comfortably, as you'll only be able to go up about 3'. That ceiling height is a real killer. I was thinking you had a lifted truck and at least an 11' ceiling. No, typical operation of a bridge jack takes place from underneath the vehicle.

Yea: I never expected to be able to lift the truck high off the ground, but even 2’ would be enough for me to roll underneath and have more room to do the basic maintenance easily.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Another item to be mindful of is that Quickjacks or other runway-based lifting methods aren't going to work on most older vehicles, as the frame rails often land in-board of the runways. I believe I called this out in one of your other threads on this topic.

On the lift I posted we had this same issue. We had 4x4’s that we would use to go from one side to the other. I admit it got sketchy sometimes..lol

 

[Gizzygone]

Y

Another item to be mindful of is that Quickjacks or other runway-based lifting methods aren't going to work on most older vehicles, as the frame rails often land in-board of the runways. I believe I called this out in one of your other threads on this topic.

Correct, you did. It slipped my mind honestly!

Most of our cars are late models (2000+). It does make me wonder how far the Trucks’ frame sits inboard of the runways.

The Camaro has pinch welds. The SUV is a unibody design with pinch welds also.

 

[pbon]

The 4 post makes sense for the car storage but it does not seem practical for working on the truck. Accessing the bridge Jack handle if manual or foot pedal if air/hydraulic would be a pain with the runners on the ground. You could raise it up 3 feet, operate the Jack and then lower it back down — I do that for convenience but am typically raising 6 feet so I can walk under to the pedal (not really a pedal since I use my hand but I think the actual part was designed as a pedal) and then lower to 2 or 3 or 4 feet for wheel/brake work. Sometimes I’ll try to lean in at 3 feet to operate the pedal because I think that is easier than raising and lowering the lift but it is actually a pain to reach in.

Someone did recessed scissor lift in the floor. Maybe that would work for the truck if there is another space in the garage.

I guess I would be inclined to spend the bridge Jack money on something else. Maybe buy Jack trays. You could get a floor Jack into it and the handle would let you operate it from the side.

 

[Colin Len]

But… at $1600, vs $2k-4k for bridge jacks… maybe I’m better off with a little extra hassle….

IMO, that would be money well spent. For me, zero chance I'd regret spending that money 2yrs down the road. 100% chance I'd regret that decision every time I have to struggle thru using the Quickjack because I wanted to save $400-2400.

 

[Imatk]

If you could drive OVER the quickjack it would be worth it since you wouldn't have to store them anywhere else. But you can't, and those things are HEAVY.

I went from quickjack to MaxJax and fell in love with the two-post

I wouldn't go back, personally.

 

[Colin Len]

I went from quickjack to MaxJax and fell in love with the two-post

I wouldn't go back, personally.

I think about this ALL the time. I opted for Quickjack because I knew I wouldn't have to do concrete work and my garage is TINY. But, after having used the QJ for 5+ yrs now I'm itching for an upgrade. Unfortunately, it's very low on the priority list, but eventually I'd like to just pony up and do the concrete work I'd need for either a MaxJax (or similar) or possibly a flush mounted scissor lift.

 

[Imatk]

If you have the concrete depth then it's not too difficult. I did the install myself. If not then yeah I guess it could get pricey.

 

[Gizzygone]

If you could drive OVER the quickjack it would be worth it since you wouldn't have to store them anywhere else. But you can't, and those things are HEAVY.

I went from quickjack to MaxJax and fell in love with the two-post

I wouldn't go back, personally.

I mean: if I put 2x4’s across the lip of the 4post runway, I could just push them to the center.

 

[Yetti37]

I was doing some work on my car over the weekend and took some pictures of the QuickJacks on the 4-post lift. I thought these would be helpful for this discussion. After doing this, I have decided to get a bridge jack as it will be more convenient for me. This car sits low and the gap between the 4-post runway and the car make it difficult to get the QuickJacks set up.

Power unit with a wood base to hold it at the front of the lift:

How the frames are stored when not in use:


QuickJacks in use:

 

[05snopro440]

Read the manual for whichever lift you are considering. Every 4-post I've read the manual for states not to use any kind of jack or lifting device on the runways that wasn't expressly designed for use with the lift. Jack stands or even quick jacks are much different loading on the runways than a tire, and four posts aren't designed for a point loading scenario. I'd consult the manual or the manufacturer before I tried anything like that. If you damage your vehicle, garage, or lift and it wasn't used properly, insurance will fight hard to deny your claim.

 

[mike93lx]

Read the manual for whichever lift you are considering. Every 4-post I've read the manual for states not to use any kind of jack or lifting device on the runways that wasn't expressly designed for use with the lift. Jack stands or even quick jacks are much different loading on the runways than a tire, and you're assuming they just aren't designed for a point loading scenario. I'd consult the manual or the manufacturer before I tried anything like that. If you damage your vehicle, garage, or lift and it wasn't used properly, insurance will fight hard to deny your claim.

How is a jack stand a much different loading than a tire?

 

[Gizzygone]

I was doing some work on my car over the weekend and took some pictures of the QuickJacks on the 4-post lift. I thought these would be helpful for this discussion. After doing this, I have decided to get a bridge jack as it will be more convenient for me. This car sits low and the gap between the 4-post runway and the car make it difficult to get the QuickJacks set up.

Power unit with a wood base to hold it at the front of the lift:

QuickJacks in use:

Thanks for sharing! Not a bad looking setup!

Read the manual for whichever lift you are considering. Every 4-post I've read the manual for states not to use any kind of jack or lifting device on the runways that wasn't expressly designed for use with the lift. Jack stands or even quick jacks are much different loading on the runways than a tire, and you're assuming they just aren't designed for a point loading scenario. I'd consult the manual or the manufacturer before I tried anything like that. If you damage your vehicle, garage, or lift and it wasn't used properly, insurance will fight hard to deny your claim.

Bendpak references the use of QuickJacks in a few of their own posts.

 

[05snopro440]

How is a jack stand a much different loading than a tire?

Point loading vs distributed. Rigid vs flexible.

A jack stand can easily have some of the feet not contacting the surface below it, and generally they only have 4 small points in contact with the surface. A tire deforms to contact the surface below it, so generally the surface area in contact with the ground is much larger, and therefore the surface pressure is much lower as compared to the feet of a jack stand. Also, because it is relatively flexible, you get more even surface pressure throughout the contact area, as compared to a rigid item like a jack stand where you can have variations between what each foot is applying to the surface.

It's why a car sitting on a concrete slab with a void below it can be fine, but on a jack stand the surface pressure is higher and on a very small footing, and the stand can fall through the floor and squash you under the car (it has happened).

So putting a jack stand on the runway of a lift gives a much different loading scenario that the runway is typically not designed for. It may work fine, but why risk it?

 

[05snopro440]

Thanks for sharing! Not a bad looking setup!



Bendpak references the use of QuickJacks in a few of their own posts.

I didn't see that you were buying a Bendpak. It's best to refer to the manufacturer suggestions for whichever brand you're buying.

Interesting, BendPak actually has a post about it on their website. They say:

And that brings us to the final phase of our program, in which Doris uses QuickJack as a replacement for four-post bridge jacks on her new home lift. This is perhaps the most unusual aspect of her setup. (We only know of one other person to do this and film it.) While it’s an uncommon thing to do, QuickJack’s generous footprint distributes the vehicle weight across a wide surface area, making this a safe course of action. In fact, the vehicle’s weight is distributed across a greater surface area than it would be if the wheels were planted on the lift.

In case you’re still worried about safety: Most BendPak four-post lifts are ALI Certified, so all lifting components (from the columns to the runways to the cables to the screws) are third-party tested and approved to effortlessly handle three times more than the lift’s rated capacity. With proper care, over-stressing an ALI certified lift is extremely difficult.

Furthermore, if you already own QuickJack, this is a very cost-effective wheel service solution. We should say, however, that bridge jacks may be preferred for some lifters. Rolling bridge jacks are the official wheel-lifting tool of four-post lifts. The QuickJack method is safe, but it firmly lives in DIY territory—not something we’d recommend for professional shops and service bays. It’s a little off-script, if you know what we mean.

I'm getting a rolling jack for my own four-post.