Look for leaking fluids or a loose or broken saddle. Check your jack for any flaws, leaks, or crack.If you plan on working under your car, or you intend to leave your car lifted for an extended period, jack stands are essential. Get your jack stand(s) ready to position before jacking up your vehicle.Chock your wheels at the opposite end from where you’ll be lifting the car.Park your vehicle on a solid, level surface, and engage the parking brake.
#Floor jack how to
With that in mind, here are step-by-step instructions on how to safely use your floor jack. We just want you to be aware of how important it is to do things properly. Even the smallest cars are very heavy.Ī sudden, unexpected descent could damage the vehicle, and, more importantly, could cause serious injuries or even death to you or anyone else working on, under, or near the car. Safety must be top of mind anytime you use a jack this cannot be overstated. You’ll learn what to look for in a jack, and you can read our reviews of some of the best floor jacks available today. If you’re shopping for a jack, we recommend reading our buyer’s guide to the best floor Jacks. They are, however, incredibly expensive, some costing several thousand dollars. If you look around, you’ll also find 4-, 6-, 10-, and even 20-ton floor jacks. The most common capacities are 2-ton and 3-ton. Of course, they also come in a variety of lift capacities, though not nearly as many as bottle jacks. There are some that are extra low to the ground, frequently referred to as “Low Profile.” There are some made entirely of aluminum lightweight and perfect for easy maneuvering and storage.
Within the category of floor jacks, there are a few variations on the basic build. They then subcategorize them under headings like “bottle jack,” “scissor jack” and so on.įor our purposes, we consider a floor jack to be a specific type of jack, those being the low-slung, wheel-mounted variety meant solely for lifting vehicles that you can see in the image at the top of this page. Some resources categorize a wide variety of jacks as “floor” jacks. Are There Different Types of Floor Jacks?
You could view it as a bottle jack lying on its side. The hydraulic cylinder is mounted horizontally. By pumping up and down on the handle, the hydraulic cylinder raises the lift arm until the saddle makes contact with the vehicle. The operator rolls the jack until the saddle is positioned underneath the lift point. This makes them very easy to move around. Unlike other types of jacks, floor jacks sit on a pair of fixed wheels and a pair of swiveling casters. They’re used pretty much exclusively for lifting vehicles partially off the ground for repairs and maintenance.įloor jacks are designed to be low-profile, enabling them to roll under vehicles with ease.
The only downside of having a great floor jack is the price. And if something goes wrong while you’re away from your garage, having a jack means you can get under your car, diagnose it, and potentially fix whatever’s broken. And having a jack with you at track days or autocross events means tire swaps happen in no time. Keeping it alongside a good impact wrench means an emergency roadside tire change might take minutes instead of hours. While a high-quality jack isn’t the easiest item to carry around, having one in your car can be a huge help in a pinch.
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