need a new trolly jack.

JustinR1979

AdrianC wrote: »

Cheapskate's axlestand.

Personally, I'd rather have the weight taken by a proper stand, than risk !!!!!!ing the wheel when the car lands on it - always assuming that initial drop doesn't hurt me, of course.

I thought it was common practice to put wheel under even when using stands, maybe it's just me.

colino

Yep, the wheel always goes under the car, force of habit even it the weight is on stands, even if it is on a ramp, for tidiness as much as extra safety lump.
Opposite of this is the keen-to-have-a-go DIYer using the wheel as a seat while he does major work on his car with it only up on his granddads scissor jack.

AdrianC

JustinR1979 wrote: »

I thought it was common practice to put wheel under even when using stands, maybe it's just me.

Absolutely. But the risk of the wheel being damaged when the stand collapses is much lower than if the jack lets go.

JustinR1979

AdrianC wrote: »

Absolutely. But the risk of the wheel being damaged when the stand collapses is much lower than if the jack lets go.

I was replying to him not trusting axle stands.

londonTiger

JustinR1979 wrote: »

I was replying to him not trusting axle stands.

axle stands are technically supposed to be used on level surfaces. All roads are cambered to aid draining, including drives, car parks etc.

On any job that dont require me to be physically under it I'm jappy to use axle stands. But when I have to go under I always use the ramps. Ramps are bullet proof - up the ramp and chucked in. Axle stands, well on a cambered/sloped rope there will always be a bit of lean into the slope.

Master_Blaster

londonTiger wrote: »

axle stands are technically supposed to be used on level surfaces. All roads are cambered to aid draining, including drives, car parks etc.

On any job that dont require me to be physically under it I'm jappy to use axle stands. But when I have to go under I always use the ramps. Ramps are bullet proof - up the ramp and chucked in. Axle stands, well on a cambered/sloped rope there will always be a bit of lean into the slope.

I would not go under any car on the road despite how good your ramps are. I would be paranoid it would be acting like a magnet for the first idiot passing in their latest MOT failure to hit it and bring it all crashing down.

bartelbe

I have found that the tools from discount supermarkets are very hit and miss. Some batches are great, real bargains. Others are utter junk, it is a bit of a lottery.

To be fair I perfer the Aldi one we have over the more expensive jack. It does the job just as well, but is much lighter to haul around.

alastairq

I've had a couple of the cheapest trolley jacks I could find...for more than a couple of decades now.

One is modified by removing the little swivelling wheels and their brackets [and welding in some thick angle] to make a sort-of sledge...makes stowing the thing in a confined space easier.

I also have a piece of ally moulding [once a trailer ramp] which I place underneath, for most surfaces.

No jack is going to be absolutely secure...if working underneath, placing additional fixed supports is wise....even a gust of wind can create wobble.

Having a jack topple, or slip, really is all part of a bush mechanic's learning curve.

Hopefully with nothing more serious than spanner rash and time wasted sorting the problem out.

Spending mega bucks on a trolley jack is fine if earning a living using it..and using it many times a day, year in, year out.

But for occasional personal use, a Lidl jack is one of the best.......more expensive than what I'd pay for a trolley jack, at any rate.

Many folk also raise the jack [of whatever sort] far too much for the task in hand.

I also think we have arrived at sad times, when a chap cannot 'trust' 99% of drivers not to hit their car when conducting an oil change outside their own front door!

The secret of survival when mending one's motor is awareness.....

Being aware of what can go wrong, constantly on the lookout for potential failures....and minimising the risks with what you've got.

In other words, if raising a trolley jack, constantly observe what the head is doing...and if looks precarious, stop, and lower...and sort.

Another issue with a trolley is toppling when raised too high.....often solved by lowering, and swinging the rear of the jack around to a better angle.

Wumps of wood are useful between head and vehicle....

Trolleys are great for quickly raising a vehicle to a reasonable [working?] height.....then the solid supports come into play [axle stands, logs, concrete blocks, whatever....]......

A tip I discovered 45 years ago [that's at least how long I've had working licences..as in, vocational].....when I had an Austin-Healey Sprite....which was too low to get a jack under to change a punctured wheel....was to carry a small block of wood in the boot.....just big enough to drive the flat tyre onto....then the jack fitted sweetly underneath. needless to say, the jack fitted when the tyres were pumped up!

I never trust these jacks that slot into the side of the vehicle structure.....

best jack I have at present is the one issued with Daihatsu Fourtraks.......gets up high, and being a 'screw' jack, is finely controllable when lowering.

Something a hydraulic [trolley?] jack is not.

londonTiger

bartelbe wrote: »

I have found that the tools from discount supermarkets are very hit and miss. Some batches are great, real bargains. Others are utter junk, it is a bit of a lottery.

To be fair I perfer the Aldi one we have over the more expensive jack. It does the job just as well, but is much lighter to haul around.

All these £20 jacks sold by lidl, aldi, halfords (even sealey & clark) are the exact same design and I would not be surprised if they all come from the same factory.

Seatch for my jack I came across this gumtree ad.

The thing looks knackered and the bar is bent. But gotto love the description

AdrianC

The bar isn't necessarily bent through abuse or accident - I've seen them with a bend in the handle like that by design.