Is a 1 ton scossor jack OK for std car?

forgotmyname

1 ton is adequate but i wouldnt buy anything under 2 tons just for the extra security and piece of mind.

arcon5

Yes it's fine op - for how often you'll use it then its fine!

pendragon_arther

Strider590 wrote: »

I'd agree, they're terrible things.
Just about ok on a perfectly flat/level surface, but if that surface is even slightly off bubble, they're incredibly unstable.

I don't like bottle jacks for lifting cars, purely because the jacking point is so small (typically around 1 inch diameter) and i've seen them go clean through a floor pan. You could use a puck to spread the weight a bit though.

BUT it's not usually practical to carry a trolley jack in your car, so options are pretty limited.

Was it a mate who didn't know where to place the jack properly?

Joe_Horner

arcon5 wrote: »

Yes it's fine op - for how often you'll use it then its fine!

This. Scissor jacks work just fine for what they're designed for.

Any tool or machine is dangerous if you misuse it, and jacks (all types) are no exception. A poorly placed trolley jack (at least of the sort you might want to carry in your boot) can overturn sideways just as easily as a scissor jack on rough / sloping ground and many bottle jacks are actually less stable than scissors because of their smaller footprint.. A hydraulic jack that's been bought then slung in the boot for 5 years before you need it also carries risks of seals failing just when you do need it.

1 tonne rating is plenty for wheel changing. Most cars you're only lifting one wheel at a time so it's not going to be lifting more than 1/4 or so of the car's weight. Even on the few cars that are stiff enough that jacking one wheel lifts the whole side of the car, you get weight transfer to the other side as you lift so it's still less than half the car's weight on the jack.

That said, a 2 tonne rated is likely to be more durable and probably not that much more expensive.

Strider590

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equipment/bottle-jacks

No personal or professional affiliation to SGS Engineering.

I just own some of their garage stuff (trolley jack, bottle jack, axle stands, jacking bar) it's largely the same identical garage products as you get in Halfrauds/etc, but rebranded, painted in a cool black finish and often a lot cheaper than anywhere else.

Jack pads and axle stand pads are a rip, just buy a hockey puck and a sheet of 6-10mm rubber.

BeenThroughItAll

Strider590 wrote: »

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equipment/bottle-jacks

No personal or professional affiliation to SGS Engineering.

I just own some of their garage stuff (trolley jack, bottle jack, axle stands, jacking bar) it's largely the same identical garage products as you get in Halfrauds/etc, but rebranded, painted in a cool black finish and often a lot cheaper than anywhere else.

Jack pads and axle stand pads are a rip, just buy a hockey puck and a sheet of 6-10mm rubber.

Totally agree with all of this. SGS supply decent kit for sensible money. The 2t engine crane I bought last summer has been excellent on car and light-commercial work for several purposes including removal and refit of power units, as well as supporting engines during gearbox removal and the like and has coped perfectly with everything thrown at it.


Also agree about buying pads - hence I make my own (it helps that one of my 'day-job' clients make automotive parts from a variety of plastics, so I have access to plenty of test-blocks I can use

BeenThroughItAll

Joe_Horner wrote: »

This. Scissor jacks work just fine for what they're designed for.

Any tool or machine is dangerous if you misuse it, and jacks (all types) are no exception. A poorly placed trolley jack (at least of the sort you might want to carry in your boot) can overturn sideways just as easily as a scissor jack on rough / sloping ground and many bottle jacks are actually less stable than scissors because of their smaller footprint.. A hydraulic jack that's been bought then slung in the boot for 5 years before you need it also carries risks of seals failing just when you do need it.

1 tonne rating is plenty for wheel changing. Most cars you're only lifting one wheel at a time so it's not going to be lifting more than 1/4 or so of the car's weight. Even on the few cars that are stiff enough that jacking one wheel lifts the whole side of the car, you get weight transfer to the other side as you lift so it's still less than half the car's weight on the jack.

That said, a 2 tonne rated is likely to be more durable and probably not that much more expensive.

A very true, accurate and fair response. I agree with all of the sentiment - just my personal preference is not to use a scissor under any circumstances, because they're horrible.

roddydogs

New cars--no jack, no spare wheel!

Strider590

roddydogs wrote: »

New cars--no jack, no spare wheel!

Reduce manufacturing costs, more profit, more interior space, less weight and better mpg AND most people these days would call a breakdown service anyway. It's a no-brainer for the manufacturers............

SailorSam

I cringe when i look back to when i was 17 and did all my own car repaairs using only only a scissor jack. I can remember laying flat on my back underneath taking a gearbox out and the car wobbling.
Now i have a small trolley jack in the car for emergencies and a decent one and axle stands in the garage if anything needs to be done.