Yet another "jack advice" thread

[maggie922]

I did a little forum searching but didn't find exactly the answer I needed.

I have a '95 EB, and until recently, I'd only had to use the factory bottle jack for minor lifting (oil change, etc) and not on a fully flat tire -- the only time I'd had a flat tire was somewhere I had access to a heavy-duty shop jack. Cut to a couple of weeks ago, when I came out of work at midnight to a completely flat tire. Imagine my surprise when I dug out the jack and the stupid handles that for some reason live behind the back seat, only to find that with the flat tire, the jack is too tall to fit under the car. Aaaaaand the scissor jack from a coworker's car (admittedly, a jack for a Camry, but I was not in a position to be choosy) didn't lift high enough. After much bad language and growling, we had to resort to an astonishingly unsafe combination of both jacks on some non-regulation jack points to lift poor Josephine up enough to change the tire.

So now I'm planning this 2500 mile road trip for next month, and I would like to acquire the One Jack to Rule Them All that 1) doesn't weigh just as much as it lifts, 2) doesn't take up too awful much space (fitting in the bottom of the plastic tote that also totes the collection of fluids required to keep a 21 y/o vehicle in tip-top shape), and 3) doesn't cost as much as the car itself. It can be a floor or scissor or bottle jack, as long as it has the proper clearance.

Also, should I be worried that EB's came with 16" wheels but the spare is a 15"? Should I be on the lookout for a 16" wheel and used tire?

 

[koda2000]

Where were you placing the OE jack that it wouldn't fit with a flat tire? I've never had any trouble with the OE jack.

 

[maggie922]

It was the rear passenger side tire, and I tried from the side, both in front of and behind the tire, and I also tried to go at it from under the rear bumper. No matter how I turned or angled it, it wouldn't fit under. It was collapsed all the way down. Level asphalt surface.

 

[koda2000]

It was the rear passenger side tire, and I tried from the side, both in front of and behind the tire, and I also tried to go at it from under the rear bumper. No matter how I turned or angled it, it wouldn't fit under. It was collapsed all the way down. Level asphalt surface.

For the rear you're supposed to put the jack under the spring perch (plate in center of leaf spring where the u-bolts attach). I've used this location with the OE jack w/out a problem. There should be a plastic instruction sheet in the jack compartment. I'm sure the owner's manual also gives instructions on jacking.

Aftermarket hydraulic floor jacks are convenient, but are more dangerous to use than the OE bottle jack.

 

[RangerX]

Maybe your jack wasn't lowered all the way when you took it out of the storage place?
In my Ranger, the jack has to raised somewhat to lock itself into where it stows.

If you were going to carry another jack, a scissor jack would be the ticket. Sure, the Camry scissor was too short, it's not made for a truck. Find one from an old Ford full size size, either truck or car.

 

[MAS Tequila]

I used to carry a Harbor Freight aluminum floor jack around.

That was before the lift, now it's not tall enough.

MT

 

[J_C]

I'd also go with a budget priced aluminum floor jack, though even a steel one is not much compared to total vehicle weight. They are so so handy for general use, and a heck of a lot more stable if you have to do a tire change on the soft side of a road. Bottle jack on gravel or dirt is just plain dangerous if it has rained recently. A piece of wood under it helps, but I'd still rather trust a floor jack.

The 15" spare is fine BUT if that's the original tire on it, remember that it's now the same age as the vehicle, not something you'd want to rely on if traveling in a remote area, especially outside of cell phone signal range. The more conservative approach would be to get a new tire if it's more than 8 years old.

 

[koda2000]

Hydraulic floor jacks have their place (I probably own 6 of them) but I'd never trust a hydraulic jack without using a safety stand(s). I've seen them fail w/out warning, they take up a lot of space to store and I wouldn't want to be in a rollover with one flying around in the back of my truck. A crank bottle or scissors type jack may need something under it for added stability on soft ground, but it's unlikely it will fail and drop on you. The other tricky thing with floor jacks is that they can slip off things because the lift in an arc.

 

[chefduane]

Hydraulic floor jacks have there place (I probably own 6 of them) but I'd never trust a hydraulic jack without using a safety stand(s).

Amen to that. I have never, EVER, used my floor jack without stands and chocks. And certainly ALWAYS use stands and chocks if crawling underneath. The only thing I've ever used the OE bottle jack for is emergencies, and not often at that. I do carry a small 2x4 to use as a base if I get caught on soft ground.

 

[maggie922]

Thanks for the advice, all! I was second-guessing myself, so I did some elementary math, and while I wasn't willing to flatten a tire for this experiment, I did measure the height of the fully collapsed bottle jack and compared it to the height of the jack point minus the height of the tire between the ground and the bottom of the rim, and the math confirms my experience. The jack that is currently in this car is too tall to fit under when the tire is completely flat.

We may have a truck jack for an old farm truck in a barn somewhere, so that will be my next test, assuming I can find it.

And now that you mention it, I don´t know the age of the spare tire, it is a Firestone, and I bought the car 4 years ago in excellent condition but for the 4 extremely bald Michelins on it. I think it´s time for a junkyard trip for a solid mechanical jack and a 16¨ rim.

 

[J_C]

I'd use a floor jack to change a single flat tire without a jack stand, because it doesn't require my being under the vehicle, not even sitting down next to it. I see the tipsy nature of a bottle or scissor jack to be a much greater risk at a random roadside location where one might pull off to change a flat tire.

If under the vehicle instead, I'd never rely on any jack alone to support the vehicle.

Anyway, the manufacture date of the spare tire should be molded onto the sidewall. AFAIK that's required by law.

 

[koda2000]

Thanks for the advice, all! I was second-guessing myself, so I did some elementary math, and while I wasn't willing to flatten a tire for this experiment, I did measure the height of the fully collapsed bottle jack and compared it to the height of the jack point minus the height of the tire between the ground and the bottom of the rim, and the math confirms my experience. The jack that is currently in this car is too tall to fit under when the tire is completely flat.

We may have a truck jack for an old farm truck in a barn somewhere, so that will be my next test, assuming I can find it.

And now that you mention it, I don´t know the age of the spare tire, it is a Firestone, and I bought the car 4 years ago in excellent condition but for the 4 extremely bald Michelins on it. I think it´s time for a junkyard trip for a solid mechanical jack and a 16¨ rim.

I was thinking maybe you had the wrong jack for your truck. Maybe so.