Looking for Recommendations on Floor Jacks
I am going on a long road trip and I am trying prepare. Do you all use a floor jack when you have blow outs or do you just use the truck's jack? I was looking at getting 1 1/2 ton floor jack to car...
Forum Discussion
My main issue with bottle jack is the short handle. Not because it limits power or anything. If that was issue, get the bigger jack. But with the jack under the vehicle a longer handle will not swing. So to work the jack you need to be under the vehicle. But as you pump you can see if jack is under pressure to slip or lean, so fall unlikely. If the vehicle falls at this point injury is very unlikely, you had room to get in there at bottom of fall.
Now some jack lean when lifting 1 end of a axle can't be avoided. The end of axle goes up in a arc, centered at ground/other end tire contact. The real danger is when you think you are high enough, remove the flat, discover the inflated tire will not fit. When you get under to lift more, you are at risk. A fall will let vehicle drop below where it started, no more room for you. And as you jack it up, more jack lean.
Another issue is the limited travel of jack. A short jack that will fit under the axle with flat, but run out of lift before you can get tire back on.
Now I bet most RVers still carry something to pull the trailer on to level. Pull the flat onto that kind of ramp, get the center of axle as high as normal. Only need to jack up enough to get ramp out. The shorter lift means the jack does not need to lean as much.
Any jack will be a fairly big hammer beating on things if not secured when traveling. And bottle jacks, if stored laying down are known to leak. Now they don't hold much fluid, and it is a pretty thin oil, so you might not notice the leak. But next time you need to use it, and get close to full stroke, the jack will notice it.
Now some jack lean when lifting 1 end of a axle can't be avoided. The end of axle goes up in a arc, centered at ground/other end tire contact. The real danger is when you think you are high enough, remove the flat, discover the inflated tire will not fit. When you get under to lift more, you are at risk. A fall will let vehicle drop below where it started, no more room for you. And as you jack it up, more jack lean.
Another issue is the limited travel of jack. A short jack that will fit under the axle with flat, but run out of lift before you can get tire back on.
Now I bet most RVers still carry something to pull the trailer on to level. Pull the flat onto that kind of ramp, get the center of axle as high as normal. Only need to jack up enough to get ramp out. The shorter lift means the jack does not need to lean as much.
Any jack will be a fairly big hammer beating on things if not secured when traveling. And bottle jacks, if stored laying down are known to leak. Now they don't hold much fluid, and it is a pretty thin oil, so you might not notice the leak. But next time you need to use it, and get close to full stroke, the jack will notice it.
