Supplemental car jack?

[tm3]

reading the thread about flashlights for the car got me to thinking about what else might be good in a car emergency kit.

is there a type of jack that would be better to have than the ones that come with the car?

i like the floor type hydraulic jacks but those are clearly too large to carry around all the time.

 

[NeonLights]

It depends a lot on the jack in question. I've seen emergency jacks on cars I wouldn't use under any circumstances, and I've had some that I used half a dozen times a month to change tires at races. Those were from a Dodge Neon, and would last about a year of moderately heavy use. I would never get under a car with only the stock emergency jack supporting it though.

Many of the less well built jacks will be practically useless if trying to jack the car up on any kind of incline, or in the dirt, or other unstable ground. You could look for a more stable emergency jack from another car if the one in your car looks poorly designed. Another good idea would be to bring along an 8"x8" piece of thick plywood to use as a base to support the stock jack for better stability.

Other items that are good to have along are a few common wrenches or sockets, most cars use only 3 or 4 different sizes for most of their fasteners. A couple of screwdrivers and a vise-grips pliers would be good too, as would some small jumper cables, duct tape, and some heavy baling wire.

 

[dw51]

I keep a small trolley jack like this http://www2.northerntool.com/product/200305235.htm in all of my vehicles. They cost around $10-$20 and take up very little trunk space, yet are much easier and quicker to use than 99% of the factory issued jacks out there. Like Neonlights said, a piece of plywood would be an excellent addition in case you find yourself changing a tire on soft ground.

I would also recommend finding a lug wrench that you know works well. I've found that many factory ones are bent at a 135 degree angle and make loosening tight lug nuts almost impossible. Better to find this out ahead of time instead of alongside the road like I did.

 

[MarNav1]

I bought a trolley Jack for my Olds Delta 88 (1983 model). Got it at Sears and it works well. The problem is it wont work under the body which is where the majority of new cars typically lift from. It will crush in if you try to use it there. Generally you can find a spot near the tire in question and jack from there. +1 on the lug wrench too, most factory setups are JUNK!
I also keep an 12in chunk of 4x4 in there as well. I've even kept spare lug nuts in the car, you never know. Sears #950924 $39.99 5 to 15 inch lift. 2.25 ton, this jack weighs about 30 lbs. Its pretty beefy. If it will lift my Olds, 4300lbs it will probably work fine for your car. This one will change tires on most SUV's as well as long as you have the wood block too.

 

[tm3]

good ideas! i didn't realize that trolley jacks came in smaller sizes like that.

i'll start working on a kit. good idea about the supplemental lug wrench.

thanks!

 

[chmsam]

Just some thoughts:

- another vote for carrying a thick piece of wood for a flat platform on which to place the jack. It's a lot safer anytime and absolutely necessary if you have to jack up the car when you're on a soft surface.

- before you put the jack under the car, READ THE OWNERS MANUAL! It will tell you where to safely place the jack on the frame. Doing it wrong will damage the car and might easily drop the car off even a high quality jack.

- buy a good tire iron/tire wrench. Much more leverage than the cheesy OEM ones, multi-sized to help out that really pretty woman who has broken down at the side of the road (and her car has different sized lug nuts than yours), and a pry to pop off stubborn hub caps/dust caps/wheel covers.

- ratings on jacks are to be used as a minimum and it is smart to go way over the weight of the vehicle. But what the heck, they're your toes...

- if you are really safety conscious, carry a torque wrench to be sure you have the minimum safe torque (it takes more "uumph" than most people think to get them tight enough).

- most drivers today do not realize that there are right and wrong ways to tighten the lug nuts. Do it in a criss-cross pattern and not just by going around the nuts in order -- ex.: not by starting at 12 o'clock and then going to 1, but rather by starting at 12 and then going to 6, then to 10 then to 4, and so on. (I know, I know, most cars have only 4 or 5 lug nuts but you get the idea)

- work gloves are a good idea, especially in cold weather. A flat is a bummer, but ruining an expensive pair of gloves and/or freezing a few digits in the process will really tick you off.

 

[DieselTech]

As a general rule, I dont trust factory supplied jacks. They just scare me. I keep a 10 ton hydraulic bottle jack in my pickup, along with a 12 ton hydraulic floor jack on my flatbed trailer.

Two things are a must- one is a 1/2" drive torque wrench with the appropriate socket for your lug nuts, and the other is either a jack stand or a few wood blocks. All jacks can fail, or tip over. I've seen everything from a Peterbilt to a Jeep fall off of a jack, and you dont want to be anywhere around when either one happens. Having a car fall on you isnt just some swollen toes. Speaking from experience, it's a trip to the ER, some crushed bones, and a whole lot of pain. Any time you have any vehicle up on a jack, either put a jackstand or wood blocks under it. They dont take up much space in your trunk, and they're worth it. It only takes an extra minute or two to properly secure the vehicle, which is a lot less time than you'll spend in the ambulance.

The torque wrench is a necessity, but not in the same sense. In the 70's, cars and trucks were still built heavily enough that you could just crank the lugs down with an air gun and let it go. Modern cars are different. If you go too tight, you -will- warp the brake rotors, which can be an expensive mistake. Go too loose, and your wheel may pass you going down the road. I've had it happen, it's not a fun ride. It's even more expensive than a warped rotor. Check your owner's manual, it should list the appropriate torque spec for your lug nuts. Use it.

Besides, have you looked at the factory lug wrench on your car? It's a joke, really. Sure, you can use it, but after getting a flat tire when you're already late for work, do you really want to fight with that goofy little thing on the side of the freeway? A good 1/2" drive torque wrench and socket will not only ensure that your lug nuts are correctly tightened, but it also gives you a lot more leverage and just makes the whole job that much easier.

Just a handful of tips from a guy who's done this a time or two...:wave:

 

[Illum]

I have a trolley jack...but I only used it once or twice to repair the lawnmower...I leave the four legged jack stands in the car though

the factory jacks are scaled for small footprint, low profile kinda thing. I don't trust its ratings either...especially when sometimes when you need to change a tire on an uneven surface.

the jack stands look a heck of alot more stable than the included jack, thats for sure:huh:

 

[eluminator]

You can remove lug nuts fairly easily if the threads are clean and lubricated. The anti-sieze grease is good for this because it doesn't wash off and should last the life of the car.

Rusty, hard to turn threads are not good. They are not just hard to remove. The torque required can also cause you to twist off the lugs. And it might be a surprise, but it also is the primary reason that the nuts loosen and fall off.

The stretch of the bolt (or lug) is what keeps nuts from vibrating loose. Only when the threads are clean and lubricated can you sense the proper bolt stretch. When the threads are rusty and hard to turn, neither your arm nor a torque wrench can tell you what's happening.

I should mention that with clean lubed threads and a big wrench it's not hard to stretch the lug too much and damage it.