All jacked up

Garage, man-cave or driveway, a decent floor jack is best

Many 4WD enthusiasts are also pretty handy and enjoy carrying out basic maintenance work on a DIY basis.

To do that some tools are essential, and quality tools make the job easier and safer.

While a cheap floor jack from a general retail outlet or auto-parts store is good to have around in a pinch, those who do a bit of under-vehicle work know this is an area where spending that little bit extra is worthwhile.

Serious 4WD DIY types should own a heavy-duty floor jack. In addition to helping get the car up in the air quickly and safely, a quality floor jack makes other repairs quicker and easier.

Suspension, brakes, wheels, engine, you name it: a jack makes so many things possible and much safer. If you don’t have one in your arsenal, you’re doing it wrong.

Ramps are handy but they limit the range of jobs possible.

Out in the bush a hi-lift ‘bumper’ jack or exhaustinflated ‘bag’ jack is important.

At home, the ultimate is of course a two-post hoist. Few of us are that lucky. Lacking the space or funds to own one means the trolley jack is king.

A good floor jack can be used for more than just lifting the vehicle. Use it right and it can be an extra set of hands while working with heavier stuff during whatever DIY job you tackle. A floor jack can raise or lower suspension pieces during maintenance, assist with exhaust work, support transmissions if the crossmember needs work, and help out with differential removal and installation. Support the vehicle on jack stands and then use the floor jack to raise and lower the (live) diff or suspension when changing shock absorbers.

This tool’s uses are only as limited as your imagination.

Remember, though, to stay out of the underside area until it is settled on a good set of jack stands.

Also remember to jack under solid members – diff, suspension, chassis rails. The vehicle’s manual will indicate the ‘factory’ jack points but there may be better options. Likewise, put jack stands securely under ‘hard’ points.

If wheels need to come off, we tend to sling them under the car as a fallback – the space they keep free under the vehicle can be a lifesaver if the vehicle does slip off the stands. Because we’d all rather be ‘trollied’ than floored, right?

Trolley jack hit list:

• Decent wheel sizes – little dinky ones are noisy and annoying if jacking on gravel. A wider/taller wheel helps roll the jack around.

• A big ‘cup’ on the lifting arm. The best ones have a cup 160mm wide or more to give decent area of contact under the vehicle. Some have removable cups for tight lift areas, and we have also seen custom-built box extenders made to get the jack up close to the chassis rails. These need to be made well, and preferably by an engineering shop.

• Capacity – if the vehicle weighs 2.5 tonnes, then the minimum jack rating should be three tonnes. The same applies to the jack stands.

• Serviceability – can the jack’s seals be replaced in a few years’ time when it starts to lose its lift?

• Price. A house brand or no-name trolley jack at a local parts shop might be ‘affordable’, but what happens when it starts to fail in a year or so? Cheap is so often a false economy.

• Dunnage. It’s not always a good idea, but under a tall 4WD a piece of 8X2 timber placed under the jack will often give that extra bit of height needed to swing a spanner. Only use one piece, and always use the jack stands to support the vehicle.

• Finally, storage. Anyone who has stubbed or broken a toe on the unyielding edge of a trolley jack will know how important it is to have as designated place to park a jack. Handy enough to get at, but not sticking out where it can attack unwary feet.