Floor jack

Started by Nvy, July 31, 2022, 11:03

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Nvy

Looking for a budget low profile floor jack, please recommend anything that you have tried. Should be able to lift 2 tons as will be used for tyres change too.

I want to sorn the car for couple of years so have to change the oil prior to that.

Call the midlife!

I've got both the halfrauds and Screwfix "budget" ones, around £40 each and both work fine, although the Halfrauds one starts to lower itself ever so slowly after a couple of hours.
Just bear in mind they've not got the longest reach if you're looking at using the front, central jacking point, I've got a longer, lower Draper one for that.
I still have to drive the car up the little ramps to clear the front lip with the jack though.
60% of the time it works everytime...

Joesson

#2
Quote from: Nvy on July 31, 2022, 11:03Looking for a budget low profile floor jack, please recommend anything that you have tried. Should be able to lift 2 tons as will be used for tyres change too.

I want to sorn the car for couple of years so have to change the oil prior to that.

In 2014 I bought a 2 tonne trolley jack, from SGS Engineering Solutions for about £75. ref TJL2 JSR X2.
Typically I use to lift each end of the car onto axle stands for SORN over winter and then to lower it again in the spring. That is around 4 x 2 = 8 operations  a year.
Outside of the warranty after perhaps 3 years, 24 operations , the  yoke that connects the lever to the head of the pump opened up and came  off. Not  too difficult to repair, by disassembling and  closing the yoke tight again in the vice and reassemble, but it is now a yearly fix!
So, not recommended, but likely a fault on other low cost jacks. If you can see before you buy the yoke on my jack is made from a piece of 2mm or so thick sheet metal simply folded  to form a  yoke. This needs to be a thicker and or reinforced or otherwise formed material.

If you intend to SORN for 2 years you will likely want to keep the tyres off the floor and you will need axle stands also. Those that came with the jack have been fine for that

Your battery will need some TLC if unused for 2 years

What to do with the fuel?

I would also think  about preparing the engine for dormancy.

Nvy

Quote from: Joesson on July 31, 2022, 13:14In 2014 I bought a 2 tonne trolley jack, from SGS Engineering Solutions for about £75. ref TJL2 JSR X2.
Typically I use to lift each end of the car onto axle stands for SORN over winter and then to lower it again in the spring. That is around 4 x 2 = 8 operations  a year.
Outside of the warranty after perhaps 3 years, 24 operations , the  yoke that connects the lever to the head of the pump opened up and came  off. Not  too difficult to repair, by disassembling and  closing the yoke tight again in the vice and reassemble, but it is now a yearly fix!
So, not recommended, but likely a fault on other low cost jacks. If you can see before you buy the yoke on my jack is made from a piece of 2mm or so thick sheet metal simply folded  to form a . This needs to be a thicker and or reinforced or otherwise formed material.

If you intend to SORN for 2 years you will likely want to keep the tyres off the floor and you will need axle stands also. Those that came with the jack have been fine for that

Your battery will need some TLC if unused for 2 years

What to do with the fuel?

I would also think  about preparing the engine for dormancy.

What do you mean by preparing the engine?

Fuel is at the half atm and already put some fuel fixer in it but will drain it somehow when I will register again. Can I get into the car to disassemble seats and roof if its on jack stands?

MrChris

Vote for the Halfords low profile jack. It's been ideal for the 2 and was the cheapest low-profile on around when I bought.

Call the midlife!

Quote from: Nvy on July 31, 2022, 13:19What do you mean by preparing the engine?

Fuel is at the half atm and already put some fuel fixer in it but will drain it somehow when I will register again. Can I get into the car to disassemble seats and roof if its on jack stands?
As long as you can open the doors you can get in no problem, just make sure it's balanced or at least slightly lower at the front if you're thinking about taking the engine out or anything.
I had mine level with the engine out, leaned on the rear chassis brace and the front end lifted off the stands.
60% of the time it works everytime...

Joesson

@Nvy said:
What do you mean by preparing the engine?

Fuel is at the half atm and already put some fuel fixer in it but will drain it somehow when I will register again. Can I get into the car to disassemble seats and roof if its on jack stands?


My engine has started at first attempt after six months SORN each spring since 2011, that is with keeping the battery in a charged condition and with the fuel as I left it six months prior.
I believe starting and running the engine at intervals would likely generate water and create potential for corrosion.
Before catalysers it was considered advisable to remove the spark plugs and inject some Redex into the cylinders for long term storage. I do not know what effect Redex would have an today's catalysers. I would have a look at the www for current guidance.
Turning the engine with a socket on the crank wheel ( spark plugs out) I believe would not hurt and might help , assuming Redex or equivalent in upper cylinders during  2 years of no use.
I would also cover the exhaust pipe, maybe OCD but creatures do like to hide in handy holes.
This year I needed to move the seats to get to the handbrake cables while my car was on axle stands. I could  open the doors just sufficient to get in. I lowered the top and loosened the seats sufficient to remove the tunnel from inside the car with the top down.
Must be much easier to do that from outside the car before you elevate it, unless you have a black belt in limbo dancing.

MikeBoo

Quote from: Nvy on July 31, 2022, 11:03Looking for a budget low profile floor jack, please recommend anything that you have tried. Should be able to lift 2 tons as will be used for tyres change too.

I want to sorn the car for couple of years so have to change the oil prior to that.
Rather than start a new topic, can you let me know what you got in the end because I'm also looking for a low profile trolley jack.

I'm fed up using my 35+ year old Half rods basic trolley jack because it's a struggle getting it under the jack point of the 2 (it also didn't fit under my Mini R53 jack points, but I just used a plank on the sill :o to lift one side at at time) and also it doesn't lift high enough to be of any real use.
2001 Toyota Liquid Silver (1D0) with hard top & original soft top.
Yokohama AD08RS all round.
Replacement manifold, BC coil overs,
Whiteline anti roll bars front & rear.
Location = East Hampshire, UK

J88TEO

I have a 1.5T and 2.5T Lightweight aluminium chassis racing trolley jacks. If I need a higher lift, the 2.5T does the job. Also use this one for the Lexus GS300. Works perfectly.

MikeBoo

SGS Engineering seems to be the best value retailer, but they've very little stock of low-profile trolley jack at the moment.
2001 Toyota Liquid Silver (1D0) with hard top & original soft top.
Yokohama AD08RS all round.
Replacement manifold, BC coil overs,
Whiteline anti roll bars front & rear.
Location = East Hampshire, UK

Nvy

Quote from: MikeBoo on September 22, 2022, 19:51Rather than start a new topic, can you let me know what you got in the end because I'm also looking for a low profile trolley jack.

I'm fed up using my 35+ year old Half rods basic trolley jack because it's a struggle getting it under the jack point of the 2 (it also didn't fit under my Mini R53 jack points, but I just used a plank on the sill :o to lift one side at at time) and also it doesn't lift high enough to be of any real use.

Summer plus a baby got all my time. Ill start looking again once I store the pony for the winter so that I can use the warmer garage to work on the two.

cptspaulding

I tried budget with the Halfords jack but it didn't take long before it started to lower itself (slowly) almost immediately after lifting.

Decided I needed something more reliable so spent a couple of hundred on a decent Sealey jack.

https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637173235/225-tonne-low-profile-trolley-jack-with-rocket-lift---orange

Not sure if that counts as budget, but it's robust if a bit heavy.
Former owner 2003, 2zz conversion.

Joesson

Quote from: cptspaulding on September 23, 2022, 08:52I tried budget with the Halfords jack but it didn't take long before it started to lower itself (slowly) almost immediately after lifting.

Decided I needed something more reliable so spent a couple of hundred on a decent Sealey jack.

https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637173235/225-tonne-low-profile-trolley-jack-with-rocket-lift---orange

Not sure if that counts as budget, but it's robust if a bit heavy.


That looks like a proper job, even as you say it is not a ( low) budget option.
It does list a sometimes over looked feature:
UNIVERSAL JOINT RELEASE MECHANISM - Allows safer, more controlled lowering of jack.

My , truly budget lift has just  been mended, again, at the joint between the pump piston and the lever arm, the lowering is via a screw which has very little finesse and does not lower gracefully.

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