Another advice plea

After my previous thread about socket sets and the helpful responses I received I thought I would ask about trolley jacks and axle stands.

I used the supplied jack in the kit to lift my FL up to do the wheel up test last weekend and have decided after using it the once I would like a trolley jack, the question is what lift height jack is preferable to get ? is their a minimum lift needed? any brands recommended for a weekend user (best value?).

As my drive is on a slight incline for safety I feel axle stands might be appropriate as well (any pointers here?) I have seen Hippos thread on the timber ramps (Thanks for posting that) that might be an option instead of the stands at the moment but I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance

Dave

if you have a drive with a incline I would not jack anything up on it . a local man to me died because he had a incline on his drive and jacked it up , he did not even have chocks under the wheels that were on the floor .find a safe place ,and always get a jack that is bigger than you need to do the job and then it will not strain , I have a 6 ton jack from machine mart and axel stands

what he said above. never get under a vehicle that is held only by a jack. always use axle stands and always choke the wheels that are remaining on the ground first.

Clarke from machine mart are suitable for a hobby user. get on their mailing list and they will then send details of their vat free days. wait for one of them for extra savings....

o, and buy for weight, not height. a 3 tonne trolly should be more then adequate for your needs.

I've got one of these

This is my bottle jack, bought for height.

It is only a 4 tonne one.

Problem with most DIY trolley jacks is they don't have sufficient lift for most 4x4's so you either need blocks under or a block on the saddle, neither is particularly safe. If going for a trolley Jack look for a high lift, rated to at least 3 tonne. Using axle stands on unlevel or soft ground is as unsafe as not using axle stands at all. I always use the wheel that I've removed as a secondary safety measure placed under the car with packing pieces, that way if the car were to drop it wouldn't drop on me.

Note with a lifted Freelander with larger tyres the standard jack will not go high enough.

Thanks for the posts above.

I do always chock the wheels and placing a tyre if removed under as a precaution is something I do also.

The reason I asked for thoughts on this were there seems to be a vast array of trolley jacks and only some seem to mention high lift/suitable for 4x4 etc.

Thanks for the tip about the vat free days at machine mart I didn't know that.

Dave

I just had a vat free day and missed it ,they usually have 2 one on a Wednesday and the Sunday I for got all about them I did for get to say put wheel under car then it will not completely flatten you should it fall.

DIY trolley jacks are pants! Mines an all alloy one from snap on. ****in expensive but it is the best one I've ever used

I used to have all snap on stuff I spent thousands on it , but then one night a lad I had looked after because his parents treated him bad ,came round and robed the lot .since then I just buy half decent stuff .but I still have a few snap on stuff that was in my car .and no we never did see him again he went on the run , and the last I heard he was in jail through drugs if I ever see him well I dare not say on here but I hope he like hospital food.

I'd recommend one of these....



You can use it to level your drive so that its safe and you can also dig an inspection pit in the middle of it so its much easier to work on your car.

You can choose what you cover your inspection pit with - something solid if you have kids, or something not so solid to catch anyone wanting to pinch your expensively collected tools from the garden shed!

Sorted

1) I've had a basic old Halfords trolley jack for years. Tends to struggle a bit near the top of its lift, but not showing any signs of leaking/breaking.
2) 4 axle stands - that I forget where they came from - probably car boot sales, don't know their rating.
3) 2 metal frame ramps, that I think I got from Halfords - but could just as easily been Argos - had them ages, don't use them that often.
4) Various size paving slabs for chocks.

Sample use....

1) The Freelander Jack on a lump of 4 by 2 across the inspection pit.
2) Axle stand on the front subframe.
3) Paving slab either side of back wheels.
4) Trolly jack to lift IRD !
5) Wanted another axel stand under something, but couldn't find anywhere to put it.



I now have a 2nd trolley jack, so when my IRD goes again, I can still use 1 to lift it and another on the car

Typical! Summats dropped off

Anyone use or have experience with the sgs 3 ton trolley jacks, they look good at decent price £80, good reviews on ebay and there website but one dodgy review on youtube were the guy can't let the jacked up car down and when he gets it to, it drops like a ton of lead.

Are sgs a good brand or they rebadged made in china stuff.

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Nice shovel by the way.

digi said:

Anyone use or have experience with the sgs 3 ton trolley jacks, they look good at decent price £80, good reviews on ebay and there website but one dodgy review on youtube were the guy can't let the jacked up car down and when he gets it to, it drops like a ton of lead.

Are sgs a good brand or they rebadged made in china stuff.

Click to expand...

My bottle jack pictured above is SGS. It seems to be well made, no, very substantially made. It is huge & heavy compared to a friends 4 tonne one by somebody else.

I have the 3T SGS trolley jack you mention, very good for the money, only complaint is its bloody heavy (fine to move around in the garage but a pain in the arris on the gravel drive)

davew13 said:

Nice shovel by the way.

Click to expand...

more of a spade really (I always call it that)