How to choose a car jack? Video and instruction with important features
There is no need to talk about how useful and necessary a tool a jack is. Everyone has had to change a punctured tire on the road at least once, and without your own jack, you would not be able to cope with the breakdown.
Usually this mechanism is factory-equipped, but often drivers are not satisfied and there is a desire to buy a new one. This is where the problems begin, because auto parts stores have a wide selection.
The automotive portal Vodi.su will try to deal with this topic.
Characteristics of jacks
The main parameters:
- carrying capacity;
- lifting height;
- pickup height;
- drive type - mechanics, hydraulics, pneumatics.
Load
For cars, middle-class crossovers, minivans, a carrying capacity of 1-1,5 tons is sufficient. You don't have to lift the whole car, just lift one side a little to get the wheel off.
Off-road vehicles need more powerful devices, because sometimes you have to lift the front or rear of the car to pull it off the road. If you choose for trucks, then also take into account their carrying capacity, for example, KAMAZ itself weighs 5-6 tons, plus it can carry up to 15 tons of cargo. Accordingly, buy a device designed for 10-15 tons.
Lifting height
Usually it is 30-50 centimeters, which is quite enough on a flat surface. At service stations, jacks with a longer stem extension length are used. Also, a large height will be needed for SUVs bogged down in the mud.
pickup height
In simple terms, this is the height of the jack. That is, pick it up so that it fits under the car. If the clearance is high, and the stiffeners are high above the ground, then the device should easily reach them.
type of drive - this parameter requires more detailed consideration, so we will devote a separate section to it.
Types of jacks
Mechanical
The simplest - with a mechanical drive. Usually, a screw-type device is included in the package, and rack-and-pinion ones are suitable for SUVs. Both of them are quite reliable.
Advantages of screw jacks:
- take up little space;
- very stable;
- there is a fairly wide area for emphasis on the stiffener of the car.
But their minus is that you have to make great efforts to lift it - you need to rotate the screw with the help of a handle that acts as a lever.
Rack, or as they are also called - High Jack Lift:
- high lifting height - up to a meter or more;
- can perform a lot of additional functions - a winch, a lift, a device for wheel beading;
- stability, reliability.
True, again, you have to make an effort to lift, on the bottom of the car there should be special platforms for installing the tong hook. However, the High Jack Lift is highly sought after by off-road riders.
There are other types of mechanical jacks: scissor type or rolling. The latter are good because you do not need to worry that the car will slip or the jack will roll over.
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Hydraulic also has a sufficient number of varieties. Their main plus is that you do not need to make efforts to lift, just insert the lever and pump up the hydraulic cylinder, the rod will lift the load without the participation of your muscular strength.
The most common are bottle jacks. They can be single-rod, or two-rod, due to which the lifting height is significantly increased.
Their main advantages:
- wide support platform, minimal chance of overturning;
- higher carrying capacity - from one ton to 50;
- reliability - the jack is designed so that it can lift the calculated weight plus 25 percent, but if the load is even heavier, the rod will stop rising;
- convenient and compact design, take up little space;
- low weight.
From our own experience, we say that a 1-2 ton jack is enough even for class D or E sedans. They are quite easy to work with, however, with frequent use, the hydraulic cylinder may not withstand, and then the oil begins to flow out. In this case, you have to constantly add hydraulic oil inside. They are quite affordable in terms of cost.
Rolling hydraulic jacks have proven themselves well. They are a frame on wheels that drives under the car. A big plus is that the hydraulic cylinder is located vertically, and when you start to create pressure inside the cylinder with a lever or pedal, it rises at an angle, and then the rod begins to extend.
The positive qualities include: high efficiency, smooth running, load capacity. Rolling devices are often used at service stations, so they will lift both an A-class hatchback and a heavy frame pickup truck.
There are also varieties in which pressure is created using a connected electric motor.
Pneumo-hydraulic, pneumatic
Pneumo-hydraulics work on the same principle as twin-tube gas shock absorbers, that is, there is an oil chamber and an air injection chamber. Pneumatic are cylinders that are inflated with air.
They are also often seen at service stations. The most important advantage is that they are pumped up with a compressor or gases from a muffler. There are also disadvantages: you need to carry a compressor and hoses with fittings with you, they take up a lot of space when deflated, the chamber can be accidentally pierced.
Сonclusion. As you can see, there are plenty to choose from. If you rarely use a jack, then the usual screw or hydraulic bottle type will suffice. For heavier cars, the optimal choice is hydraulics with a lifting capacity of five tons or more.
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