Bottle jack from ebay
Discussion
V8covin said:
mk08 said:
Mine axle satnds seems to be Chinese ones.
What is a ratchet axle stand.
Most things are made in China so I wouldn't let that put you off.What is a ratchet axle stand.
These are ratchet with the locking pin
https://www.halfords.com/tools/garage-workshop/axl...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-Ton-Axle-Stands-Lifti...
For oil changes use car ramps, but be careful about how steep and easy they are to drive onto, longer ones are better.
If your oil filter is accesible from above i.e. a lot of tdi engines you can buy a cheap oil extraction pump which goes down the dipstick.
If working on suspension and taking wheels off etc buy a decent trolley jack, look at halfords, clarke, hilka, sgs engineering, draper, sealey etc. The 3 ton jacks are heavy nearly 40kg and good for garages and have a higher lift. But the smaller ones, 2 ton or 2.5 ton will still be sufficient.
You then need a pair of axle stands and you'll only be able to lift one side at a time, unless you have a jacking point on the front, i.e Honda.
You must only jack the car up on the specified jacking points and place the axle stands in a specified place, this can get tricky.
If you remove the wheels always put them under the sills or suspension for safety even use wood on top.
Always have TWO things holding the car up if you EVER get underneith. Whether thats spare wheels to fall on and a trolley jack in conjuction with axle stands. The hydraulics in the trolley jack can and will fail, think of a solid thing that holds the car up and not some fluid and seals.
Throw the bottle jack away and only use the car jack the one in the boot to change a spare wheel, i.e. a scissor jack.
If your oil filter is accesible from above i.e. a lot of tdi engines you can buy a cheap oil extraction pump which goes down the dipstick.
If working on suspension and taking wheels off etc buy a decent trolley jack, look at halfords, clarke, hilka, sgs engineering, draper, sealey etc. The 3 ton jacks are heavy nearly 40kg and good for garages and have a higher lift. But the smaller ones, 2 ton or 2.5 ton will still be sufficient.
You then need a pair of axle stands and you'll only be able to lift one side at a time, unless you have a jacking point on the front, i.e Honda.
You must only jack the car up on the specified jacking points and place the axle stands in a specified place, this can get tricky.
If you remove the wheels always put them under the sills or suspension for safety even use wood on top.
Always have TWO things holding the car up if you EVER get underneith. Whether thats spare wheels to fall on and a trolley jack in conjuction with axle stands. The hydraulics in the trolley jack can and will fail, think of a solid thing that holds the car up and not some fluid and seals.
Throw the bottle jack away and only use the car jack the one in the boot to change a spare wheel, i.e. a scissor jack.
Trolley jack everytime, a scissor jack is only for an emergency wheel change, you'd never get under a car on a scissor jack, they're known as the widow maker or was that the dodgy vw one, they can tip over, especially on a slope.
I think to be honest, you need to get some knowledge so watch some youtube videos on how to safely lift a car. Maybe when you can, watch someone else who is experienced and has safety in mind, that's the most important thing safety. You always think what if the car falls, so you make sure there is something else for it to fall on and catch it. Don't forget where you jack it up is critical too, the car will move when lifting, you get a feel for everything, it should never be balancing or rocking around.
Hope that helps, watch some videos before hand, safety first, take care.
Like the person said above, ramps are the easiest solution but they can be a pita to get up on.
I think to be honest, you need to get some knowledge so watch some youtube videos on how to safely lift a car. Maybe when you can, watch someone else who is experienced and has safety in mind, that's the most important thing safety. You always think what if the car falls, so you make sure there is something else for it to fall on and catch it. Don't forget where you jack it up is critical too, the car will move when lifting, you get a feel for everything, it should never be balancing or rocking around.
Hope that helps, watch some videos before hand, safety first, take care.
Like the person said above, ramps are the easiest solution but they can be a pita to get up on.
Skyrocket21 said:
Trolley jack everytime, a scissor jack is only for an emergency wheel change, you'd never get under a car on a scissor jack, they're known as the widow maker or was that the dodgy vw one, they can tip over, especially on a slope.
I think to be honest, you need to get some knowledge so watch some youtube videos on how to safely lift a car. Maybe when you can, watch someone else who is experienced and has safety in mind, that's the most important thing safety. You always think what if the car falls, so you make sure there is something else for it to fall on and catch it. Don't forget where you jack it up is critical too, the car will move when lifting, you get a feel for everything, it should never be balancing or rocking around.
Hope that helps, watch some videos before hand, safety first, take care.
Like the person said above, ramps are the easiest solution but they can be a pita to get up on.
Thank you so much for your help.I think to be honest, you need to get some knowledge so watch some youtube videos on how to safely lift a car. Maybe when you can, watch someone else who is experienced and has safety in mind, that's the most important thing safety. You always think what if the car falls, so you make sure there is something else for it to fall on and catch it. Don't forget where you jack it up is critical too, the car will move when lifting, you get a feel for everything, it should never be balancing or rocking around.
Hope that helps, watch some videos before hand, safety first, take care.
Like the person said above, ramps are the easiest solution but they can be a pita to get up on.
mk08 said:
After reading all your messages, I think I will return my 5 ton bottle jack and order a floor jack. There are 2 Ton available for under £30, but I would like to get 3 Ton.
Why 3 Tonne, do you plan on lifting a fully laden van up all at the same time?Don't forget you are only ever lifting around 50% max.
thebraketester said:
If only someone had mentioned ramps.... ramps would be a great idea!
I know 
as we all know no-one should work under a car supported just with a jack of any description so if you buy a jack you really need two axle stands as a minimum to safely work under a car.46 yr old chap local to me died last year after being crushed by the car - he was working underneath it supported just by a jack - both front wheels removed and he hadn't even shoved the wheels under the sills as a safety device.
Krikkit said:
If you do get ratchet ones the pin is essential - I've got some Draper non-pinned ones and they're not great if there's any chance of the weight shifting on them. I've had them ratchet down by themselves twice while using them, thankfully I wasn't underneath but it was a little unsettling.
I've now modded them, but I must admit I prefer the tube type, recently splashed out on some SGS ones which have a double pin and are built strong enough to survive a nuclear blast.
That's odd all the ratchet type I've seen require the tube part to be lifted up to release the locking handle was yours a different design?I've now modded them, but I must admit I prefer the tube type, recently splashed out on some SGS ones which have a double pin and are built strong enough to survive a nuclear blast.
Chris32345 said:
That's odd all the ratchet type I've seen require the tube part to be lifted up to release the locking handle was yours a different design?
There was a big fuss a while ago because a batch got into the market with a poorly made ratchet mechanism that could slip. I think the angle of the teeth was wrong, or the edges weren't shaped properly, such that the latch wasn't held positively in place.Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff