Quick jacks

Quick jacks

Author
Discussion

angus337

Original Poster:

620 posts

209 months

Tuesday 8th October 2019
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Been considering a set of these for a while, but wasn't sure how well they would fit. Measured up several times and even modelled it on a computer to convince myself they would fit between the wheels and pick up on the outrigger corners.

Took the plunge with the offer at cosco and they arrived this morning. Set them up tonight and pretty happy with them. Car is higher than I expected although it looks lower in the pictures.

Full height


Mid height


Blocks are on the outrigger corners, but I think I can get it slightly further forward. Also considering making up ome custom blocks with a hole for the outrigger to body bolt. Will experiment a bit further tomorrow and try an get some better pictures.


Belle427

8,951 posts

233 months

Tuesday 8th October 2019
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Looks good, does it obstruct access at all if you are working underneath?

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

109 months

Tuesday 8th October 2019
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Are there still accessible strong points for the 4 axle stands?

rigga

8,730 posts

201 months

Tuesday 8th October 2019
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Interesting, as I too was convinced they wouldn't fit from looking at pictures on line, saw them on offer in Costco the other week, cheaper than buying from the official site and was very tempted, cheaper than a mid rise scissor lift which I'd really like, but much more easy to purchase and set up.

How high are the wheels off the floor when fully raised?

I'd like to see pictures of where the blocks sit on the chassis and the lift.

Englishman

2,219 posts

210 months

Tuesday 8th October 2019
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Yes, if you could measure from the ground to the chassis when fully raised that would be very useful!

angus337

Original Poster:

620 posts

209 months

Tuesday 8th October 2019
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Had a bit more time with it tonight. A couple of videos below:

https://youtu.be/dovbKI8RFgc
https://youtu.be/aoVWbGp1Cg4

The height fully raised on the supplied blocks is 490mm. So much higher than I could safely get using jack stands much quicker.

Front block position


Rear block poistion


Side view


Access


Edited by angus337 on Tuesday 8th October 23:49

Englishman

2,219 posts

210 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
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Must admit I'm very tempted. I bought a pair of the large hydraulic ramps several years ago, which give good clearance to the front or back, but I always seem to need to get under the middle of the car which the ramps just don't give enough headroom for!

Edited by Englishman on Wednesday 9th October 09:36

Paulprior

864 posts

105 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
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I tried looking online but couldn’t find these at Costco, could you tell me how much ?
Also is there any mechanical lock rather than relying on hydraulic cylinders ?

rigga

8,730 posts

201 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
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When I looked a few weeks back they were in stock at £799 plus vat, and yes there are mechanical locks



Edited by rigga on Wednesday 9th October 12:39

BIG DUNC

1,918 posts

223 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
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I looked at these ramps a couple of years ago.

In the end I bit the bullet and went for one of these :-

https://twinbusch.co.uk/product_info.php?products_...

Admittedly it is double the price. Another down side is that it take more room.

However, it does lift the car a metre in the air, which is just right to sit under and work.

The mobile kit effectively gives it wheels so you can move it out the way when not in use, if some reason you don't want to park over it.

MikeE

1,829 posts

284 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
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You can get a good 4 post lift for under £2K including an option of using a couple of bottle jacks to get the wheels off the ramp which gives you the access you need

rigga

8,730 posts

201 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
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Missing the point really of the quickjack system, as its very portable and can be stored out of the way when not in use, plus those whose garage is not that big wouldn't be considering a 4 post.

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

109 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
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There is no way anyone should get under a car relying on these lifts to support it

Reckon there has got to be something in the small print that mentions axle stands or some other type of secondary support

Yes they are an amazing aid but..............

The thickness of the material with a locking mechanism = danger to me

SteveR1979

599 posts

141 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
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MikeE said:
You can get a good 4 post lift for under £2K including an option of using a couple of bottle jacks to get the wheels off the ramp which gives you the access you need
4 post needs more headroom and garage width though

angus337

Original Poster:

620 posts

209 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
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I think all the lift options have their pros and cons. My main aim was to avoid using axle stands every time I need to lift the car as I've never been 100% happy with the process especially if the car needs to be raised and lowered a few times.

I do have a set of the hydraulically adjustable drive on ramps, but as mentioned above they aren't ideal for a lot of jobs and the lead on ramps tend to slide on the floor when driving up. I did consider getting 4 of the newer low profile ramps from CJ autos, which would make it possible to drive on and lift all 4 wheels at once. They also have the advantage of raising vertically instead of in an arc. Cons were that they worked out more expensive when you include delivery to Aberdeen, also take longer to set up and are bloody heavy.

Unfortunatley, none of the "proper" lifts really worked for my garage set up. The ideal solution would have been a low rise scissor lift,which would get more height. Significantly more expensive for a decent one though, and I think I would have had to upgrade the power supply to the garage. I also didn't fancy driving over it every time I parked up, especially as the back lane to the garage is quite narrow so I have to drive in at an angle. Might still consdier one in the future if I do a garage upgrade, but would try and install it flush with the floor.

A standard two poster, is a non starter due to height. I did consider a shorter option similar to MaxJax which are theoretically portable, but the cost was over £2k + delivery and I would need the garage floor re-inforcing to install it safely. Parking between the posts is also looks pretty restrictive. I didn't really consider a 4 poster due to space / height requirements.

At the end of the day, the quick Jack isn't perfect, but is adequate for my needs at the moment and really easy to setup and operate.

In terms of safety, it seems rock solid and definately safer to lift and goes higher than jacking up onto axle stands. Theres no reason why you cant add extra protection by putting a couple of Jack stands underneath the car or the Jack's themselves, while your under the car.

BIG DUNC

1,918 posts

223 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
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The "ideal" solution will be different for everyone.
After years of axle stands I was looking for something "better" and did seriously consider these ramps.
Then I looked at a 2 post lift. Apart from cost, they would have had to have been a permanent fixture and when I looked into it, my garage floor wasn't up to it, so sorting that would have added significantly to the cost.
For me, the compromise was a scissor lift. it was a big outlay, but being able to raise a car to a decent height, in a safer manner than axle stands, and in less time, means I wish I had done it years ago. While the scissor lift is a lot bigger than the ramps, I can wheel it around and get it "nearly" out the way.
I expect that these quick ramps will be just as good, even if they don't go quite as high, and they are smaller and easier to store when not in use and are significantly cheaper.

MikeE

1,829 posts

284 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
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rigga said:
Missing the point really of the quickjack system, as its very portable and can be stored out of the way when not in use, plus those whose garage is not that big wouldn't be considering a 4 post.
Fair enough but I was really intimating that the scissor lift below at £1,600 seemed expensive when my 4 poster was less than £2K and has far more engineering involved in it to me



BIG DUNC

1,918 posts

223 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
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I agree with what you are saying.

I went from wanting the quick ramps to a two post lift. The down side of a two post lift was space and not being able to move it out the way. Then I realised I would need a new garage floor and the cost went up hugely.

The scissor list is a good solution for me, but I expect had I bought the quick ramps I would be typing now how good they are.

mercedes34

22 posts

90 months

Wednesday 16th October 2019
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Hi could you please confirm the model you purchased was BL-5000SLX just want to make sure before buying ? thanks

angus337

Original Poster:

620 posts

209 months

Thursday 17th October 2019
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mercedes34 said:
Hi could you please confirm the model you purchased was BL-5000SLX just want to make sure before buying ? thanks
Yep that's the correct model.