You trust your life and limbs to a $30 floor jack???

 

Should have mentioned to get jack stands as well.

If I need to be under it I use jack stands. And if I had a high end floor jack I would still use jack stands. Even their manuals say ONLY to lift the vehicle not rely on it for support.

If changing a tire or brake pads then just the jack.

 

Ever see a cheap floor jack bend and fall sideways? I have, and when it happens, the jack tends to kick back at you. Plus, you're relying on the jack as you lean under the vehicle to put the jack stands in place...aren't you!!? Nice knowing you.

 

I have not had a cheap one floor jack do it yet, and not saying it cannot happen, I am quite sure it does happen. I have seen a video of a $2,500.00 floor jack do it, for that kind of money you would not think it should have happened, yet it did. I have seen pictures of the aftermath of a infloor twin post hydrolift that blew a seal and droped the car onto the floor. I have had bumper jacks fall, bottle jacks tip over with the load, and even sissor jacks bend sideways, that is why I do not trust them.

I have even had good quality floor jacks blow their seals and drop the vehicle, each time the jack was well under its load limit.

IMHO, Only inexperienced and/or careless ones would trust the floor jacks as the only means of support while they are under a vehicle. Also no matter what jack we use we are always taking a risk when leaning under and installing jackstands.

Any way we chose to lift a vehicle has its pros and cons. Though I do feel a floor jack is better than a bumper, crank-up-bottle, or sissor jacks I don't trust it any better than the distance I can throw the thing.

Last thing, if I had a garage where I could pull my vehicles into and work on I would keep a larger good quality floor jack there. For mobility the small floor jacks do a wonderful job, it is easier to get a 15 pound jack in and out verses a 50 pound or heavier large floor jack.

 

Happy New Year! I wanted to thank you all for the advice & kinship I'm getting from this forum. I appreciate everything & hope for better days with this van of ours. You all are very helpful in the hope dept. Probably the biggest reason we didn't pursue the fuel tank drop & pump install is the safety factor. Our driveway is sloped & small, not very inviting for working with jacks. Only level surface is the street. Granted, we are in a fairly quite neighborhood, but the thought of someone driving by & flicking out a lit cigarette butt, (or creation of a spark by some other means) made me really anxious about having an open fuel tank in the street. Our garage is attached to our house, so also not a good option. Hopefully, the mechanic is a good one & problem will be solved. Maybe next post will be good news. Please keep your fingers crossed for us! Many thanks!

 

Mobile Auto Repair: You're dating yourself I haven't bought a car with a bumper jack since mid 50's.
KHB1

 

My '90 van has a bumper jack, so no, he's not dating himself...

 

Nothing wrong with that, you always know what to buy yourself for your birthday and Christmas.

 

I was born 5 years before my Chevy Impala was built so I am not that old ..... yet.

 

Yup, even my "more modern" 93 Ram Van has a bumper jack. And my 75 Dodge Power Wagon has an engine bay mounted telescoping bottle jack, so you can't really date a car, or a person, by this bit of trivia.