Jack Recommendations

[Ron17]

I am looking to purchase a decent jack and jack stands. I would like to keep the price around $100, if possible.

Can anyone recommend a good jack that will give me good lifting leverage, good clearance and durability? Jack stands?

Thanks

[umnitza]

At Walmart for $29, you can get ramps, that will start you off. They are very good and are the same ones the Griot's sells for $50.

[BJO]

www.harborfreight.com. search for "jack" they have a few jacks that are well made for the price. i picked up a 2 1/2 ton 70lb shop jack for $39 at their houston store! it's as nicely made as the 3 ton sears jack that i own. btw, they are almost all made in china except for the $200+ jacks.

[Jim O.]

Sears has a set of a 3.5 ton jack and 2 jackstands for around a hundred bucks that may do the job. Just make sure that it goes low enough to go under your car. I'd suggest staying away from the cheapy jacks that come in the plastic boxes - I bent the frame of one of those in about a month.

Whichever jack you choose, be sure to check out the lowering mechanism before you buy. It should work smoothly, and allow you to easily drop the car slowly and under control. With some of the jacks out there, you crack open the lowering valve, and the car just drops. Not very safe...

Jim

[snk328is]

Sears occasionally puts jack + jack stands packages deals on sale. I first bought a 2 1/4-ton jack with jack stands for $50. Then a month or two later, I saw a 3-ton jack with jack stands for $50. I bought those too. So basically for the price of one set of solid jacks, I got two sets. The 3-ton jack goes up 21" so it really raises the car up high, which is nice because I don't like working with the undercarriage a mere inches away from my face. The 2 1/4 jack will come in handy when I go auto-xing and I need to change my wheels. It also came in handy the other day when I installed my new UUC TSE exhaust. Because I had two jacks I was able to do the work by myself. It will also come in handy when I do my suspensions.

All in all, I'm very happy and glad I spent the $100 on the jacks/jack stands. I can even raise the whole car if I want to now.

FYI, if your car is lowered, you'll have a hard time finding anything reasonably priced that is low enough to get under the front bumper. Here's a great and cheap solution. Get some blocks of wood from Home Depot or your local lumber yard (you should be able to get some scrap wood for free). Drive your front wheels onto the wood blocks, then slide the jack underneath. The same can be done with ramps. You can drive the car up onto the ramps, then position the jack. With a little ingenuity, you can save money.

Finally, make sure you get some wheel chocks. They will keep the car from moving. You can get 'em for as cheap as $5 at Pep Boys. That's cheap insurance. Happy jack shopping!

[M3inSC]

Well, it seems there are a lot of cheap jack buyers here. Come on fellas, don't you think he would have looked at Sears or Pep Boys if that was what he wanted? :)

If you work on your car much at all or track it and change tires and brake pads a lot, don't mess around with a cheap jack.

Get something with a low lift, i.e. 3" with a nice range. Otherwise you will never get it under a low car. Plus with a better jack, you can more easily get to the center jacking points in the front and rear.

Harbor Freight has a nice aluminum racing jack for $199
(website only) and the AC Hydraulics DK20 for $215 (http://www.asedeals.com/hydraulicjacks2.html)

[snk328is]

M3inSC, Ron17 did say that his budget was around $100. The Sears jacks/jack stands fit right in the category. I'd trust Sears over the $29.99 Walmart variety any day.

I can understand that getting a jack with low clearance is of a higher priority for somebody who tracks their car regularly or is constantly having to lift the car, but for most casual users, lifting a lowered car "ghetto-style-with-da-wood-blocks" is sufficient. I personally see no need to spend an extra $100-115 on nicer jacks because I only go auto-xing twice a month at most, and I don't have the need to change brake pads often.

Now if I raced in every event that was in my area and was tracking the car every week or more, I'd certainly see the advantage of not having to drive my car up onto the blocks every time I needed to change wheels/brake pads. But alas, those days are far beyond my current capabilities (both in driving skill and equipment condition).

So don't call us "cheap". There are always the appropriate tools for varying degrees of users. Just my 2 cents. :)

[M3inSC]

Originally posted by snk328is
So don't call us "cheap".

Hey, no offense. I did a smiley face!

Its just that for me, the aggravation is worth spending the extra money. I have been going nuts with two small jacks and I'm probably going to get the DK20!

[snk328is]

No offense taken. :) <- I did a smiley face too!

Like I said, it's worth the extra $$$ for somebody like you, but for many folks like me, the extra cost doesn't buy us anything. We all need starter jacks so we can appreciate the better jacks in life, right? :)

[Kevlar]

I bought a 2ton jack from discount auto parts for $45 which broke two months later. I took it back and they said I must have tried to lift something over 2tons and they would not give me a new one, so I got shafted :mad:

I'm probably going to go to sears tomorrow and look for a jack now that I've seen this thread...

[snk328is]

I believe the Sears Craftsman jacks have a one year warranty...

[XOC]

Are we talking about stands too? The Sears jack stands have a really deep saddle shape on top, with little "horns" on the very top surface ... I've been really apprehensive about where on the underside of the car would rest comfortably in those deep U-shapes. Frame rails? Suspension points? This is the main issue keeping me from wanting to try to do stuff under my car.

[Whatup1049]

Today I was at advanced auto parts and they had jacks for 49.99, they didnt look bad either.

[snk328is]

XOC, you position the jack stands under one of the "hockey pucks". It's right underneath the jacking points. Sometimes, though, the hockey puck mysteriously disappears after a day out on the auto-x tracks. If you're missing the hockey pucks like me, you can use a small piece of wood (2x2 should do) and use those to prevent metal-to-metal contact. I usually jack the whole front/back end up at a time, so I don't have the dilemma of not having anywhere to put the jack stands after I jack up one corner of the car. Somebody out there has made an adapter for the jack mounting hole so you can use a jack on it, but in my opinion that is unnecessary. It's just as easy to jack the whole front/back end of the car up.

[Jim O.]

Originally posted by snk328is
XOC, you position the jack stands under one of the "hockey pucks".
Those "hockey pucks" aren't really designed for jackstands - they're designed to go on the arm of a lift. They're pretty slippery when you put them on top of a jackstand. Far better is to put the stand under the frame rail of the car, or under the subframe of the car. If you have an E36, there's some good info about support points in this thread:
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36175

Jim

[snk328is]

Jim, I have never had a problem with the hockey pucks. (That is, when I had 'em! :D) I actually think with the Sears jack stands with the "U" shape, it helps "grip" the pucks.

Now that my pucks are gone, I use some scrap wood between the jack stand ends and the jack points, which works very well. I'm thinking of getting some real hockey pucks at a sports store and using those instead of wooden blocks.

[Jim O.]

I used to put the jackstands under the hockey pucks, but the car never felt that secure. The car never slid off the stands, but it always seemed iffy. When I took off the hockey pucks and put the stands directly under the body of the car, it was a lot more solid. Using the frame rails in the front made it even more solid.

I tend to believe in the advice that Brett Anderson gives - as a mechanic, he really knows his stuff. If he says that the hockey pucks are a bad place to put the jackstands, I think I'll listen, even though I've used them in the past without killing myself. Anyway, it's a lot easier for me to just jack the car with the jack under the hockey puck and put the stand under the frame rail than it is to get out my jackplate to jack up the car using the hole in the skirt so that I can put the stand under the hockey puck... :)

Jim

[snk328is]

Jim, I usually jack the whole front/rear end up using the jacking points illustrated at the following:

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/all/tools/all_jacking_and_supporting_your_car.html

I respect your opinion about the pucks but I still stand by my original opinion that the pucks don't pose a danger. It really depends on *how* you use them. This depends largely on what kind of ends your jack stands have.

Looking at one of the pictures from the Unofficial BMW site, an adapter is being used to make the setup more stable. See below:

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/images/jack2.gif

The car was meant to be lifted at that point, so I believe that it is the best place to put the stands, puck or not.

An anecdote. When I used to have my hockey pucks, I'd have the whole front end up on jack stands at the pucks, and I tried to push the car off the jack stands. The car did not budge. I've worked for hours on end underneath the car, checking the jack stands' situation every once in a while, and they were solid as a rock. I even bumped myself accidently into the car due to my clumsiness, and the car did not budge.

[98///M-DROPTOP]

Originally posted by Ron17
I am looking to purchase a decent jack and jack stands. I would like to keep the price around $100, if possible.
Can anyone recommend a good jack that will give me good lifting leverage, good clearance and durability? Jack stands?
Thanks
Aaron, back to your original question. umnitza is right about Walmart (or Kmart) ramps, they're a good deal but be sure to also buy the extensions or you won't get the M3 onto the ramps.

For a floor jack, from experience you don't want one that has a detachable handle. Also, the longer the handle the better, up to a point. The handle should be one piece, securely attached to the jack and also acts as the control for the raise/lower hydraulic valve. I would recommend this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=4172

Go here to see and buy it:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/retail_stores.taf?f=detail&Retail_Store_ID=110

While you're there, get these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38846

And with the money you saved you can get the ramps but the extensions will put you slightly over budget.

Oh, I didn't mention, take some extra money to the Harbor Freight store because I doubt you can get in and out of there with just the jack and stands:)

[Jim O.]

Sure, if you use an adapter, like Ron Stygar's or the flat steel plates that PortalBMW made, the hockey pucks will work fine. However, I just have those Sears jackstands, with the U-shaped tops - the hockey puck really doesn't seem to fit on them very securely. I used to have a set of jackstands that had a wider, flatter top that would probably have worked fine under the hockey pucks, but I lost them years ago. If they weren't so expensive, the AC Hydraulics jackstands with the flat, rubber coated tops that the Ultimate Garage sells would be ideal - I'd have absolutely no qualms about putting those under the hockey pucks.

About jacking the car - my car is way too low to reach the front subframe, even when I use a low profile jack, like the AC Hydraulics DK20. I either have to drive the car up on blocks (two stacked-up 2x10s works well), or just jack up each side. Since I have more than one floor jack, the fastest way for me to get the car up in the air is just to stick a jack under the front puck on each side, and go back and forth raising each side a few pumps at a time. Stick the stands under the frame, and the front is all done. Put the jack under the rear subframe, jack the back, and put the stands in place - all done!

Anyway, guess it all comes down to personal preference. If you feel safe with the hockey pucks on your jackstands, fine. I'm not comfortable, so I offer some alternatives....

Jim

[XOC]

Hmm great info guys, thanks.

It would be so nice if someone would come up with an affordable jack stand adaptor to fit under the pucks. Jim...? :)

[snk328is]

I saw an ad today for a 2 1/4-ton jack plus jack stands for $29.99 at Sears.

Disclaimer: I do not work for Sears. I just think they make some quality products. :)

[moonluv810]

Originally posted by snk328is
I saw an ad today for a 2 1/4-ton jack plus jack stands for $29.99 at Sears.

Disclaimer: I do not work for Sears. I just think they make some quality products. :)

You gotta be kidding me!!!!!

Okay, I'm going to Sears tomorrow. Hopefully this is not just a local promotional item.

[snk328is]

Good luck! :)

[blubimmer]

I bought one of these (slightly used $300)

http://www.norcoindustries.com/71255.htm

[Ron17]

Wow. Thanks to everyone for the "cornucopia" of jack and jack-stand information. I feel like I can now make a well-informed decision on purchasing these items, as well as the safest possible method for lifting and securing my car when I'm going to be working under it.

98///M-DROPTOP -- Damn you!! Damn you, damn you, damn you... for showing me the directions to that Harbor Freight store. I have already spent this months allocation on my car, and now you have probably enabled me to go WELL over that. Like you said, I doubt that I will be able to get in and out of that store w/o buying at least three or four extra items. Again I say, DAMN YOU!! :) :wave:

J/K... thanks. I appreciate the links.

[moonluv810]

Originally posted by snk328is
Good luck! :)

I got a set! Thanks for the info! A set of Craftsman 2-1/4" jack and jackstands for $29.99, sounds like a great deal to me.

[snk328is]

Cool moonluv810. It may not be the best jack in the world, but I think it's a great starter jack. You can always sell it to someone for $20 (assuming they don't know how much you paid for 'em). :D