Low profile car jacks

Borgus · 03-23-2005, 11:23 PM

Just like the title says...Im in need of a low profile car jack (lightweight would be nice). My classic is lowered on hypercoils and Konis...in addition to that I have a stillen kit. All in all, I have maybe 3 inches of ground clearance and my current jack just doesnt slide under the car very well at all...it bends my front stillen bumper. Ideally, I would like to have 20 inches of max lift...but I guess I could settle with 17. What jacks are you guys using? Im especially interested those of you who have lowered cars. TIA!

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back to black · 03-24-2005, 12:18 AM

i use the stock jack to get it high enough to get a real jack under her then up she goes and to lower simple reverse the process

DEAD SE-RIOUS · 03-24-2005, 12:21 AM

i have the sears low profile jack. so far it works flawlessly

Yahnozha · 03-24-2005, 12:39 AM

I nailed two 2x6s on top of one another, the top one being half the length as the bottom one and drive up on those. Works every time

Toolapcfan · 03-24-2005, 10:29 AM

I agree with Yahnozha, making some cheap ramps is the way to go. The problem I found when I was looking at buying a low profile jack, is that none of them had a decent lift height. The jack I have now I have to ram into the crossmember to get it under far enough that the jack won't slip when the car is jacked up and the angle between the two becomes greater, yet the jack barely gets the car high enough for me to put my jack stands under at the height I need to work under there. So compromising lift height to get a lower profile was not something I want to spend money on. I'm sure there's low profile jacks out there that have the lift height I want, but they're not the relatively inexpensive and lightweight ones they sell at Harbor Freight. Since the idea of spending a couple hundred on a good floor jack is out of the question, I'm going to make a set of ramps out of 2"x10". I'm wanting to buy a new jack more for the number of pumps it takes to get the car up than anything. My jack is getting ridiculous to use because it takes so many pumps to get the car up.

Its311Pete · 03-24-2005, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toolapcfan

My jack is getting ridiculous to use because it takes so many pumps to get the car up.

Have you considered rebuilding the hydro cylinder in your current jack?

Toolapcfan · 03-24-2005, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Its311Pete

Have you considered rebuilding the hydro cylinder in your current jack?

It's a cheap MVP 3 ton jack that weighs a lot so I'll probably just put up with it until I can't stand it, throw it away and buy a new one. I wouldn't know where to begin to rebuild it anyway.

Rittmeister · 03-24-2005, 11:10 PM

US General 3000 pound racing jack. Yours at Harbor Freight for around $130, or at least that's what I paid for mine. Went right under my lowered classic, and goes under my S13 with a 2x6 worth of help. They also make a smaller version for about $80 but it doesn't lift as high.

vqman · 03-24-2005, 11:47 PM

just get some 2x12's and put them in front of your tires and drive up on them, then you can get your regular jack under that lowered baby!

llaprad1 · 03-25-2005, 12:52 AM

My dad bought some steel/aluminum hybrid low profile jack at Pepboys for like $70.

He says they still got a ton of em.

eric96ser · 03-25-2005, 08:22 AM

I have a 3 ton jack I bought from Sams for $60, and it gets low enough to get under my car, and also lifts the car high enough to work under it. It won't fit under the crossmember of my 200sx with putting wood under the wheels, but it does fit under the Sentra with Hypercos. I've used that jack to lift the car high enough for a motor swap, and clutch swaps. It's on the heavy side, but I don't pick it up that often.

paNX2K&SE-R · 03-25-2005, 08:49 AM

Homier.com has the low profile 3000# aluminum jacks for $80. I have one of those for travel and I also have a big 'ol heavy 3 ton steel one that has a higher lift range for the garage.

Yahnozha · 03-25-2005, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eric96ser

I have a 3 ton jack I bought from Sams for $60, and it gets low enough to get under my car, and also lifts the car high enough to work under it. It won't fit under the crossmember of my 200sx with putting wood under the wheels, but it does fit under the Sentra with Hypercos. I've used that jack to lift the car high enough for a motor swap, and clutch swaps. It's on the heavy side, but I don't pick it up that often.

Got the same blue jack here, two of them actually, they are the sh*t if you dont have to lug them around.

Toolapcfan · 03-25-2005, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vqman

just get some 2x12's and put them in front of your tires and drive up on them, then you can get your regular jack under that lowered baby!

No way!? You'd have thought maybe one or two people would have mentioned that already.... Oh wait, that's right, THEY DID.

james vick · 03-25-2005, 05:20 PM

I use one of these. It fits under most cars.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00950239000

iNGEN · 03-25-2005, 07:06 PM

Just turn your wheels and slide your floor jack under from inside the wheel well.

geeio · 03-25-2005, 11:53 PM

we have one at our store ( napa) that is low profile but will go just about as high as our standard shop 3 and a half ton jacks. check your napa store for it. also longacre makes a really nice jack thats light and works awesome but im not sure of the price of that either.

chriscar · 03-26-2005, 06:45 AM

Saw this one on sale at Sears yesterday for $99.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...Lift+Equipment

C:\>

Peanuthead · 03-26-2005, 08:42 AM

This is the same jack I have and it is awesome. A little heavier then all aluminum, but it seems to really help that jack out when loaded.