Which Bottle Jack Should I Get

[T6 CFO]

After my first, and last experience at the side of a steeply sloping motorway with a blowout and a VW scissor jack I’m on the hunt for a bottle jack. My scissor one is not fit for purpose and in any case it’s beyond my skill level to get it back in its box. Picture might help ?
In any case it’s going and getting replaced. When the breakdown eventually arrived it was a 10minute job with a bottle jack but I didn’t get the make of the one the guy used.
Next bit of fun is getting the punctured one back underneath. Eventually managed it today in Brittany on a relatives drive by driving up on the ramps but I could not for some reason tighten the bolt that slides into the groove. Eventually succeeded by wedging the wheel up, tightening up the holder with the bolt used for the sparesafe and then packing out the other bolt with washers which I fashioned to slip over the bolt as it’s not possible to either fully remove the bolt to slip the washers on or tighten it without them. Anyway wheel is back out of the Cali living area and secure.
Grrrrrrrr

Mike

 

[briwy]

We have a small hydraulic one Mike.
No idea of the make as I've had it over twenty years but still working ok with no leaks. It's about 200mm high with a screw extension.
Also carry a piece of 20mm ply to spread the load.

 

[T6 CFO]

Thanks Briwy

Found this old thread which shows a picture. I reckon mines bent as can’t get it to fit.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/toolkit.10754/

Cracked it

Mike

 

[mccp]

I have a couple of trolley jacks from these guys which are reasonably good:

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equipment/bottle-jacks

I've got a big one suitable for my Discovery and another one for smaller cars. I'd have no hesitation buying a bottle jack from them.

 

[T6 CFO]

I have a couple of trolley jacks from these guys which are reasonably good:

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equipment/bottle-jacks

I've got a big one suitable for my Discovery and another one for smaller cars. I'd have no hesitation buying a bottle jack from them.

Thanks.

This one looks like it would do the job.
https://www.sgs-engineering.com/gar...ks/bj5s-5-ton-hydraulic-bottle-jack-with-case

Mike



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[bvddobb]

We have got this one below. Be careful to make sure that:

• you have enough lifting power
• it will fit under your car (is it lowered?) when down
• it will raise your car high enough (e.g. we have slightly larger AT summer wheels than standard and an air suspension, and that combi needed more 'lift' than the factory jack would give).

Now that we have been doing more and more off-road travel, we are thinking about buying something like this, inflates from your exhaust:

 

[blondebier]

That exhaust job looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

Makes me shudder just looking at it.

 

[Loz]

That exhaust job looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

Makes me shudder just looking at it.

They are, seen many many attempts to use them, dangerous and useless.

 

[Loz]

I found that what ever tonnage they say they'll do, buy one twice the weight you need to lift, also for compactness I tend to favour the triple ones like these on machine mart, they also have a good chart to see the collapsed size that needs to fit under the sill with the tyre deflated and be long enough to lift the wheel off the ground.

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-ctbj10-10-tonne-telescopic-bottle-jack/

Depending on what suspension/slam/lift you have you will need to make your own sill measurements to correct jack.
Also you will need to make a jack pad to perch on the top to safely secure it to the jacking point underneath.

 

[Hotel California]

They are, seen many many attempts to use them, dangerous and useless.

Also wonder what damage it can give to the engine as the outflow of the exhaust will not be thesame as normal...pressure building up in the exhaust/engine ?

 

[blondebier]

Is the size of the top of the bottle jack a problem? (As in the metal face that meets the jacking point)

It looks quite small to me. Does this do any damage to the jack point on the van?

I imagine there are some serious forces applied when jacking up a 3 tonne lump.

I suppose you could glue some rubber to it (to act as a cushion) so that you haven't got metal against metal.

I'm quite interested in this and might get one.

 

[Velma's Dad]

That exhaust job looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

Makes me shudder just looking at it.

This type of inflating jack has been around for many years and actually should be no less safe than any other type, maybe safer at it's probably very stable.

I remember pulling my Triumph Spitfire off a bottle jack while underneath it once when I was a youngster, and was only saved by the fact that I had (very uncharacteristically prudently) put some bricks or something in place as a fall-back.

Bottle still better than scissors though (although Paper wraps Stone etc etc).

That said I've never actually used one of the inflating ones.

[EDIT: just seen Loz's remarks on real-world experience with the exhaust ones. I defer.]

 

[Loz]

Also wonder what damage it can give to the engine as the outflow of the exhaust will not be thesame as normal...pressure building up in the exhaust/engine ?

I have seen weak exhaust silencers blow under the pressure but never a problem for a diesel as they have such high compression.

 

[Loz]

This type of inflating jack has been around for many years and actually should be no less safe than any other type, maybe safer at it's probably very stable.

As I mentioned have seen and used them a few times in the desert and they are not very safe; they pop out the side without warning, when used on the rear they tend to lift both rear wheels and the vehicle simply moves sideways and falls off it, rolling over and again it pops out, also I saw someone roll their 90 on its side using one.

 

[bvddobb]

They are, seen many many attempts to use them, dangerous and useless.

Interesting, we have no experience of our own but have seen them used several times, on Cali's and Landrovers, working flawlessly. Didn't take a lot of time to inflate, either, as we thought they might.

 

[blondebier]

That said I've never actually used one of the inflating ones.

You'd have to feed me a lot of snickers bars before I'd use one.

 

[Velma's Dad]

also I saw someone roll their 90 on its side using one.

The naughty boy in me would love to have seen that.

 

[bvddobb]

You'd have to feed me a lot of snickers bars before I'd use one.

Or blond bier

 

[WelshGas]

That exhaust job looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

Makes me shudder just looking at it.

Don’t think it will work too well on the California with twin exhaust tailpipes, without plugging one.

 

[bvddobb]

Don’t think it will work too well on the California with twin exhaust tailpipes, without plugging one.

No, that is what the manufacturer writes: not suited for dual exhaust pipes.

 

[sidepod]

The problem with the OE scissor jack is it picks up on the chassis and as such, needs almost full extension to lift the suspension until it reaches droop and finally the tyre leaves the ground.

What’s required is a scissor jack with a long separate extension so you can position it under the suspension arm, probably from the rear of the vehicle if a rear flat.

This will require a lot less jacking up and in my opinion (notice I said “in my opinion? That means nobody needs to punch the disagree button) is a lot safer as a result.

 

[mccp]

This will require a lot less jacking up
View attachment 26895

I’ve often done this on various cars, but because you don’t have the assistance from the suspension, and the jack is at it’s lowest gearing when it’s low down, it takes a lot more effort.

 

[Loz]

I agree, I like to slide a trolley jack under the suspension when working at home.
I have always fancied one of the air jacks like RAC man uses that look like a lorry suspension air bag but they are ridiculously expensive...

 

[sidepod]

I think there is a slight case of “workmen and tools” here?

The issue isn’t the jack it’s the lack of experience. I don’t mean that in a bad way simply that we virtually never change a wheel in anger and, when we do, it’s in a nasty dangerous situation.

So, get out in the drive today and practice the routine till you’re happy you can do it quickly and safely. Do it again tonight in the dark with a torch.

We’re not looking for F1 pit stop times just a confidence in your ability and tools.

Reasonable?

Pod (BA in stating the bleedin obvious).

 

[Jabberwocky]

I have a couple of trolley jacks from these guys which are reasonably good:

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equipment/bottle-jacks

I've got a big one suitable for my Discovery and another one for smaller cars. I'd have no hesitation buying a bottle jack from them.

I have one from these guys too. Good budget trolley jack.