Which Bottle Jack Should I Get

[Jabberwocky]

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 ?

And will it change engine management and cause damage that way.......????? What will it do to the Cat????

 

[Gary&Heather]

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

did it in 3.7 lol I couldn't resist it

 

[Hotel California]

People that been reading here the last few days now read a lot has been sayed on jacking up the Cali , i use the original jack to swap my tyres from summer to winter and back each year now for the 4th winter just done it without a issue . I even posted a video of it on the forum .
Never needed to change a wheel in a emergency beside the road with the Cali ( keeping fingers Xssed ) .
But as there was a bit of a nervous post this week when a member seems to have damaged his underbody using the original jack ....i asked him what happend but seems he found my Q off-topic and only wanted answers on how to fix the dent , we still not know what happend there.
I just today took the time to take my hydrolic pot-jack (3,5t cap.) and looked for a place to put it on the underbody ....not obvious!
Where do you guys put it ?

 

[Loz]

I made a moulded plastic adapter to hold it under the correct jacking point.

 

[westfalia]

View attachment 27074 View attachment 27075 View attachment 27076 View attachment 27077
I made a moulded plastic adapter to hold it under the correct jacking point.

A Hockey puck also does the trick.

 

[Paul S]

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.


View attachment 26895

The problem there is inexperienced users tend to bend pressed steel suspension arms when they do this. Seen it many times.

 

[SimonB]

As the snow seems to have finally gone away we decided it was time to take off the winter tyres and put the summer ones back on again. Tempting fate I know.
@T6 CFO kindly offered a flat piece of ground under a roofed area to do it on. It was a dry afternoon, so it was light and sunny not dark, raining with traffic racing past as it would be in real life.
It still took us quite a long time to do all 4 wheels. As @sidepod says a lot of it is lack of experience in not having used this particular jack often enough, but I also don't think it is very good. We put a piece of wood on the floor to cushion the foot and provide adhesion but as the jack went up it slipped forwards on the wood. I can only assume that the foot of the jack wasn't directly wasn't directly under the jacking point. The wood didn't move, but the jack cut deep grooves in the wood as it slid along. The whole thing seems very fragile and with the handle being fixed it is not easy to wind it up. This is in a dry, flat location, in the light with no traffic rushing by.
I would not like to try it in a roadside location in the dark in bad weather. My son apparently has a trolley jack which I shall borrow when we change the wheels over again. Many thanks to @T6 CFO for his help yesterday.

 

[briwy]

I use this one Simon.
Decent lifting height and the grooves fit nicely onto the Cali's jacking points
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0015NULPU/?tag=vwcalifornia-21

 

[SimonB]

I use this one Simon.
Decent lifting height and the grooves fit nicely onto the Cali's jacking points
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0015NULPU/?tag=vwcalifornia-21

Thanks Brian. Much better to get one that has been tried & tested than just picking one from a catalogue. Certainly picked the right weekend for the Meet didn't we? Bet it's a bit soggy up there now.

 

[Hotel California]

I use the original jack , but i do have a pot-jack and a trolly-jack at home
Watch my movie ...

 

[Jabberwocky]

I use the original jack , but i do have a pot-jack and a trolly-jack at home
Watch my movie ...

Nice and clear - Thx.

 

[briwy]

Thanks Brian. Much better to get one that has been tried & tested than just picking one from a catalogue. Certainly picked the right weekend for the Meet didn't we? Bet it's a bit soggy up there now.

Off topic but thanks for the pub recommendation Simon.