18 replies to this topic

[I hate Brian]

What's the best jack to keep in the boot just in case (except the usual mini jack supplied) ? bearing in mind only 140 -150mm clearance at the front from ground 

Edited by I hate Brian, 21 October 2020 - 05:04 PM.

[Maccmike8]

Scissor?

[Dusky]

Small bottle jack. Easiest and lightest.

[Spider]

I too have usually found a Scissor type Jack as one type that seems to have a better chance of getting under our cars, but in considering that, you might want to take in to account a further drop in height with a flat tyre. I recall the standard Moke Jacks, they'd fit under fine - until you had a flat !

 

I also wouldn't be too quick to loose the standard Mini Jack.

[Maccmike8]

There is a mini one on ebay for £200 

[sonikk4]

There are low entry light weight trolley jacks if you don't mind having that floating around in the car.

 

https://www.machinem...inium-racing-j/

[cal844]

I use a scissor jack with 100mm closed size and that can lift the wheel to 2x tyre depth.

[nicklouse]

It all depends on what you plan to use it for. Add a bit of wood to give more clearance.

[mini-mad-mark]

I use a scissor jack with 100mm closed size and that can lift the wheel to 2x tyre depth.

I found a really short scissor jack, around 8 or 9 inches long, for 3 quid at a car boot sale (remember those, before the pandemic....) and got a folding handle on ebay for around a fiver.

 

It closes to around 3 inches (75mm) but will get the wheel off the ground fully extended - being so short it fits in a little tool bag I carry for most journeys, with the minimum journey tool kit (tool box for longer trips - a topic in itself on here I think)

 

Depends what you're planning to do at the side of the road (I wouldn't want to do too much other than change a wheel unless I had to and so wouldn't carry anything bigger/heavier most of the time)

Maybe on a really long trip I would have one of those aluminium/alloy trolley jacks with low entry (haven't done a really long trip but I was planning to go to the IMM this year......     

 

Do you want to carry something as well as a standard jack or instead of ?

[cal844]

I use a scissor jack with 100mm closed size and that can lift the wheel to 2x tyre depth.

I found a really short scissor jack, around 8 or 9 inches long, for 3 quid at a car boot sale (remember those, before the pandemic....) and got a folding handle on ebay for around a fiver.

It closes to around 3 inches (75mm) but will get the wheel off the ground fully extended - being so short it fits in a little tool bag I carry for most journeys, with the minimum journey tool kit (tool box for longer trips - a topic in itself on here I think)

Depends what you're planning to do at the side of the road (I wouldn't want to do too much other than change a wheel unless I had to and so wouldn't carry anything bigger/heavier most of the time)
Maybe on a really long trip I would have one of those aluminium/alloy trolley jacks with low entry (haven't done a really long trip but I was planning to go to the IMM this year......

Do you want to carry something as well as a standard jack or instead of ?

I bought a 2 tonne scissor jack from Ebay, then welded a 100 mm length of 50x50 box section that I cut one side out of.


https://www.ebay.co....30AAOSwGhVfGAXo

Something like this but with a 50 mm c section welded on top specifically to prevent the jack from slipping as much as a trolley jack could.

[I hate Brian]

Cheers for the replies gents, possibly the scissor jack but I did see some low entry bottle jacks by SGS

[SolarB]

Can a bottle jack match the closed/open dimensions of a scissor jack?

[GraemeC]

Usually one or the other, rarely both.

Of course they can usually lift much heavier things, but that's not overly relevant here.

[expat_cat]

For the problem of height/clearance with a flat:

 

Consider the huge expense of also carrying a thick plank/wide-block of wood in the car.     (only needs to be 20-30cm long, 5-10cm thick)

You can then drive the flat tyre up onto it, winning back the lost clearance.

 

If you are really feeling creative, you could shape it like a small ramp!

[Maccmike8]

 

 

I use a scissor jack with 100mm closed size and that can lift the wheel to 2x tyre depth.

I found a really short scissor jack, around 8 or 9 inches long, for 3 quid at a car boot sale (remember those, before the pandemic....) and got a folding handle on ebay for around a fiver.

It closes to around 3 inches (75mm) but will get the wheel off the ground fully extended - being so short it fits in a little tool bag I carry for most journeys, with the minimum journey tool kit (tool box for longer trips - a topic in itself on here I think)

Depends what you're planning to do at the side of the road (I wouldn't want to do too much other than change a wheel unless I had to and so wouldn't carry anything bigger/heavier most of the time)
Maybe on a really long trip I would have one of those aluminium/alloy trolley jacks with low entry (haven't done a really long trip but I was planning to go to the IMM this year......

Do you want to carry something as well as a standard jack or instead of ?

I bought a 2 tonne scissor jack from Ebay, then welded a 100 mm length of 50x50 box section that I cut one side out of.


https://www.ebay.co....30AAOSwGhVfGAXo

Something like this but with a 50 mm c section welded on top specifically to prevent the jack from slipping as much as a trolley jack could.

 

Im intrigued to see your jack?