Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:24:55 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: tire jack suggestions for 88 GL
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTilApQPb1Swo2qtFekYk5tIpBVSfYbzQ4bZH1RsR@mail.gmail.com>
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When I first got the camper, I went through a drill to try out the OEM jack. I did not and do not like it, as it did not seem as stable as the scissors jacks that I have been accustomed to with Japanese vehicles. But, it worked, and I have not done anything about a better jack. One question I have, and have been a bit put off by in considering other jacks, is how does one adapt them to the jack points built into the side of the van? A scissors or a bottle jack either needs a notch or at least a flat place to fit the jack platform. How do you guys deal with that? I would like to have a jack that I trust more to remain stable while changing a flat if needed. Thanks, David McNeely
---- Ryan Johnson <rhinoculips@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> Personally, I hate the OEM jack. When I was 30 miles up a rough and very
> remote mountain road, I got a flat. The damn jack jammed half way up. It
> wouldn't go up, nor down. It was high enough to get the flat off, but not
> high enough to put the spare on. Thus, I had to chip and scratch away at
> the hard and rocky road base with a folding shovel, hatchet and crow bar
> until I had a deep enough hole to get the spare on. Then I had to pound the
> jack out from under the van. A really pain in the arse. I am glad I didn't
> have to dig a hole into the pavement to get my spare on........
>
> Now I keep a hydraulic bottle jack and some short 2x6 boards and never
> looked back. Its nice to pump up the jack and then twist the release valve
> to lower. Much easier than winding a "hundred" times in both directions
> with the OEM jack. My recommendation is to toss the OEM in the trash and
> get a real jack. Ideally, I would go for a HighLift, but I have yet to find
> a satisfactory place to keep it and it's a little overkill for the run of
> the mill flat.
>
> Fair winds and following seas,
> Ryan
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 1:36 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:
>
> > At 10:27 AM 6/19/2010, Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" wrote:
> >
> >> Church. I destroyed my OEM jack by nit-wittedly leaning against the
> >> rear of the van when it was up on the jack. Van was in neutral,
> >> rolled a bit (it was on a slope) and twisted that jack like so much
> >> licorice.
> >>
> >
> > Cathedral. I'm too embarrassed to say what I did. It was long ago
> > and I was a spavined wee thing of only forty or so. I'll say this,
> > though -- the brake backing plate bent, and if you go to a certain
> > parking lot in Seekonk MA you might still find the dent in the asphalt.
> > Didn't hurt the jack or mount though, because they're both round and
> > designed to spin.
> >
> > And it was three other guys, it never broke and it was that way when I got
> > it.
> >
> > Yours,
> > d
> >
--
David McNeely
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