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Date:         Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:36:12 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: tire jack suggestions for 88 GL
Comments: To: mcneely4@COX.NET
In-Reply-To:  <20100620112455.UDXL1.800757.imail@eastrmwml35>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Dear Dave,

At 11:24 AM 6/20/2010, Dave Mcneely wrote: >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.

The stability offered by scissors jacks is illusory and may lead you to neglect proper chocking procedures. At least with the Bosch screw jack you *know* that the jack is not going to provide lateral support of any kind, so you won't be lulled into complacency.

> 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?

The notches on the Japanese cars are simply to define the place where the body structure has been reinforced to accept the jacking loads. The Toyota scissors jack that I'm looking at has a rotating part at the top that can either accept the thin welded body-edge that's the usual jacking point on Toyotas, or be rotated 90 degrees to lift under rear leaf springs. Rotated that way, i.e. with slots parallel to the jack body, it is wide enough to accept the athwartships width of the Vanagon jack points. However its working load is 300 kg less than the Vanagon jack. No doubt they make larger ones for the Tundra and so forth.

>I would like to have a jack that I trust more to remain stable while >changing a flat if needed.

First rule of jacks and jacking. Never, ever trust a jack. Right up there with "Never take someone's word as to whether the gun is loaded."

Yours, David


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