Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:15:27 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Harbor Freight Floor Jacks
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hi tom,
is that in reference to working on it with a hydraulic floor jack holding it
up ?
I'm sure you don't mean that.
here's what I do ..
I have large truck size jackstands. Probably rated at 4,000 lbs each. (
just looked - 5 tons each )
in the rear I 'hook' the tops of them into the crook between the outer end
of the trailing arm and where it meets the frame/bracket there. Being
diagonal ...and 'hooked' in that crook...the van is not likely to slide or
go forward or sideways with the stands like that.
in the front .I just put them under the jacking points there..but don't like
that much at all ..
it's not hard to pull the van ( with poor floor jack technique ) off the
stands there.
the 'normal deal' ..with the floor jack is ..
jack it up ( by front trans mount if manual trans ) ...but the stands
under..
then lower jack until stands are fully loaded..
then leave a little pressure on the jack, with the valve solidly closed.
that way ..the jack is a back up to the stands..
and the jack is there ready to use if it's going to come down soon.
if not working under the van ...when I take the wheels/tires off, I put them
under the van ..
as another back up ....should the van somehow come off the stands.
btw..
I'm sure everyone knows to watch for this..
the jack pad on the floor jack doesn't go straight up ..it goes up an arc.
thus ..say the rear is on stands and you are jacking the front ..
*always* have the jack inline to the front..
never from the side !
because .....as the jack pad goes up ..
the wheels of the jack have to roll on the floor a little.
if they do not ...you can pull the van right off the stands it's on on the
other end.
Not that hard to do either.
of course..
if ever jacking in dirt or gravel ...you *really* need to watch this factor.
on pavement ..
actually check that the floor jack's wheels are turning slightly ( like
when jacking one end with the other end of stands already. )
for just jacking the rear..
I come in from the side, ahead of a rear tire.
I always jack the rear first if doing both ends.
and then the front is only jacked from straight in line in front, never from
the side.
people may also notice the four support points are not exactly in one plane.
I've had them tetertotter diagonally ..
that's slightly unerving.
Sometimes I add a 3/4 inch thick wood pad to a front jack point ..
though I am always a bit neverous about the 'plain' support on those front
jack points ...too easy for the van to slip off there. I don't like to
support the front by the suspension very much ..but that's an option too.
if you've ever had a car slip off a stand from a jacking screw-up ..
it's not fun. The last thing you want to happen.
fwiw ..
as I've shared a few times over the years regarding having a car up to work
on it ..
my father....a smart guy .. a pilot and everything..
had his mercedes car up on roll-up ramps ...and tightening drive shaft bolts
..
.( there is a perception that if the car is in neutral ..it can't move ..but
a front engine rear drive car sure can move if the driveshaft is
turned.....there is no neutral in the rear differential )
He turned some driveshaft bolts..drove the car right off the roll-up ramps
onto himself..
mashing himself and a creeper into a 5 inch space , maybe 5 and 1/2 inches.
Nobody could hear him yelling for an hour or so ..
he was passing out. I came out the garage to let him know it was 3 o'clock
to he could get ready to go to work.........and saved his life by being on
time...and not forgetting to do that at 3 o'clock.
( ! ) .....and grabbing a jack to get the car off him. Close one.
naturally, I think roll-up ramps are inherantly dangerous.
be careful !
scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Hargrave" <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 11:21 PM
Subject: Re: Harbor Freight Floor Jacks
>I re-read my email and it might be misleading. The point I was trying to
> make is don't compromise safety because it's only going to be in the air
> for
> a few minutes.
>
> You are just as dead if the van falls on you one minute or 30 minutes
> after
> you lift it in the air!
>
> Thanks, Tom Hargrave
> www.stir-plate.com
> www.towercooler.com
> www.kegkits.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Tom Hargrave
> Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 10:30 PM
> To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
> Subject: Re: Harbor Freight Floor Jacks
>
> My personal view on the "never leave weight on them for long periods, like
> overnight" advice.
>
> If it's not good enough to hold weight up over my head for weeks then it's
> not good enough to hold weight up over my head for 2 minutes.
>
> That said, I never leave weight on a jack or stands unattended, not
> because
> I don't trust they will hold up, but because you never know what someone
> else will do with the equipment. Last thing I want is a relative hurting
> himself in my garage.
>
> Thanks, Tom Hargrave
> www.stir-plate.com
> www.towercooler.com
> www.kegkits.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Scott Daniel - Turbovans
> Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 9:43 PM
> To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
> Subject: Re: Harbor Freight Floor Jacks
>
> a buddy of mine once said to never leave weight on them for long periods,
> like overnight.
> I never do. Sure seems to work doing that.
> I have one elcheapo jack..
> back when decent bargain price tools were made in Tawain ( I still regard
> those as very decent for the price, in general, but don't see as much
> Tawain-made stuff these days ) ..
> I got a floor jack in 1983 ..
> and used it full time in fulll-on professional car repair for years.
> One wheel is getting a little tired,
> but it still works just fine. Has like 200,000 miles on it, still works
> quite well.
>
> I did buy an 80 dollar HF florr jack about 2 yrs ago ..
> black lower part, yellow or white handle ... 1 1/2 tons maybe
> Nice smooth action on the handle..
> the plate screws up and down but doesn't remove,
> and the wheels are small and narrow.
> it's 'all right' ..
> but not much of a jack next to my Mack Tools regular size floor jack..
> which has quite wide wheels..
> and a foot thingey to pump it up quickly until there is weight on it, then
> you pump the handle.
> The hydrualic cylinder in it failed after abut a year..
> a Mack Tool Truck guy gave me a brand hyd cylinder for it and it's been
> good
> for the 10 years since then.
>
> I'd say sure ..
> try an HF jack for the low price ..and I strongly believe in wide cast
> iron
> wheels on any floor jack.
> When I pull my current HF jack across the floor ..
> the castoring wheels on the handle end go into a terrible speed wobble
> ..
> can't be good for them...just wear 'em out sooner.
>
> I've wanted to try one of their aluminum racing floor jacks - One of
> these days.
> I already have 4 floor jacks....though one is just a transmission
> dolly/storer currently since it doesn't work hydrualically anymore.
>
> Get the best stuff you can and take care of it is what I suggest.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 6:36 PM
> Subject: Re: Harbor Freight Floor Jacks
>
>
>>I have used one of Harbor Freight's big jacks for ten years and it is a
>> great tool. It really gets a vanagon up in the air. The only thing I
>> could
>> say negative about it is that when time comes to let the car down, you
>> have
>> to really be careful because the release (turning the same handle that
>> you
>> pump to lift it) can be abrupt. Like it sticks. But it can be managed and
>> it
>> does not settle down at all overnight or longer.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>> On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 12:07 PM, Rob <becida@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>> At 7/22/2011 08:43 AM, John Rodgers wrote:
>>>
>>>> I've got to get a floor jack. Anyone tried the HF floor jacks?
>>>>
>>>
>>> I have one (full sized) & it works great. Has worked great for around
>>> 4 yrs now .....
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Rob
>>> becida@comcast.net
>>>
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