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The Best Car Jack To Repair Your Car Safely
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A car jack is a must-have if you want to do any kind of repair work under your car, SUV, or truck. You can’t change your brakes or suspension or take off a tire without lifting the vehicle off the ground. Not unless you are incredibly thin or have an extra tall truck.
Choosing a car jack requires more than simply picking the first one off the rack. You must pick one that can do the work you need, such as fitting under your lowered vehicle or reaching high enough for your off-roader. You must also ensure that you can rely on it to elevate your vehicle time after time safely.
We reviewed and made a list of the quality car jacks of 2023, so you can focus on the task without worrying about safety while working under your car.
Finding a Top Car Jack: A Buyer’s Guide
Think it's a good idea to slide under your car while it's on a car jack? Think again. You don’t need to spend loads of money to ensure your safety and make your job simpler with the right car jack, but you must know what makes an ideal car jack and what to look for when buying one.
Factors To Consider When Buying a Car Jack
Weight rating
A ton is 2,000 lbs, and car jacks specify their capability in tons. If you need to lift a tiny car, a standard 2-ton jack should be sufficient. You'll need a higher-capacity car jack if you intend to lift your pickup truck. A car or crossover's gross weight vehicle classification (often shown on a label in the door frame) will help you determine how much capacity you'll need.
Height of lifting pad
Car jacks must be placed under the vehicle to reach the appropriate lifting points. The jack will not be able to lift your vehicle if it is too low. A good rule of thumb is to use a lift pad about an inch lower than the distance from the ground to the lift point. But, if you own a truck, you'll need a larger raise pad, or you'll be pumping the whole day just to get to the frame.
Maximum height
It is no use if your jack cannot lift your car off the ground. Cars shouldn't face this issue, but lifted truck and SUV models do. The frame or axle lift point must be within the jack's maximum height range, and the jack must extend higher than necessary to accommodate the "droop" travel of the suspension. When the suspension is completely extended, that's how far the wheel descends in relation to the car's frame.
Types of Car Jacks
There are many types of car jacks. Here are the four most common one
Scissor jack
Most cars come with a scissor jack already installed. Turning a lengthy screw brings the scissors' legs together. As the legs are brought closer together, they likewise grow taller. While these jacks work and require minimal effort, they are only meant for use in an emergency. Use one of these only for emergency roadside tire repairs, and never reach beneath your car while standing on a scissor jack.
Floor jack
This is the most popular type of car jack, and you can use it for various tire changes, repairs, and maintenance tasks. It relies on hydraulic pressure, making heavy lifting much easier than it would be otherwise. The car jack includes four wheels that allow for easy positioning beneath the vehicle and a long handle for easy operation. Floor jacks may be enormous, cumbersome, and heavy, but this is not much of an issue on a smooth concrete floor.
Bottle jack
As their name implies, these jacks resemble bottles. They are slim and small, with the lifting mechanism protruding vertically from the jack's body. These jacks have far larger weight capabilities than floor jacks, but because they can only be used vertically, they are less stable than floor jacks while lifting a car.
Hi-lift jack
Jacks of this type are intended for use with higher chassis vehicles, such as off-road vehicles. These have various lift capabilities that are truck-ready and can elevate automobiles as high as five feet. Its average length is almost four feet, while its shortest one averages three feet. This makes them difficult to transport in a standard vehicle trunk, yet they are often critical for usage in rural and remote settings.
Top Picks
Best Overall:
Pro-Lift Hydraulic Car Jack
Extra-Wide Base:
Big Red Car Jack
Smooth Mobility:
Pro-Lift F-2315pe Car Jack
Maximum Load Capacity:
Blackhawk Fast Lift Car Jack
Innovative Ratchet Technology:
Amvia Scissor Car Jack
A car jack should have a rating of at least 75 percent of the vehicle's gross weight. Following this logic, a jack rated at 1.5 tons (3,000 pounds) could theoretically raise a vehicle weighing up to 4,000 pounds.
How many jack stands will I need?
You need two jack stands to raise a vehicle by only one end. If you need to raise the entire car, you'll need four jack stands. Heavy plywood helps keep them from sinking on soft ground like asphalt or grass.
Would it be okay if I left my car on a jack overnight?
There is a distinction between jacks and jack stands. Even though you may keep cars on jack stands for days or even weeks at a time, you should know that all jacks are prone to breaking since their function is to raise and lower, not to hold.
