what's with floor jacks?
 

Hey looking for floor jacks, what type are you using and why? Aluminum worth the extra cost and are they durable?? I know they can be expensive, any trustworthy but economical ones?

i have 2 harbor freight racing jacks made by american general (i think). ive had them for over 3yrs now no issue.

wait, US General.. lol

here's one on sale:

3000 Lb. Capacity Aluminum Racing Jack

US General, but made in china. good ol harbour freight!

more than half of your house is made in china. yay!

An aluminum jack is easier to push around. If you've ever tried to slide around a 100lb jack you'll know that lightness is a nice feature. The heavier it is the more difficult to make fine adjustments in position.

The hydraulics can fail on a jack over time so it's up to you to determine how important that is an spend accordingly.

I bought a 3000 lb aluminum Craftsman jack. Was not cheap (although I got it on sale). The handle splits in half and the bottom portion of the jacking handle is padded. This allows me to get under the rear diff and jack up the back all at once.

Sorry Professor Dave but don't get a Craftsman. I love Craftsman but I refuse to get another jack from them. I paid $200 for one of their aluminum jacks, barely used it, and the hydraulic seal went bad. Mine was out of warranty. They won't fix them either. My friend owns a shop and he has worn out about 20 of them for the same reason. Only positive being that he wears them out within 3 months so he just takes them under warranty. Check the internet. Other people have had the same issues.

I have US General aluminum one now. I have had it about a year and no issues.

I got lucky and was able to get mine replaced after 3 years. They gave me a new one, it still works great and I use it all the time.

Now you tell me!

I've read the same thing on the net. Kinda surprising as Craftsman positions itself as a reliable brand. Does anyone make anything decent nowadays, or are all mfg's aiming for the bottom of the bargain bin?

I read this issue too, someone suggested craftsman b/c Sears sells them, no shipping required. I'll have to check out US General, thxs.

Sears (Craftsman) typically have good products. I have a garage full of their stuff. The jack is the only tool I have ever had issues with. Knock on wood.

I had the exact same experience. Craftsman jack lasted about two and a hlaf years with very little actual use. seal went bad and jack was out of warranty.

Omega 29023. Only 2.5 inches tall and a reach of 42". This will slide right up in for the rear diff and the front crossmember.

http://www.northerntool.com/images/p...44795_1_lg.jpg

^^ show off.

/\ LOL, yeah the omega would be nice but overkill for my purpose...seems like no one sell decent floor jacks here and i'll have to ship from States :(

I bought an AC Hydraulics DK13HLQ. It's an incredibly nice jack, but you pay a pretty penny for it.

ACJACKS.com-Automotive Floor Jacks, Jack Stands, and Accessories

Nissan 370Z Forum - daleks's Album: AC Hydraulic DK13HLQ

So how do you position the floor jack from the side of the Z to lift it? With that flat round lift area on the jack, it wouldn't work well on the lip of the car where the OEM jack is supposed to go, would it?

The rubber pad works fine on the pinch welds. I also only use the garage lift points (front cross-member, rear diff housing) to raise the car.

I put a little piece of wood on the platform to clear the rail.

The AC jack that dalek has his a great piece. I think the Omega is a good alternative on the cheap though if you can't spend $800. Both jacks are great because you can reach the garage lift points from front and back. Makes lifting the car and then placing jack stands at the pinch welds much easier.

I bought this one about a year ago from Summit Racing.. absolutely awesome..

Summit Racing SUM-G1020 - Summit Racing® Low-Profile Hydraulic Floor Jacks - Overview - SummitRacing.com

I picked up mine for just under $600. This included the rubber pad and a 12" extension for the handle (not installed yet), which are normally not included. The price also included shipping as well as in-state sales tax (shipper was on the other side of the state). I think I bought it at a time when the EUR to USD rate was pretty good and now it's spiked back up again. The unit is imported from Denmark. Honestly if I had a bigger garage I would've just spent a little more on a full lift.

I originally purchased an Omega knockoff from Amazon. The company was called Advanced Tool Design. It was $250 with free shipping. When it arrived the box was pulverized, the oil breather plug was installed prior to shipping (rather than the actual plug) so everything was covered in oil, and the unit didn't sit level on my garage floor. It worked, but I didn't have confidence in it over the long haul so I sent it back. I'm sure a real Omega would've faired better.

I was planning to get the AC but the handle is too long to use in my garage when I have 2 cars in there. So this is why I got the one I have because I can use half of the lenght of the handle when use the regular lift points, use the full extended handle when I lift from the diff or crossmember. :p

I picked up one of these about a year ago for oil changes and tire rotations...... small, light, cheap, and has worked great so far. Even if the seals go out on it in 2 years its still a great deal for how much use I've gotten out of it.

$600-800 is aliitle rich for me, different if I owned a garage or worked on cars alot...US General ones more to my liking.

/\ with this one, will it lift up high enough so you can place jack stands underneath?

US General FTW:tup:@ Harbor Freight

Made in the USA floor jack
 

Sears Crapsman, Omega, Pro-Lift = Shinn Fu America - Chinese S*!T. I haven't met anyone that has bought one of their floor jacks since 2001 that has lasted over a year. The hydraulic seals will go out and you have a nice boat anchor. Reseach it on google and see for yourself!
I never liked AL material floor jacks, too weak.
I got me a nice USA made Milwaukee Hydraulics model 40 this past Xmas. It is built to last. Now keep in mind, you will pay for this jack, over $900 shipped to your CONUS address, but well worth it.