

Instead, you should always support the weight of your vehicle with car stands. It is important to note also, that your jack is designed to raise your vehicle up, but not to remain in place, holding it there. For example, if you want to jack up your standard four-door family sedan, then a jack that can raise at least 1500kg would suffice, but obviously a 2000kg jack would be better. That said, since you aren't usually going to lift your entire vehicle with a single jack, it is safe to use a jack that can lift at least a third of your vehicle's weight - although it is always better to err on the side of caution and use as large a jack as you have available. What size jack do I need?Īll jacks are rated for a certain maximum load, and it is absolutely imperative that you never lift anything that exceeds this weight. These jacks are best used in garages, workshops and the like, since there is a risk of them rolling on uneven surfaces, and they are generally a bit too large and unwieldy for emergency use on the side of the road or carrying around in your car. Trolley jacks, as their name would imply, come equipped with a set of castors or trolley wheels and as a result, they can be easily moved from job to job and correctly positioned beneath a jacking point a lot easier. Like bottle jacks, trolley jacks utilise hydraulic pressure to raise their load, which is also achieved by simply pumping a lever and which makes them similarly easy to use. They are reliable, manoeuvrable and stable, as well as available in a variety of different sizes, shapes and materials - making them very versatile.

Sometimes called floor jacks or garage jacks, these are the staple of almost every workshop and have been for some time. Bottle jacks are usually used on heavier equipment such as 4wds, trucks and tractors. This means that they should only be used on level surfaces, and it can limit their suitability for side-of-the-road emergency use or for use on low vehicles.

The main drawbacks however are that a bottle jack isn't usually as stable as other jack types due to their smaller footprint and vertical design and that they are usually pretty tall to begin with. They are generally pretty compact and portable, and can be capable of lifting surprisingly heavy loads. These jacks use hydraulic force applied by pumping a lever to raise your vehicle, which makes them fairly low-effort to use. This does mean that they are somewhat arduous to use though, and so a scissor jack is better kept for emergency wheel changes as opposed to everyday workshop use. Unlike the other types, these don't use hydraulic pressure to lift your car, but rather a simple screw mechanism which generally makes them light and compact. Most cars come with one of these jacks stored in a compartment in the boot. There are three basic types of jack that are commonly available and each one is designed to be used in particular situations, so simply select the type of jack that most excels in the area that you require. In order to work out what sort of jack is best for you, it's important to first consider where and when you are likely to be using your jack. To begin with, let's look at the basic types of jacks you'll likely encounter, and explain what each one is best designed to tackle.

In this article we'll cover the types of jacks and lifting solutions available, as well as some of the related accessories and safety tips that can help to make working beneath your car a lot safer and more comfortable. For these reasons, it's recommended that you invest in a suitable jack early on, but with the wide variety of jacks and hoists on offer it can be hard to figure out exactly what's best for you. In fact, with a decent jack and car stands on hand you can pretty much transform any hard and flat surface into an impromptu workshop. No properly equipped garage is complete without a safe and reliable method for raising vehicles off the ground and keeping them there whilst you work underneath.
