Recommended jack, for home garage or trunk?

[S-2000 Roadster]

Hi folks,

I've been using an old screw jack from my Honda CRX, and it's getting more difficult to lift the Roadster. Actually, my CRX got stolen, and when recovered my original jack was gone. So what I actually have is a replacement from a junk yard that had a bent screw and despite oiling before every use is still too difficult to turn.

Anyway, to get past the long story, I'm here wondering whether anyone has a particular brand of car jack to recommend. I have a huge jack for my truck, but it won't fit under the Roadster. Also, if I'm going to buy something, it might be handy to get the smallest, lightest option that might travel well in the trunk (in case of emergency). Well, that, and it would actually have to be low-profile enough to fit under the low chassis of the Roadster.

Any favorites? Recommendations?

Brian

 

[Doug_G]

See What equipment do people recommend to change tires at home?

 

[S-2000 Roadster]

I went to Harbor Freight and learned a couple of things:

A) The lowest scissor jack is 4-5/8" tall, but the Roadster seems to have only about 4-3/8" clearance.
B) The cheapest scissor jack, at $19, warns not to use it if the load is less than 6" high - I think this explains why my old scissor jack is so difficult to crank. It makes sense that the force on the screw threads would have really poor leverage when the jack is almost flat. This gives me the impression that a scissor jack may be a bad choice all around for the Roadster. Any comments?

I'm avoiding hydraulic jack technology because I've had bad luck with the seals in my Craftsman "professional" jack, and the thing never works when I need it. It might work after it warms up, but I always seem to need it when it's snowing. Plus, I don't know how to upgrade the seals in a hydraulic jack so that they're more reliable. My neighbor says it's a common problem. I may have to get the hydraulic one at Harbor Freight anyway and take my chances that their brand is better than Craftsman. I'm going to try first to find that lightweight Porsche aluminum jack that someone mentioned, but I'll have to wait until the Porsche dealer opens tomorrow.

Thank you for the link to that Off Topic in the General Forum. I scanned the entire history and found some useful information. However, it seemed to bounce between Model S and Roadster, whereas I see the Roadster as a very special case because of its low clearance. For general subjects, I'll participate in the existing thread, but I'd like to continue discussion here that is specific to the Roadster.

 

[jory]

i have a really old floor jack (1950s maybe? ) that was a wee bit too high to fit under the roadster when i had a flat tire.

i drove the flat tire up onto a piece of 2"x4" which raised the car enough to clear/use the floor jack (with a niece thick piece of rubber on top to cushion between the jack and the car.)

once the new tire was on, i had enough clearance to just lower the car to the ground, but i could have lowered it onto the 2"x4" again if i needed additional clearance for a taller jack.

did a version of the same thing at the tire place for the other side tire (their floor jack was higher than mine and wouldn't fit under the roadster even with an inflated tire.)

Hi folks,

I've been using an old screw jack from my Honda CRX, and it's getting more difficult to lift the Roadster. Actually, my CRX got stolen, and when recovered my original jack was gone. So what I actually have is a replacement from a junk yard that had a bent screw and despite oiling before every use is still too difficult to turn.

Anyway, to get past the long story, I'm here wondering whether anyone has a particular brand of car jack to recommend. I have a huge jack for my truck, but it won't fit under the Roadster. Also, if I'm going to buy something, it might be handy to get the smallest, lightest option that might travel well in the trunk (in case of emergency). Well, that, and it would actually have to be low-profile enough to fit under the low chassis of the Roadster.

Any favorites? Recommendations?

Brian

 

[wiztecy]

At home I have a low profile aluminum jack, fits under the roadster well:
Amazon.com: Rapid Pump 1-1/2 Ton Compact Aluminum Racing Jack: Home Improvement

In the Roadster that's packed inside my emergency roadside duffel bag I have packed an aluminum Porsche jack. It fits under the roadster as well. I paid $55 for that on ebay. If you do buy one, there's two types. This one that has the pertruding bump at the top which rests on the roadster. This is the one to get. The other is ment to grab the custom side rails on the porsche and it may not work for us. You may be able to get it to work by mounting a rubber pad on the top. As for the one I bought with the dimple on top, just be sure to also go to the hardware store and by a bumper to go over the aluminum bump that'll be contacting the roadster. Kinda resembles the rubber stop at the bottom of a crutch. The one I bought at ACE fit perfectly overtop and has a press fit to it. Here's the porsche jack I have:

Porsche 944 944s Turbo Aluminum Car Jack + Handle

I'll try to get better pics showing the top.

Last but not least, ALWAYS jack on the dedicated jack areas that are marked on the roadster.

 

[dwegmull]

When searching for a suitable jack, look for a "racing jack". This is appears to be the industry's technical term for low profile jacks that fit under low slung sports cars.
For garage use, I would (and I'm about to) get the one with the highest capacity that fits your budget. If you want something that's portable (to take to track days, etc), then a 1.5 to 2 tons should be fine for the Roadster...

 

[pgwoosley]

Harbor Freight has a good racing jack that is often on sale. Check ads in automotive magazines and "Parade" magazine in the Sunday edition of major newspapers, and subscribe to Harbor Freight's email offers.

I have used it for removing and replacing inflated tires on my Roadster (in the process of putting on new tires).

As for for a travel jack, one to check out is the one that came with Acura NSXes. I have not actually tried it on the Texla, but I remember it being very low profile.

 

[S-2000 Roadster]

Good information, guys. Thanks.

Harbor Freight does carry the same Pittsburgh Automotive racing jack that wiztecy has. It's not the cheapest (low profile costs more than a higher weight rating), but it might go on sale.

When I visited the Porsche dealer, they recommended against their aluminum jack because it's made for emergency use and might not stand up to repeated use. That, and it costs over $100 at the dealer. Still, I might get one used...
They also told me that the Harbor Freight product quality is not so great and that I should shop elsewhere, like Griot's Garage.

 

[7racer]

I've had my HF race jack for years. There certainly are better quality ones out there but these get the job done. I have my RX-7 completely up off the ground on jack stands all with the HF jack.
Only thing is that it will not fit in your trunk! It's also pretty hefty.

 

[Fabrizio]

I have a GM Goodwrench 2-ton trolley jack (GM7002). It is a low profile jack that works with Corvettes. I don't know the cost because I won it as a door prize. It is a hydrolic floor jack, but it is robust. I even had the Tesla Road Warriors use it to their satisfaction.

It looks as if this is now sold at K-Mart or Sears as a GM Goodwrench Performance floor jack. The prices I saw were between $50 - $80.

 

[brianman]

I have a GM Goodwrench 2-ton trolley jack (GM7002). It is a low profile jack that works with Corvettes. I don't know the cost because I won it as a door prize. It is a hydrolic floor jack, but it is robust. I even had the Tesla Road Warriors use it to their satisfaction.

It looks as if this is now sold at K-Mart or Sears as a GM Goodwrench Performance floor jack. The prices I saw were between $50 - $80.

Is it this one?
GM Performance Parts 2 Ton Hydraulic Trolley Jack - Tools - Mechanics & Auto Tools - Lift Equipment & Jacks

 

[wiztecy]

One thing I don't see on the jack above is a rubber pad. If you do use a jack that has no rubber pad between the roadster's bottom pan and the jack's surface you may incur some damage to the roadster's pan from the 4 pressure points of the jack head. If this is the case, use a rubber bumper/pad to cushion it. The jack I have has a stopper, the one I placed in my trunk I added a rubber stopper.

I also had that jack above, bought it from Kragen (which I hate that shop), and it was pure junk. I wouldn't trust being under the thing nor lift a vehicle I love. What do you get in a jack for $24 right!?

 

[Fabrizio]

Yes that is the jack.

 

[smorgasbord]

If you can afford a Roadster, you might want to get this jack: 2-Ton Ultra Low Profile Floor Jack from Griot's Garage.

 

[dsm363]

If you can afford a Roadster, you might want to get this jack: 2-Ton Ultra Low Profile Floor Jack from Griot's Garage.

View attachment 9045

Would that work with the Model S as well? I talks about lifting 4,000 lbs. I'd like to only buy one jack for both cars if possible.

 

[Doug_G]

The Model S weighs over 4000 lbs obviously, but I'm pretty sure you're not going to be able to get ALL of that weight onto a single jack!

 

[dsm363]

The Model S weighs over 4000 lbs obviously, but I'm pretty sure you're not going to be able to get ALL of that weight onto a single jack!

That's what I figured but I'd hate to find out the hard way. Looks like it'd work.

 

[wycolo]

> {Doug_G]: The Model S weighs over 4000 lbs

so you only need a 2 ton jack. Doesn't even have to be low-profile since the ModelS can lift itself up to 6 inches.
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[jerry33]

You should really only need a jack stand for the Model S. Lift the suspension up, insert the jack stand, lower the suspension and tires lift off the ground (and way more safely than using a jack).

 

[wycolo]

You should really only need a jack stand for the Model S. Lift the suspension up, insert the jack stand, lower the suspension and tires lift off the ground (and way more safely than using a jack).

Really?? That would be nice, but I'd expect only that the suspension would just sit on the ground, and you'd have to jack the susp up to change a tire. Is there an onboard air compressor in the ModelS just for this purpose, UniMog style??
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