jon dawes Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 i used the search tool and didn't find anything [also you can't search by title only, which seems a weekness of the search function]. SO. . . my current crafstman floor jack is too heavy, too tall to get under the car, and overkill at 3 tons. any recommendations for a lightweight, 2 ton, low profile racing jack? i've looked at northern tool and harbor freight, but the price range is like $65 to $2,000!!!! thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getfast Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I can tell you that this $200 Craftsman works GREAT: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?pid=00950239000 Hope it helps, Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I have a similar jack to the craftsman unit jon shared above that my wife purchased at Costco for me for a little less. I also use this jack to get under lowered cars to make room for the larger jack. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11186866&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US If you get a 2ton jack that has an aluminum body, you'll be in good shape. Try HarborFreight in Maryland as well they have an aluminum jack. Dont forget to get a decent torque wrench too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon dawes Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 yeah, my current tork rench leaves something to be desired. . . mostly a GOOD tork rench . it's a craftsman but it's a needle type not a click type. works for the lugs which is all i really use it for. thanks for the heads up and i'll check those leads out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 nothing wrong with the needle type torque wrenches. THat is alot better than nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon dawes Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 my problem with it was trying to torque the LCAs and relocation bracket bolts to 129. i couldn't get the car high enough to get any clearance or the right radius, or leverage for that matter, i needed for the wrench. i ended up taking it to goodyear and putting it on their drive on lift and we finally got them torqued. now i'm not so sure the pinion angle is ideal, but that's another issue for another thread. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_2kgt Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 You are not going to find a 'cheap' 'lightweight' 'good' racing jack. Pick 2 of the 3. You can get a used NASCAR jack that will be 2 of those, it runs about $800 though. No I do not consider the harborfreight/sears jacks 'racing' jacks. A 50lb jack is not a 'racing' jack, it's a low profile jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I tightened my LCA mounting bolts with a huge wrench and a long handled breaker bar and socket to something in the ball park of really freaking tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon dawes Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 (edited) You are not going to find a 'cheap' 'lightweight' 'good' racing jack. Pick 2 of the 3. You can get a used NASCAR jack that will be 2 of those, it runs about $800 though. No I do not consider the harborfreight/sears jacks 'racing' jacks. A 50lb jack is not a 'racing' jack, it's a low profile jack. chad, sorry about the use of the word "racing". obviously my lexicon still needs remediation. i just need something that will get under the car without having to drive it on wood blocks and that weighs less than my current one which is just enough to almost give me a hernia every time i pick it up (just for the record i don't think i ever said 'cheap' ) Edited July 2, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon dawes Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 I tightened my LCA mounting bolts with a huge wrench and a long handled breaker bar and socket to something in the ball park of really freaking tight. and that's the thing, how abso-smurfly important are those specs other than "really friggin tight"?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibscreen Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 You are not going to find a 'cheap' 'lightweight' 'good' racing jack. Pick 2 of the 3. You can get a used NASCAR jack that will be 2 of those, it runs about $800 though. No I do not consider the harborfreight/sears jacks 'racing' jacks. A 50lb jack is not a 'racing' jack, it's a low profile jack. So what characteristics make a jack a "racing" jack? I'd say anyone who got a NASCAR quality jack for club racing is seriously misallocating their resources. I first got the 1.5 aluminum craftsman racing jack, and it was still too heavy for taking to the track. So I keep that at home and then got the small Harbor Freight aluminum racing jack for $75 on sale, and it's been great. Very light and portable. The only down side is it only jacks up to 14", but it's perfect for the track cause I mainly use it just to to jack up the side of the car to change tires. Here's the link to the one I have http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91039 So the real question is what are you using the jack for? If you want one all around jack that's cheap, I'd say go with the larger Harbor Freight aluminum jack, which was still pretty light, so it can be taken to the track easily but also serve all your purposes at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 ... sorry about the use of the word "racing". obviously my lexicon still needs remediation. ... LOL....Your Lexicon needs honing grasshoppah ! Most newbies and squids mistakenly call everything "racing". Once you work your way through NASA's HPDE and become more familiar with Grassroots level "racing"...you'll see what it's all about. No worries mate. Its not that important with respect to the big picture. ... how ...important are those specs ... Certain torque specs are critical for good reasons. These are cylinder heads and other motor parts, lug nuts and bolts, etc. Other torque specs are used as a ball park. Many automotive enthusiasts, and professionals for that matter, dont have a clue how much torque is necessary, or what 'X' ft/lbs feels like....this is why it is important to use a torque wrench as often as possible until you know this on your own. But always use a torque wrench for your wheels and dont ever put your wheels on and set the car down without torquing your wheels right away. Every year someone heads out for a hot session and loses a wheel. Dont be that guy. If for some reason you have to walk away from your car before the lugs are torqued, leave the torque wrench in the drivers seat and perhaps have a card made up to put on the steering wheel as a failsafe reminder. (much like shops that have the "no oil" signs to keep motors from being started w/o oil). One of my contacts just sent me this video link. Dont be this guy: http://www.biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=3198 warning, there may NSFW content elsewhere beyond that link. Simple yes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_2kgt Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 You are not going to find a 'cheap' 'lightweight' 'good' racing jack. Pick 2 of the 3. You can get a used NASCAR jack that will be 2 of those, it runs about $800 though. No I do not consider the harborfreight/sears jacks 'racing' jacks. A 50lb jack is not a 'racing' jack, it's a low profile jack. So what characteristics make a jack a "racing" jack? I'd say anyone who got a NASCAR quality jack for club racing is seriously misallocating their resources. I first got the 1.5 aluminum craftsman racing jack, and it was still too heavy for taking to the track. So I keep that at home and then got the small Harbor Freight aluminum racing jack for $75 on sale, and it's been great. Very light and portable. The only down side is it only jacks up to 14", but it's perfect for the track cause I mainly use it just to to jack up the side of the car to change tires. Here's the link to the one I have http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91039 So the real question is what are you using the jack for? If you want one all around jack that's cheap, I'd say go with the larger Harbor Freight aluminum jack, which was still pretty light, so it can be taken to the track easily but also serve all your purposes at home. Typically a 'racing' jack is lightweight, 15lbs. or so, 1.5 ton, low profile and can lift the car off the ground in 1 pump. Everything else that's been mentioned is a low profile jack. Nobody would seriously take a 1.5 ton craftsman over a pit wall during a 'race'. Oh BTW did you know the 3 ton craftstman is actually LIGHTER than the 1.5 ton, only a few lbs but still pretty interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon dawes Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 holy sh!t!!!! i guess just because you have an rx7 turbo with fancy wheels and r compound tires doesn't necessarily mean you remember to TIGHTEN the lugs and not just gingerly "place" them on the stud. i should have said light weight, low profile, and able to lift my overweight S197 is what i'm looking for in a jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Corkran Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 I like that the RX7 driver appears to have set the parking brake before exiting the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 ...able to lift my overweight S197 ... Then you dont want the 75$ 1.5T jack. I have one and it strains to pick up anything over 2500#. I use that jack only to pick the car up enough to get the real jack under it, nothing more. Spend the money and get the craftsman aluminum jack. It is fairly light weight and they are sturdy enough for serious use in the paddock. There are several in the mustang paddock that get used at every event. Yeah, too bad the dipsh*t didnt secure his wheels. Kind of funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAC Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 I have a similar jack to the craftsman unit jon shared above that my wife purchased at Costco for me for a little less. I also use this jack to get under lowered cars to make room for the larger jack. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11186866&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US If you get a 2ton jack that has an aluminum body, you'll be in good shape. Try HarborFreight in Maryland as well they have an aluminum jack. Dont forget to get a decent torque wrench too. Problem with that jack is it doesn't lift high enough for all my purposes. I'd look for a jack that lifts in the 19-inch range. There are Crafsman jacks that do that and are light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 ...that jack ...doesn't lift high enough ... look for a jack that lifts in the 19-inch range. ... Sometimes, you have to get what is available to you easily. If that is the case and you need a little more jacking height, use blocks of wood pre cut into squares for this purpose. Not only does this give you more height, it also reduces jack marks on the under carriage and distributes the jacking force over a larger area. Using jack stands (you always use stands, right?) it is possible to make this a 2 stage operation where by the car is jacked up and set on a stand, lower the jack, then 2 blocks of wood are placed on the jack head for the extra (approx) 3" of height. Raise the stand to the new height and set the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon dawes Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 if no one's looking, i just use my wand to get the car in the air then place my jack stands and lower the car onto them. but if there are people around, it's too much hassle trying to explain a floating car. . . damn nosey neighbors! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 what do you typically eat for breakfast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorrFam Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 NO Renntag Your bride will not buy you a box of Jumbo Captain Chocolate Sugar Bombs with 30g of polysorbateglucosamineacidophilous per spoon full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAC Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 ...that jack ...doesn't lift high enough ... look for a jack that lifts in the 19-inch range. ... Sometimes, you have to get what is available to you easily. If that is the case and you need a little more jacking height, use blocks of wood pre cut into squares for this purpose. Not only does this give you more height, it also reduces jack marks on the under carriage and distributes the jacking force over a larger area. Using jack stands (you always use stands, right?) it is possible to make this a 2 stage operation where by the car is jacked up and set on a stand, lower the jack, then 2 blocks of wood are placed on the jack head for the extra (approx) 3" of height. Raise the stand to the new height and set the car. You're making this way harder. A jack with a bigger range is the simpleset way. If you already own a jack that only jacks up 14 inches, then sure, finagle away. I think this guy is looking to buy one new, so I suggest one with a greater range of lift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 NO Renntag Your bride will not buy you a box of Jumbo Captain Chocolate Sugar Bombs with 30g of polysorbateglucosamineacidophilous per spoon full. Paul, you kill me....lol. Sometimes, you have... what is available... easily. ... You're making this way harder. Am I? we had a question. we have some solutions and brilliant suggestions ( yours too I might add). And then lastly I happen to quote your suggestion and state essentially: "by the way....if you are not able to get the uber lift mondo jack....you can also do this _______. So dont fret kiddies, where there is a will, there is a way......" But alas, you are right....for those that stand there lit a fire with burning flesh not able to decide which extinguisher is best for there type of fire....it is best to have but one solution. sorry. A jack with a bigger range is the simpleset way. .... By all means it is definitely the simpleset way. I can not argue that at all. GAC: you have PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon dawes Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 wheatabix and horrible instant coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Corkran Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 At least one person I know has a very simple solution that meets all his requirements. Dirt cheap little trolley jack, blocks of wood, and... let his "crew" deal with all the hassles. Even simpler than northy's magic wand (is it a low profile lightweight aluminum "racing" wand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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