Potter
Part of things
'E who dares wins,eh Rodders??!
Posts: 304
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Nov 23, 2010 21:15:12 GMT
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Sup fellas?
So some time ago I bought a Mark 1 Escort and recently lowered it( pics and thread to follow when I can get some decent pics and some time!).
Anyway,I immediately ran into problems when trying to jack it up. My 2 tonne motorfactortastic hydraulic jack is no where near low enough to get under the front cross member or the rear chassis rails and only just squeezes under the diff,(english axle).
I went to look at one of those aluminium Clarke Racing jobbies but it is A) €125 which is a bit much and B) probably not low enough for the front crossmember.
So what do all you lads with super mega low cars do to jack em up?
I was thinking about buying aforementioned jack and turning down the front roller on a lathe to lower it a bit more as I'm trying avoid a lotta faffing about with blocks of wood and half a dozen jacks everytime I need the Scort in the air.
Many thanks!!
Tom
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More cars than sense or money!🙄
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,514
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Nov 23, 2010 21:19:28 GMT
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People will say drive it onto blocks of wood.
Personally I have a scissor jack in the car which I poke under somewhere suitable and lift it high enough to get the trolley jack under. Scissor jack was useful for emergency hard shoulder 2 minute spare trailer-tent wheel replacement when one went pop on the M25 too.
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable. |
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dannyb
South East
Posts: 1,048 
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Nov 23, 2010 21:23:01 GMT
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i also use the factory jack to lift the car enough to get my jack under the car
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Nov 23, 2010 21:25:40 GMT
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Yeah, I just use a scissor jack on the standard jacking point to get it high enough for to get the trolly jack under something structural underneath.
I've never had any issues with the low entry ones at college though, they can't be any more than 65/70mm high, your cross member must be seriously low to not be able to get one under there.
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Jacks and lowness!retrowagen1234
@GUEST
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Nov 23, 2010 21:53:34 GMT
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My standard jack never went under my bug.... Or the metro. Or the bready... All blocks of wood or scissor jack jobbies..
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Potter
Part of things
'E who dares wins,eh Rodders??!
Posts: 304
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Nov 23, 2010 22:06:25 GMT
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Cheers for the replies chaps.
Robin the Clarke thing says it's a 79 mm entry jack.
I definitely have less than that, though not much.
Looks like I'm gonna have to scope out some wood then!
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More cars than sense or money!🙄
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rob0r
East of England
Posts: 2,743
Club RR Member Number: 104
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Jacks and lowness!rob0r
@rob0r
Club Retro Rides Member 104
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Nov 23, 2010 22:29:35 GMT
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Wood blocks and standard jacks, followed by the trolley jack have worked for me. A lot of my cars have been on the bumpstops too...
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E30 320i 3.5 - E23 730 - E3 3.0si - E21 316 M42 - E32 750i
ETC
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Ryannn
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,421
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Nov 23, 2010 22:35:01 GMT
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my mate has a super low mini, he has to use two jacks, i'd personally keep some small bits of wood. Mine's pretty standard but i once had to bump it up a kerb on a slip road when the exhaust fell off... wouldn't fit under for a change :/
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Jacks and lowness!BenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Nov 23, 2010 22:54:42 GMT
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I tend to have various bits of timber in the boot. Failing that, a scissor jack to raise it enough for the proper jack to go under.
I do like those aluminium Clarke floorjacks, they are really nice to use. As you say though, still too high for really low cars. Nice bits of kit all the same.
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Potter
Part of things
'E who dares wins,eh Rodders??!
Posts: 304
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Nov 25, 2010 18:29:33 GMT
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Ah well. At least I don't jack it up often!
Benz,they are gorgeous to look at,so if they're even the tiniest possibility it'll fit I'll have it,if only cos it looks so good in my other wise filthy garage!
Make a nice Chrimbo pressie to myself as well!
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More cars than sense or money!🙄
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Get a mate to help you. One person does a 'guard lift' and the other slides the jack under while he holds it up.
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Lawsy
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,615
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I always carried 2 offcuts of a kitchen worktop with me in the boot, drove onto them, then slid trolly jack under - one of mine before was that low I had to drive on wood just to get a a scissor jack under..
Now I've got the reverse - my trolley jack doesnt reach anything to lift it
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What are those alloy Clarke low entry jacks like quality wise? I was thinking of picking one up next time they do a 'no VAT' event.
A mate has got one, and the seals went weepy so he had to exchange it.
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1967 Morris Traveller 1971 Series IIA Land Rover 1991 Golf GL 4+e 1992 Corrado G60 1986 E28 BMW 528i |
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MrDay
Part of things
Posts: 139
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Get a mate to help you. One person does a 'guard lift' and the other slides the jack under while he holds it up. Ha,Done that a few times over the years,i used to use wood blocks or even bricks in the past! |
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i tend to position myself in the door frame with my shoulders against the top of the door frame and the jack between my legs stand up lifting the car off the ground then kick the jack in with wichever leg i feel i can lift while I'm supporting the weight of the car lol ...
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I usually drive it onto things but I ought to get a scissor jack.
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,712
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Jacks and lowness!Dez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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Nov 26, 2010 10:12:56 GMT
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What are those alloy Clarke low entry jacks like quality wise? I was thinking of picking one up next time they do a 'no VAT' event. A mate has got one, and the seals went weepy so he had to exchange it. they're horrendously curse word. i wouldnt recommend one to anyone, despite their lowness/pretty looks, as i don't think they're safe. me and a mate blew 3 in less than 2 weeks, and machine mart were proper shirty about refunds/exchanges even though they were obviously duff- wanted to send them off to nottingham to be repaired rather than replace them. the last one was unwrapped, used to lift the front end of my b4 passat up (after driving it onto planks) and it the time it took it to go up, change a wheel and down again, it blew the seals  i cant comment on the long term ability of the dubious looking cheap chinese cast aluminium to hold abuse over a proper steel chassis trolley jack, but lets just say you wouldnt catch me sticking my head under a car held up with one!! definately not a durable item by any means. |
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Nov 26, 2010 10:20:27 GMT
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i always carry blocks of wood, they wont crumble like a brick. normally have a pair of differnet size ones not a big fan of sissor jacks really as they can go sideways, scary on a fast road too when the passing traffic rocks the car as your working on it re the alloy jacks ive got 2 which get used most days normally all day. no probs as yet and they are so much lighter than the steel versions had them nearly 2 years  |
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Nov 26, 2010 10:37:06 GMT
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just read dez reply, maybe the new batch are lower quality?
ill check the make of mine when i go down the shed, maybe they use to be better...in the old days... ;D
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Nov 26, 2010 10:38:29 GMT
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What are those alloy Clarke low entry jacks like quality wise? I was thinking of picking one up next time they do a 'no VAT' event. A mate has got one, and the seals went weepy so he had to exchange it. they're horrendously curse word. I wouldnt recommend one to anyone, despite their lowness/pretty looks, as I don't think they're safe. me and a mate blew 3 in less than 2 weeks, and machine mart were proper shirty about refunds/exchanges even though they were obviously duff- wanted to send them off to nottingham to be repaired rather than replace them. the last one was unwrapped, used to lift the front end of my b4 passat up (after driving it onto planks) and it the time it took it to go up, change a wheel and down again, it blew the seals I cant comment on the long term ability of the dubious looking cheap chinese cast aluminium to hold abuse over a proper steel chassis trolley jack, but lets just say you wouldnt catch me sticking my head under a car held up with one!! definately not a durable item by any means. Cheers Dez, confirmed my suspicions. For the thick end of 100 notes I won't bother taking the risk |
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1967 Morris Traveller 1971 Series IIA Land Rover 1991 Golf GL 4+e 1992 Corrado G60 1986 E28 BMW 528i |
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