14 replies to this topic

[ds968]

the oem jack sucks, IMO, so I've been looking for a compact, extremely lightweight scissors jack I can keep in the spare tire compartment to use in case I ever need to fix a flat and the wheel has to come off for easier access to the trouble spot ( I don't carry the spare tire anymore ) .. problem is all the auto parts stores I checked carry the same, standard scissors jacks and they're too big and too heavy. online search has not identified anything else either.. pretty much all the same stuff everywhere.

any idea who might sell an mini-jack ( I'm thinking around 8" x 3" collapsed ) aluminium or other light compound jack which weighs maybe just a couple of lbs, but still strong enough to keep our car up for as long as it may take to fix the tire.. ?

[Anchorman]

I have a scissor jack in my trunk - it lays in the spare tire compartment and does the job. I've had it for several years, so I don't remember where I got it, but I'll look and see if it has any identifying marks.

[PorscheDude]

How about a small bottle jack?

Or how about one from a BMW? They are a little dangerous but easy to use.


Another option is to search eBay for jacks from wrecked cars, and see if you can find something you like better.

Edited by PorscheDude, 31 March 2009 - 01:57 PM.

[ds968]

there were a couple of hydraulic bottle jacks which looked small enough, but those things not only lift a ton, they weigh a ton !

i'll look at the other things as well - it's not as if I'm getting under the vehicle so safety is not an issue, I just don't want to damage the car if that thing slips off its position ..which is a huge risk with our oem jacks if you ask me- horrible design !

[gryphon]

What would be cool is a 12v powered mini-jack. But perhaps they are too heavy?

http://www.jackstool...ty - No Pumping!

Tom

[ds968]

I'm thinking there's either something wrong with my oem jack or my car's "gravel guards" angle ( and it's likely the latter ) I tried it again this morning and there's absolutely no way to lift the car even one inch without serious damage to the body . With the "ball" of the jack pefectly in the designated hole, and no matter at what angle the foot of the jack is placed, the jack's winding rod actually touches the car's body. The slightest turn to lift the car and it will put a groove in the body ! WTF ? This is too weird !

[ds968]

Bob had the answer - I lowered my car, so the angle on this jack won't do it anymore.. makes you think if you have a flat you're about as low as my car is now, so how does anyone work thse things ?!

[xrad]

ebay... i found a small scissor jack with a post for 20$

[ds968]

dang it, I keep forgetting about ebay and craigs list - will check those out, thx

[cosimo]

I replaced my jack with a scissors type and I believe I got it from Sears. Fits in the trunk and is small enough to fit under the car jack points.

[benspeeder]

This question is sort of on topic. I generally put my car up on four jack stands and use the factory jack mounts for the stands.

Where are you guys jacking up the car when not using the factory location? I used the frame rail once and made a small dent - not cool. Next time I put a piece of oak between the jack and the rail and that seemed to work OK but I bet it won't work on the lowered race car when that gets finished up and lowered.

Any suggestions?

[ds968]

This may be as good as it's going to get for the time being, unless I'll discover the holy grail of scissors jacks at some point in the future.. I just bought a pretty compact one made by " Duralast " which I believe is actually Autozone's own brand : 2 ton capacity, about 3" height collapsed, maybe 12" length, and the hand-o-meter scale estimates about 3 or 4 lbs.. it's in the car, I'm at the office so have not taken exact measurements, but it's by far the smallest one I found anywhere, including on line searches.. going in the 968's trunk this evening
Good to know I have something to lift the car now if I need it but hopefully ( knock on wood) my luck will continue - never had a flat in either the Porsches or MBZs for the last thirty years .

Edited by ds968, 15 April 2009 - 08:42 AM.

[Ryan]

Remember the bladders that hooked up to the exhaust pipe to inflate? I never saw one in person, but a fun idea. I don't think one would work with the tips we have anyway.

[Steve Eckhart]

Has anyone ever actually used the OEM jack? My wife came home today with a flat, left rear tire. So, I think, no big deal, I'll change it. I pull out the jack and put it in at the illustrated jacking point. I start to turn the handle. Before the rear tire was off the ground at all, the jack started to slip. So, I guess it's off to Auto Zone (or NAPA or somewhere) to buy a new jack. I guess I'm taking the Acura to work tomorrow.

[gryphon]

Has anyone ever actually used the OEM jack? My wife came home today with a flat, left rear tire. So, I think, no big deal, I'll change it. I pull out the jack and put it in at the illustrated jacking point. I start to turn the handle. Before the rear tire was off the ground at all, the jack started to slip. So, I guess it's off to Auto Zone (or NAPA or somewhere) to buy a new jack. I guess I'm taking the Acura to work tomorrow.

Yea, it's about as lousy as you describe. But for about a $100 you can buy a very nice aluminum jack at Costco. Mine is excellent and light enough that I can hang it on wall hooks when not in use.

Tom