What Are the Different Types of Car Jacks That Exist Today?
As a car owner having a flat tire is a common occurrence that you cannot avoid. If this happens in a remote area and when you are unprepared, it can be very frustrating.
But if you have the right equipment, dealing with a flat tire is very easy. A car jack is one of the tools you should always have tucked away, ready to handle a flat tire and any other emergency.
Whether you want to carry out regular maintenance or inspect brakes, there are various types of car jacks to make work easier.
By lifting up the car, it makes working underneath your car safe. However, when buying a car jack, you need to be cautious. Not all car jacks are designed equally.
Some are designed to handle more weight than others. If you choose the wrong car jack, your will be putting your safety in jeopardy.
What Are the Different Types of Car Jacks That Exist Today?
To increase your chances of purchasing the right car jack, you have to understand the types of car jacks available out there.
Here are the different types of car jack that exists today.
Scissor Jacks
They are the most common and affordable type of car jacks. They are also lightweight, so most auto manufacturers include them in new cars.
To lift the car, this type of jack uses a hand crank. They can raise a car to a small distance of between 15-30 inches. But to create the lift, you have to place the jack under the jack point.
After that, you need to spin the crank clockwise to create the lift. After you are done, you can then spin the crank in the opposite direction to lower the car.
However, when purchasing the scissor jacks, pay attention to the specs. This is because their size and the amount of weight they can support varies.
Floor or Trolley Jacks
The floor jacks utilize horizontal cylinders and a long lever to create a lift. Unlike scissor jacks, floor jacks are more efficient and safer.
They are mainly used by mechanics and automotive enthusiasts who carry out car repairs in their garages at home. They have the capacity of lifting vehicles that weigh between two to four tons.
Floor jacks have wheels, and they sit low on the ground, making them suitable for use even in tight spots. However, their design makes it quite challenging to store them in your car or carry them around.
Some floor jacks feature an automatic locking brake triggered when the jack is in use. They are the most suitable to use when operating on gravel or dirt as they don’t slip easily.
Bottle Jacks
They operate more the same as the hydraulic floor jack. You just need to pump the handle to create a lift force. But in holding more weight and lifting, bottle jacks are the best.
They can lift a weight ranging from three to fifty tons. However, this depends on the model of the bottle jack you have. They are also preferred more than the floor jacks because of their affordability.
But, their cylinder-shaped design makes them unsuitable for use on low vehicles. If you were to use them, you would need to create a higher starting clearance.
But for the flat surfaces, they reduce potential movement and offer the much-needed lift force.
High-Lift or Farm Jacks
Farm jack is designed to meet the needs of tractors and farm equipment. They are suitable for cars with high clearance where other types of jacks cannot reach.
They are easy to carry in the back of your tractor or jeep. They are mainly used when recovering on a trail, but they can still be suitable for a tire change.
Unlike other jacks, such as the floor jacks, the high lift jack does not utilize hydraulics. They instead use a lever to jack up.
However, you must put it under a secure anchor point like the bumper when using the farm jack. They can lift a car weighing around 7000 pounds to a height of up to five feet.
However, they are too heavy and not suitable to carry around in your vehicle. But you can mount them at the back of your vehicle as a great addition to an off-road rig.
For safe car lifting, find quickjacks here.
Exhaust Air Jacks
They are unique jacks because they use the air from your car’s exhaust to inflate. They come with a sack attached to the exhaust using a long hose.
You can place the sac at any point below the chassis without worrying about the jack point. After the sack gets inflated, it offers a force that lifts one side of the vehicle.
To deflate the sack, you can use a one-way valve that holds the air. The exhaust air jacks are suitable for off-roaders as they can be used in any terrain. They are also lightweight, making it easy to carry them in your car.
Pneumatic Jack
They produce much lift compared to the other type of car jacks. They are mainly suitable for heavy machinery maintenance such as lifting construction vehicles.
However, you have to be cautious when using any type of jack. A slight mistake while jacking your vehicle and your safety will be in jeopardy. Thus, it’s important to park your car on level ground when using car jack stands.
You must also ensure to secure the vehicle with something like a block of wood and find the correct jack points.
You Now Know Different Types of Car Jacks That Exist Today
The best car jacks can make your work easier and safe. However, to pick the right one, you must first understand the various types of car jacks that exist.
Read the above guide and discover the various types of car jacks that exist today.
Did you find the content in this article helpful? For such great content, keep checking our website.
