For car owners, having a flat tyre is a common occurrence that they cannot avoid. It can be very frustrating if this happens in a remote area and when you are unprepared.
But dealing with a flat tyre is easy with the right equipment. A car jack is one of the tools you should always have tucked away, ready to handle a flat tyre and any other emergency.
Whether you want to carry out regular maintenance or inspect brakes, various types of car jacks make work easier.
Lifting up the car makes working underneath it safe. However, you need to be cautious when buying a car jack. Not all car jacks are designed equally.
Some are designed to handle more weight than others. If you choose the wrong car jack, your safety will be in jeopardy.
What are the different types of carjacks that exist today?
You must understand the types of car jacks available to increase your chances of purchasing the correct car jack.
Here are the different types of car jacks that exist today.
Scissor Jacks
They are the most common and affordable type of car jack. Because they are lightweight, most auto manufacturers include them in new cars.
This type of jack uses a hand crank to lift the car. They can raise a vehicle to a distance of 15-30 inches. But to create the lift, you must place the jack under the jack point.
After that, you must spin the crank clockwise to create the lift. After you are done, you can 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
Floor jacks utilize horizontal cylinders and a long lever to create a lift. Unlike scissor jacks, they 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 can lift vehicles between two and four tons.
Floor and have wheels and sit low on the ground, making them suitable 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 that is triggered when the jack is in use. They are the most suitable for operating on gravel or dirt as they don’t slip easily.
Bottle Jacks
They operate more like a hydraulic floor jack. You just need to pump the handle to create a lift force. But bottle jacks are the best for holding more weight and lifting.
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 use them, you must 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 can still be suitable for a tyre change.
Unlike other jacks, such as floor jacks, the high-lift jack does not utilize hydraulics. Instead, it uses a lever to raise the jack.
However, when using the farm jack, you must put it under a secure anchor point like the bumper. 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 for carrying around in your vehicle. However, you can mount them at the back of your vehicle as a great addition to an off-road rig.
For safe car lifting, find quick jacks here.
Exhaust Air Jacks
These unique jacks inflate using the air from your car’s exhaust. 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 carrying them in your car easy.
Pneumatic Jack
They produce more lift than the other types 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 jack. A slight mistake while jacking your vehicle could put your safety in jeopardy. Thus, it is important to park your car on level ground when using car jack stands.
You must also ensure that the vehicle is secured with a wood block and that the correct jack points are found.
You Now Know Different Types of Car Jacks That Exist Today
The best car jacks can make your work easier and safer. However, you must first understand the various types of car jacks to pick the right one.
Read the above guide and discover the various types of car jacks today.
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