A jack is an on-board tool needed to lift a load to a certain height. Situations that require a jack, arise very often, so it should always be at hand. Many motorists do not pay enough attention when choosing it, some are quite satisfied with the staffing device included in the vehicle package. In fact, the unit deserves more attention, and you should not save on its purchase.

Today, it is extremely difficult to choose a suitable jack for your car - before, motorists had no difficulty in choosing a question, because there were only three types. At the moment, the car market is full of various models of domestic and foreign companies, each manufacturer puts forward its models with individual characteristics, advantages and design features.

Mounted jack

To understand which device you need for your vehicle and do not overpay, we divide the jacks into categories:

1. Compact, mechanical.
2. Steady or hydraulic jacks.
3. Professional, pneumaticUsed in car maintenance services. These include hydraulic and sliding. These devices are stable and have a large carrying capacity, although they are not weighty.

Before answering which car jack is better to choose, let's take a closer look at the types of devices:

Content

• 0.1 Pneumatic lifting mechanisms
• 0.2 Mechanical jacks of screw and rack type
• 0.3 Hydraulic lifts
• 1 How to choose the best car jack?
• 2 Choosing a jack for a passenger car
• 3 Jack for jeep and gazelle

Pneumatic lifting mechanisms

Pneumatic car jack is a cushion of elastic, durable material, capable of lifting the load while inflating it with air under pressure. Basically pumping comes from the compressor. Devices based on pneumatic actuators are considered reliable as they can lift a car on loose soil. There are such models that are filled with exhaust gases from the running motor of the machine. In addition, many models can operate on the mains, this includes an electric car jack.

Pneumatic jack

The main advantage of this type is reliability in fastening, high productivity and the ability to service vehicles with low ground clearance. Many devices of this kind are based on the platform being rolled up. However, despite all its advantages, the device did not receive widespread use, as there are difficulties in holding compressed air. Due to the fact that powerful compressors are not amenable to transportation, pneumatic jacks are most often used at service stations for lifting heavy loads. After the work done, the air instantly leaves the system through a check valve.

Mechanical jacks of screw and rack type

They are easy to fold and assemble. As a rule, these include hydraulic, screw and rhombic jacks. They always mess around in the car in case of breakdowns. There are different designs, there are vertical and horizontal screw devices that have not received much popularity, they can be found only in the packaging of new cars.

Screw devices the design is simple: four movable steel arms with a clamp are located on a stand. On top there is a platform that keeps the car. The rise of the load is due to the rotation of the drive handle. The load capacity of the device depends on the pitch of the screw thread. Use for very heavy cars will not work.

Mechanical jack

It came into use horizontal screw diamond jacks. Their distinguishing feature is their low weight, compactness and reasonable price. The disadvantage of devices is that the level of efficiency is relatively lower. They are unreliable in terms of stability and force to make efforts during the ascent. Screw machines are capable of lifting only 1500 kg.

See also: How to make a bumper with your own hands

The mechanical type also includes rack jacks. The design includes a lath with teeths and a pick-up, which is used to lift vehicles. The level of efficiency is high within 80%. If we consider in detail the tool of the rack type, it can be described as a platform with an attached rail and a movable gear mechanism.

Rack jack

The device has a foot through which the load is lifted to the desired height. The foot rises due to the rotation of the handle. The mechanism does not require any special physical effort. In addition, the unit is suitable as a winch mechanism, due to which it is possible not only to move the vehicle, but also to wheel the rim. The device can easily lift weight up to 3 thousand kg and carry out lifting to a height of more than a meter.

Rack and pinch-type devices are often used for off-road vehicles, which simply have difficulty coping with wheel slip on difficult parts of the road.

This group should be attributed rack jacks. The scheme of the device is simple: the case and the screw of a large cross section. Divided into two types: single-screw and twin-screw. Their principle of operation is that the drive handle turns the bearing nut relative to the housing through a tapered pair of gears, thereby pushing the screw upwards with the lifting platform. Load capacity is determined in the range from 0.8 to 3 tons, but the lifting height is negligible.

Hydraulic lifts

Ideal for home use. Often there are "bottle" type. Hydraulic car jack works on the principle of incompressibility of fluid and the resulting vessels. Liquid, is nothing like oil, in order to avoid leakage, you should only transport jacks in an upright position. It is easy to work with them, special efforts are not required, because the level of efficiency of them is the same as that of rack jacks. The design of the device is small, but despite this, they have a good payload. Their minus in the slow speed of work.

Jacking up the car

This group includes automobile jacks, which are designed for service. Outwardly, they look like a cart, which is driven under the car. Their efficiency is much higher than all the others. Hydraulic lifts have several advantages:

• can easily move the device;
• the handle does not require much effort to raise the foot;
• mobility and compactness, you can carry in the trunk.

See also: Active car antennas for radio

How to choose the best car jack?

Trench jack

To decide which jack is better for a car, you first need to determine the most important parameters of the tool, that is, you need to rely on the main characteristics, namely:

1. Resilience. It is necessary to take into account the ability of the mechanism to maintain its working position in difficult conditions, for example, in a gust of wind.
2. Load capacity. The maximum effort achieved by the device. Most often there are jacks with a capacity of up to 2 tons, this is the best indicator. All that is needed is to find out its weight before purchasing a mechanism and throw 100–200 kg over it for safety purposes. As for passenger cars, it is recommended to pay attention to the rhombic jack. Those who acquire the device for service, of course, it is better to choose a rolling jack with a lifting capacity of 3 to 8 tons. We advise owners of trucks to view jacks with a lifting capacity from 15 to 30 tons.
3. Working stroke. The greatest displacement of the pickup from bottom to top.
4. Path. A platform or a lifting heel for an abutment in a vehicle can be in the form of a folding rod or a rigidly fixed bracket. Here you need to take into account the clearance of the car.
5. type of drive. Mechanical driven mechanisms are suitable for rare applications. If the work is planned to be carried out continuously, then go hydraulic or pneumatic.
6. Force on the drive handlee. What effort must be made to lift the load.
7. Lift height. Normal height is considered up to half a meter. When we beat at a great height constant, consider the rack-mount version of the device.
8. Base area. Here you need to pay for lateral sliding and take into account the minimum entry into the ground.

Choosing a jack for a passenger car

The main thing is to decide on what parameters you need to pick up the device and seek help from a consultant. When the jack is purchased for a vehicle weighing a little more than a ton, and the machine itself is always in use, we first focus on compactness, since the jack will need to be carried with us. Therefore, there are two options: mechanical or hydraulic. Further, we are already looking at the height of the climb, in this case the standard one will do. After choosing the type of drive, there will be few options. The seller will offer you only a few devices suitable for your requests.

Hydraulic rolling jack

Jack for jeep and gazelle

Choose a jack for "cars" is easy, another thing to do it for a large SUV. Here, the main reference points are the lifting capacity and lift height, since gazelles and jeeps are not easy to lift. When you choose a jack specifically for gazelles, you need to take into account the maximum load of the machine. If it is designed to transport 3 tons, then the load capacity should be higher than this parameter. Same thing about SUVs. Considering the tool for the jeep need to sharpen the focus on the quality of the rubber gasket, it must be tough and well fixed. Before you finally make your choice, you need to check the condition of the metal from which the jack is made, the thicker it is, the better.