Jack Options

[nfpgasmask]

OK, since I lifted, and since the stock jack that comes with the VX is about as useless as the donut spare, and since I really like to keep other things in the place of the jack, I wanted to start a thread and see what other options for jacks people have out there.

I really like the idea of having a high lift jack strapped solidly to my roof rack, but a high lift jack isn't really usefull for the height of my VX. But is there something like that, that I could strap to the roof rack outta the way, that won't look like crap up on top of my uber sexy Ebony wasteland machine?

Lets here some ideas.

Bart

[kodiak]

It's hard to beat a good trolley jack.

[nfpgasmask]

True, but is that something you want to carry around all the time??

Regarding the High Lift jack options, are these kinda over kill for us because we don't really have any lift points, or is it just because we are not lifted up that high?

It looks like there is some kind of mini high lift jack out there maybe.

Bart

[JoFotoz]

I had been leaning towards one of these...

http://www.airjackusa.com/


But after my "coil escape" incident...it seems hard to beat a Hi Lift jack in the tow socket...


....for the rear problems anyway.

(Gawd that sounds nasty!)


jo

[Triathlete]

Those airbag jacks are pretty useless...the rocks on the trail can puncture them. A high lift can be used in a few differant ways on the VX. They sell an attachment that allows you to hook it to the wheels to lift, as Jo said the tow hitch (if you have on) or rock sliders (if you have those). You need to use caution...as you lift the high lift jack tends to move inward towards the VX body parts!

[etlsport]

bart i can tell u from experience its very tough to get a VX up on a hi-lift.. i got high centered and a jeeper passing through offered to let us use his in place of the vx stock jack.. took forever.. only way we were able to get it to work was to run straps around the tow hitch and behind the pin, then put the other end hanging over the hi-lift and lift that way.. it was super unstable.

hi-lift makes an attachment to lift by a wheel.. but that wont do you much good for changing a tire.. a taller hydraulic bottle jack is probably your best option

[rowhard]

Those airbag jacks are pretty useless...the rocks on the trail can puncture them.

We use to have to use a larger version of those airbags for lifting aircraft in rough terrain. To prevent them being punctured, a one inch felt pad would be laid down under the bag, and between the bag and aircraft. Two felt pads the size of these bags wouldn't be a problem to store flat in the back of the VX.

Was just at Lowes, and they have a 2 ton bottle jack on sale for 9.97 so I grabbed one. lift is 7 1/4 to 13 11/16. good enough to change a tire on the roadside.

[Riff Raff]

I had been leaning towards one of these...

http://www.airjackusa.com/


But after my "coil escape" incident...it seems hard to beat a Hi Lift jack in the tow socket...


....for the rear problems anyway.

(Gawd that sounds nasty!)


jo

Hmmm; for true "off-roading", I'm gonna have to agree with Jo (click-on the web link that Jo provided for further information), as I also highly recommend the "EXHAUST AIR-JACK" (not the metal Jack-Stand Jack). Here's why:

I've been 4-wheelin' for over 30 years in my 1978 FJ-40, and I've found that 99.9% of the time when a 4x4 gets stuck off-road, it is on very unstable (muddy/snowy/slippery) and/or very uneven, angled rocky terrain (like that found at MOAB, Utah). The Exhaust Air-Jack can contort itself between the vehicle's undercarriage (including side body panels) and the uneven terrain surface without any slippage or loosing its footing (critically important).

In addition, the Exhaust Air-Jack can be used in a tandem pair by using a 1-into-2 chrome exhaust tip as a Y-adapter to inflate twin Exhaust Air-Jacks for very complicated recovery operations.

For example-- say your VX is both high-centered on a tree stump and wedged against a big tree trunk while in very slippery, gooey mud on a sloping hillside. Thus, you can use one Exhaust Air Jack to lift the VX off the tree stump, and the other Exhaust Air Jack to help "push-away" the side body panel from the impending big tree trunk (preventing paint & body damage); all at the same time!!! This can all be done slowly by monitoring the rate of air (exhaust) into the Air Bag. The VX's "floor mats" (or burlap potato sacks) can be used as a protective surface liner to prevent air-bag punctures/abrasions. Think of the Exhaust Air-Jack as a big-*** "Pillow", and the possibilities are endless (only limited by your imagination).

Common "foot-print" Jacks like the Jeeper's High Lift Jack, and this thread mentioned "Jack-Stand Jack" have severe difficulty in securing a good solid foot-print on unstable/uneven terrain once a vehicle "load" is applied to the metal jack. Oftentimes, the metal jack slips and looses its terrain footing and can easily cause further vehicle damage and/or personal injury to humans (extremely dangerous). These "foot-print" jacks are absolutely worthless in deep mud or snow conditions, as the metal jack just pushes (submerges) itself a deeper hole into the mud or snow without even lifting the vehicle (wasted effort).

The metal Jack-Stand Jack is best suited for urban environments for fixing a common flat tire and/or for performing routine undercarriage maintenance on a totally "flat level surface" with good solid footing. The metal Jack-Stand Jack has little or no use in a true off-road environment, unless no other means are available. Plus; it is heavy, bulky and consumes too much valuable cargo space in the already confined VX. If left unsecured in the interior, the Jack-Stand Jack can bounce around causing interior VX damage and/or personal injury to its passengers.

Given a choice-- I'd take the "EXHAUST AIR-JACK" when venturing off-road. It's extremely lightweight, compact, safe, and very versatile. The Exhaust Air-Jack can contort itself between any vehicle and any terrain, including very deep mud and snow as it has superior high flotation capabilities. It can be used as a big-*** pillow cushion to help protect endangered side body panels from possible scraping damage, as when a vehicle is towed or winched from a precarious position. It can be used to help re-upright a vehicle that has tetered sideways into a deep revene against a boulder/tree without putting people at risk in trying to manually upright the vehicle. It's recovery operation possibilities are limitless. The Exhaust Air-Jack is truly one of mankind's best inventions (next to the Thermos and the latex condom). Riff Raff