I had the car jacked up last week, turned around to get my jack stands, and heard a series of rapid pops. Turned back around to find my jack leaking oil and my car sinking back to the ground! It wasn't particularly old (about a year and a half) and I don't use it hard. I was pretty irritated that it failed so quickly, but it's just a bad seal, so I took it back to sears to see about getting it fixed (it's a craftsman). To make a long story short, Sears does not repair their hydraulic jacks, so I'm stuck with this leaky one AND I still need a working jack. Anybody know where you can get replacement parts/repairs for these jacks? Barring that, who makes a good, serviceable jack and will stand behind their product?
Walker, Napa, and Ajax are the only floor jacks I want to own. They are all the same, just differant colors. Rebuild kits are about $30. I just bought another Walker for $20 that had tried to lift an Escallade. There's a reason they are rated at 1 1/2 tons. Rebuild kit and it will be as good as new.
I would try a Sears service center... at least give them a call. The clerk that helped you at the store gave you the turbo broom it looks like . Failing that... take the jack apart and see what it has for a seal, most are a cup seal. Try taking it down to a local hydraulic repair shop. We have a guy that comes to our shop and repairs all of our hydraulic jacks, so the parts are out there. Try Google... you never know...
Heh. That WAS the Sears service center. That's not a bad idea. I know it's fixable, I just wasn't sure where to go after the people who should have taken it turned me away.
I had the same thing happen with my craftsman jack. It was about 6-8 months old. Just one of those cheapies you get in a kit with 2 jackstands but you'd expect a little better for a craftsman.
We have a place here in town called Motion Industries, They are a bearing and seal and just about any thing else mechanical supply house. If you have and old seal or for that matter take the two mating parts to them they can find a seal for it. I am not sure if they are everywhere but I would bet you have a place similar to this close to you. When I started dealing with them for work I realized that they are a hot rodders untapped resource.
Awesome! We have a Motion Industries here, but I thought they just had bearings! When I was looking for old style wheel bearings, all the parts guys told me to head over there and buy them for 1/4 the price.
I stop buying sears craftmans stuff. The last 5 thinks I bought from them were junk. Lawn tractor that you could not keep running. (there techs could not figure out what was wrong with it). Finally sold it. Air compresser. The drain valve leaked from new. When I got it home and unpackaged it.I open the dran valve and about a pint of rusty water ran out of it. Called sear and they told me that i had to have it setting for some time and that it water built up from setting. (unpack it the same day I got it home). They would not replace in. After I pluged it in and it was running for some time it started tripping the breakers. Sold it. I must have went throught 5 of there angle grinders in two years. Had a 10" table saw that burned up after about 6 months. Had a saw that had the bearing go out on it in less then 1 year. NO MORE SEAR FOR ME.
Sears has gotten really poor on their return/repair policy. You should be able to get parts from sears or any place that sells parts for hydraulic cylinders. Is there a grainger in your town (yellow pages). That's where I get my pieces for hydraulic cylinders.
none better than these jacks, they are the best ones! they are low for lowered cars too. now i see some are made in USA & some are not go get a made in USA unit & you are done buying floor jacks.
I bought one of Craftman low "racing" style floor jacks on sale for $99.00. I didn't use it for about 6 months because I have another one, when I did the jack creeps down and it is getting worse. Its been over a year now, what a waste of money!!
I just go down the road to Harbor Freight.....get one of their $59 two ton jacks....when it takes a **** I just s**** it and go get another one. I normally get about two years on them by the time they explode. That's what we do in the shop too, we've had expensive American made "good" jacks that didn't last any longer.
Talking of quality i bought a 2.5 ton Bluepoint from Strap-On when i was 17 & i've never topped up the oil (have checked it though) & It's never failed me, the only maintenance it gets is a lube job on the wheels & release mech at the lower handle........that was 25 yrs ago!!! i thought it was expensive then at £240, but now i know its paid for itself 10 times over. Ten years ago i bought another Bluepoint but this time a 1.5 ton T bar handle with an extending crossbeam, this is as good as the first one! these are both used on a daily basis for light & heavy vehicles. You get what you pay for. Kev.
UPDATE!! I have repair parts & seal kits for just about any jack except the Chinese junk. If you're having trouble identifying what you have, send me a picture & I will help you identify it. I also offer rebuild service if you want to take the pump out & send it to me. Attached are pictures of a 2-1/2 ton Lincoln/Walker/Snap-On a guy sent me.
I wonder why I haven't stepped foot in a Sears store in the past 25 years... although I have one of their floor jacks I got in 1983. Never skipped a beat and it gets used all the time. Looks like everything they make today is just ****.
The Jalopy Journal
