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What do you carry for a jack in your car?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 4t64rd, Apr 22, 2009.

  1. The post about the flat after VLV and my own experience last week got me thinking about a better way to jack up my car in case I get a flat..

    Right now I have a 3 ton bottle jack with about 6" of movement, it's short enough to get under the frame in 2 places, but the suspension "hangs" so low that I had to use a ratchet strap to hold it up while I jacked the frame up... I have no bumpers

    There has got to be a better way... Is there a good source for scissor jacks at the U-pull-it?
     
  2. 40 & 61 Fords
    Joined: May 17, 2006
    Posts: 1,999

    40 & 61 Fords
    Member

    Look at the mid 80's full size GM stuff. It's a jack that lays pretty flat, and uses the lug wrech style of jack handle.
     
  3. RAY With
    Joined: Mar 15, 2009
    Posts: 3,132

    RAY With
    Member

    I bought a hydraulic scissor jack from the local auto parts and tried it out on several cars we have. It worked just fine and comes in a plastic box similar to a fishing tackle box. It has enough room for a few tools needed when tire changing and so far we haven't had to use it but know it will do the job.
     
  4. Small floor jack from the parts store for the 54 and my daily. I seem to remember someone posting that late model VWs have a good flat scissor jack that works well for hotrods?
     
  5. Mudslinger
    Joined: Aug 3, 2005
    Posts: 1,966

    Mudslinger
    Member

    I have a scissor jack from a newer car and a 4x4 block I carry.
    If I was going long distance I would take my floor jack.
     
  6. crackernutz
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 407

    crackernutz
    Member
    from tx

  7. Pontiac Slim
    Joined: Jan 16, 2003
    Posts: 1,188

    Pontiac Slim
    Member Emeritus

    Don't carry no jack, no spare tire.
    Cooler & small tool box & cell phone only
    So far so good been 26 yrs now
    Pontiac Slim
     
  8. bulletproof1
    Joined: Feb 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,079

    bulletproof1
    Member
    from tulsa okla

    on longer trips i carry my small floor jack.other than that i dont carry one ..oh yeah i carry it in the trunk...
     
  9. PRIMERDAVE
    Joined: Jun 8, 2005
    Posts: 894

    PRIMERDAVE
    Member

    mostly my AAA card......on out of strate drives a small floor jack in the trunk is mandatory....
     
  10. cuznbrucie
    Joined: May 1, 2005
    Posts: 2,567

    cuznbrucie
    Member

    Have one of those little floor jacks that you can get at car shows for about $15, plus a bottle jack under my seat.........also have a 12V air pump that powers off a lighter receptacle under my dash.......so far I have only used it to help someone else........oh, I also have AAA, a cell phone, and a road atlas.......no spare.......

    CB
     
  11. rusty48
    Joined: Jan 8, 2007
    Posts: 467

    rusty48
    Member

    I got a little jack that works like a bumper jack but the post lays flat,think it came out of a Chevette.
     
  12. Aaron51chevy
    Joined: Jan 9, 2005
    Posts: 1,986

    Aaron51chevy
    Member

    I keep a bottle jack and a jack stand in the wagon (can't get the rear tire off without the jack stand to hold the frame while I lower the axle). I also keep a can of fix a flat, just in case. I'd like to get a scissor jack, when I have a flat tire, it's hard to get a jack under the car.
     
  13. chopper99
    Joined: Jan 27, 2006
    Posts: 513

    chopper99
    Member Emeritus

    Late 80's GM pickup truck 4x4 jack, goes down really low, but lifts pretty high as it is for truck. Get the box and all (behind seat) at the junkyard, makes a nice neat unit to carry.
     
  14. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,756

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    I bought one of those. I like the plastic carrying case that lets me swap it from car to car without a h***le. It was so cheap I could not resist.:D If it gets me out of one jamb, I can **** can it and not feel bad....but I won't. Did I mention that it is cheap like me?:D
     
  15. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,503

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    One of those cheapo hydraulic floor jacks from Pep Boys. It will just barely fit under my lake pipes, but will easily lift the car. Fast, cheap, effective.
     
  16. Thats the one I carry. $15 I think? I went this route because of my daily driver Ranger. I had the truck sitting level to change a flat and the POS factory screw jack tipped over dropping the truck on the rear drum! I was lucky the tire went up under the fender when it fell or I would have folded the 1/4 panel.
     
  17. TudorJeff
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 1,133

    TudorJeff
    Member

    I carry what I call my "jack bag". It is a nice heavy duty tool bag (has porter cable s***ched on the side but any heavy canvas bag would do) that has my small floor jack but first I cut a half inch sheet of plywood that fits nicely in the bottom of the bag. This is for jacking on soft ground since the jack body is pretty small. Then I cut two pieces of 2x6 that fit on top of the plywood. These are for driving on if clearance is a issue or for placing across the top of the jack saddle if needed. Then the jack and the handle. I also have some nest-able plastic wheel chocks, a folding "T" tire tool, a tow strap, and some small ratcheting straps. I have been meaning to paint "Need Help" and "Fuel" on each side of the plywood but haven't got around to it.
     
  18. triplexkustoms
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 327

    triplexkustoms
    Member

  19. oilslinger53
    Joined: Apr 17, 2007
    Posts: 2,500

    oilslinger53
    Member
    from covina CA

  20. R A Wrench
    Joined: Feb 4, 2007
    Posts: 518

    R A Wrench
    Member
    from Denver, Co

    In my 34 I have a heavy duty 2 spd scissor style screw up jack. $5:00 yard sale item from 30 years back. It closes down to about 3 inches. I also have a collection of factory screw up jacks from several junked out cars, or what I find on parts finding rampages thru the yards. None take up much room or have cost over a few bucks.
     
  21. Kinda funny in that jacks of all kinds seem to disappear pretty fast in the wrecking yards.

    The local Pic A Part runs cars through pretty fast and it looks like one reason they disappear is they're used on other cars and abandoned in place.

    You can find junkyard scissors jacks that go pretty low.
    What you may need to do to make it usable for a low-slung hot rod is weld a flat plate up top.
    The one I have has a channel top shaped like a "U" with holes through the vertical sides.

    When - and if - I ever get a top welded to it I'll put it in the 32 and remove the Nissan mini-truck screw type jack.

    I wouldn't want to carry a hydraulic jack in the roadster.

    I have a five ton bottle jack in my car-trailer and it weeps oil making a fairly large dark spot on the floor.
    Fwiw - the jack rides in the upright position....
     
  22. Raven53
    Joined: Jan 12, 2009
    Posts: 442

    Raven53
    Member
    from Irwin Pa

    I dont carry one .......thats why I had kids and carry a cell.....lol Dad always bailed them out right.
     
  23. dbradley
    Joined: Jan 6, 2007
    Posts: 1,036

    dbradley
    Member

    I carry a couple of cans of Fix-A-Flat. If it gets worse than that, CELL phone...... I don't have a spare anyhow.
     
  24. buckeye_01
    Joined: Jun 20, 2005
    Posts: 1,441

    buckeye_01
    Member

    I don't carry a jack or spare either. However I do have an up to date AAA card and a valid cell phone.
     
  25. 1 small floor jack and a couple small blocks of wood ..
     
  26. Hal_396
    Joined: Apr 14, 2009
    Posts: 309

    Hal_396
    Member

    I have a small sicssors jack that I found out in the desert when I was riding my dirt bike. Someone got there car or truck stuck, used it to get out and then drove off and left it there. For a spare I use a donut out of a 80's chevy caprice.
     
  27. temper_mental
    Joined: Oct 22, 2006
    Posts: 2,717

    temper_mental
    Member
    from Texas

    I carry a cell phone. So if this happens I can get my trailer a jack would not help me this day.
     

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  28. phukinartie
    Joined: Oct 8, 2008
    Posts: 965

    phukinartie
    Member

    jack, spare ,tools, always
     
  29. 66Newport
    Joined: Dec 12, 2008
    Posts: 2,795

    66Newport
    Member

    I finally ponied up the cash and got a good low profile floor jack, works great and has been used.
     
  30. rick finch
    Joined: May 26, 2008
    Posts: 3,329

    rick finch
    Member

    Fix-a-flat, cell phone, AAA card, and cross my fingers!
     

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