[CNY_Dave]

How this didn't end in mayhem I don't know... NAPA 2.25 ton floorjack, always been a great workhorse, just wandering around the garage stretching and for no reason decided to step on the lifting puck... and it sank about a half-inch, and stopped with a 'clunk'.

A step on it a few times looking at various bits and I see the solid metal box at the rear that forms the tank and takes all the force from the bottom of the bottle jack cylinder 'pops out' from behind the welded metal plate that actually transmits the force to the side plates.

Thought it was welded together, turns out there is a big bolt that's loose, completly invisible from above as it's tucked under the top if the caster mount. It let the side plate move away from the tank, allowing the tank to pop out from behind the backstop.

I've had this jack up on the bench to fix the little gear that operates the valve, have never even seen this bolt before.

Easy fix, but had that bolt backed out sufficiently, a jacking operation down the line would have been far too interesting.

Just had the engine cross member 3 feet in the air a month ago with this jack...

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

woah

make me wanna look my jack over.

thanx for posting this

 

[Euchre]

Anything that bears a load and moves should be checked over and 'nut and bolted' periodically. If any unevenness in force arises and causes deflection, it'll start working fasteners loose like that.

 

[AWD Flyer]

I gave up buying imported junk (read as sears/craftsman jacks). Im assuming your floor jack is re-branded for napa.

I spent money and purchased a Milwaukee Hydraulics unit. Made in USA. Beefy as **** and you can tell. Also look at Hein Warner. You get what you pay for.

 

[bfoutch]

Just a warning to all. This is why you should use floor jacks only for jacking and then use appropriate jack stands for holding the car at the required working height. Floor jacks have far too many failure modes to trust putting your body under your car with just the floor jack supporting it.

Always use jack stands :29:

 

[Novablue]

Just a warning to all. This is why you should use floor jacks only for jacking and then use appropriate jack stands for holding the car at the required working height. Floor jacks have far too many failure modes to trust putting your body under your car with just the floor jack supporting it.

Always use jack stands :29:

This!!!!

Always use jack stands. I've seen to many people get hurt using only a lift to support weight and then it fails. Not worth it!!!

 

[CNY_Dave]

I gave up buying imported junk (read as sears/craftsman jacks). Im assuming your floor jack is re-branded for napa.

I spent money and purchased a Milwaukee Hydraulics unit. Made in USA. Beefy as **** and you can tell. Also look at Hein Warner. You get what you pay for.

So it has no bolts?

Probably what loosened the bolt on mine was jacking on this one spot in the floor where one wheel floats a little due to unevenness, and the unit racks until the wheel touches.

I seem to find that spot the more I try to avoid it.

I consider this jack very good for serious home use, too light for daily use at a shop.

0.275 inch side-plates.

 

[plain OM]

. . . turns out there is a big bolt that's loose, completly invisible from above . . .

Dave:

Just so we know exactly which bolt it is, or it's location, any chance of posting photos?

 

[SubyTechJoe]

Nice post. You should always check your tools regularly, and replace or repair them as nessesary. Also appreciate the reply post about Safety stands (also known as jack stands) as this is also an important thing to look at before use. Any tool can fail, even the high quality ones. I have broken any number of brands over the years, including, Mac, Snap-on, Matco. Use a hammer with a loose head it may hit you in the head during a backswing.

 

[CNY_Dave]

It was just a big bolt right next to one of the castering wheels, went through the side plate and into the thick metal plate that is on the end of the bottle jack.

It was very difficult to see even with the jack on the bench as it hides under the mounting plate for the castering rear wheels.

 

[CNY_Dave]

Here's a pic of a similar jack.

The bolts in this case are just visible down by the casters.

These poke out from under the 'hat' over the casters, mine are all the way underneath.

 

[plain OM]

Thanks for the photo.

My jack is similar, but it has two bolts on each side that hold the base of the cylinder to the frame, and they're behind the caster wing, and are quite visible. It's a 3 Ton. See attached.