Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 13:24:15 -0500 From: Chieko Mori <chiekonopsamspam-ON.com> Subject: Hydraulic Jack Recommendations
I'd like to get a hydraulic jack for my '94 9000 CSE T. Would appreciate any suggestions as to what to get, and where to buy from. My thoughts so far: I've ruled out the "bottle jacks" (the ones with small bases and initial heights of about 8"). This leaves, to use the terminology on Sears/Craftsman models, "trolley jacks" (with small cups) and "floor jacks" (which seem to have higher capacities and larger cups). I like the convenience of the floor jacks (where you open or close the valve by twisting the handle). But I also like the lighter weight and smaller size of the trolley jacks, which makes them ideal for carrying in the trunk as emergency equipment. (How do you operate the valve on these?) Should I get the cheaper no-name made-in-China's, or the more expensive brand-name ones (which may also be made-in-China :-)? The Haynes 9000 manual says that the proper lifting point when using a hydraulic jack is in the CENTER (of the front or rear end). Is Haynes implying that it is wrong to use the SIDE lifting points that you use for the standard hand-cranked jack? Or is it OK to use a side lifting point when using a hydraulic jack? (And not just OK, but in fact preferable, say, in a roadside tire change situation.)