Whether you’re replacing tires, inspecting a dragging plastic piece uner the car, changing brake pads, or performing major or minor repairs, a floor jack is a must-have item in your garage.
Knowing how to use a floor jack properly will help you stay safe while working on your car. This guide will help you get the most out of this handy tool, from setting up the jack to securely raising and lowering your auto.
Read this sharing carefully to make your repair experience secure and viable.
How To Use A Floor Jack: 10 Quick Steps To Grasp!
How to operate floor jack? Here comes all the basic steps for you to manage this tool correctly. Scroll down!
Step 1: Position The Vehicle
Let’s come to the first stage of how to use a jack. Place an auto in an appropriate location. Avoid an uneven, mushy, or soft surface. Just park the auto on a flat or sturdy ground instead. You may lift the auto with confidence if you do so.
Step 2: Set Up Emergency Brake
Ensure the emergency brake is set before continuing. Naturally, this is based on the assumption that you’ll be elevating the car’s front end.
If you set the brake like this, your car may not unintentionally roll or shift while being jacked.
Step 3: Position Your Wheel Chocks
Place all chocks behind your rear tires if you’re jacking the car’s front up and vice versa – arrange them ahead of your front tires while you’re jacking the rear up.
Rubber lock helps to gently tamp these chocks in position, wedged between the ground and tire’s tread for security. This halts your car from switching when being lifted, like the way you press the emergency brake.
Step 4: Pinpoint The Lift Point
Consider the car jack placement on your automobile before putting the floor jack in position. Follow the instruction booklet if unsure about determining these lift locations.
Your jack point selection depends entirely on the type of jack you use (bottle jack, scissor jack, etc.).
Step 5: Cautiously Position Jack
Regarding how to use a car jack and pinpointing the best position for your jack are a must. Move your chosen jack into position after verifying your jack points. Before lifting, mount any auxiliary rigging (adaptor, saddle pad, etc.).
Once everything is set up to your satisfaction, slowly raise the jack till it makes gentle contact with the car’s lifting places.
Step 6: Elevate Your Vehicle
How to use a jack to lift a car? The next step is progressively lifting your car to the appropriate height. While doing this, avoid making quick or jerky motions, which boosts the risk of jack slippage and severe injury.
Examine your car’s stability as it is being jacked up attentively. If you ever lose confidence in the conditions, gradually lower the car to the floor.
Step 7: Place Your Jack Stands
How to use a car jack stand? Set your jack stands underneath the car’s frame once you’ve reached the proper height. Ensure to set them all evenly and wobble-free on a suitable level surface.
Check for instability symptoms as you gradually lower your car onto the freshly installed jack platforms. Place your auto on the stands after raising your jack back to its place and applying moderate pressure.
Before sliding underneath to start working, gently nudge the automobile to keep it stable.
Step 8: Lift The Car Slightly
After completing all the work, lift your car slightly higher than the jack stands. As such, set your eyes on any unsettling instability. Make certain that any jack stands are roughly 1 inch higher than the vehicle itself.
Step 9: Uninstall Jack Stands
Now, take out all jack stands beneath your car. Ascertain that the car’s perimeter is clear with no jack stands and nothing else left underneath the auto.
Step 10: Lower Your Car
Lowering the auto is the last step for how to use floor jack. Utilizing the former floor-jack position, gradually lower the auto. Lower your car till it’s securely in place and the jack is free of its undercarriage.
Slide your jack from underneath your vehicle, then take out all of the wheel chocks. If you engaged the emergency brake before lifting, remember to release it before starting your next ride.
Is There Another Floor Jacks’ Type?
After grabbing how to use jack, let’s see all of its types on the market. Some references classify multiple types as floor jacks. They then divide them into subgroups with titles like “scissor jack,” “bottle jack,” and so forth.
Typically, floor jacks are a particular jack type, mainly wheel-mounted, low-slung to lift automobiles. Based on the basic floor jack designs, there are a handful of variants.
Some of them, sometimes called “Low Profile,” are particularly low to the level ground. Some are built exclusively of aluminum, making them lightweight and suited for simple storage and movement.
They are available in many lift capabilities, albeit not as many as bottle jacks. The 3- and 2-ton capacities are the most prevalent.
You can also find 20-, 10-, 6-, and 4-ton floor jacks on the market. Nonetheless, they are exceedingly pricey.
Tips For Using Effectively
Safety First
A car that isn’t supported by a pair of jack stands should NOT have anyone crawling below it.
If a floor jack failure or load transfer occurs, turn to the jack stands to hold a vehicle in place, halting significant damage, severe injury, or death accordingly.
Placing a wheel near your floor jack as an alternative to a jack stand for fundamental wheel changes or changing brake pads (one wheel at a time), provided you won’t work underneath the car.
The better choice, though, is always jack stands.
Have The Second Opinion
No matter what you do, like checking the exhaust flex pipe leak or altering a flat tire, stop immediately if you ever find yourself doubting the jack’s ideal location or proper techniques for using a car jack.
Get a second opinion from a savvy friend or relative who is mechanically literate.
It won’t hurt to ask for help in such scenarios. This way might keep potential harm or even death at bay.
Go For The Test Bump
Push against the car’s exterior body panels to give it a little bump after you’ve raised it to the right height.
As such, you can rest assured the load is not shifting before you lean underneath your vehicle to set up the jack stands.
Frequently Inspect Equipment
When working on a car, your floor jack and jack stand state is pivotal to your safety. Accordingly, before elevating any vehicle, carefully inspect all such equipment.
Stop the process right away if anything seems off.
The Bottom Line
Knowing how to use a floor jack will help you complete your garage-based duties much easier.
It’s indispensable to lift heavy objects off the ground, such as a car or truck, allowing you to work from a safe and comfortable height.
We’ve shown you the basics of floor jack usage and some tips and tricks for making the job safer and more efficient. With the correct command and preparation, be confident using a floor jack to complete your project.
Forward this good read to other car owners in your circles!