Aluminum racing jack concerns?
Aluminum racing jack concerns? I recently purchased U.S General's aluminum lightweight jack from Harbour Freight tools. It looks great and is light ~38lbs, but has me wondering on strength. The few times I've used it after about the 4th pump I hear creaky noises and it worries me its going to brake. I'm using this jack as it was delivered to me with oil, but maybe I need to add some more? Can anyone comment on this product or is it just poor quality.
Thanks
Thanks
I've always heard they were junk and shouldn't be trusted as a primary jack. The quick pump ratio is difficult to use especially if the jack is far under the car and you can't get all your weight on the handle. Give me a good old fashion slow lifting cast iron 120 pound behemoth jack any day to one of those light weight 4 pump aluminum jacks. There's an article on the net somewhere testing a bunch of floor jacks. This particular jack rated low on the scale of safety and actually had it's lifting pad break in half.
TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,055
Likes: 1
From: Hartsdale, NY
I have one of these too. It does not creek, however. I never trust any jack regardless of cost. Juniors NASCAR jack recently gave up during a race in Penssylvania; I'm sure they use the highest quality tools but it still broke....
Don't get under a car unless you have jack stands or another method to support the car OTHER than the jack.
I have another standard jack that creeks and does not lift all the way up, I assume it has an oil issue but I'm not sure... If you find out how to fix yours, let me know.
Don't get under a car unless you have jack stands or another method to support the car OTHER than the jack.
I have another standard jack that creeks and does not lift all the way up, I assume it has an oil issue but I'm not sure... If you find out how to fix yours, let me know.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
yep, always heard problems with those jacks and thats why they're only good as a track jack but not your primary garage jack.
get a DK20 or DK13HLQ by AC Hydraulics, they're not super lightweight but they're damn badass !!
get a DK20 or DK13HLQ by AC Hydraulics, they're not super lightweight but they're damn badass !!
Yes I have one of these as well as a heavy-duty steel shop jack. Mine creaks also, but I continue to use it, because it's the only jack I have that starts out low enough to get under my lowered car. For just lifting one wheel at the track, it works fine and is MUCH easier to load in car for going to the track. At home, I usually do the intial lift with the aluminum jack, then when it's high enough, I slide in the heavy duty steel unit.
Originally Posted by Xsta Z 28
Mine has erectile disfunction . . . . 
It pumps up, but goes down right away . . .
And Yes I wrote it this way on purpose . . .
It pumps up, but goes down right away . . . And Yes I wrote it this way on purpose . . .
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Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Lombard, IL, USA
You really have to be careful when ordering from catalog houses. I know for my products, they have items that look the same at 1/2 the cost. Of course when you get the item, you realize that they cut a lot of corners on product strength. If you compare steel thickness on a critical component, you may find a steel thickness difference of 36%!!
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,055
Likes: 1
From: Hartsdale, NY
Yeh, I agree. Some things that you buy from Harbor Freight, JC Witney, etc, are really great values, other stuff is pure junk. Recently, the overall quality of this stuff has increased, however.
I don't buy many of the name-brand tools any more since they can cost 10 times or more the price of a similar product from HF. Hey, if I open the HF box and pull out a junk tool I don't use it. With the extreme price difference I can afford to make a few bad buys; after all is said and done, I'm still way ahead.
Professional mechanics tend to want only the highest quality which I can understand.
I suspect that within a few years the China tools will further increase their quality and finally drive the US manufacturors bankrupt. Their choices are very clear, move their factories overseas or go bust - period.
This is not a bad thing since this phenominon has been going on for decades and our standard of living, relative to the rest of the world, keeps increasing. Free market economies benefit everyone.
In the mean time, I'll accumulate more cheaper but still high quality tools made overseas!
I don't buy many of the name-brand tools any more since they can cost 10 times or more the price of a similar product from HF. Hey, if I open the HF box and pull out a junk tool I don't use it. With the extreme price difference I can afford to make a few bad buys; after all is said and done, I'm still way ahead.
Professional mechanics tend to want only the highest quality which I can understand.
I suspect that within a few years the China tools will further increase their quality and finally drive the US manufacturors bankrupt. Their choices are very clear, move their factories overseas or go bust - period.
This is not a bad thing since this phenominon has been going on for decades and our standard of living, relative to the rest of the world, keeps increasing. Free market economies benefit everyone.
In the mean time, I'll accumulate more cheaper but still high quality tools made overseas!
lol, i have yet to see any of the cheap priced products to be high quality. Some are good enough to use, depending on application. But i would never trust them for important jobs. Taps, wrenches, drill bits, sockets, and most power tools all seem to be junk. I do like harbor freights deadblow hammers, magnetic trays, and other small stuff like this. Their iron jacks and engine pullers seem decent too. Although, I do need a new wheel for my cheap jack, they never installed the clip that holds the bearing in. They fell out.
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,593
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From: Halfway back on the Highway to Hell...again!
In the past 30 years I have owned many jacks, One that I have that is 40+ yrs old, that was my fathers, is a Lincoln low profile. Never needed oil and still works like a champ. As for my newest addition is a Craftsman Aluminum. Every jack I have owned (about 10) have all made noises and sooner or later the valving and seals wear out and the jack goes to $hit. It's more expensive but less hassle to just buy a new one that it is to find, order, and replace the seals to repair the old one, UNLESS, it is an expensive one, i.e, Lincoln, or my dads race jack (aluminum and $680). #1 rule- Steel is stronger than fluid. USE JACKSTANDS! Even if it's for less than a minute. If you want to trust your life on a 3/32 piece of rubber o-ring holding up 2000 lbs, go ahead, your loss. I had one of my own give out while I was placing the jack-stands. Scared the almighty bejesus outta me. I also work on Heavy equipment like D7, D8 dozers and other BIG stuff, We trust no jack and we have our jackstands load tested every 6 mths.
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 32
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Originally Posted by SAPPER
In the past 30 years I have owned many jacks, One that I have that is 40+ yrs old, that was my fathers, is a Lincoln low profile. Never needed oil and still works like a champ. As for my newest addition is a Craftsman Aluminum. Every jack I have owned (about 10) have all made noises and sooner or later the valving and seals wear out and the jack goes to $hit. It's more expensive but less hassle to just buy a new one that it is to find, order, and replace the seals to repair the old one, UNLESS, it is an expensive one, i.e, Lincoln, or my dads race jack (aluminum and $680). #1 rule- Steel is stronger than fluid. USE JACKSTANDS! Even if it's for less than a minute. If you want to trust your life on a 3/32 piece of rubber o-ring holding up 2000 lbs, go ahead, your loss. I had one of my own give out while I was placing the jack-stands. Scared the almighty bejesus outta me. I also work on Heavy equipment like D7, D8 dozers and other BIG stuff, We trust no jack and we have our jackstands load tested every 6 mths.
Agreed
