Not quite sure if this is the right forum category to post under... but it seems fitting. So basically, i got a flat tire a couple weeks ago. I was jacking up my car in my driveway, to leave it on blocks in order to have my dad drive me to a tire repair place. I jacked it up, and put some blocks underneath before going to remove the wheel (luckily!). Got the wheel off just fine, then went to raise the car a smidge more to fit one more block underneath, and the jack bent and fell out from underneath the car. Not only was i shocked, and a little scared, but i was very very happy i had put the blocks underneath. Anyways, the car is fine, no problems at all. But the jack on the other hand is bent, and i do not trust it. So i need a new jack. I was thinking of finding a bottle jack, but i haven't had any luck finding one thats short enough to fit under the car... any recommendations? Id like to find something thats a little more secure than the flimsy little piece of crap the car came with...
who has some insight?
thanks!
-Austin

 

Many years ago the factory jack on my '75 VW Scirocco snapped it's threaded rod and I didn't want to trust the design with a stock replacement. I found a smallish scissors jack in an auto parts store that worked like a charm. Yes, it was about twice as wide as the normal scissors jack but it had a 2-speed cranking mechanism and came with a long, articulated handle that allowed you to stand back and raise or lower the jack without getting down on your knees. Due to its increased width, the jack was very stable and very strong.

Eric