Okay, gonna finally put some of the sus mods on that have been sitting around in my garage. Don't ask why it has taken so long.

Anyway, was wondering what the current favorite floor jack is? I am gonna be using H-sport springs so I want to make sure I can fit it under there once I lower it without having to do the whole driving up on ramps/wooden planks to get the body high enough. Now I know there are some crazy expensive ones out there, but I am not a big time mechanic, and probably won't use it more than once a month at most after this.

Along the same lines is jackstands. 2 ton big enough?? Brand recs?? What is the best jack point to put each side of the car up??

Thanks for the help. The sway bar, control arms and springs are itching to get on Thompson!!!

Joel

 

I know lots of people with the Harbor Freight aluminum jack (on sale now for $79). You can pick it up with one hand, and it goes low enough to fit under a lowered car, but like any aluminum jack the front end tries to lift when you start pumping. While you're there, aluminum jackstands are $40/pr and a creeper is $12. Sears sells a bigger all-aluminum jack for $200.

 

harbor freight low profile floor jack. I don't have one but know at least 10 people who have one.

 

Plenty of people use the Harbor Freight aluminum jack. Many are happy, and quite a few aren't. It's one of those "get what you pay for" things.

I have an AC DK20, and it's the highest quality jack I've ever used. It's primarily a garage jack, but I've taken it with me to quite a few HPDE's also.

http://www.asedeals.com/hydraulicjacks.html

I think the price has gone up since I bought mine. This is still probably the best place to purchase one though. The cheap 2-ton jack stands from any automotive place will hold the car fine. If you're looking to splurge, go with the AC stands

http://www.asedeals.com/jack_stands.html

I've been wanting to upgrade to these for a while. The locking pin mechanism is more cumbersome, but absolutely no chance they'll slip. You'd probably need to pay extra for the flat-top model for use with the mini though.

Anyway, this sounds like more than you'll really need. $100 for a jack and $30 for four jack stands will probably suit you fine.

 

Holy schiznit!! $500 for a jack and $100 each for jack stands!!

Well I guess most people would react the same way to a $6k bicycle.

I agree you pretty much get what you pay for, but I would need to be doing pulleys, springs, coilovers, swaybars, camber plates, wheel conversions, lighting conversions, underbody detailing, cat backs, SS kits, and general full on Mini mechanic work for my wife to ever sign off on these products. You probably shouldn't have even mentioned them because I am lusting for those stands now! Way cool!!

Honestly though I think the HF jack and stands will probably do for me. There's one here in Tucson, just way on the far side of town. Guess I am going on a road trip. darn

Thanks all.

Joel

 

Well, a $500 jack isn't a bad deal if it is used professionally, because it will likely last a good deal longer and will be fully rebuildable when worn. Good luck buying parts for the Harbor Freight jack in the future... but for that price, you could have the jack and five spares.

 

I agree that there is a line that people cross between useable and very much professional. I have quite a few Harbor freight tools in my shop, you just have to know enough to get the ones that are "good"

I have a lincoln jack that i like alot. We always had one growing up, and i kind of fell backwards into this one and i love it. It is wide and low. It is, however, quite heavy.

I have used an AC jack and they are quite nice. I few buddies of mine all chipped in to buy one for the guy who had the garage that we all used to do our car work in before we all got our own houses/grages. very nice, super low, and very stable. For me, not worth the money.

When looking at a jack, make sure that it is low enough to get where you want to go and that the wheels are spaced apart enough to give the jack some stability. Some of the jacks i see (esp the cheap craftsman ones) are so narrow, they look way to "tippy" for me.

For jack stands, buy whatever you feel that you will be comfortable working under. I have seen people in junk yards working under vans supported by 4 scissor jacks in sand. Not for me. I have 4 four leg steel stands, craftsman, i think. Nothing crazy, but sturdy enough for the cars i work under.

Also, always be sure that your stands are all on solid, level ground. They will sink into black top, cut a piece of plywood for each corner if you are working on blacktop. Same goes for the jack.

When you get the car up on stands, lower the jack about 1/2" and then give the car a good shake. tug on it, it shouldn't go anywhere, wobble or anything. And if it does, better to find out when you are above it!!!

good luck!

-jac

 

Here's an awsome set of aluminum jack stands that stack flat and are great for the track, made by one of my buddies in the Cobra Club, Enjoy, they are a piece of art and only $90 set of two

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/t67239-15&pagenumber=1

 

Is this the jack you are talking about? It is listed for $89. If not where can I find this jack, stands, and creeper?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91039

 

i use the HarborFreight jack and Griot'sGarage jackstands.

 

those are freaking slick. I doubt they are something i would use in day to day shop use (non-adjustable) but i bet they work VERY well for the road!

props to that designer!

-jac

 

Thanks for the advise. Picked up the HF alloy jack and some steel jack stands today. All in all with a new torque wrench and lug wrench (my old ones disappeared in our last move) It was $150. Hopefully I can keep from getting crushed this weekend!! Seriously thanks again. Can't wait to get this thing lowered.

I am going to need an alignment after all this work, and know the setting I want (nice compromise from AutoX and street), but I should be okay for 3-4 dyas of easy driving until I can get the car in for the alignment right?? I am also gonna have the shop that is doing the alignment put the front camber plates in as well. I am a little hesitant to be drilling holes in the shock towers to accomidate the H sport plates. Better left to the pros in my mind.

Joel

 

Yes that is the one.

I just bought one on Saturday for $79, they are on special now.

I don't know when that price ends.

I needed one that was LOW, and this works just fine.

Bill

 

The link given is to the smaller (24.5 lb weight) of two similar HF aluminum jacks. I've had the larger one (about 37 lb) for a couple of years as my track jack. These work just fine, and for the money can be considered as disposable. (I also have a couple of big Lincolns at home but they weight 92 lb each.)

One caution: the lifting saddle (actually a circular pad) of the HF is overhung at the edges and is made of soft cast aluminum. If you happen to lift with the car's load on the edge of the pad rather than the center it will bend and crack. This happened to mine after I lent it to someone. I then had a thicker replacement saddle machined out of higher grade material by a friend, but that's not going to be an option for everyone.

For jack stands it's not a bad idea to get 6,000 lb rated units, not because you need that much capacity, but to get the extra stability offered by their more widely spaced legs.

Neil
05 MCS
96 M3

 

Here's a pic of the stands that I use at the track/autocross:









They are probably not a general purpose stand for the shop....they were designed to save space and stow away in the limited trunk space with your other tools, tires, jack, ...etc when you drive your car to events.

Sorry for the shameless Plug: here's the link:

http://beaumontmetalworks.com/track.html

Sincerely,
Rob

 

here's another compact light weight jack I just picked up from Northern Hydraulics. Its on sale at only $49 and is 20#, 9"x20" and I think will work great along with Frinks jack stands for the MINi or the Cobra when space and weight is an issue for track days

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...49&R=200313349

Just got mine today it is slightly different from the pix, but still kooks like a great deal
Just tryin to be helpful

 

Looks like a cheap k-mart jack made out of aluminum rather than steel to me.

If you're going to buy a "disposable" jack, I don't see the purpose in paying extra for aluminum.

 

Sheeesh, Ifn ya dont like it, then get a cheap walmart steel one, and keep quiet!

Arruminum is lighter than steel! So to each his own, just trying to offer up my $.02:smile: