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I hate jacking up the car. Especially getting it high enough to easily work on or under.
The new addition is a Ranger Quick Jack. I saw a link in GRM for their closeout of the 3500. I missed one of those, but they had an open box one for a very low price. I grabbed one for around $600, including shipping, with a warranty.
For the short term, things kind of went south. Parts got separated and lost in shipping (freight, not FedEx or UPS) and a small valve was busted (unknown manufacture defect). They were great about sorting it out and sending me pieces. In the end, it all sorted out.
This thing ROCKS!!! It works about like the videos. You put them under the car. Place them, hook up the lines, and the car is 20" off the ground in about 15 seconds. It is very very stable (I put jack stands under the car and shook it).
No more jack up the back, jack stands, jack up the front, jack stands, raise the back more, watch car shift, raise jack stands, raise the front more, watch the car shift again. Re jack up the back to settle all the stands, then get to work.
Down is just as easy.
The new one is supposed to be a little easier to use, but I could not beat the price on this one. It is going to be a blast at the track.
I agree that this is great. I got one for Father's day two years ago and it really simplifies a lot of work on the car, from tire changing for Autox etc., to oil changes to even removing engines/transmissions. You can easily maneuver underneath on a creeper without any impediments hindering you.
My son and I removed an engine and transmission from my previous RX8-he working above loosening and removing connections while I drained fluids and removed the driveshaft, starter, exhaust, PPF and all other connections.
I bought the heavier one, the 5000, which is a little larger than the 3500 to use on my Jeep and CX-7. I don't know if the new 5000SLX will fit under the 8 or not. I understand it will not fit under the MX-5 like the 5000 will.
@ Hi, glad you like it too. Being the sort of person I am, I am looking at some mods to the power unit. When I get close, I will share them.
I stayed away from the 5000 because of cost, it was a tad higher, and it was heavier. The dude on the box holding 2 of them must be one of the strongest men on earth.
I wish my experience with one of those was as positive as yours. I got in on the blowout of the old model. It arrived with several missing parts, like yours. They sent me replacement parts, and I assembled everything. It puked ATF all over my garage floor. I cleaned all of that up and called them. They sent me the "new style" fittings. I assembled everything again, making sure to follow the instructions exactly. It puked all over the floor again. I tried pipe thread dope, Teflon tape, different levels of torque, you name it. Would not stop leaking. When I decided to give up and send it back, they gave me a lot of hassle about returning it. I used my Amex to purchase it, and had to remind a "manager" that Amex would reverse the charge, no questions asked, before he would agree to the return.
Alas. I really wish it had worked for me.
BTW, are you positioning the blocks just behind the frame rail? It looks like it could be on the pinch weld in the front, but is pretty far forward of the pinch weld in the rear.
Bummer. Mine never leaked. I did have an issue with a pressure relief valve, but that sorted when they got me the new parts. It was only last weekend that I figured out the easy way to use the quick disconnects. If I had a fluid barf, I would have been sending mine back as well. My total leak is probably less then a 1/4 oz, except for when I stood it on end with the cap off the reservoir. That made a mess.
As of right now I am using it on the pinch welds. I have about 10 inches of rubber between the two blocks supporting half the car. My math says that is only 150 pounds per inch of pinch weld. Good or bad, that is the process. But, now that you mention it, I will look at the frame points. I have a feeling they are not long enough. My longer term plan is a much larger contact point that fills the entire well. That should get me down to 100 pounds per inch. That should be no problem. Those will look at lot like white 2x4s (soft).
Also, I think I solved my storage problem. They just stay under the FC.
I just purchased the 5000 model (AC power) as well and used it to change the midpipe and muffler today - it was awesome. So much better than any jack stands I have ever used, period. I'll try and break down the pros and cons for anyone considering ordering. I will add pics and take detailed measurements next time the car is in the air (next weekend)
Pros
1) It was delivered within a week of ordering (in CA to CA) and very easy to assemble (maybe 30 min give or take).
2) Collapsed, it's very compact and can be stacked on top of each other and pressed against a wall (need to adjust the air hose so it does not get pinched. The power unit is separate and will need to be stored alongside (or elsewhere).
3) The raised height is amazing and sufficient for anything I could see doing. For reference, I recently changed a transmission using jack stands and the QuickJack absolutely would have been WAY better.
4) It is very stable when raised at any height (there are two locking points). I pushed, pulled, rocked, etc.and the car simply felt very solid. (Full disclosure - I ALWAYS put a couple wheels under a car when I'm fully under it and will continue to do so with the QuickJack. Just a paranoia thing - I'd rather not meet my maker flat as a pancake like that guy in Beetlejuice)
5) From absolute start to car in the air, including placing the lifts and connecting hoses, I would estimate it takes about 6-10 minutes. Naturally the more often you do it, the faster you will get.
6) The raising and lowering speed is excellent. Maybe 45-60 seconds to get fully lifted and just slightly less to lower again.
Cons
1) They are a bit heavy or I am just soft. The pic on the box has a guy walking around with one under each arm - that pic is not of me. Or it was photo-shopped better than a Kardashian. They are definitely light enough to pick up and maneuver, including to put in the back of a truck for track day use, but not quite like the box. One end has little wheels for maneuvering them around the garage. A good thing if you read the last part...
2) Used in the standard front-to-back configuration, you cannot access the undercarriage from the sides (the QuickJack is in the way). This was really not an issue for me as I just crawled under from the front or back to change the mid-pipe and muffler. Note, you can set these up perpendicular to the car, which would allow side access but then would block front or back entry (insert bad jokes here).
3) You really need to modify the urethane rubber lifting blocks or buy the optional pinch-weld blocks for another $80 (seems like these should be included) to lift the RX-8 without bending the pinch rail.
All in all, I am very happy and would highly recommend this to other car guys and gals.
Bumping an old thread for my experience.
I bought the Quickjack 7000TL bundle to use with my 8 and truck because I was tired of the front & back jacking and jackstand dance.
I decided to get the TL because my 4WD Frontier is a longbed and these are the second longest set.
The 7000 lb. rating is probably overkill for a V6 Frontier 4WD even though it has a camper shell, and definitely more than needed for an RX8.
It works well, and lifts quite high, which is nice, but I would caution anyone of advancing age or with physical limitations to consider carefully.
I am both.
Each frame weighs 98 lbs.
The ends are a little difficult to grab and get a handhold.
I use a strap to wrap around my elbows like the furniture moving straps.
They roll easily.
Lifting them up to store vertically was a challenge also, so I rigged up a pulley in my shed to lift them onto the hangers.
Overall, they're pretty nice even though they're a handful for me.
They would've been really sweet 10 years ago.
09-15-2016, 03:03 PM
New Favorite Tool - Quick Jack
