Hello -

I'm looking to get a car jack for my F-Type. Can anyone who already has a jack tell me what the minimum and maximum requirements are. I can see the minimum clearance to get the jack under the car has to be less than 5.25". My concern is making sure to get a jack that will lift the car high enough to remove the wheel. I'm looking at scissors jacks that have a 3.5" minimum and 14.1" maximum, and another with 3.9" min and 11" max.

Thanks in advance for any info --

 

To live in your garage or be portable? If the former, a low profile floor jack would be easiest. I've always considered the scissor jacks to be more for roadside emergency usage.

I'm getting a Ranger QuickJack myself. Will make changing wheels from summer to winter a breeze.

 

I noticed Harbor Freight also has their own version of a QuickJack. About the same price $1500, but it looks stronger and like it will go higher.

 

Absolutely this. I've got a pretty low profile floor jack with decent reach, but don't remember what I paid. One of the things I kept when I closed my shop was my favorite floor jack, but it eventually packed it in and I couldn't get repair parts.

What made it so good was the wheels. I could jack up one end of a car and on the shop floor (smooth concrete) pull it around like a little red wagon. My replacement's wheels aren't that good (smaller diameter at front for low profile) and they spin on the axle shafts. The other one had ball bearing wheels.

Don't get a cheap one with a removable handle. They store smaller, but frankly, they suck. Not as much as a scissor jack, but I wouldn't buy one.

Of course, if you're looking for one to keep in the car, none of my ramblings will be of use.

 

I used my sons scissor jack from his Chrysler 200.

 

I just drove the car up on some 2x4's and used a regular jack

 

Yep, go for a hydraulic trolley jack, I have four of them and none has ever given me a problem.
A standard one will be perfectly OK if you don't lower the car, but once you lower it you will need a low profile / low entry one. Found this out the hard way on my old XFS, had to abandon what I was doing and go buy a pair of low entry jacks pronto!

 

I've owned several floor jacks. This one from Harbor Freight is my favorite:

https://www.harborfreight.com/15-ton...ump-60569.html

It is often on sale for $60 USD in-store.

 

+1 but 2x6s.

 

harbor freight is not exactly a brand i want on something holding my car off the ground, potentially with me under it

 

You should never rely on any jack to hold your car off the ground, and you sure as hell shouldn't get under it without jack stands.

 

The quickjack is a hydraulic lift system. Jack stands are not required. The OP was commenting that harbor freight makes a similar product, but they do not as far as I can tell. They do make a scissor lift, but again, I wouldn't get under that with harbor freights name on the side.

 

Being from Detroit, when I saw car jack, well, I think "Carjack". Glad it wasn't that....

 

First time I saw the thread title thought the same thing.

 

+2.

 

Make that +3.

Glad to hear otherwise.

 

Omega 29023 Jack, Service - Lifting Equipment