Buy a Jack for Your Car: What to Consider
How does a jack work?
A jack allows you to lift your vehicle so that you can access the underside to perform maintenance, repairs, or change tyres. To lift your vehicle, place your jack under the areas of the car’s chassis or frame that are equipped with reinforcement plates or lifting points. The location of these can be found in your car’s owner manual.
Many hydraulic jacks are equipped with safety locking devices that lock the jack when the vehicle has reached the desired height, so you can work safely and securely.
Different types of jacks
Jacks are often divided into three main categories – hydraulic, mechanical, and pneumatic. The type you should choose depends on your needs.
Hydraulic jacks
Hydraulic jacks are powerful and used to raise and lift heavy objects. They are therefore well suited for heavier vehicles. Hydraulic jacks employ a hydraulic pump to raise the load, and they are well known for their stability and safety.
Hydraulic column jacks
Hydraulic column jacks are compact and require less physical effort on your part than mechanical jacks. Hydraulic column jacks require a higher ground clearance and are therefore suitable for larger and taller cars.
Low-profile jacks – Garage jacks
Garage jacks usually have wheels and can therefore be easily pushed under a car, even if the car has low ground clearance. This makes them perfect for changing car tyres at home in the garage. You always need to consider the weight of your car when buying a jack to ensure that the jack can lift the car.
Mechanical jacks
Mechanical jacks, also known as scissor jacks, are the most common variant, and require the least maintenance. They are compact jacks popular with motorists because they can easily be kept in a car boot. Mechanical jacks should only be used in emergencies, i.e. if you need to change a tyre in an emergency, and they are therefore suitable for keeping in the car. However, due to their structure, the jacks are not suitable for use when servicing your car, for example.
What should I consider when buying a jack?
1. Lifting capacity
When choosing a jack to buy, you must first and foremost consider your car type and its weight. You must have a jack that is capable of lifting the weight of the car. The weight of your car can be found in the car’s owner manual or obtained from the manufacturer.
2. Car height
The car’s ground clearance, i.e. the height between the ground and the car’s undercarriage, is an important aspect when choosing a jack. The jack must be able to fit under the car and reach up to the car when lifting. Information about your car’s ground clearance can be found in the owner manual or obtained from the manufacturer.
3. Type of jack
There are different types of jacks, as mentioned above, and you need to read up on which of these jacks best meets your needs. And what type of jack is best suited to your car.
4. Portable or not?
Some jacks are smaller and lighter, which means you can keep them in your car boot. Other jacks are significantly larger and heavier and should be stored in your garage. All of this needs to be considered before buying a jack.
The right oil for your jack
It is very important that you use the right oil for your hydraulic jack. Information about which oil to use can be found on our website under the technical specifications for each jack.
Important to think of!
Don’t forget that you must always start from your car’s ground clearance, i.e. the height between the ground and the car’s undercarriage. Your jack needs to be small enough to fit underneath the car, but also big enough to reach up to the car when lifting. Information about your car’s ground clearance can be found in the owner manual or obtained from the manufacturer.