Trolly Jack & Axle Stands

[silversid]

Need to buy a new trolly jack & axle stands, can any one recommend a good make, not going to lift anything heavier than a car, are the Machine Mart or Sealey jack & stands any good?

 

[fingers99]

They're OK. Point to consider, maybe, is how high you want/need the car.

 

[yarpap]

ive used a clark 3 ton trolley jack for a couple of years no prob also ive four of their 6 tonne axle stands got them when i rebuilt an mg now use them under machinery etc ok for the price,where in cumbria are you
Dave

 

[malcolm]

At risk of encouraging grannies in their egg sucking, it's well worth picking a jack with the wheels spaced apart properly. My first trolley jack had maybe 5 inch spacing between the wheels and is completely unstable - will tip over sideways at any opportunity.

Latest jack has about 12 inches spacing and it's fabbo. Same for axle stands - nice wide spacing for the feet really makes a difference, and I'm rarely happy with ones that can be bought affordably - much better to make them from bits lying around the farm.

 

[fingers99]

Good point. I always seem to get the smallest ones and wish they were wider and lifted higher. To some extent, it depends on what you're working with and how high you want to go (also where you're working). I know that for some jobs on my Cinqs a bigger jack is just going to be unmanageable.

Most useful axle stands I ever had have an acme thread so you can adjust the height. Got them from a strange place in Birmingham near the new Science Museum which was (maybe it's still there) a sort of motor factor which did upholstery and stuff which fell out of every Longbridge sub contractor.........

 

[Robotstar5]

Got them from a strange place in Birmingham near the new Science Museum which was (maybe it's still there) a sort of motor factor

Do you mean Fletchers, "the home of the motorist"!

 

[fingers99]

Do you mean Fletchers, "the home of the motorist"!

That's it! Are they still there? Must have a look at the new Birmingham one day!

 

[silversid]

They're OK. Point to consider, maybe, is how high you want/need the car.

Just need to be high enough to remove the petrol tank on my E30 BMW, got some ramps for the front and i was going to jack the back up and put some axle stands under.

 

[silversid]

At risk of encouraging grannies in their egg sucking, it's well worth picking a jack with the wheels spaced apart properly. My first trolley jack had maybe 5 inch spacing between the wheels and is completely unstable - will tip over sideways at any opportunity.

Latest jack has about 12 inches spacing and it's fabbo. Same for axle stands - nice wide spacing for the feet really makes a difference, and I'm rarely happy with ones that can be bought affordably - much better to make them from bits lying around the farm.

Thats a good point, I'am trying to find a jack & stands that have good spacing.