Phoenix SRT
Enthusiast
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2003
- Posts
- 235
- Reaction score
- 0
A while back, there was a discussion on this board about lightweight aluminum jacks. A number of folks seems pleased with the jack they got from Harbor Freight. I was skeptical because they only cost about $130. I pretty much assumed that an aluminum jack for that price almost certainly had to be junk. My reference points were the aluminum jacks that I've seen advertised in Griot's and the like for $4-500 and up.
Well, despite my doubts, I whipped out my credit card and bought a jack from Harbor. I figured that, worst case analysis, the jack was exactly the piece of junk I expected and I'd throw it out, smug in knowing that I was right all along. But, stunningly enough, the jack is a pretty good piece of equipment!
I used the jack for the first time today and it is very nice. It is light, attractive, seems well made, and the action on it is pretty good. It's also low profile, so it easily fits underneath a Viper.
Lowering the jack when it is loaded can't be as finely controlled as I'd like, but it's not too bad. Also, the rubber saddle pad is too soft. If it was under a nice, flat frame rail, it would be fine. But, the jacking points on the SRT are V shaped protrusions that pretty much cut the rubber when you lift the car. I'll need to find a harder piece of rubber to replace the OE pad and things should be fine.
The only other bad thing worth mentioning is that the effort to pump the jack up when it is loaded is pretty high. It's a function of only needing to pump the handle a fairly small number of times to fully raise the car, but the effort is still more than it should be IMHO. Though if I'm Bubba, the NASCAR jackman, time is money and I don't want to waste any pumping the damned jack 30 times to get the car off the ground.
Anyway, if you folks out there are still using the type of floor jack that we are all familiar with...you know what I'm talking about: 80 pounds of ugliness that won't fit under a Viper until you drive the car up on ramps or 2x4s...do yourselves a favor and buy one of these jacks. They're cheap, they look good, and they're a pleasure to use.
Well, despite my doubts, I whipped out my credit card and bought a jack from Harbor. I figured that, worst case analysis, the jack was exactly the piece of junk I expected and I'd throw it out, smug in knowing that I was right all along. But, stunningly enough, the jack is a pretty good piece of equipment!
I used the jack for the first time today and it is very nice. It is light, attractive, seems well made, and the action on it is pretty good. It's also low profile, so it easily fits underneath a Viper.
Lowering the jack when it is loaded can't be as finely controlled as I'd like, but it's not too bad. Also, the rubber saddle pad is too soft. If it was under a nice, flat frame rail, it would be fine. But, the jacking points on the SRT are V shaped protrusions that pretty much cut the rubber when you lift the car. I'll need to find a harder piece of rubber to replace the OE pad and things should be fine.
The only other bad thing worth mentioning is that the effort to pump the jack up when it is loaded is pretty high. It's a function of only needing to pump the handle a fairly small number of times to fully raise the car, but the effort is still more than it should be IMHO. Though if I'm Bubba, the NASCAR jackman, time is money and I don't want to waste any pumping the damned jack 30 times to get the car off the ground.
Anyway, if you folks out there are still using the type of floor jack that we are all familiar with...you know what I'm talking about: 80 pounds of ugliness that won't fit under a Viper until you drive the car up on ramps or 2x4s...do yourselves a favor and buy one of these jacks. They're cheap, they look good, and they're a pleasure to use.
