Ya all that soft rubber..... flexing around
They have a durometer measured of almost 80.....
Anyone use or have experience with a QuickJack?
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They have a durometer measured of almost 80.....
Next time I have them out, I will video a "wiggle test" for you.Ya all that soft rubber..... flexing around
They have a durometer measured of almost 80.....
The rubber blocks have nothing to do with the stability of the platform. That’s simple friction that keeps the car located on the frame.
Even if the vehicle were to slide on the rubber blocks, it won’t fall on you underneath it. The frame of the Quickjack is your safety.
Let’s look at the math - a 20” high platform with a base of seven feet is 5 times as wide as it is high. It would take a force of several times the vehicle weight to tip that over.
An 18” jack stand with a base of 10” is 0.56 times as wide as it is high. Tipping it over takes a force of about 1/3 the vehicle weight. Not that hard to do.
I’ve seen jack stands tip over, even on level ground. Side loads can tip them over because they’re taller than they are wide.
The quickjack is several times wider than it is tall.
It won’t tip over.
Really, this difference is like playing blocks as a kid. The jack stand is a long block on end. The quick jack is a long block on its side.
Which one is easier to tip over?
I know which one I’m comfortable getting under.
Even if the vehicle were to slide on the rubber blocks, it won’t fall on you underneath it. The frame of the Quickjack is your safety.
Let’s look at the math - a 20” high platform with a base of seven feet is 5 times as wide as it is high. It would take a force of several times the vehicle weight to tip that over.
An 18” jack stand with a base of 10” is 0.56 times as wide as it is high. Tipping it over takes a force of about 1/3 the vehicle weight. Not that hard to do.
I’ve seen jack stands tip over, even on level ground. Side loads can tip them over because they’re taller than they are wide.
The quickjack is several times wider than it is tall.
It won’t tip over.
Really, this difference is like playing blocks as a kid. The jack stand is a long block on end. The quick jack is a long block on its side.
Which one is easier to tip over?
I know which one I’m comfortable getting under.
If you always keep an axle on the ground, then that helps make jack stands safer. There are a lot of jobs that require all four wheels up. A lot.
And in that case, jack stands suck.
If you only do work with one axle raised, well, then a set of jack stands might be OK.
But I would throw a wheel and tire under the car, or add a third stand before getting under it.
People die often from jack stands that collapse or tip over. They really aren’t very safe.
And in that case, jack stands suck.
If you only do work with one axle raised, well, then a set of jack stands might be OK.
But I would throw a wheel and tire under the car, or add a third stand before getting under it.
People die often from jack stands that collapse or tip over. They really aren’t very safe.
The issue is if the vehicle slides off the rubber blocks.
I had this happen once. Due to limitations of the QJ's frame length, the vehicle's pinch weld was not perfectly centered on the rubber block. When I raised the vehicle, there was a little bit of sway and one corner of the vehicle slid off of the rubber block
Regardless, I appreciate and understand your illustration of the stability benefits in a quantitative manner. There may be some theoretical advantages to the QJ's setup, but for most applications, jack stands are "reasonably safe" when used properly and the additional cost of QJ is not easily justified.
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But shouldn't you be using pinch weld adapters if that's what you're lifting on?
It really depends on the available clearance. On vehicles where the pinch welds are "tucked upward," the pinch-weld accessory adapter may not have enough height to reach the pinch weld without the frame of the QJ touching the side skirt. Stacking adapters is the last thing you want to do.
Sliding off the square block damages the vehicle, but not the mechanic underneath.
That’s a matter of operator error, because you’re supposed to use pinch weld blocks with a groove in them to lift a vehicle by the pinch welds, whether using a floor jack or a Quickjack, but safety wasn’t compromised as a consequence of that error.
Jack stand tipping over kills the person underneath, and that’s the safety issue with jack stands.
I’ve applied ludicrous torque (or force) to big suspension parts on cars and trucks held up by a Quickjack, no shifting on the rubber blocks. I would not be comfortable applying those forces to a vehicle on jack stands. If the vehicle shifts, and side loads the stands, the whole thing can come crashing down. I’ve seen it happen.
If I had pinch welds as a lifting point, and I don’t on anything I service, I would be buying or fabricating blocks that make the vehicle sit securely on the jack, be it my floor jack or Quickjack.
That’s a matter of operator error, because you’re supposed to use pinch weld blocks with a groove in them to lift a vehicle by the pinch welds, whether using a floor jack or a Quickjack, but safety wasn’t compromised as a consequence of that error.
Jack stand tipping over kills the person underneath, and that’s the safety issue with jack stands.
I’ve applied ludicrous torque (or force) to big suspension parts on cars and trucks held up by a Quickjack, no shifting on the rubber blocks. I would not be comfortable applying those forces to a vehicle on jack stands. If the vehicle shifts, and side loads the stands, the whole thing can come crashing down. I’ve seen it happen.
If I had pinch welds as a lifting point, and I don’t on anything I service, I would be buying or fabricating blocks that make the vehicle sit securely on the jack, be it my floor jack or Quickjack.
Agreed.
That is debatable. 4-post lifts use lifting pads that do not have grooves in them. Arguably, most jack stands have minimal or no grooves in them as well.
Perhaps the included QJ rubber blocks are unsuitable for use with pinch welds for some unknown reason.
I can do that as well but please be serious ... they do compress slightly but you would be hard pressed to demonstrate a side flexibility enough to cause any safety concern.
Make sure you use the proper scale when showing and ,measuring how much side force is needed to flex them and how much they actually flex. Then we will take that figure and try to use it in real world scenarios while using them as designed on a quick jack.
Its obvious that a durometer reading should have settled some questions about the stability of the blocks and lets not forget to look at exactly what the blocks are intended to do and how they are suppose to be used.
I’m on a flight, using in flight internet (don’t worry, passenger this time), so my research ability is limited, but my memory is that QJ sold pinch weld blocks, along with various other adapters.
They would prevent the problem you experienced because they fit both the pinch weld and the “pocket” on the QJ frame and prevent the car from sliding around.
I’ve got a pinch weld block for my floor jack.
The wood blocks that I fabricated for the Tundra fit the “pocket” of the QJ exactly, so they’re stable in the frame. The large contact areas between wood blocks and frame prevent any sliding. The frame has some big rivets which, coincidentally, really make the frame sit securely on the wood blocks. Like cleats on an athlete’s shoes.
FWIW I have blocks that specifically fit in my P-cars lifting points. They were like 59 bucks and work perfectly. They look like hockey pucks with a metal adapter in them that fits in the hole. Oil changes are so much easier with the QJ and I can get the car raised in under 10 minutes.
Let me add that, on my Mercedes, there is only one lifting point on each corner, so, I am forced to either lift, or support, the car at another point. This led to a jack stand failure last summer (it shifted on hot asphalt, level ground, outside my shop while I had another car on the QJ). No damage, but seeing the jack stand tip a bit, and then the car come crashing down as it slid off the stand, simply firmed up my distrust of jack stands.
I bought a set of these:
Lift at the one point, using the lifting pad, then set the pad down on the aluminum frame, which is wider than it is tall, and roll the floor jack out. It works great. Much wider than a jack stand, but still allows me to pull a wheel on that corner.
The lifting pad has a pinned adapter, like a cup, that won’t slide off the Mercedes lifting point.
They sell lifting pads designed for use with a pinch weld. That would be my choice for lifting a car with pinch welds.
I bought a set of these:
Lift at the one point, using the lifting pad, then set the pad down on the aluminum frame, which is wider than it is tall, and roll the floor jack out. It works great. Much wider than a jack stand, but still allows me to pull a wheel on that corner.
The lifting pad has a pinned adapter, like a cup, that won’t slide off the Mercedes lifting point.
They sell lifting pads designed for use with a pinch weld. That would be my choice for lifting a car with pinch welds.
just get a scissor lift
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Are you polishing the roof of a semi?
I love my QuickJack. I wasn't sure if it was really going to be that much better than jacks and jack stands, but I bought it anyhow. I like it a lot better, I feel there is much less chance of an accident lifting the car with it. I've had all my cars on it at one point or another, S2000, NSX, SC400, Ferrari, Rabbit, etc. No issues at all. I use the rubber blocks. They do wear out eventually.
I use mine at least monthly. I’ve got enough time in with em to set them up in about five minutes now. Having a polished concrete floor make it much easier to move them around. I usually do tire rotations and oil changes at the same mileage so it’s worth the extra effort to set them up. Only trouble I’ve had with them is one connector leaked and had to be replaced. It also helps to put a square of cardboard on top of the rubber blocks. I had a pinch weld slice into and take one out.
I have the 7000SLX with the regular blocks, pinch weld blocks, truck/SUV adapters, and the EXT adapters. Probably one of the best things I ever bought, it takes far less time to get a car or truck up in the air than a jack and stands. Especially my Camaros. Far more stable than standard jacks and with the various blocks and adapters I can pretty much lift anything up to 7000 pounds. I bought it during the black friday sale Home Depot was having and got it all about 40% less than regular pricing. Wish I would have bought it sooner.
The only draw back to them is the weight but even as heavy as they are, they still slide around on my garage floor without too much effort. Using them in a rough driveway or on dirty, probably a different story. I actually have my 89 Camaro up on them right now waiting a rear end fluid and gasket change, as well as a minor exhaust repair. Been sitting there since Sunday and hasn't moved since. It has pinch welds but I put subframe connectors on so I lift it with those instead. Easier to get lined up than the pinch weld blocks.
The only draw back to them is the weight but even as heavy as they are, they still slide around on my garage floor without too much effort. Using them in a rough driveway or on dirty, probably a different story. I actually have my 89 Camaro up on them right now waiting a rear end fluid and gasket change, as well as a minor exhaust repair. Been sitting there since Sunday and hasn't moved since. It has pinch welds but I put subframe connectors on so I lift it with those instead. Easier to get lined up than the pinch weld blocks.
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