As a BMW tech...*** is a jack? 
GM "lightness" efforts
- Thread starter WylieCoyote
- Start date
I believe this. The jack in question looks like a regular scissors jack except for the material used. The engineers should design something better, starting with a wider and more stable base.
I'd feel safer under a plastic bottle style jack. They use phenolic pistons in brakes all the time these days, so they could probably build a bottle jack out of mostly plastic/phenolic/resin.
I've not see a single emergency spare tire jack I'd consider anything more than the bare minimum necessary to lift the vehicle high enough off the ground so the wheel can be removed, never mind placing any body part one doesn't want smooshed in harm's way. Especially with the old bumper jacks.
And since the advent of cell phones and bundled roadside assistance coverage, I'd bet that even fewer are seeing any type of duty than ever before.
OEMs have never made these things much of a priority before, and it has reached the point where it's not uncommon to question whether a new vehicle includes a spare tire, or even offers one as an option.
And since the advent of cell phones and bundled roadside assistance coverage, I'd bet that even fewer are seeing any type of duty than ever before.
OEMs have never made these things much of a priority before, and it has reached the point where it's not uncommon to question whether a new vehicle includes a spare tire, or even offers one as an option.
EPA
I wonder if the only reason jacks are included is due to a old and outdated regulation that a vehicle must have one?
Most drivers these days will call a service. Many will not be able to get the lug nuts off anyway with most of the lug wrenchs that are supplied these days. You cannot get any leverage on them. Many cars just come with a can of Fix A Flat to get you to a tire shop where in most cases the tire will need to be replaced anyway.
Mustangs and Camaros are delivered with only a sealant-equipped air pump. You have to buy a jack and spare if you want a traditional setup. They're options from Ford and Chevy as well if the right boxes are checked on the order.
Ranks right up there with cinder blocks!
Somebody should ask Sandy Monroe if they used the correct plastic for this thing. But yeah, don't they do load testing on something like this?
Somebody should ask Sandy Monroe if they used the correct plastic for this thing. But yeah, don't they do load testing on something like this?
I'm sure they do. But they probably didn't load test it under actual use cases. Dead flat concrete floor I'm sure it would be perfectly fine. Out on the side of the road, not so much.
I was actually wondering how many actually get used? My 2014 Town and Country has a jack, but also has an air compressor in it, which I used instead of jacking up the van to change the spare when I found it flat on a trip. I was able to pump it back up and drive to where I could fix the tire. Tires are much better than before, people have little skill to do manual things like change a tire, and jacks really are not ever used.
I've never needed one! The only times I did I happened to be at home, or, had the air compressor to get me to a shop.
Makes me wonder if I need these crappy Run-Flats!
I've never needed a jack either, except back in the day when there was nothing else to work on my cars.
They werent
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