Recomend a "Trolley Jack"

[RichR]

I need to purchase a small jack to keep in wife's new Impreza.
Want a brand that is unquestionably reliable. At least a 2ton.It will not be used other than flat tire duty. It seems plastic cases are not included any more .
I have two large Arcan jacks that have been good. Should I just stick to that brand ?
Anyone used the NAPA version?
Thanks in advance.

 

[spasm3]

I'm not a fan of those narrow small jacks, just not as stable, and the jack pad is small. Always felt like the jack was slipping on the underside of the car.

I'd get a harbor freight aluminum 1.5 ton jack. Its light.

1.5 Ton Low-Profile Aluminum Racing Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP

Amazing deals on this 1.5T Aluminum Racing Jack W/ Rapid Pump at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[JimPghPA]

While a floor jack has a wider base than standard scissors jack that most vehicles with a jack have now days, any jack with a hydraulic piston can be unusable when you go to use it after many years of storage. There are at least two pistons and cylinders to the hydraulic jack section of a floor jack. The large one most people commonly think of, and the small pump one that is moved when you operate the handle. If either or both of them rust enough the jack will not be usable. I had a nice little bottle jack that I had an extra wide top welded to, and I used it for several years. Sometimes without using it for quite a while. Then one time I went to use it and it was rusted stiff and would not move.

And a scissors jack is not prone to sudden drop from seal failure like a hydraulic based jack is. That is why people use jack-stands.

The scissors jack ( though not as stable as a floor jack ) is a design that even after long storage is more reliable in regard that will more likely still operate if needed. Just inspect and lube the screw and hinges once in a while and it is good to go.

So if you do put a floor jack in a vehicle, it probably is wise to also keep a scissors jack in it as a back-up, both as a second support incase the floor jack fails while the vehicle has been lifted by the floor jack, and also as the only jack if the floor jack is not usable when needed.

 

[supton]

Ditto on the HF 1.5T. However you may need a chunk of plywood to go under it, in you are parked on dirt.

 

[Chris142]

I'm not a fan of those narrow small jacks, just not as stable, and the jack pad is small. Always felt like the jack was slipping on the underside of the car.

I'd get a harbor freight aluminum 1.5 ton jack. Its light.

1.5 Ton Low-Profile Aluminum Racing Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP

Amazing deals on this 1.5T Aluminum Racing Jack W/ Rapid Pump at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I dragged my 80Lb steel jack around in the dirt for years untill I found that aluminum one.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I’ve got an old Craftsman trolley Jack someone gave me. The only trolley jacks I see anymore are the Torin Big Red ones. I am another vote for the aluminum HF one.

 

[RyanY]

I have an old 2T trolley from Advance Auto that I rarely use but has worked fine in the past. It would be fine for flat tires. If I were on the market for one, I would go for the Black Jack model at walmart. After all, it may get used once every few years.

 

[Trav]

For just tire changes kept in a light car like the Impreza there is no need to get a big jack, they take up space for nothing. This little jack is more than good enough for this use.

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[JeffKeryk]

Or you could just Superman it. Lift car with one arm and take lugs off with your fingers.

 

[atikovi]

I need to purchase a small jack to keep in wife's new Impreza.
Want a brand that is unquestionably reliable. At least a 2ton.It will not be used other than flat tire duty. It seems plastic cases are not included any more .
I have two large Arcan jacks that have been good. Should I just stick to that brand ?
Anyone used the NAPA version?
Thanks in advance.

Didn't the car come with one? If not, look on Ebay for ones out of wrecked cars. And what about a spare tire? Why do you think you need a 2 ton trolley jack when the WHOLE car doesn't even weigh 2 tons? Why carry around an extra 40 pounds in the trunk that you may never even use.

 

[Leo99]

What's wrong with the little scissor jack that comes with the car? Worked for me when I had a flat tire.