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Show us your bottle jacks!
I’m looking to buy a couple (eventually four) bottle jacks to use with the coach. I envision using them for two purposes:
1. To leave the jack compressed and use the screw top adjustment to hold the coach up after I’ve drive it on a board ramp and lifted the coach using the bags. (I won’t get under the coach with it simply supported by the ram in the event of a jack failure.)
2. To jack up components (like axles and A-frames) and then support with with a heavy jackstand, another bottle jack’s screw top adjustment, or blocks.
I see that North Tool has a JET 12 1/2 ton bottle jack on sale that Has a 9 1/2in. to 18 1/2in. lift range with 3.2in. screw-top.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200630641_200630641
Is a 12 1/2 ton bottle jack heavy enough for a Prevost? Or do I need to go up to a 15 or 20 ton jack?
Northern Tool has Torin, Strongway, Blackhawk, and Omega bottle jacks in addition to JET.
I’ve used bottle jacks in the past, but not with this much weight. How important is air over hydraulic?
NT also has “support jacks” in the same area of its web site:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_automotive+jacks+bottle-jacks
Anyone have opinions pro or con about these kinds of jacks to hold up a coach? Is the base wide enough?
15 tons, extend to 21.5″, base 6″x6″
20 tons. extend to 25″, base 7 13/16″x7.125″
25 tons, extend to 26.5″, base 7.25″x7.25″
What do you guys use? What are your suggestions? What should I stay away from?
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10 Replies
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Even with a pit I think it might be dangerous to work beneath a coach that has an unsupported chassis. With all respect to Jeff and Prevost and others that use lifts I am not completely comfortable being under the coach when it is lifted unless the suspension is all the way down.
This is what I use………
When I do use bottle jacks I use them with the hydraulic ram down and the center screw post extended as needed. That way they can never drop unexpectedly.
There are times when they are advantageous because I can raise the chassis such as to remove a wheel and then lower it back down to safely do work such as replace a shock or air bag.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200305255_200305255
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Dick, I use the same 20 ton air jack as Jon mentioned above. I also use the Northern Tool 20 ton “shorty” manual jacks if needed.
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Here is the recipe I have used the last several years to stay alive. Needless to say, never trust air or hydraulics.
Inventory:
One 12 ton air over hydraulic bottle
One 20 ton air over hydraulic bottle
Four pieces of quarter inch steel plate
Two pieces of 6×6 oak, purchased at a saw mill, one foot long stacked and screwed together, precisely planed for height, and with a handle, times four.
These are placed under the factory jack points after the air bags are at max lift. There is a half inch space between the steel plate and the body jack points. I don’t let it down on these, but they are always there for safety, and the body has never come down on them even after a week.
In the beginning I did buy a 40 ton steel jack stand, but it is so heavy duty my arms tell me to forget about it, and I have.
Get the air over hydraulic because it will be a struggle to find enough space for the stoke of the handle with the non air.
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I have a 12 & 20 ton jacks that I found at http://www.usjack.com. They are made in the USA. We have some of the cheaper ones around the shop, and you can see the difference between them. They were more expensive, but not by much. I never support the coach with the jacks either. Block it and leave the jack using the screw up as a safety.
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This is one of my trucks… and it’s what I use for a bottle jack…
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Peter,
Could you FEDEX that “bottle jack” to Florida? I would like to borrow it for a few days to lift up my house! That some truck you have there. Is it at home or in Canada? It is a great looking “bottle jack”!!!!
Safe travels and enjoy your busy summer.
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It’s in Canada at the shop
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Peter, Here is my bottle jack, problem is I skin up my stainless sides when I wrap a choaker around it!!
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Now that is a sweet truck , very nice , Use a spreader bar and it won’t touch the sides LoL ,, that is very nice
how many ton is that rated ? what size wire rope on that? How many foot of stick on that ??
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And its a Liberty!
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