What kinds of floor jacks?

Super 90 · 01-19-2013, 12:26 PM

What kinds of floor jacks are you guys using for a Boxster?

By way of explanation, my floor jack is a traditional, very heavy, hydraulic floor jack and it's simply not low enough to function well under the front of the car. I'm thinking some kind of very low profile, long reach jack is what's needed in order to jack it and get stands under the 4 points.

Can you guys give me an idea of what you're using?

Thanks a lot.

jwgn777 · jwgn777's Garage

I use two low profile aluminum jacks. Lots of them come with nice flat rubberized pads that are just right for Boxsters and 911 s. (DON'T FORGET ALWAYS TO USE JACK STANDS) JW

kjc2050 · 01-19-2013, 01:41 PM

I'm using a low profile aluminum/steel jack from Advance AP. Cost about ~$189. Works well, but you have to "pump" it about 7-8 times to get it to full height. NAPA sells a similar product but it's a speed or racing jack, so it requires only 2-3 strokes to get to its max height. It's normally $299, however. Very nice jack.

Super 90 · 01-19-2013, 02:40 PM

Thanks, guys. I'm going to bang together some 2x4 ramps and see if I can easily get it a couple of inches higher, so the jack has more clearance. If I can't get that to work, I'll be shopping for a jack like you suggest.

Turd · Turd's Garage

Rightly or wrongly I put my jacks where you put your jack stands and vice versa. I had to push up on the bumper a little with my shoulder to raise the car a bit to get the jack under. I used two jacks to raise the rear a bit then took both to the front to raise the front and went back and forth from back to front with both jacks to raise the car evenly a bit at a time.

Super 90 · 01-21-2013, 04:47 PM

Last weekend I made a set of ramps out of 2X4s laid together on their sides. After a bit of messing around to make them work, I got the car up on all 4 of them, which solved the problem in 2 ways - 1) I can fit the jack under the car now if needed, and 2) with the car on the 2X4 ramps, I can just barely slide under the car and get to the oil drain plug and the filter. Success!

One thing I did learn... when you reset the maintenance message on the computer, it also resets the timer for when it will measure your oil level. It resets it to ONE HOUR! So... either reset your maintenance light an hour or so before you change your oil, or after you're all done and have the oil level checked and adjusted.

jwgn777 · jwgn777's Garage

Please be careful with the ramps. Put your hyd jacks or stationary jacks under your Boxster anyway for safety. JW Auto tech for the city of NY If seen a lot of people get hurt over here on this side of the US!

Super 90 · 01-22-2013, 05:59 AM

Of course. If you saw these ramps, I think you'd agree they're about as safe as anything, and more safe even than jackstands. They're solid wood - there's no structure to them. You just drive up on them and the car is sitting on solid wood, roughly 4" higher off the concrete. There's literally nothing to collapse or break apart. Thanks for the thought!

Rot 911 · 01-22-2013, 06:41 AM

Just spend the money and get the low profile, aluminum jack. Once I got one, I rarely use my other floor jacks. Makes your life much easier. Even the Harbor Freight one is a decent jack.

Super 90 · 01-22-2013, 07:26 AM

Actually, I just looked at the Harbor Freight web site and their "low profile" jack is only $129. It would probably be just fine...

tcora · tcora's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turd

Rightly or wrongly I put my jacks where you put your jack stands and vice versa. I had to push up on the bumper a little with my shoulder to raise the car a bit to get the jack under. I used two jacks to raise the rear a bit then took both to the front to raise the front and went back and forth from back to front with both jacks to raise the car evenly a bit at a time.

FYI, done right, you can jack up your Boxster by using just two jacking points.

First, jack up the rear by putting a floor jack underneath the transmission crossmember - approach from the rear of the car. Put two jackstands on the two rear jacking points (on the rocker panel) and set the car down on them.

Next, to go either side and jack up the front of the car from the inner jacking point (not on the rocker) - pix are in the Bentley if you don't know where these are, but roughly speaking, they are about 10" inboard of the rocker/sill. With the back of the car already on jackstands, the chassis is rigid enough that you can then put jackstands under the two forward jacking points.

Voila!

stealthn · 01-22-2013, 06:36 PM

Ah..without chocking the fronts, jacking up first from the rear is not a good idea.

tcora · tcora's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by stealthn

Ah..without chocking the fronts, jacking up first from the rear is not a good idea.

Correct.

steved0x · 01-25-2013, 07:31 AM

How long of a floor jack do you need to reach the back jacking point that lifts the back of the car from under the back bumper? Harbor freight has a couple, and Costco has an Arcan XL325R for $99 which has these specs:

Lift Height 21-3/8"
Low Height 3-1/2 for 17"
Weight 104lbs
Length 27-1/2
Width 14
Saddle 4-1/2 round
Rating 3-1/4 tons

Is that low enough to fit under the bumpers, and long enough to reach all the good jacking points?

Is anybody using the 3 ton jack stands from Harbor Freight?

Thanks!

Steve

jwgn777 · jwgn777's Garage

I used the 3 ton aluminum jacks from Harbor freight as shown in the photo of the Carrera on top of this thread. I have a better quality Walker stands however they where a little taller and the Aluminum ones were right for the job I was doing that day. Don't forget 1 jack stand itself is not actually meant to hold 3 tons but 3 tons of evenly distributed weight of the vehicle. LOL

greenheckler · 01-27-2013, 06:42 PM

Steve
I use the Costco Arcan jack for $99. Works great as long as you don't mind that it is HEAVY to tote around. Can't just pick it up easily and toss it in the back of your car.

steved0x · 01-28-2013, 08:03 AM

That is the one thing I like about the HF Aluminum jacks, they are much lighter. Thank you everybody!

Dkennel · Dkennel's Garage

anybody have pictures of the jackpoints you use? Can you lift the car on the rear factory jackpoint far enough to place a jackstand under the front? I worry about placing the jack in the front where Wayne indicated in his book + it get's still very crowded to lift and place a jckstand.....
Thought about lifting from the rear factory points far enough so I could put jackstands on the front points, do that alternating left and right...then place my jack under the rear point suggested by Wayne

That should lift the car evenly so I should be able to put stands under the rear factory points? does that sound right?

tcora · tcora's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dkennel

anybody have pictures of the jackpoints you use? Can you lift the car on the rear factory jackpoint far enough to place a jackstand under the front? I worry about placing the jack in the front where Wayne indicated in his book + it get's still very crowded to lift and place a jckstand.....
Thought about lifting from the rear factory points far enough so I could put jackstands on the front points, do that alternating left and right...then place my jack under the rear point suggested by Wayne That should lift the car evenly so I should be able to put stands under the rear factory points? does that sound right?

I need to pull my snow tires off in the very near future, will take some pix when I do and post them here...

Turd · Turd's Garage

My floor jacks were 2 1/4 ton jacks at $28.00 each from Canadian Tire! They worked great. I used two at a time. I had to drive the car up on a long 2x8 piece of lumber on each side to get the car up the extra inch I required to get the jack under the frame.