car jack

[Battis]

Not the criminal kind - a scissors jack.
My car did not come with a spare or a jack. In fact, they don't make a spare tire or a jack for that car, just the foam injecting compressor/pump, which is useless if the tire is destroyed (which it was last week).
Anyways, I found a spare doughnut that fits. Now I need a jack.
I have three scissor jacks from other cars. The top of the jacks don't fit the jacking point on the car. I could cut the top of one of the jacks with a grinder to make it flat, which would fit the car. I could even leave a "lip" on the jack to fit the car better. Is there a safety issue doing that?

[gwpercle]

Not having a "spare" of some sort and not having a jack to use to mount the spare ...
Should be against some "Safety Law" ... the can of Fix-A-Flat is not a proper substitute for a spare (even a small spare temporary tire) and a proper jack . That kind of nonsense can leave you stranded and get you killed ...
There outta be a Law but the deck is stacked in favor of the car maker's profits at the cost of taxpayers lives .
I don't have an answer to the jack modifications ... somebody will I'm sure ...
Sorry about the rant ... but no jack / no spare shouldn't be allowed ...
At least the car mfg. should offer a properly fitting safe to use jack and even a spare that you could purchase ... at nominal extra cost .
Gary

[cwtebay]

I can tell you from experience that you need to find the right one. I have had excellent luck by either contacting the dealership or manufacturer. That failed once, but I easily found one on eBay.


Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[358429]

Not the criminal kind - a scissors jack.
My car did not come with a spare or a jack. In fact, they don't make a spare tire or a jack for that car, just the foam injecting compressor/pump, which is useless if the tire is destroyed (which it was last week).
Anyways, I found a spare doughnut that fits. Now I need a jack.
I have three scissor jacks from other cars. The top of the jacks don't fit the jacking point on the car. I could cut the top of one of the jacks with a grinder to make it flat, which would fit the car. I could even leave a "lip" on the jack to fit the car better. Is there a safety issue doing that?

What vehicle are you trying to lift?

Scissor jacks are sketchy at best, limb traps at worst.

Regardless how you lift the car place a wheel between the frame rail and the ground if you can.

I strongly recommend a mid range or better floor jacks from harbor freight.

I own a yellow three ton daytona hf jack, have used it side by side with the snap on that it is a copy of. My opinion is the hf pump jack is stronger and better built and assembled.

The snap on stands are wayy better tho...

[TyGuy]

It may help for suggestions if we know what type of car you’re dealing with.

Many cars are not coming with spares and tools anymore but usually include free roadside assistance in the case of a complete tire failure. Some models are even trim level dependent. For example, the 2016-2021 Civic LX and EX come with a spare and tools but the Sport and SI trim do not. Instead you get the little electric pump with “mechanic-in-a-can” gel built in. Like you said, if you hit a pothole and blow out the sidewall you’re stuck waiting for a flatbed. I’d rather slap on a spare myself and be on my way but most modern drivers don’t even know how their wheels come off.

We had one guy blow out both passenger side tires and proceed to drive all the way to our shop on the aluminum wheels. Ground the wheels down about inch and a half before he made it to us… and then was irate when he heard how much the wheels were. Ironically, his car had a spare but that only would have fixed half of his problem.

[Scrounge]

Not the criminal kind - a scissors jack.
My car did not come with a spare or a jack. In fact, they don't make a spare tire or a jack for that car, just the foam injecting compressor/pump, which is useless if the tire is destroyed (which it was last week).
Anyways, I found a spare doughnut that fits. Now I need a jack.
I have three scissor jacks from other cars. The top of the jacks don't fit the jacking point on the car. I could cut the top of one of the jacks with a grinder to make it flat, which would fit the car. I could even leave a "lip" on the jack to fit the car better. Is there a safety issue doing that?

Look at the underside of your car, and see if it has marked jacking points. Then either get a jack that will work with those jacking points, or modify one to do so. AND get one of the smaller 3-ton or better floor jacks, and a pair of jack stands that are rated for as close to the total weight of your car each as possible. Avoid the ones that are made of thin sheet metal, or thin tubing. Had one of those collapse on me (just barely not literally so) very early in my young adult life. Also, get a few squares of plywood to set them on when you're not on pavement. That would have prevented the one that collapsed for me from collapsing. You ARE going to get a flat tire. Might as well prepare for it.

I've been driving Hyundai Elantra's for the past decade or so. They generally come with a jack and donut, and a small compressor with a foam canister. I've been putting a full-size spare in there in place of the donut.

Speaking of which, anyone more or less local to me (OKC Metro) who needs a 16" donut for an 2017 or later Elantra or anything compatible is welcome to the one I have cluttering up my living room.

Bill

[Winger Ed.]

I never appreciated any factory car jack I've ever had.

For our cars, I get a med. duty bottle jack, and carry a block of wood in case I need to use it on dirt.
For the truck, a medium-ish size floor jack.

All our vehicles have a real, '5th tire' for a spare.
One didn't years ago, so I got a decent 'pull off' tire from the junk yard and carried it in the trunk-
which it almost filled.

[Battis]

It's a 2018 Buick Regal TourX Essence wagon(think I got all the parts of the name). Great car. No jack, no spare, just that little can of goo that was useless last week. They don't list a jack or spare for that car (per the dealer), but it's basically the same car as a Buick Sportback. I got a spare donut from Monster Junkyard (sent them a pic and the VIN number. Perfect match. Fits in the spare tire wheelwell with the subwoofer on top of it). There is a jack available for the Sportback that I'll probably get if NAPA doesn't have something better.
The jack that I have would fit the jacking points if I modified it a little.
We have AAA and GM roadside assistance, but I'd rather have a spare.

[GregLaROCHE]

You may find the correct Jack at a junkyard.

[Bazoo]

A cheap 29 dollar floor jack and a length of 2x4 to span the body seem and frame or whatever is what I use. Make sure you have chock blocks. I use a piece of 4x4. That’s handy for other things too occasionally.

[redriverhunter]

I use a 20.00 harbor fright floor jack and put it where ever the owner manual says to I have yet to damage my car but do this at your own risk.... When my daughter purchased her last a Hyundai, could not find a tire and rim at the junk yard because bolt pattern would not match. Went to discount tire and got a rim that was one inch taller and tire that was an inch shorter and that is her spare.

[redriverhunter]

the bottle neck jack and piece of wood is a great idea will do the same thanks

I never appreciated any factory car jack I've ever had.

For our cars, I get a med. duty bottle jack, and carry a block of wood in case I need to use it on dirt.
For the truck, a medium-ish size floor jack.

All our vehicles have a real, '5th tire' for a spare.
One didn't years ago, so I got a decent 'pull off' tire from the junk yard and carried it in the trunk-
which it almost filled.

[Winger Ed.]

the bottle neck jack and piece of wood is a great idea will do the same thanks

It's always worked good for me, and they don't take up much space.
Something else I've always kept in the vehicles, is a big RV size can of goo, a med. quality 12V air pump, and a small package of
tire plugs with the cheapie tools to poke 'em in. Also a cheap breaker bar with the lug nut size socket on it, or a '4 way'.

Over the years, I've picked up a nail here or there, and been able to fix it without taking the tire off, and get back on the road,
or top off a low tire until I can get home and fix it right.

[Battis]

The car is pretty low to the ground but I'll check out the bottle jacks. I'll also check the junkyard that sold me the tire.

[358429]

You're going to have pinch welds that run alongside both sides of the vehicle. There's going to be sections where there is greater reinforcements those are going to be where you're going to position the Jack and or stands. The owners manual should either specify or give you a website where you can download a PDF document that will explain this in Greater detail with pictures if you are unfamiliar.

As mentioned earlier the breaker bar is a very good idea. Sometimes the last person to work on it will just send the bolts or nuts tight with the impact gun.

[RogerDat]

I saw a fellow towing a trailer with the street side wheel worn flat and throwing sparks. He had flat and then drove on rim until it seized then drove dragging it along the shoulder until the bottom was flat. I'm pretty sure they were still a few miles from an exit. I would have bet against them making it.

I will sometimes stop to offer assistance but that was in direct conflict with my rule about avoiding crazy people in this case.

[Battis]

There's four plastic pop-in inserts at the jack points that pull off.

[Finster101]

You are going to have a hard time finding a bottle jack that will go under that car especially with a flat tire.

[ulav8r]

My grandaughter is getting a 27" HF breakover bar for Christmas with a socket to fit the lug nuts.

[Battis]

You are going to have a hard time finding a bottle jack that will go under that car especially with a flat tire.

Yeah, it's low to begin with. I'll just find a correct jack.