New Jack For Discovery 4

[macwood1]

Apologies if I am opening an old topic... but I tried search and found nothing I liked!! I am wondering what is available in terms of a better quality jack for off road use? I remember reading somewhere of a new product from the States but it was not available in OZ... any updates?:confused:

[oldsalt]

I'm still hanging out for these to come on the market - Quaddro Technologies - WORLD'S SAFEST 4x4 Off-Road Vehicle Recovery Mechanism. (http://www.quaddrotech.com/contact.html) - but getting info out of them is like pulling teeth ... I've got my fingers crossed ...
cheers

[d3syd]

I'm still hanging out for these to come on the market - Quaddro Technologies - WORLD'S SAFEST 4x4 Off-Road Vehicle Recovery Mechanism. (http://www.quaddrotech.com/contact.html) - but getting info out of them is like pulling teeth ... I've got my fingers crossed ...
cheers

Impressive lift capacity.

However I have a dislike of sissor jacks for off road use because the screw mechanism is prone to getting clogged with sand and mud. My OEM sissor jack virtually seized up when I got bogged in sand last year on our Cape York trip.

Luckily I had a back up bottle jack, which is much more resistant to sand and mud.

[oldsalt]

Hi d3syd,
what size - and brand - of bottle jack do you use ?
I'm sure others will be interested as well as me.... and where do you store it ?
cheers

[101RRS]

I understand that the same jack is used on the Fully Fat Range Rovers and some have failed and dropped the car. The Disco series 1 jack is pretty good but does it have the range to lift a D3/4, RRS? I have a Fram for the 101 which has the lift but is still a bit too tall for a lowered RRS with a flat.

Garry

[bbyer]

The Clarke 3 ton jpg is of a trolley jack I found on Disco3. I have a similar no name China made trolley jack, but rated at 2 ton.

It works well on a dry flat surface to lift a single wheel to get maybe an inch of clearance to change a tyre by lifting somewhere under the A arm.
I would regard the jack as too weak to lift on the frame as it would get "stretched out" and warp.

The 6 ton bottle jack is what I regard as a good size for lifting at the frame - not too tall that it will not go under and tall enough that you will get a bit of lift and take the weight off of a wheel. The air springs of the 3 have too much articulation however such that one could actually lift a wheel clear so a tyre could be changed.

As such, I have a second bottle jack, a baby 2 ton unit to place under a wheel A arm to lift the tyre assembly - or the little trolley jack could be used. Also when the 6 ton is full up and the 3 lifted, you will see that the jack body has tipped inwards - nothing is perfect. That is why a shop trolley jack has wheels, so it can shift with the vehicle and hopefully remain under the centre of lift.

The two stage bottle jack can be interesting if you can find one; note the jpg is of a 2 ton and some do not have the screw top so total lift may be no more than a single stage.

The 3 ton shop trolley jack with the lifting pin insert is what I use around the house when changing tyres.

[d3syd]

Hi d3syd,
what size - and brand - of bottle jack do you use ?
I'm sure others will be interested as well as me.... and where do you store it ?
cheers

It is just a cheap one from Super Cheap Auto. Made in Japan though, so quality is pretty good. The brand is "Masada" and it is rated for 2 tonnes. They had a few others with different lift capacities in the store.

I store it in plastic carry case that came with my ARB compressor which lives in the back of my car.

I find with air suspension, you virtually need 2 jacks all the time because you need to raise the car up a long way to get a wheel off the ground as the air suspension keeps dropping the wheel while the car is going up. So what I do is stick the bottle jack under the suspension arm and jack it up as well - makes things a lot easier.:)

[Graeme]

When at home I use the hydraulic jack from my old RRC under the bottom shock mount to lift the wheel. The jack has a curved top so can't slip out. I don't carry that jack in the vehicle though because it leaks.

[Peter]

I find with air suspension, you virtually need 2 jacks all the time because you need to raise the car up a long way to get a wheel off the ground as the air suspension keeps dropping the wheel while the car is going up. So what I do is stick the bottle jack under the suspension arm and jack it up as well - makes things a lot easier.:)

I have experienced the same issue and the higher you jack the car the more it tries to find terrafirma. As I rotate my own tyres this means stands and jacks are very dangerous.

So I noted a few hierogliphics on the jack and it suggested raising the suspension first and using the sissor jack at specific points. I have used this to fix a puncture with success and am yet to try it with a rotation. I will try the stands under the jacking points next time and if this wors then this will be safer than trying to get grip on the lower arm.

Cheers PK

[CaverD3]

I use an exhaust jack and a car stand for safety. :D

[Graeme]

As I rotate my own tyres this means stands and jacks are very dangerous.
I never have more than 1 wheel jacked at a time, preferring to fit the spare temporarily.

[eddomak]

It is just a cheap one from Super Cheap Auto. Made in Japan though, so quality is pretty good. The brand is "Masada" and it is rated for 2 tonnes. They had a few others with different lift capacities in the store.

Wanted to reopen this thread with a quick question - what should be the minimum lifting capacity of a jack with the D4 (3.0SE, if it makes any difference)? I know the car is 2.3 tonnes unladen, and if only lifting using the standard jacking point for tyre changes etc, then not the whole load of the car is on the jack.

Is 2 tonne enough?

Also with the extension required, can one just keep the door open to prevent the air suspension from self lifting higher?

[bbyer]

As with the other posts, I claim it takes two jacks to change a tyre easily; one to lift on the frame and carry the weight of a corner, and the second jack to lift under the A arm to get the rubber off the road. An air bag jack is actually the best alternative and only one is required.

Stability is my concern, particularly of the jack lifting the frame. A two tonne bottle jack would probably lift one corner of the frame but it would be working hard. I use a 3 ton trolley at home and a 6 tonne bottle on the road with a piece of wood set under the bottle jack to hopefully add stability. It does but it does not look very pretty however and stability is always a question. Chocking the other wheels is very necessary.

The jack under the A arm is a baby bottle jack; looks like it might be good for 500 pounds on a nice day but rated at 2 ton per my previous post.

My belief is that you cannot be certain under any circumstances that the air will not let go from the air springs.

When preventing an air release really matters, on my 3, I pull the F26E fuse or disconnect the battery. I assume the D4 has a similar fuse that depowers the air suspension computer and hence removes the ability of the exhaust valve to power up and release any air under any circumstances.

[WhiteD3]

So I noted a few hieroglyphics on the jack and it suggested raising the suspension first and using the scissor jack at specific points.

Absolutely. Raise the suspension, leave a door open, use the jacking points in the chassis rail.

I carry a 2 stage bottle jack I got delivered from Gasweld. Have a look at this thread. Note the attachments I had made on page 2.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/52937-new-d3-bottle-jack.html

[Stuart02]

I use an exhaust jack and a car stand for safety. :D

Obviously changing tyres and recovery jacking are totally different things, and good practice for tyre changing is to at least have the extra wheel under the sill for backup...

On a flat hard bit of ground the OEM jack'll be fine... What do ppl think of the exhaust jacks compared to hi-lift jacks for recovery work?

[gghaggis]

These electric scissor jacks are effective:

Camping/Trailers | Accessories | KCI Electric Scissor Jack for 4WDs | 4WD WORLD - A World of 4x4 Accessories & Suspension Information (http://www.4wdworld.com.au/KCI-Electric-Scissor-Jack-for-4WDs.html)

Note though, it won't quite fit under the chassis if you're down on the bump stops - you'll still need the LR jack for that.

Cheers,

Gordon

[AGRO]

SELSON AIR JACK

Has anybody have or use one of these jacks?

There is a 2.5t with 465mm lift with various accessories available.

For emergency use in offroad environment these appear to be a viable alternative to me. Particularly since most off roaders carry an aircompressor, the jack has a reasonable "foot print" and is flexible enough to move off axis as the vehicle is raised.

I'd be interested in any comments


Air Jacks*|*TES - Air Spring Specialists, Industrial & Automotive Airsprings (http://toolern.com.au/automotive-products/air-jacks.html)

[bbyer]

I appreciate you finding that style of jack and writing it up. I had never seen anything like that before - have seen the air spring on lots of trucks, but have never seen an air spring used that way - well maybe for building and equipment lifts but not solely as a bottle or trolley jack replacement.

As for bush use, I think I would continue with the exhaust bag jack as it supports well in bad ground conditions and does seem seem to care where you place it under the vehicle - other than on the muffler or exhaust pipes.

For shop use, I have a trolley with one of those pin adaptors that fits into the under frame hole that Land Rover provides. I do see that the air spring jack has optional "tops" so I suppose one could rig up one of those pin adaptors oneself.

I guess I see the air spring jack as a more elegant trolley or bottle jack replacement for the shop, but a bit "un compact" and I perhaps heavy for trail use.

[ADMIRAL]

SELSON AIR JACK

Has anybody have or use one of these jacks?

There is a 2.5t with 465mm lift with various accessories available.

For emergency use in offroad environment these appear to be a viable alternative to me. Particularly since most off roaders carry an aircompressor, the jack has a reasonable "foot print" and is flexible enough to move off axis as the vehicle is raised.

I'd be interested in any comments



Air Jacks*|*TES - Air Spring Specialists, Industrial & Automotive (http://toolern.com.au/automotive-products/air-jacks.html)

Airsprings (http://toolern.com.au/automotive-products/air-jacks.html)
Yes, we have one in the workshop. I think you will find that the general automotive 12 volt compressors, will not have enough grunt to use them as a practical jack. It would be worth checking that side of it out before investing in one. The inflation controls are simple push buttons, and with high air pressure can be a problem to adjust if you are looking for fine movements. That may actually be ok with lower pressure. ( if it works ) I will have to try it out on 12volt.

[ADMIRAL]

Hi Aggro,

No go with the jack. I haven't tried it on 12volt, but it won't lift the D4's wheels off the ground when used under the side chassis rail. The extension is just not high enough. It could be used under the arms, but then there is the risk of it dislodging easily. The unit itself is quite bulky and heavy. ( not that other jack options are exactly light ) and would take a fair bit of room up inside the vehicle.

[rapserv]

I'm still hanging out for these to come on the market - Quaddro Technologies - WORLD'S SAFEST 4x4 Off-Road Vehicle Recovery Mechanism. (http://www.quaddrotech.com/contact.html) - but getting info out of them is like pulling teeth ... I've got my fingers crossed ...
cheers

Since when has a scissor jack been 'safe'?

[BradC]

Since when has a scissor jack been 'safe'?

They might well have improved in the 11 years since that was posted! [bighmmm]

[rapserv]

They might well have improved in the 11 years since that was posted! [bighmmm]

I doubt it.
I've seen a few of them fail and they would be my very last option.

[Ghost-Who-Walks]

I have a trolley jack (short, low at the end that lifts) that lives permanently in the vehicle.
It fits under the suspension and can easily lift 1 wheel for changing tyres - I think it's around 2 - 2.5T (would need to check).
It is the perfect solution for changing a tyre - it's fairly compact, doesn't weigh a lot, is very stable on most hard surfaces (dirt road, bitumen etc) and is super quick to use.
My indie stocks these for D3/D4 owners, as they are the ideal solution for our vehicles.

Having said that, it would be almost useless (unless a last resort) for any sort of recovery activity.

I never use the OEM scissor jack, if I can at all help it!!!

[Azza_LR3]

Hi, I have a solution. At home i use a trolley jack. Whilst off road i use a kevlar reinforced airbag jack. Its fantastic. it’ll lift 2500kg like a boss. Great if you bogged in sand, need an emergency lift on rocks, and even great in a muddle. It follows the surface of the ground and has a big “foot print” under a chassis rail when changing a tire.

[Eric SDV6SE]

Hi, I have a solution. At home i use a trolley jack. Whilst off road i use a kevlar reinforced airbag jack. Its fantastic. it’ll lift 2500kg like a boss. Great if you bogged in sand, need an emergency lift on rocks, and even great in a muddle. It follows the surface of the ground and has a big “foot print” under a chassis rail when changing a tire.

Is that the one you can run off the exhaust, or do you just use compressed air?

[Azza_LR3]

Is that the one you can run off the exhaust, or do you just use compressed air?

Both. Its comes with 2 attachments, you can use exhaust, or compressor with std air fitting. They are awesome in the sand. Quick to lift. It will lift 400mm + if positioned correct. Also its rated at 3000kg.