Car jack warning

[stevo68]

G'day All,

Here's an excerpt from a trip to Coffs on the weekend


I have to give a huge shoutout to Bolts for saving mine and the families bacon on the way home. I had a flat and pulled into a rest stop and told Mick and Bolts to keeping going. Well what should have been a reasonably simple situation went pear shaped. The D3 went to extended height and I couldnt bring it back down, the jack wouldnt turn any further and I couldnt get the wheel on. So I got a hold of Mick and Bolts and thankfully albeit and hour away, Bolts came back to save the day. Hearing that SA accent on the UHF for once was music to the ears :). However in between Bolts getting there the jack crapped itself and D3 plummeted to the ground, door handle wacking me in the head nailing the sunnies, luckily I had a spare under the rear bar that prevented worse carnage, even if the brake drum had ploughed into the gravel. Thankfully a cuppla grey nomads camping near by, one with a D1, lent me their bottle jack to take off the pressure. Once Bolts was there, we got the tyre on and even though the plate behind the disc was...well bent and making a scratchy sound off we went. Whooo hooo on the way home now..................NOT

Went to the dealers today as car was making an awful racket ( turns out to be a stone caught between disc and protection plate). Spoke in length with dealer in the jack and how bloody dangerous it was and that it was the same jack in our XR6, ie a huge difference in weight and length it has to be pumped up too. THey are going to lodge a fault with LRA and sort out the damage to vehicle, at this stage not to bad. Thought I would suggest that perhaps ( like myself) investing in a more suitable jack.

Regards

Stevo

[harry]

yep, steve - i thought the jack was crap at crystal creek. but lr probably think that the car is so expensive that the owners will never use it, just ring the rac, crap mr lr.

[WhiteD3]

Stevo, awesome reviews in the posts on your D3 and driving. I've got a long, long way to go:eek:

Looking forward to suggestions on the jack replacement. While I expect to get stuck occasionally with the GCLRO, I don't want to stay stuck:angel:

[stevo68]

Stevo, awesome reviews in the posts on your D3 and driving. I've got a long, long way to go:eek:

Looking forward to suggestions on the jack replacement. While I expect to get stuck occasionally with the GCLRO, I don't want to stay stuck:angel:
Yeah mate, takes a while, moreso confidence and learning capabilities of the vehicle, I still too have a long way to go :D.


What sort of jack do the D3's have then?

If its crap, it must be the same one they supply with the Defender :D Possibly, it is a triangle jack type thingy that you have a bar and handle to wind up if it makes sense.

Regards

Stevo

[garryc]

Stevo, awesome reviews in the posts on your D3 and driving. I've got a long, long way to go:eek:

Looking forward to suggestions on the jack replacement. While I expect to get stuck occasionally with the GCLRO, I don't want to stay stuck:angel:
The D3 scissor jack is rubbish:eek: One of the RR club guys had his collapse and bend. I've bought an hydraulic jack and made an adaptor to fit the top of it and the chassis hole. The trouble is to get the lift height required it is an 80 ton one:D. You have to set the air suspension to its highest setting to jack the vehicle. The handbook says always use a level surface(like you always find offroad:p). On a recent trip we found that a smaller bottle or hydraulic jack can be fitted under the suspension arm as well as the scissor jack to help when refitting the wheel;)

[stevo68]

Yep will be doing a scrounge around to see what will be suitable and keep it along with the crap jack. Dont want to see my beasty hit the ground like that again :mad:

Regards

Stevo

[WhiteD3]

Yep will be doing a scrounge around to see what will be suitable and keep it along with the crap jack. Dont want to see my beasty hit the ground like that again :mad:

Regards

Stevo

Stevo,

Where'd you get with the jack? I think on another post you were going to make a formal complaint to LR?

The reason I ask is that I had to use the jack today for the first time. Went out with Incisor on a final recce for the 28th which was great but when we stopped in Dayboro afterwards the rear passenger tyre was almost flat.

It is bloody alarming how far you have to extend that scissor jack to change the wheel! :o The jack was distorting so much we decided to use Dave's bottle jack, but it was too short. Anyway, got the job done (even used the wheel chocks to prevent any movement) but I'm none too confident in that jack.


Garryc - I've bought an hydraulic jack and made an adapter to fit the top of it and the chassis hole. The trouble is to get the lift height required it is an 80 ton one

Garryc, where'd you get the jack and where do you keep in the car?

Cheers,

Mark

[RonMcGr]

Stevo,

That is the problem when "Ford" own so many makes.
That miserable jack is probably used right across the whole range of makes.

Although, I'd be interested to see what Ford shove in the big :)F250

[Utemad]

Although, I'd be interested to see what Ford shove in the big :)F250

It is a small hydraulic bottle jack. It works fine but the storage position is behind the back seat lying down (in the dual cab) and it leaks hydraulic fluid onto the floor.

[DirtyDawg]

The D3 went to extended height and I couldn't bring it back down,

:D:D:D:DCar had a Seizure, or maybe the road was Hot and it went on tippy toes.

Oh the joys of a software orientated car....definitely give it more personality ...when it has a mind of its own:p

[RonMcGr]

It is a small hydraulic bottle jack. It works fine but the storage position is behind the back seat lying down (in the dual cab) and it leaks hydraulic fluid onto the floor.

How nice!
Not only that, you pay big money for all that leaking oil :)

[stevo68]

Nope havent looked into as of yet, have been a bit slack following it up. Will be going for a nosy on the weekend to see what is available. Good point on Ford, Ron, dumbo here didn't even reference the fact that our Ford XR6 has the same jack, moreso that the XR6 had the same jack. Will let those that need to know, how I go on the weekend,

Regards

Stevo

[WhiteD3]

Had my D3 in the dealers today getting a minor repair looked into, see below.

Raised the issue of the jack but they just mumbled and said hmmmm....yessss.....hmmmm but didn't have an answer.

The tyre man suggested an air bag jack thingy would be best. Sounds good but no idea how much these things cost.

Note to self: be more careful next time Incisor offers for me to tag along on a recce:). Lost my number plate, got a flat tyre (from a rock so says the tyre man) and broke a diecast bracket :eek:for the air suspension compressor. Haven't washed it yet so don't know about the scratches (Inc, was that a car track or an animal track we went down?).

But I did have fun :D:D:D

[incisor]

bracket? where is it located? passenger side just before trailing arm under plastic cover?

let you know when i get my shorty intoit.

you know that first really steep one i borked at, that is the other side of the one on the other side of that puddle...

sort of glad i whimped out now :P

[WhiteD3]

bracket? where is it located? passenger side just before trailing arm under plastic cover?

Yes, enough, just proves you don't have to be smart to own a D3:(



you know that first really steep one i borked at, that is the other side of the one on the other side of that puddle...

sort of glad i whimped out now :P

Absolutley! But I'll look forward to the hardcore guys having a go. Make a good video.

[Jamo]

I don't like the way the scissor jack bows when it's got the wheel off the ground. I've got a hilift to augment.

Note: To stop the car going into extended mode, leave a door open.

[Bushwanderer]

From a look at the GTR, air-sprung D3s get the scissor jack, while the coil-sprung units (like mine) get a bottle jack. I suspect that one of the differences is due to jacking points.

Those (few) of you with coils, please check & make sure that your jack is a bottle type. A number were incorrectly supplied with the scissor jack. There has been a recall to fix this problem.

[garryc]

Stevo,

Where'd you get with the jack? I think on another post you were going to make a formal complaint to LR?

The reason I ask is that I had to use the jack today for the first time. Went out with Incisor on a final recce for the 28th which was great but when we stopped in Dayboro afterwards the rear passenger tyre was almost flat.

It is bloody alarming how far you have to extend that scissor jack to change the wheel! :o The jack was distorting so much we decided to use Dave's bottle jack, but it was too short. Anyway, got the job done (even used the wheel chocks to prevent any movement) but I'm none too confident in that jack.



Garryc, where'd you get the jack and where do you keep in the car?

Cheers,

Mark

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I got it from Gasweld. It was the only one to give the needed height, although when I got it I found that there is an inner threaded section that you screw upwards out of the ram to get the stated height. It does the job though. It is from memory the 80 tonner. I keep it under and behind the rear seats because I have the 'S' model D3 it is the space where the 3rd row seats would be.

[WhiteD3]

Thanks Garry.

[cdrtravis]

The tyre man suggested an air bag jack thingy would be best.

That's what I'm thinking of getting for my D3. Looks like a far safer and convenient option, but I am happy to be corrected by those more experienced than me.

[Jamo]

If you're getting and airbag, get one that has the option to use a compressor.

The exhaust pipes are linked, so unless you block off the other pipe as well, exhaust inflation won't work.

[Bushwanderer]

It is a small hydraulic bottle jack. It works fine but the storage position is behind the back seat lying down (in the dual cab) and it leaks hydraulic fluid onto the floor.

The bottle jack under the "coiled" D3 also is stored "lying down". No leaks noted as yet (I wonder if it's empty)?:o

It's also of a much smaller diameter than the aftermarket one that I used in my D1 (which did lose oil, even though I stored it upright).

[Signal1]

Not too long ago I stopped to help a family with a flat tyre on their Jeep Grand Cherokee in Greensborough after watching them stare at the tyre for a long time.

He had the Jeep only a few months, purchased 2nd hand. Turned out the jack winder was missing as well as the wheel brace. He had tried using his brother's scissor jack from the brother's VE Commodore but that folded under the weight. (Jack & Commodore only 8 days old :o).

Used my bottle jack from the D2 but it topped out. Needed to scrape away some gravel to get the wheel on as I didn't have anything to put under the jack to increase height. Not ideal LR OE supply! :mad:

[garryc]

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I got it from Gasweld. It was the only one to give the needed height, although when I got it I found that there is an inner threaded section that you screw upwards out of the ram to get the stated height. It does the job though. It is from memory the 80 tonner. I keep it under and behind the rear seats because I have the 'S' model D3 it is the space where the 3rd row seats would be.
OOPS! Sorry guys it is a 20 Ton jack, not 80. Shouldn't rely on my memory these days! I have to move my cargo barrier to get to it so I got the jack out and it is a Toolex brand, made you know where and I got it from Gasweld for about $89. It is big and weighs 11kg but the only one to give the height needed.

[WhiteD3]

Garry,

On the scissor jack there's a locating "nib" on the top of the jack that locks into the jacking point on the chassis rail. What did you do about this with the bottle jack?

From what I can see the one you bought (and the others I've found) just have a flat, round (say 50mm dia) disc at the top of the jack.

Cheers,

Mark

[garryc]

Garry,

On the scissor jack there's a locating "nib" on the top of the jack that locks into the jacking point on the chassis rail. What did you do about this with the bottle jack?

From what I can see the one you bought (and the others I've found) just have a flat, round (say 50mm dia) disc at the top of the jack.

Cheers,

Mark

Mark, I cut a short bit of pipe that fitted over the disc on the top of the jack, welded a flat piece on top and a stud to go in the hole in the chassis. This is a separate piece that I keep in the car so that I can use the jack for other purposes. Will post a picture. regards Garry

[garryc]

Mark, I cut a short bit of pipe that fitted over the disc on the top of the jack, welded a flat piece on top and a stud to go in the hole in the chassis. This is a separate piece that I keep in the car so that I can use the jack for other purposes. Will post a picture. regards Garry

If I,ve got the process right here is a picture of the jack with the inner part wound up and the adaptor I made to fit the top of the jack to the chassis.:)
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/4624/dsc00347dn3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/697/dsc00349at1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[WhiteD3]

Thanks Garry.

[p38arover]

See this recall:

View Recall*-*Land Rover Discovery 3 (http://www.recalls.gov.au/view_recall_detail.php?Recall_ID_Auto=13740)

Product Model: Discovery 3
Target Number:
Model Years From: 2005-2006
Consequences:
Campaign Number: D015
VIN Range: 5A311326 to 6A357852
Serial Range:
Product Info: MY2005 and MY2006 that are fitted with coil spring suspension.
Defect Details: Some vehicles are fitted with an incorrect scissor style jack.

[CaverD3]

Point 1
Scissor Jack is cr@p.

Point 2
You need to make sure you put the jack in the hole in the chassis not the cover for the compressor. (easily confused) If you get it wrong you can snap the compressor bracket or even the compressor.

Point 3
Leave a door open as this will stop it getting stuck in extended mode.

Point 4
Get an air jack, as has been said compressor is better but if you dont have a compressor get a test plug (40-50mm) from a plumbers supply to bung up ther other exhaust.
An air jack can also be used for recovery.

Point 5
Get rid of the OEM Wrangler tyres so you won't get many punctures.:D

[Xavie]

An air jack like those inflatable baloon types? IF they are the ones I'm thinking of I thought they were a major "no no" for changing a wheel no matter where you are.

My understanding of this was due to punctures which happen frequently or if they aren't used properly and deflation via the hose occurs.

[CaverD3]

Can be used for punctures but need to be set up properly. They come with protection mats but I also use the rubber mats from the front of the D3.
I also use an aluminium axle stand as insurance.

IMO they would be safer than the D3 scissor stand.

[WhiteD3]

Point 1
Point 2
You need to make sure you put the jack in the hole in the chassis not the cover for the compressor. (easily confused) If you get it wrong you can snap the compressor bracket or even the compressor.

U mean I'm not the only one who's done this?:angel:

[CaverD3]

:Rolling:

I havn't done it myself due to reading some cautionary tales on disco3.co.uk
but I did lower the D3 straight onto a rock and cracked the plasic cover.