Bottle jack extension.. Edit .. “Bad idea”

[edzz]

Edit .. “Bad idea”

Any opinions as to the safety of this bottle jack extension? I’m thinking about making myself a couple. more info at this link. http://www.trog.us/category/trog/page/3/



Ed

[spandit]

On a hard surface I would've thought it would be OK for lifting only - if it comes down again, as long as you're not under a wheel, there is enough ground clearance to stop you being crushed completely.

Haven't tried lifting mine with a bottle jack yet - I haven't got the original but I kept the one from my Land Rover Discovery and could extend it with an axle-stand tube, I suppose

[yaknowthatguy]

There is no way in hell that I would only use 1" of the jack's riser inserted in that extension tube to stabilize a load I'd crawl under. I appreciate the guy's intent, but with the potential for torque on that jack, I wouldn't use any kind of sleeve-like device that looked like this. With the jack extension on and lifted, it takes a very limited shift of the truck to take the weight on that shaft beyond the outside edge of the jack (maybe an inch), and the whole thing is coming down. That flat surface on the top is asking for trouble, and the rounded rod on the side is not likely to save someone if something shifts. The only real safety margin in a case like this is the inherent ground clearance of the truck.

Fairly common in the fire service to use high capacity botle jacks for lifting all sorts of things when you can't get airbags into that location. While not very sexy, we use just plain wood cribbing to lift a bottle jack into place (or air bags, etc). Tolerates a lot of compressive force. Can tuck a couple of small sections of 4x4 or 6x6 somewhere and get a safe riser under your jack. Pretty flexible when you're off road too.

I apologize if this sounds like a rant. Safety engineering is part of what I do for a living....and cleaning up the mess when someone gets hurt is a lot of the rest. This has fail written all over it.

[krick3tt]

When I can't use the stock jack alone (to get height) I use a 6 x 10 about a foot long under it. It has some meat to it for stability. Then I insure my life a bit more with a pair of 4 ton jack stands. I have seen the bottle jacks lose height as the fluid transfers. I really don't trust it all that much.
I use rocks or logs on the trail. In a pinch I have used the spare. Hint: don't use sandstone.

edit: Something I learned from Jim L....that metal plate in the toolbox can be used when in sand to keep the jack from sinking as the truck weight will bury the jack.

Happy trails

[David Dunn]

Stay away from it.
Lifting a live axle vehicle will travel almost vertically. Lifting a Pinz or any other swing axle car will lift in an arc, that is why the stock Pinz jack has a rounded base, so as the vehicle is lifted it will maintain a solid footing. Same with the extension, as the Pinz lifts, it will put side load at the sleeve insertion point... with any movement, it could possiby tweek the sleeve over.

I use a floor jack at home, but in the field, you really need the 2 stage jack of the Pinz... remember, you're usually using it to change a flat tire and need an extra 7" of lift

[edzz]

Thanks for the replies. I think ill edit the original post as “Bad idea”

Ed

[David Dunn]

Thanks for the replies. I think ill edit the original post as “Bad idea”

Ed