Which device can be considered the most necessary on-board tool since the invention of the car? Of course, a rolling jack! Different designs will be needed for an SUV, passenger car or minibus, but one way or another it is impossible to do without it on a deserted highway if a tire is punctured and it needs to be replaced. A trip even to a slightly flat tire to the service station can cost you a lot: breakdowns in the steering system and a broken suspension. Therefore, a jack should be in each trunk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. And save on this device is not worth it. When choosing a rolling jack for an SUV, you should always look for the optimal device that would be a reliable assistant even in the most difficult situation. The road is a dangerous place, and you need to be fully armed.
Off-road rolling jack: types
The following types are distinguished:
- Mechanical jacks. The simplest and perhaps the most reliable and compact devices. Available in the trunk of almost all compact cars. They are distinguished by good mobility, but relatively low carrying capacity. Depending on their design, there are different types.
- Hydraulic jacks. The main purpose of this type is lifting and / or moving vehicles during repair work and maintenance. Most of all they are used in car repair shops and in production, but they are becoming more and more popular in the life of motorists. The design of such a jack provides a smooth ride, reliable pickup and easy operation, high load capacity and high efficiency (about 80%). It is important to remember that this device is designed exclusively for lifting, and not for long-term holding of the load. To avoid leakage of hydraulic fluid, always store and move it only in an upright position.
- Pneumatic jacks. They are used for work of various orientations and complexity. Such a rolling jack for an SUV is indispensable when moving and lifting goods, installation, repair work and much more. First of all, they are good in that they can be used on absolutely any surface, whether it be loose soil or uneven ground.
Now it is worth considering the subtypes of jacks in more detail. This will allow you to make the right choice when buying such an indispensable device.
Mechanical rack jack
It features a simple design: it consists of a vertical rack with claws, hooks along which the pick-up moves (lifting rail). The lifting process is carried out using a gear or lever transmission. To hold the load on weight, there is a latch dog. This type of jacks is used not only for repair work in the car, but also for lifting goods in warehouses, construction sites, etc. That is why they come in different sizes and differ in different load ratings.
The main feature of such a device is the ability to lift goods located quite low. But he also has its drawbacks. For example, due to the small footprint, such jacks cannot provide good stability to a vehicle raised to one side, which requires the use of assistive devices to help fix the position. Also, to use such a jack, it is necessary to have special recesses in the bottom of the machine, which provide a place for installing the foot of the lifting bar or pick-up tip. Some models are uncomfortable, too bulky dimensions and impressive weight.
Mechanical screw jack
This mechanism works by converting the rotational movements of the screw rod into the translational movement of the lifting platform. The most common can be called a rhombic screw jack, which consists of 4 shoulders, interconnected by hinges in such a way that as a result they turn out to be a rhombus. The stock is a horizontal diagonal, when twisting which opposite angles are turned and come closer to each other. At the same time, they are removed from each other along a vertical diagonal, at the ends of which a lifting foot and a support heel are placed.
Car hydraulic jack
In order to create a working fluid pressure, an electric compressor or a pump handle is used in this design (manual method). Such mechanisms have the following advantages:
- good stability
- compact design
- A quick climb without any physical difficulties.
They also come in different types, each of which has its own specific features.
Hydraulic Bottle Jack
The bearing elements of this design are the body and the extended piston, and the working fluid is filled with a special fluid. The case is at the same time and
guide cylinder for the piston, and a reservoir for the working fluid.
When choosing such a jack, it is necessary to take into account not only its lifting capacity, but also the pick-up / lift height, because even if it can support the weight of your car, it may simply not have enough working stroke to raise it to the desired height.
Hydraulic Jack
This design has undeniable advantages among all similar mechanisms. Firstly, the rolling jack (the instruction contains this information) has a higher carrying capacity than its counterparts, while it is much smaller in size. Also, high efficiency and a higher power transfer coefficient make this jack more advantageous in comparison with others. Attention deserves the smooth movement of the main lifting mechanism. The device of a rolling hydraulic jack, unfortunately, cannot boast of a large lifting height and needs almost constant service. The service life of such structures, as a rule, is much shorter, and in case of breakage, repairs will cost a round sum. Although, for example, a rolling jack with a lock is much more convenient and reliable in the process of repairing a car than an ordinary rhombic one. Thanks to the locking dog, this mechanism becomes more stable and allows you to apply less effort. A rolling jack, the instruction to which is always attached, is the most popular among all others, especially among owners of large cars and minibuses.
Pneumatic Car Jack
Such a device looks like an inflatable pillow filled with compressed air. It can be filled with exhaust fumes. The hydraulic mechanism in this case is highly stable, as it has the largest bearing area. A pneumatic rolling jack needs air pressure to inflate the main structure. To do this, special cylinders or gases from the exhaust pipe of the machine are used, which ensures minimal effort and time. At the same time, the lifting speed of any cargo is quite high.
Most often, such jacks are used at service stations or in garages, but recently they have become increasingly used in the evacuation of cars that are stuck in swamps or mud, which has ensured their wider popularity among drivers of large cars.
The indisputable advantages of such mechanisms can be considered the ability to use on absolutely any surface. Whether it is soil, earth, uneven roadbed - this jack is all over the shoulder. It is easy to use, has a large lifting height, does not require much effort, but boasts an impressive load-bearing capacity. Also, such a jack can be placed under any car, regardless of design, damage and other features.
At the same time, he has his own minor minuses. For example, when pumping with exhaust gases, a caustic precipitate gradually accumulates in the chamber, and during installation, you need to first examine the surface to make sure there are no prickly-cutting objects, glass fragments, sharp metal parts that can accidentally pierce the chamber. And, of course, when using compressed air you will need a separate compressor, which also costs money.