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Floor jack capacity question [message #214470]

Mon, 15 July 2013 14:57

Otterwan

Messages: 946
Registered: July 2013
Location: Lynnwood (north of Seattl...

Karma: 0

Senior Member

I noticed in searching for jack methods and information most posts recommend a 4 to 6 ton floor jack. I have a 3 ton Arcan aluminum floor jack. This is not your Harbor Freight special and I have used it several times to lift the front end of my 1 ton Chevy Crew Cab with a 454. So my question is, if you are safe and smart, and use jack stands and blocks judiciously (I have 6 ton jack stands and more dunnage than I care to admit) do you really need a 4 ton floor jack? Considering the weight of the front end or either rear side the 3 ton has about a 50% safety margin.

1977 Birchaven, Lynnwood WA - "We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us."

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Re: Floor jack capacity question [message #214473 is a reply to message #214470]

Mon, 15 July 2013 15:08

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

There is approximately 4000 pounds on the entire front end or on either side in the rear. I use a 5000 pound (2.5 ton) high reach jack on my GMC all the time.

I routinely lift the entire front end in the center of the coach.

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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Re: Floor jack capacity question [message #214477 is a reply to message #214473]

Mon, 15 July 2013 15:21

Otterwan

Messages: 946
Registered: July 2013
Location: Lynnwood (north of Seattl...

Karma: 0

Senior Member

That was my thinking exactly. If I have 6000 lbs of lift and 4000 lbs of GMC, that should be just fine. I wonder of the posts I saw were taking into consideration the quality of the $29.95 Auto Zone floor jacks? ;o)

1977 Birchaven, Lynnwood WA - "We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us."

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Re: Floor jack capacity question [message #214480 is a reply to message #214477]

Mon, 15 July 2013 15:35

tphipps

Messages: 3005
Registered: August 2004
Location: Spanish Fort, AL

Karma: 9

Senior Member

I had a 3 ton rated Al jack shatter into pieces while lifting a stripped GMC. GMC was basically a shell. Dunnage caught the body on the way down. Block, dunnage, jack stands, whatever, do not rely on a hydraulic jack to hold. Overkill in blocking the GMC is a good thing.
Tom, MS II

2012 Phoenix Cruiser model 2552 KA4CSG

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Re: Floor jack capacity question [message #214525 is a reply to message #214470]

Mon, 15 July 2013 19:42

Matt Colie

Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan

Karma: 7

Senior Member

Otter

I have jacks fail, but rarely are they as catastrophic as Tom's failure. There are two good things about a floor jack is that you are not real near the load you are lifting and most of the better ones have a relief valve that will keep you from overloading the jack.

My 50+yo 3000# Hein Werner will almost lift the front of my coach. The HF 3ton never complains, but it is not as nice as my old jack.

Matt

Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

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Re: Floor jack capacity question [message #214529 is a reply to message #214470]

Mon, 15 July 2013 20:07

JohnL455

Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL

Karma: 12

Senior Member

Hein Werner makes some good stuff and a large selection. Don't like the Al race car jacks for 'truck' type work.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II

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Re: Floor jack capacity question [message #214545 is a reply to message #214470]

Mon, 15 July 2013 21:18

habbyguy

Messages: 896
Registered: May 2012
Location: Mesa, AZ

Karma: 3

Senior Member

I'll echo that sentiment - steel bends, aluminum breaks. My (heavy, steel) floor jack has a 3,000 pound capacity, and has no problem dealing with any corner of my GMC, so far. Of course, I'd NEVER crawl under it supported only by the floor jack (or anything other than a jack stand with plenty of excess rating).

Mark Hickey Mesa, AZ 1978 Royale Center Kitchen

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Re: [GMCnet] Floor jack capacity question [message #214548 is a reply to message #214480]

Mon, 15 July 2013 21:26

USAussie

Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia

Karma: 6

Senior Member

Make mine steel please! I have great confidence in the ones Harbor Freight sells since they're made out of iron that comes from
Western Australia! ;-)

Regards,
Rob M.
USAussie - Downunder
AUS '75 Avion - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion - Double Trouble TZE365V100426

-----Original Message-----
From: gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org [mailto:gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Phipps
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2013 3:36 PM
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Floor jack capacity question

I had a 3 ton rated Al jack shatter into pieces while lifting a stripped GMC. GMC was basically a shell. Dunnage caught the body
on the way down. Block, dunnage, jack stands, whatever, do not rely on a hydraulic jack to hold. Overkill in blocking the GMC is a
good thing.
Tom, MS II
--
1975 GMC Avion, under forever re-construction
Vicksburg, MS. 3.7 miles from I-20
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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426

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Re: [GMCnet] Floor jack capacity question [message #214554 is a reply to message #214548]

Mon, 15 July 2013 22:20

hal kading

Messages: 642
Registered: February 2004
Location: Las Cruces NM

Karma: 4

Senior Member

Mark,

Jacking from a front corner can break windshields. Ask me how I know. Was on a 1978, too.

Hal Kading 78 Buskirk Las Cruces NM

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Re: Floor jack capacity question [message #214556 is a reply to message #214470]

Mon, 15 July 2013 22:28

habbyguy

Messages: 896
Registered: May 2012
Location: Mesa, AZ

Karma: 3

Senior Member

Hal, yes, I do take it easy when jacking up the front corners. A little at a time, which shouldn't subject the windshields to any kind of stress they don't see under normal operating conditions (like pulling into a parking lot with a sloped entrance, at an angle). That and my driver's side windshield is already cracked, so I really just need a good excuse to replace it anyway...

Mark Hickey Mesa, AZ 1978 Royale Center Kitchen

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Re: [GMCnet] Floor jack capacity question [message #214577 is a reply to message #214556]

Tue, 16 July 2013 08:18

USAussie

Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia

Karma: 6

Senior Member

Is windshield cracking a function of how quickly you jack up one side or how high you jack it.

I'd like to know just how high you have to jack one side of a GMC to get the windshield to crack. If you check the MM or OM you'll
see that's what the OEM jack did.

It seems to me that if you jack up one side to R&R a tire the windshield is not at risk of cracking.

Regards,
Rob M.

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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426

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Re: [GMCnet] Floor jack capacity question [message #214596 is a reply to message #214577]

Tue, 16 July 2013 10:25

Matt Colie

Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan

Karma: 7

Senior Member

Robert Mueller wrote on Tue, 16 July 2013 09:18

Is windshield cracking a function of how quickly you jack up one side or how high you jack it.

I'd like to know just how high you have to jack one side of a GMC to get the windshield to crack. If you check the MM or OM you'll see that's what the OEM jack did.

It seems to me that if you jack up one side to R&R a tire the windshield is not at risk of cracking.

Regards,
Rob M.

Rob,

The OEM jack set takes it all out on the front bumper instead.
I have jacked one front side up enough to do one thing or another, but the way to crack a windshield seems to be to not have the rear on it suspension. If it is down or blocked up, it is a completely different situation.

Matt

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Re: [GMCnet] Floor jack capacity question [message #214600 is a reply to message #214596]

Tue, 16 July 2013 10:51

ggroth

Messages: 282
Registered: February 2004
Location: Carson City NV

Karma: 0

Senior Member

I jacked up the passenger rear of my '73 to put new bogie pins in. I used a Sears 2 1/2 ton jack. I put wood cribbing underneath the frame to hold it and work safely under there. When I went around to jack up the other side, I noticed the driver windshield cracked on the extreme left side where it curves the most.

geo groth '73 260 Sequoia Carson City Nevada 89703

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