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ifting your heavy-duty vehicle with a floor jack sounds like a tough job, but the real struggle begins when the handle of the machine falls off. Now you have got two problems at hand, your vehicle up in the air and a broken machine.
Do not fret, there is a way for you to hit these two birds with one stone. Using a floor jack without the handle seems like an impossible task, but with a few tips, anyone can do it easily. All it requires is for you to have a couple of tools, and some knowledge about the basic parts of your floor jack.
If a novice like me can ace it and use her floor jack without a handle, then anyone can do it. To save you from hours of research, I am sharing all the information regarding the usage of a floor jack without a handle in the article below. So without any further adieu, let’s dive right into it.
How To Use A Floor Jack Without The Handle
In the following simple and easy steps, you will be able to use your floor jack even if it does not have a handle.
Tools Required
In order to operate your floor jack without its handle, you will need a couple of simple tools. You are going to need your wrench and screwdriver. Make sure to keep these tools in your car at all times, in case of an emergency like this.
Step 1
If the handle of your floor jack came off just when you were about to lower the raised vehicle, do not worry I have got your back. First of all, you need to remove yourself from under the car, for safety reasons. Then you are going to need to take your tool kit out of the car.
Step 2
Each floor jack comes with a vital part, the release valve. Some models have it under the handle, while on others, it is under the cover plate. The cover plate is present near the handle area. It covers the release valve of the floor jack along with other sensitive parts. If your model of floor jack comes with the release valve at the back under the handle, then you can skip this step. Take your screwdriver, and start opening the screws present on the cover plate. Make sure to keep them somewhere secure so that you do not lose sight of them.
Step 3
Once you have removed the cover plate from your floor jack, put it aside. It is better if you place the cover plate with its screws. Then you need to locate the release valve of your floor jack. It is in the shape of a small nut. Once you have found the release valve, take your wrench and place it on the release valve. Twist the wrench counter-clockwise, and you will see that the floor jack will start inching towards the ground slowly. A crucial thing to remember here is to move your body away from under the car. If your arm or leg is still under the car after you twist the release valve, you need to remove them immediately as it can be dangerous.
Step 4
It is critical for you to move the release valve a little at a time. If you give it a bigger twist, the floor jack will plummet to the ground and I assure you, you do not want that to happen. Once the floor jack stops moving lower, place the wrench on the release valve again, and give it another twist. The machine will resume its journey back to the ground. Keep repeating this procedure till your floor jack has lowered completely and your vehicle is back on the ground safely. Once it is back on the ground, take the cover plate and its screws and put them back on the floor jack. This is all it takes to use your floor jack without its handle.
Conclusion
A situation where you have to use your floor jack without its handle seems impossible as the handle is a vital part of the machine. However, there is a way for users to work with their floor jacks without the assistance of the handles. The article above states the entire procedure in simple and easy steps.
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