Does the new project that you need to work on is to lower use floor jack? This is nothing out of ordinary. As there are alot of tools for such a lower car. Your project car’s lower ground clearance needs a low-profile floor jack to work on the vehicle.
If you are a mechanic who is continuously required to work on low-level cars then having a low-profile car jack is a must for you. It allows you to raise a car that a normal floor jack was unable to. A low-profile car jack helps in lifting your car by pumping the handle which pumps hydraulic fluid. The wheels of this jack will also help in fitting or removing the low-profile jack.
How’s a low-profile floor jack different from a hydraulic floor jack?
The low-profile floor jack is one type of floor jack. What makes it different from a floor jack is its ability to lift a low-height automobile efficiently.
This low-profile automobile makes it easier to work under SUVs that mostly have lower surface height. The structure of a low-profile jack is what makes it drastically different from a normal jack as it allows it to lift heavy objects despite its small size. Low-profile jacks are made of steel as compared to floor jacks which are made of plastic, allowing them to lift heavy objects easily.
Qualities of a good low-profile car jack
The most superior quality of this jack is its ability to lift low-height cars. But it’s not the only thing that you should look at in your purchase. A low-profile jack should have at least the following properties which set it apart from other jacks.
Height Range
The purpose of a low-profile floor jack is to be able to go under a lower car while still being able to raise the vehicle off the ground. In other words, it is important to have an operational lifting range.
Low-profile floor jacks sometimes have a bottom height of about 3 or 3.5 inches, making it possible to lift even automobiles with lowered suspensions. However, any form of the jack must be able to raise the car high enough to install a jack stand beneath it for safety reasons.
Capacity for Weight
The finest low-profile floor jacks must be small enough to fit beneath a car yet powerful enough to raise it off the ground. A 2-ton lift is generally sufficient to raise the front, rear, or side of a small automobile, which weighs on average a little under 3,000 pounds.
Because many muscle cars and performance SUVs weigh between 4,000 and 6,500 pounds, a 3.5- or 4-ton jack is required. Even though it depends on the type of car being lifted, it’s safer to use more jacks than is needed than to use a jack to its maximum capacity.
Material
Lifting capacities of low-profile floor jacks range from 2,000 pounds to 8,000 pounds. Because of this, they need to be made of strong, long-lasting materials.
Steel is the most common material used to manufacture floor jacks. Despite the fact that these jacks may weigh as much as 100 pounds, they are quite durable. In the case of really heavy vehicles, steel may be the ideal material to use. However, frequent maintenance and lubricating of the pivot points after each usage can assist prevent rusting.
In contrast, aluminum floor jacks weigh less than 40 or 50 pounds and can lift a wide range of automobiles. These jacks are lightweight, non-rusting, and strong enough to raise a vehicle’s front end off the ground.
Conclusion
The weight and height of the cars or equipment being serviced should be considered when searching for new lifting equipment for your garage or mobile fleet. Choosing the right equipment for the task is the safest option when using a manual hydraulic jack for any form of lifting.
