Posted in Defensive Driving, Safety

Standard Toyota Jack vs Hydraulic Jack

Probably one of the most important things to remember when setting up your 4x4 is not to replace your standard jack with a big hydraulic jack. The standard jack is designed to fit under the lifting point of your 4x4 vehicle when your tyre is flat.

                    

The standard Toyota jack handle is not just used to wind the jack up and down, in utility type 4x4 vehicles the spare wheel is under the tray of the vehicle and you need the jack handle to wind the spare wheel up and down.   Learn how to change a flat tyre

The hydraulic jack is good as a second jack in the workshop for rotating wheels but remember never work under your vehicle while it is on a jack, use vehicle stands if you need to get under the vehicle.  Do a course for flat tyres in Alice Springs

Some of the problems with the hydraulic jack is most of them are allot taller than the standard jack so it may not fit under the jacking point on your vehicle when the tyre is flat. The hydraulic jack is meant to stand upright at all times so it can be hard to find some were to store it in your vehicle, if it is left with the value screw loose or the jack is left lying on its side the oil may run out of the jack making it useless, once oil has drained out its broken.  James Gorrie has been driving 4WD vehicles in the NT for over twenty (20) years.  See James history