Throughout this site, we have tried to emphasize safety measures. There are a few more and some reiteration.

The beauty of a floor jack is that it is much safer than using the old jacks we use to have in the back of our cars (and still do) … but only if they are used properly. By the way, you don’t ever, ever want to get under a car with only the standard car jack.

For additional safety, along with a good sturdy floor jack, you can use jack stands.  You jack the car up with floor jack and then a place a couple of these under support points underneath the car. Then you let the jack down and the jack stands hold the vehicle steady.

Have the right size jack for the weight of your car.

If  you don’t have the right jack for your size vehicle, then don’t force it.

Once you have the vehicle jacked up, test the sturdiness by giving the car a little shake.

Here is another video to take you through the steps of jacking up a car safely. There’s nothing like actually seeing the process:

If you prefer reading, see the link below for a workshop on safely using a floor jack (does have color photos as well):

Safely Using a Floor Jack

Most people who work on their own cars would be prone to want to fix things rather than replace them. Some people just don’t want to throw things away, and with today’s emphasis on conservations and keeping the landfills empty, there’s something to be said for that.

So if you want to fix your broken aluminum floor jack, you can get the necessary floor jack parts and get it done.

Should You Fix Your Aluminum Floor Jack?

Before mentioning some of what is available in replacement parts, you may want to consider your options. Whether you ditch it or fix it really depends on a few factors that I can think of off the top of my head.

Like what is wrong with the unit and how much it will cost to fix it. Is it worth your time to fix it? You have got to figure what is wrong with it, get any replacement parts and actually do the repair. Maybe time is not a factor so much and you take a lot of pride in figuring things out. Whereas the guy down the road throws things away, you give them new life! And rather than sit in front of the TV all day watching the depressing news, you would rather be out doing something constructive with your hands.

Another question you might ask yourself is how long have you had it? Maybe for years, which means you can feel like you got your money’s worth out of it. Manufacturers are also upgrading their products, and you might find a new and improved model that you would like to have. Do you know what you doing? If you don’t, you could hurt yourself trying to fix the thing.

I have read on some of the forums related to floor jacks, that some people like to buy the cheap floor jacks and just replace them when they wear out. I’m sort of that way with lawnmowers. But I’m not sure it is the same thing. There is a safety issue here. It was mentioned on another page that when you use a floor jack you should also use floor stands for extra protection. If you do, then you may not be as concerned about a sudden floor jack failure. And the less expensive jacks may be fine for you if you are shade tree mechanic type. Others warn about the cheap jacks, usually identified as Chinese manufactured. Again, just a decision you’ll have to make.

If You Decide to Repair Your Floor Jack

Now about parts for floor jacks. You may want to check with the place where you bought your unit. I am thinking that you got a Craftsman floor jack from Sears that you could check with them first if you have a local store.

I see a lot of mentions of getting a reasonably priced aluminum floor jack at Costco. Costco doesn’t sell replacement parts as far as I know. My guess is that the owners manual and information that came with your purchase would have some information about getting floor jack parts.

My next suggestion is that you find a forum thread on floor jacks and ask a question about how to resolve your particular problem. It seems that sometimes it is an easy repair that you could do without necessarily having buy additional parts. If you do need parts, you can get some direction as where to find what you are looking for if you mention your model in the forum. A picture of your jack can help too.

I was unable to find a video about repairing floor jacks. Maybe someone will take the hint.

What are the keys for correctly operating an aluminum floor jack?

Note: These are only general guidelines. You should completely follow the directions that are provided in your owner’s manual for the jack you have.

First, you need to park the vehicle on a completely flat area.  A driveway for instance with no slope.  Put it in park and put on the emergency brake.  You can also use a triangle block to place under the wheel for extra safety and to keep the vehicle moving even an inch.

Next you have to decide where to place the jack stand and what support points you’ll use on the vehicle. If you don’t know for sure, don’t do it.  Check the owners manual for direction.  Do the wrong thing here and you could hurt yourself seriously or at least damage the car.

When you are finished working and ready to lower the jack, make sure everything is clear. Then lower the jack slowly and gently.  If you do it suddenly and something is’nt right, again you could do some major damage to yourself, someone else nearby or what you are working on.

If you have never used the jack before, you can try raising and lowering it a few times before actually using it just to get a feel for how it operates.

The video below gives some basic operating instructions for using an hydraulic aluminum floor jack, or any floor jack for that matter.  Nothing like seeing, and this video of about 1 minute in length will give you an overview of using a floor jack.

Finding the right aluminum floor jack for the job is very important. When choosing a car floor jack, there are a number of features to consider.

Safety of the Unit

Regarding the safety issue, whatever jack you get, be sure to read all the safety precautions and proper use instructions. You won’t be sorry that you did, but you might if you don’t.  The ideas presented here are not intended as a substitute for reading and following the instructions in the owner’s manual.

You want to be sure you have a jack that is capable of lifting your vehicle without it falling! It looks like most of them run from ½ ton capacity and on up.

Look for the units that meet proper safety standards and look into the quality of its build.

>>> See  the Aluminum  Floor  Jack  Selection  at  Amazon <<<

Other Things to Consider

Beyond the safety issues, you want something that’s going to work so take a look at the warranty offered. And if storage room is a major limitation for you, you will find that many units are designed not to take up much space. And if you don’t use it often there are some that can be disassembled to put away.

Here are some I’ve found recently all the way from the base models on up to the heavy duty jacks. Read the rest of this entry