Why has my trolley jack stopped working?

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Why has my trolley jack stopped working?

Postby snwtoy » Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:17 pm

Hey guys, I've to a 10 year old trolley jack from repco which has served me faithfully for ages now. It's just one of the small ones.

Haven't used it for probably 12 months - today when I've gone to use it, only the last tiny bit of travel in the handle is having any jacking effect, and it won't lift past about 1/3 of it's usual height.

Is it a throw away? Or is there some seal that could be user replaceable or ?
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Postby Sideros » Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:22 pm

replace the hydraulic fluid, check that there isn't a block or something?
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Postby MR2BOY23 » Thu Jan 06, 2011 3:00 pm

Yeah I wouldn't really trust a 10 year old jack from Repco

I'd just replace it, you can get an awesome 3ton low profile jack from tradezone for like $99
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Postby BZG Wagon » Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:04 pm

I don't trust my 5 month old jack from Repco - it doesn't hold the car up anyway (it drops very slowly - you don't notice it until you come to put a tyre back on or notice the car resting with a firm indent on the "safety block of wood" axle stand.

The instructions did mention something about refilling / topping up oil in it though?
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Postby Dell'Orto » Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:27 pm

A jack isnt designed to hold something up anyway.
A jack that old may have stuffed seals...try refilling it with new fluid, it may work. Otherwise its probably time to invest in a new one :(
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Postby tsoob » Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:28 pm

MR2BOY23 wrote:Yeah I wouldn't really trust a 10 year old jack from Repco

I'd just replace it, you can get an awesome 3ton low profile jack from tradezone for like $99


what is tradezone? i need a new jack but ive only seen them at places like partmaster and they want huge $$
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Postby Mr.Phreak » Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:41 pm

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Postby Bling » Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:49 pm

Awesome, 3ton, low profile, $99.

Somehow i'm not sure they are all supposed to be in the same sentence :lol: My jack of those specs cost $300, it also weighs in at 50kg, get what you pay for a I guess. I'd be on the hunt for a light weight one 8)
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Postby matt dunn » Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:19 pm

BZG|Bling wrote: I'd be on the hunt for a light weight one 8)



I wouldn't be looking at an alloy type lightweight one.


Have seen heaps, from $300 ones to $1000 ones,

but have not seen one that still works after 12 months.
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Postby Bling » Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:23 pm

Ah well there ya go :lol:
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Postby MAGN1T » Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:26 pm

Try jacking it right up with no load, let it down again, repeat.
Then try with load on it.

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Postby Sick Puppy » Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:26 pm

This has been coming up in the Garage Journal website for some time - summary is that they don't make 'em like they used to :lol:

Asian jacks are cheaper, don't last as long and can't really be serviced/repaired as well as the old US/UK/European jacks. You can get seals etc for the latter, but then getting them over here (or even finding them) is a bit of a mission.

At some point I'm getting my self a set of stands and a trolley jack, I'd rather not get an Asian set, but it looks like I will be anyway. :(
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Postby 1I1 » Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:34 am

Sick Puppy wrote:This has been coming up in the Garage Journal website for some time - summary is that they don't make 'em like they used to :lol:


Yup - old man has a jack that he got back in the 80's and it's jacked up many a car at home and it's never let us down (touch wood!). Not a big trolley jack either. Though a bit of a pain as it's not a low profile one = doesn't go under front crossmember on Corolla :x
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Postby Bling » Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:46 am

1I1 wrote:Though a bit of a pain as it's not a low profile one = doesn't go under front crossmember on Corolla :x


Mine is low profile and doesn't get under my front kit as the crossmember is quite far back, so I still have to drive onto blocks of wood first :lol:
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Postby Stu- » Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:39 pm

MAGN1T wrote:Try jacking it right up with no load, let it down again, repeat.
Then try with load on it.

Steve


Yeah one of mine does that. Seems like its low on fluid when the weight is on?
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Postby DRFTIN » Fri Jan 07, 2011 4:20 pm

my cheap nasty full alloy "race" jack started running of puff about half way up so i filled it up with oil, $7 jack oil from BNT, and its all good again. i think i slightly over filled though as it sometimes jacks when its meant to be released now. i should have fully replaced the oil cos damn the old stuff in there is dirty
apart from that and all the bolts repeatedly falling out its lasted well. must be the only one
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Postby B1NZ » Fri Jan 07, 2011 4:40 pm

Dell'Orto wrote:A jack isnt designed to hold something up anyway.
(


What he said!
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Postby ee904age » Fri Jan 07, 2011 5:52 pm

MAGN1T wrote:Try jacking it right up with no load, let it down again, repeat.
Then try with load on it.

Steve


What he said, repeat the no load part a couple of times if necessary, as it may have an air lock that needs bleeding.
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Postby KinLoud » Fri Jan 07, 2011 5:53 pm

Went to tradezone on Harris road in East Tamaki

They sure didn't know about a $99 low profile jack...

Do you have a catalog or part number?

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Postby ee904age » Fri Jan 07, 2011 6:14 pm

I work for the Tradezone store in Wanganui, and cant say I've seen one that cheap. There's a Redline one for about $220 thats pretty good and its about the same size/weight as a normal 3T jack but low profile, or a Powerbuilt one for about $400 but it huuuge and weighs about 70kg.
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