Floor Jack, what height?

[10Molavi]

I have a 2 ton el cheapo floor jack. So far has worked fine even for our minivan, but I lift one tire at a time and the 2 ton can not even lift one half of a Camry at once.

When it comes to the CX-9, the jacking points are not friendly for one tire at a time lift/stand. I am looking to buy a new 3 ton jack. Looking at my options at harbor freight/sears & home depot and not wanting to break the bank, what is the minimum elevation/height I need to get both wheel off at once? (using the cross membrane)
Also, I am assuming my 2 ton stands with a height of 15-16" should be sufficient, but correct me if wrong.

 

[10Molavi]

100 Views and no answers. My 2 ton only lifts ~ 13" and has started leaking, so have to buy a new one. All the 2 tons I am looking at have low lift height. Anybody has any recommendation among the options bellow?

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-3-ton-service-jack/p-00950139000P?prdNo=1

http://www.harborfreight.com/floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-3-ton-heavy-duty-68048.html

This last one I can get at Costco for $99;

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

 

[table5511]

Out of those 3, I would recommend the Harbor Freight jack. However, I would also recommend the jack that I have... https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

I just got this a few months back so I can't speak for longevity, but it seems to be built pretty well. I had an el-cheapo advance auto parts 3 ton jack that stopped lifting. I tried putting oil in it to no avail. All those Chinese made jacks that all look the same fail the same way. There are diy rebuild videos on Youtube, but wasn't worth my time.

FYI... I don't recommend trying to lift one whole side of the CX-9 at a time. The manufacturer specifies lifting points not at the middle. So if you lift one corner so high that it lifts the other wheel as well, you are putting a tremendous amount of stress on one point of the car, which puts stress on the unibody construction.
The wheel is connected to at least 3 mounting points: lower control arm front mount, lower control arm rear mount, and strut upper mount, so the weight and stress are dispersed over a greater area vs. a single floor jack pinch weld point under the hinge pillar of the vehicle. But that's just my opinion. I usually use cheap jack stands and stick one under the lower control arm or the engine cradle somewhere that appears strong. and then move the floor jack to back wheel (or visa versa).

I've also bought some rubber hockey pucks and have cut them out to straddle either side of the pinch weld. I got my CX-9 used and one pinch weld (passenger side front) was partially folded over from someone lifting it in the past. So to prevent anything like this from happening in the future, this is why I got the hockey pucks and carved them out. Its a bad idea to lift the pinch welds directly cuz they'll fold on you. It was not fun carving out hockey pucks. I had no idea they were so durable. And fyi, had to carve them out (long horizontal slits) almost the entire thickness of the puck (about 90%). So now the pucks are starting to come apart. I'm working on a better system.... perhaps using JB Weld to adhere the carved out hockey puck to the top of another solid hockey puck underneath. I dunno.

They sell pinch weld lift adapters....but from what I've read, they are not made very strong and just bend and break.

Good luck!

 

[table5511]

Oh and on a side note.... my jack had one flaw which caused me to have to go get an alignment. The wheels were bolted on too tight. When lifting the CX-9, the wheels on the floor jack were not turning so I ended up affecting the alignment on the car. This floor jack is pretty powerful. Easy fix...just take a socket wrench and loosen the bolts on the floor jack wheels. And they were TIGHT.

 

[10Molavi]

Thanks for the post. Nice jack you got there, probably more than what I want to pay.

As far as the comment;
"FYI... I don't recommend trying to lift one whole side of the CX-9 at a time."

On the service manual and this site, they show the jack points on the front and rear cross membrane, which would lift either the front half or the rear half. So not sure what you mean but not lifting one whole side. Are you jacking on tire at a time?

I note that your jack's max lift height is 18.25 inches. Is that good for one tire only, or could lift the front or rear pair at one time?

TIA

 

[table5511]

Oh I didn't think of that. I was thinking you were trying to lift one side. I've never lifted the entire front or rear end. I've looked at the service manual but can't find where it is pouring to in either end of the car. I can't find a strong lifting point that looks beefy, which is why I only do one wheel and jack one point at a time.