Which is the Best Jack?

[Archie]

Greetings - My 1st post, so keeping it simple.
After a few decades, last week I finally got my '88 Landie IIa, and have joined the club.

I'm in the process of putting together the bits and pieces I'd need for my daily driving (my main activity).
One item I need is a jack.

Is it best to opt for a Bottle Jack?
I'm not sure that I see the need for a hi-lift.

Any recommendations?

[diffwhine]

In my view, the best option is a small bottle jack which sits low enough to get under the spring plate with a flat tyre.
I use an old Range Rover Classic or Discovery bottle jack. Works well and is a cheap solid solution. Plenty on eBay.

Keep the high lift jack for off road use and only use one if you know what you are doing. They are quite dangerous.

[Mycroft]

As diffwhine says, Disco bottle jack.

[diffwhine]

This sort of thing...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225991633250?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=bwAcgpNhSBG&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=JLQcUcECS9G&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[Wittsend]

You need a Defender/Disco/Range Rover bottle jack 


 
If you value your life you DON'T need a Hi-lift farm jack 

[GHOBHW]

another vote for the old disco jacks, got about 8 so far and use them on everything, best bottle jack ever.

hi-lifts are very good at what they were made for, rough conditions and use when needed badly, I wouldn't bother with one for simple work, too much hassle and risk.

last time I used one it was for shoving a land rover across a yard over and over, did well at that..

[Archie]

Thanks everyone.
Good advice - Bottle Jack it is then.

[Peter Holden]

This sort of thing...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225991633250?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=bwAcgpNhSBG&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=JLQcUcECS9G&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I carry one of these as my jack it was £9 from Ebay 10 years ago so I suppose £35 is a reasonable price.  If you decide to get one make sure that it is the double lift version (I didnt know that some discovery 2s were supplied with single lif versions until we tried to help someone who had a puncture at Goats Bridge and their jack being a single lift wouldnt lift the discovery high enough to change the wheel.

I use my bottle jack quite often at home when lifting the land rover in preference to my trolley jack.  It is quick and easy to use.

Peter

[Craig T]

My dad bought a hi-lift for his 110 when he had an "Off road" phase in life.
We bought the adapter that went into the holes in the chassis and used it to lift the 110 up on the rear crossmember once to change a wheel.
Scariest thing I've ever done and that was the one and only time we ever used that jack! With the coil springs you had to jack the crossmember about 4 feet in the air for the wheel to come off the ground.

Ever since that day I jack cars under the axle or suspension wishbones so I can get the wheel off the ground with the minimum jacking height.

In my IIA I have the original screw jack. Much like a bottle jack but works on a big screw rather than hydraulics. Works well but a bit more effort than a bottle jack. They don't leak oil in the seat box locker however.

Craig.

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Nah, if you're going to get a jack, get a jack... puts you over 3 foot up with full brag rights - you want a Bradbury 586...

[Larry S]

In my IIA I have the original screw jack. Much like a bottle jack but works on a big screw rather than hydraulics. Works well but a bit more effort than a bottle jack. They don't leak oil in the seat box locker however.

Craig.

I have an antique screw jack that I've thought about using with mine. It looks like tge one pictured. 

[Craig T]

That looks a good jack. Something satisfying about mechanical workings you can see.

The trick to getting a jack is to make sure it will fit under the axle (Leaf spring clamp / damper mounting plate) when you have a flat tyre. It is surprising how low a Land Rover gets to the ground when air has vacated the tyre.

The type I have is similar to the one in this photo. Not sure if it is marked as Shelley, I'll have to find it again sometime and take a look.
It uses a long handle stored under the centre row seats in my 109" SW with a square drive on the end. That square drive plugs into the jack and then you have a wooden handle to stick through a loop on the other end of the jack handle. It does work well but you do need to lay on the floor to use it as the jack handle is not really long enough.

Craig.

[Old Hywel]

If your jack is too tall to fit under, drive the flat tyre up onto your spare wheel.

Old trick.

[simonbav]

O.T., if that was my vehicle I'd trim the ends of those ubolts. An extra inch or so of trailing metal does restrict ground clearance somewhat and curved ubolt ends are a bugger to undo.

[diffwhine]

That looks a good jack. Something satisfying about mechanical workings you can see.

The trick to getting a jack is to make sure it will fit under the axle (Leaf spring clamp / damper mounting plate) when you have a flat tyre. It is surprising how low a Land Rover gets to the ground when air has vacated the tyre.

Just turn the wheel round... Tyres are only ever flat at the bottom.

I'll get my coat...