Seeking Advice for Trolley Jack

[Davidhee58]

Hi Guys,

I am looking for trolley jack mainly used for engine oil and filter change, the SGS 2 Ton low profile trolley jack looks solid and well-made, but the maximal lifting is only 359mm, I am not sure it can lift my car high enough to let me access the oil sump and filter, has any of you used this trolley jack before? could you guys give me some advice, suggestion or recommend me a better one for the job? many thanks.

   

[Rosgoe]

I have used a Halfords trolley jack and that lifts roughly the same height with enough room to get under the front of the car.

will be much easier with car ramps as they lift the car that little bit higher and you don’t have to use axle stands make sure you chock the rear wheels though

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Davidhee58 said:

Hi Guys,

I am looking for trolley jack mainly used for engine oil and filter change, the SGS 2 Ton low profile trolley jack looks solid and well-made, but the maximal lifting is only 359mm, I am not sure it can lift my car high enough to let me access the oil sump and filter, has any of you used this trolley jack before? could you guys give me some advice, suggestion or recommend me a better one for the job? many thanks.

   

This one looks good to me and high enough. You can jack up in the middle of the car on the front there should be a lift up point and then secure with axles stands on the sides. Or as recommended ramps. I have some that I lifted them up with wood posts and these gives me an extra room for engine and transmission fluid changes plus coolant change for inverter and the engine.  My jack is also from Halfords old stuff 👌👍

[Davidhee58]

Hi Tony, thank you for your advice, and your Auris looks like a brand new car, you looked after it very well👍.

[Davidhee58]

1 hour ago, Rosgoe said:

I have used a Halfords trolley jack and that lifts roughly the same height with enough room to get under the front of the car.

will be much easier with car ramps as they lift the car that little bit higher and you don’t have to use axle stands make sure you chock the rear wheels though

Thanks Christopher, yes, your are right , the car ramps is much easier for the job,  the reason i choose trolley jack is  I may be able to use it to do something else in the future, BTW, can you  drain the oil properly while the front of the car is raised up with the ramps? the advantage to use trolley jack is I can remove the axle stands and leave the car on the drive to let the oil completely drained. but it may be not necessary. 

[Dimitris L.]

🙂

[TonyHSD]

4 hours ago, Davidhee58 said:

Hi Tony, thank you for your advice, and your Auris looks like a brand new car, you looked after it very well👍.

Thank you 👍 

[TonyHSD]

With the front wheels on the ramp the oil drains even better because the drain plug is positioned backwards of the sump facing towards rear of the car. No problem for gearbox oil too, although I never managed to get out more than 3ltr but this is enough for refreshing the oil. which not necessarily needs change. jack set is also useful though for wheels rotating and brake jobs, suspension etc. The plastic cover under engine has really smart window opening for oil drains and filter change, you can also use one of the clips to secure it in open position, well thought job from Toyota. 👍

[Saxmaniac]

There's an independent manufacturer of garage equipment called SGS and they do very sturdy lifting tools at a sensible price. I got a great trolley jack with a long reach and lift over 800mm which is great for the central jacking points on the auris. I think it was something like £200 delivered, (pardon my memory if I'm out a bit!)

Main thing is that the quality is much more solid than the big brand stuff.

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/

 

[Roy124]

When I use my trolley jack I then place axle stands as required and then release the pressure on the trolley jack. I don't rely on the jack alone. 

[Saxmaniac]

I realised the original post mentioned an SGS low profile jack, but the one I got was the high lift 1.5 tonne, TJH 1.5. this can reach the rear central jacking point with ease from the rear or the sides, the height is way more than you need

[forkingabout]

Halfords & Machine Mart might be worth a visit as you can usually look at the jacks on display to decide if its going to be suitable for you.

Halfords also normally have sales on at various times of the year or ask a mechanic mate if they have a trade card for a bit of discount. 

[Steve Whits]

On 10/1/2021 at 8:21 AM, Roy124 said:

When I use my trolley jack I then place axle stands as required and then release the pressure on the trolley jack. I don't rely on the jack alone. 

That's THE ONLY way a trolley jack should be used if you're intending working under the car.

[mrpj]

And only release the pressure momentarily to ensure the axle stands are fully supporting the vehicle. Leave the jack in position as a back up. If I am removing a wheel(s)I ensure that/they are also positioned under the sill(s) as a further back up.

[TonyHSD]

Or you can secure the car with both jack and stand and use the wheel as a stool 👍

[Roy124]

5 hours ago, mrpj said:

. If I am removing a wheel(s)I ensure that/they are also positioned under the sill(s) as a further back up.

Not sure that is a good idea. 

If the car does crash off stands and jack, besides the damage they might cause when the car crashes down, the wheel might damage the sill and the sill might damage the car. 

If you do need belt and braces, better to build up a wooden platform and minimise the distance it can fall. 

[shepp]

Hello, don't know if I am a bit late with this, but the 3ton low profile jack from sgs is excellent. I've had mine 8 years now and it lifts anything from celicas to range rovers. Unlike a lot of the Clarke ones, it doesn't go down slowly under pressure. Be aware it is one heavy big thing to lug around. 

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/tj3lp-low-profile-garage-trolley-jack?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnoqLBhD4ARIsAL5JedLY1bprT3pJ1z9YN0UCfwFpH5bXwhlTRyEgMcAdpCa6vBXS_3P1YKYaAqKNEALw_wcB

Regards

Shepp