Are you struggling to understand how to lower a floor jack? This article provides the ultimate guide to help you master the process of lowering a floor jack.
A floor jack is a crucial piece of machinery for vehicle maintenance. It operates hydraulically and is primarily used to lift vehicles such as cars, trucks, and other equipment. As a car owner, you’ll often need to perform tasks like changing tires, which makes a floor jack an essential tool. Therefore, understanding how to use a floor jack is essential.
In this article, you will learn each step necessary to effectively utilize your floor jack.
Safety - General tips you need to know
Safety comes first. Before you begin the procedure, it’s essential to know these critical safety tips:
Read the Manual:
This is the core and most important step. Even if you consider yourself an expert, always read the user’s manual, which will guide you on how the tool works.Choose a Safe Position:
Avoid placing your vehicle on an unstable surface. During maintenance, ensure your car is positioned on a flat, stable surface.Check Ground Level:
Verify that the ground is level and stable before starting the procedure.Use a Quality Floor Jack:
Invest in a high-quality floor jack that is easy and safe to use and capable of supporting the weight of your vehicle.Inspect Old Equipment:
If using an older floor jack, exercise caution and ensure it is safe and in good working condition before use.
How to Lower a Floor Jack? 3-Steps
The steps to lower a floor jack are relatively simple, but the procedure can vary slightly depending on the type of floor jack you’re using. Let’s explore the different types of floor jacks and their specific lowering procedures.
There are various types of floor jacks available in the market today. We will focus on the four most common and widely used floor jacks along with their respective lowering procedures.
Follow these Steps:
To position the floor jack for lifting, place it in the jacking position and apply pressure to the lever to slowly raise the vehicle.
To lower the vehicle, turn the handle of the floor jack counterclockwise. Do this gradually while maintaining control over the speed to ensure it lowers safely and smoothly.
Once the vehicle is lowered and reaches the ground, carefully remove the floor jack from underneath the car.
What is a hydraulic floor jack?
This type of jack includes a reservoir used to store hydraulic fluid. When pressure is applied to this floor jack, the fluid is forced into the ram of the jack. It operates mechanically and functions when you lift the lever inward and upward.
Floor Jack Won't Go Down?
If you overfill the reservoir with hydraulic oil, a floor jack may not lower properly. If you’ve recently refilled your floor jack and it’s not lowering, check the reservoir level. Drain fluid to the appropriate level, consulting your jack’s manual for guidance. The oil level should be just below the oil filler hole.
Additionally, clean the moving parts of your jack and lubricate them with grease for smoother performance.
If you haven’t refilled your floor jack recently and are still experiencing issues, check the reservoir again. The fluid level may have decreased, causing the problem. Ensure the reservoir is properly filled, similar to how you maintain your car’s engine oil level every few months.
Floor Jack Won’t Stay up?
A floor jack won’t stay up if the release valve is not closed tightly. Ensure that the valve is closed securely. If this does not resolve the issue, contact technical support, as hydraulic malfunctioning can also cause this problem.
If your floor jack doesn’t reach its maximum extension, it may be due to low oil level. Check and ensure the oil level is correct for proper operation.
How to Raise a Floor Jack?
Position your floor jack under the desired jack point. Operate the handle up and down several times to pump oil into the reservoir. Your floor jack will begin to rise.
If your floor jack has a dual-piston pump, it will raise with just a few pumps, typically 3 to 5. Floor jacks with a single-piston pump operate more slowly compared to dual-piston pumps.
How to Remove a Jack Stand with a Floor Jack?
Before proceeding, ensure that your floor jack’s maximum lift range exceeds the maximum height of your jack stand. Position the floor jack near the jack stand you wish to remove. Pump the floor jack until the load is supported by the floor jack, not the jack stand.
Next, remove the jack stand. Then, lower the floor jack by turning the jack’s handle counterclockwise.
Lowering a 3 ton and 2 ton Floor Jack
The process to lower a floor jack is the same regardless of its load capacity, whether it’s a 3-ton or 2-ton floor jack. Use the floor jack’s handle to lower the jack by rotating it counterclockwise (anti-clockwise). Lower the jack slowly by giving the handle a half turn to bring the jack down gradually.
Video Tutorial
Conclusion:
Always remember to be cautious when using a floor jack. Despite its apparent simplicity, you’re dealing with the weight of your vehicle.
I hope you found this article informative. Floor jacks are indispensable tools for vehicle maintenance, and having one is highly recommended for your vehicle.