Jacksh!t.

[ChrisPDuck]

You can't leave us hanging like that! What have you got in mind?

 

[Bellow]

You can't leave us hanging like that! What have you got in mind?

Well, I devised something workable for a trolley jack along the lines of the RS stand but with the 'arms' that become the stand permanently attached to a plate that sits twixt jack and car and swing into position and are locked together once at the required height whereupon the jack can be removed.
Alas, the potential construction methods are not to my liking. Either box section welded or, heavy plate bent and I have zero appetite for either. I contemplated aluminium honeycomb construction but suspect there'd be resistance to depending on adhesives to support a car's weight. In all honesty I can't claim my design as better in any way than the RS one (and still with possible patent infringement issues) so if anyone is looking to crib an existing design into metal, copy the RS one.

One thing that did occur to me that might be of use given the low access height some suffer. Ditch the TJ's claw cup - on mine it is retained with a circlip removal of which permits extraction. Leaving a round hole that a suitably formed (read: with a spigot) puck could engage with and become the new claw cup - but lower by the height of the removed claw cup. Alternatively, instead of a spigot, drill out the centre and trepan its upward facing surface and deploy a headed pin for location. The former would suit hard plastic 3D printed, the latter a vulcanised rubber hockey puck. Either would be on their upper surface configured for either pinch weld or MB/BMW type receptacles. That. is probably as productive as I can be here. I would/could have a stab at making them but chances are anyone interested in them have the necessary skills to construct for themselves.

 

[Petrol Pete]

One of my TJ's is so low to the ground (F1 car ground clearance) I has to add spacer washers to the rear caster wheels to raise it up a bit . I agree they are expected to be used on almost perfectly flat and smooth workshop floors , but many of us do not have that luxury.

I also notice that there are all sorts of 'axle stands' on sale with a cupped and often serrated area to rest the axle on to take the weight of the car.

How many modern 2 wheel drive cars actually have an axle these days ?

None of the 3 cars we own have an axle . drive shafts ? yes. axel ? No.

Like these.

 

[Bellow]

One of my TJ's is so low to the ground (F1 car ground clearance) I has to add spacer washers to the rear caster wheels to raise it up a bit . I agree they are expected to be used on almost perfectly flat and smooth workshop floors , but many of us do not have that luxury.

No coincidence that Americans refer to TJs as 'floor jacks' - floor and ground being different things. I've come to distrust TJs - the lifting where its wheels have to be free to turn, the more so the higher the TJ is and at its most unstable - but the initial release for lowering is just as dangerous. More so if the caster wheels have to re-orientate themselves. It was because of this I thought my original idea (bottle jack within an axle stand) would be of use, confining TJ lifting/lowering to the lower part of its reach where it traversing the floor is at a minimum.

I also notice that there are all sorts of 'axle stands' on sale with a cupped and often serrated area to rest the axle on to take the weight of the car.

I'm guessing the choice of 'cupped' rest area is a throwback to earlier times and craftily swerves the need to offer alternatives.

How many modern 2 wheel drive cars actually have an axle these days ?

None of the 3 cars we own have an axle . drive shafts ? yes. axel ? No.

View attachment 159135 Like these.

My 'car' is both 2 wheel drive and equipped with an axle (as was my previous smart albeit in de Dion form) but maybe not so modern being a 1990's design. On the plus side, it suits the currently available axle stands and permits the use of pure vertical lift bottle jacks as only the tyre sidewall squish has to be overcome to raise the wheel clear of the ground. Yes, ground - as I'm compelled to work outside.

 

[Smithy860]

Having read both threads, very interesting I will say.
As a relative newbie to working on cars, although not new to mechanics it seems like I just need to get my Vito jacked up, place axle stand and drop onto stand leaving the jack in place.
I completely relate to comments relating to the jack taking up the same space as the stand and clouding the problem.
My thoughts were that I would jack the van up on the round jacking points then lower onto axle stands with an adaptor if necessary to straddle the pinch weld .
Or
Jack up straddling the pinch welds and drop onto axle stand that line up with the pads. As long as that is solid enough, it’s only to get the van up, the jack pads would take over then.

I liked the idea of the jack that becomes a stand.
Main issue it looks I may have by putting the axle stand on the vitos jack pads is how it fits, doesn’t exactly look a hand in glove?
Nowhere does the manual tell me I can use the pinch weld rail though so?

It’s something I’m keen to get right, at the end of the day, safety has to be number one right?