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Technical bumper jacks who uses them?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by fastcar1953, Apr 6, 2019.

?

do you still use bumper jacks?

Poll closed Apr 13, 2019.
  1. yes

    15.2%
  2. no

    54.3%
  3. floor jack works for me

    30.4%
  1. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,913

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    All I have in my '51 is the original bumper jack. I don't expect to have to use it, as I always make sure the tires on my car are in good shape and I regularly check my tire pressure. If I ever have to use it, I will have no problem, as I have used them dozens of times in the past and never had a problem. One of the biggest problems with bumper jacks is that by the time a dozen years or so have passed, they end up missing from the car they came in and are replaced by one from another car. (This is because they end up being used to pull fence posts and straighten bicycle frames, etc.) That is the biggest problem with them. As long as you use the proper jack, positioned properly (guess why they pasted those paper instructions on the inside of the trunk lid), there should be no problems. Bad things happen when you are in a hurry and careless. Also, while bumper jacks are simple, robust devices, they do require minimum maintenance. The mechanisms should be kept clean and lightly lubricated, and the rack should be checked occasionally to make sure it is not worn or clogged with mud or grease. If you can't fit the jack under the bumper properly, (uneven ground, etc.), take the time to move the car a bit, rather than just taking a chance.

    It's like a lot of things these days : they are useful, simple devices that work quite well, but there seem to be less and less people who will take the time and care to use them properly these days.
     
  2. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    That's neat, never seen one before.

    My bumper jack trivia: If you put the lug wrench in the jack at full lift, off the car, and give it a stroke, it will usually ratchet itself all the way down. If your buddy also has a jack, you're off to the races. :)
     
    Rich S. likes this.
  3. 41fred207
    Joined: Feb 7, 2011
    Posts: 103

    41fred207
    Member

    I recall using them as a kid and was taught to always keep a hand on the top. Used them plenty of times to get unstuck also, jack car up and push it over, repeat as necessary. Now I keep one around for lifting my plow to line up with push plates and for jacking up ice shack to keep from freezing in. IMG_20190409_153739810.jpg ps. I'll take the extra points for "Johnny dangerously"!
     
    RidgeRunner likes this.
  4. Rich S.
    Joined: Jul 22, 2016
    Posts: 296

    Rich S.

    Don’t Sneeze!


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  5. Rich S.
    Joined: Jul 22, 2016
    Posts: 296

    Rich S.

    Don’t Sneeze!


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  6. Terrible80
    Joined: Oct 1, 2010
    Posts: 785

    Terrible80
    Member

    Never had any problems with bumper jacks. Saw my bud catch his hand between the jack and a 60 Chevy, but that was his fault.

    Sent from my LG-TP450 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  7. fastcar1953
    Joined: Oct 23, 2009
    Posts: 3,567

    fastcar1953
    Member

    well i got the impala home today . put floor jack under front of lower control arm. got to far back on control arm , it worked but wouldn't drop rearend all the way. i ended up putting my tall ( 30") jackstands under bumper then lowered rearend all the way. i did fit a 275 60 15 tire with a 8 1/2 wide wheel . backspace was 3 3/4. not sure but i think it will rub. maybe the new springs and shocks will raise car some. DSCF7294.JPG
     
  8. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,514

    5window
    Member

    Last night, we were trying to load an old outhouse on a flatbed truck and couldn't get the fork lift close enough. Used the Hi-lift to lift the outhouse onto blocks until we could reposition it and later to move it onto the truck bed. Damn I like that jack!
     
  9. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,289

    jnaki

    Hello,

    Bumper jacks are for emergencies only. Preparation for use is mandatory for safety. It cannot be discounted as a way to jack up the car, only for that purpose of changing a flat tire. As a teenager, a flat tire is disheartening, but part of driving an old car. The first 40 Ford Sedan Delivery had a simple bumper jack that did wonders to the rear bumper brackets after fixing a flat.

    But, it was an emergency, the jack helped get us on our way and we were happy. In those days, the 60 to 90 degree bends on the lug wrenches were the knuckle busters and the 4 sided wrench was an improvement. Those straight lug levers had to be used to raise the bumper jack. One had to be choosy as to where the jack was going to be used.
    upload_2019-6-7_4-35-45.png
    The 1965 El Camino had a flat on the 405 freeway at 11 pm. The center divider allowed a squeeze in, parking job next to the rail, to fix the flat. (no car pool lanes back then…) With cars whizzing by, the bumper jack did its thing, the spare was put on and then a red flashing light shows up behind me. The CHP guy told me to get off of the freeway…duh.

    He said I was lucky that no one hit me from behind. After a minute or two of mean looks, he turned on HIS flashing lights and cleared the fast lane for me to get in and take off. Of course, I had to floor it to meld into the traffic, much to the displeasure of the CHP officer.
    upload_2019-6-7_4-37-32.png
    In the verbal lashing before I zipped off, he said that those hazard lights draw people to the light and should not be used. Then he said that always pull off to the right side road edge to fix anything, yes, drive on the flat tire to get off of the 4 lanes of the freeway.

    Jnaki

    The final straw was a flat tire on our second 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery that had the 327, A/C, auto, etc. My wife was driving it and called me sounding very angry. Luckily, it was only a mile or two away from our house. By this time, a folding scissors jack was handy, sitting behind and below the seat. The bumper jack was nowhere to be seen. For the 4 years of use, the scissors jack worked so much better than the bumper jack. Still using tire chocks of sorts.
    upload_2019-6-7_4-43-41.png
    For home car/tire/wheel fixes, I wished I had the old hydraulic jack from 1959-60 drag racing/building days.
     
  10. 03GMCSonoma
    Joined: Jan 15, 2011
    Posts: 314

    03GMCSonoma
    Member

    I thought duct tape was the greatest invention of the 20th century.
     
  11. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,013

    belair
    Member

    Not only NO, but HELL NO!. Too dangerous and they cause the bumpers to become misaligned.
     
  12. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    One thing on bumper jacks is rather common. If you are over 70 you have had one fall over in one direction or the other on you at least once if not more. I've had it happen in my own flat driveway years ago. Had it happen on the side of the road while changing a flat another time somewhere in the late 60's early 70's .

    Big problem when raising the back is not putting blocks in front of and behind the front wheel and the car decides to roll forward or back because nothing is holding it from moving like would be on a rear wheel. Soft ground they go in any direction as HRP said earlier. I think one of my episodes was in Texas when it was about 110 and the asphalt softened up enough for the jack to dig in.

    I hollered at a guy here locally who was under a car jacked up with a bumper jack pulling a starter that he needed to get out from under it and put some blocks under it He got out from under it to walk over and tell me to F%^& off and that he knew what he was doing and about that time the car rolled back and crashed to the ground. His wife ran out wanting to know what happened and he didn't give her much of an answer but the next time I saw him working under the same car he had big rounds of firewood under it for blocks.

    Those 20 something buck trolly jacks aren't much better, I've had a couple of them tip over on soft ground and usually carry a piece of plywood to set a small jack of any kind on anymore. We carry my 1-1/2 ton HF (aluminum race jack) along when we take the boat and while usually using it to raise the tongue of the trailer to put the extension on (sailboat needs deep water) I've used it to help someone to change a tire on a small car and changed a tire on the trailer with it. I've got a 20 ton bottle jack for the truck.

    On my 48 I carry two jacks. A small bottle jack to stick under the front of the frame rail to lift the truck up enough to slide the trolly jack under the axle.
     
  13. Hdonlybob
    Joined: Feb 1, 2005
    Posts: 4,115

    Hdonlybob
    Member

    Never use one...on my '63 Biscayne I use a floor jack located just in front of the rear wheel....on the frame...
     
  14. I was always under the impression that bumper jacks were put in the trunks of cars by the factory just to help us enterprising parts scroungers with jacking up cars in junk yards. That's the only place I have ever used one. Jack it up and use those handy round jack stands with flat tires on them to hold the car up.
     
  15. raymay
    Joined: Mar 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,532

    raymay
    Member

    Apparently this guy liked using them.

    1 a car7.jpg
     
  16. If you have one in your trunk, that's the safest place for it. HRP
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2019
  17. nochop
    Joined: Nov 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,818

    nochop
    Member
    from norcal

    What’s a bumper?
     
    RidgeRunner likes this.
  18. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,814

    BJR
    Member

    Bumper jacks, who uses them? No one in their right mind.!:eek::D:p
     
  19. nochop
    Joined: Nov 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,818

    nochop
    Member
    from norcal

    I got a little scissor jack out of a Honda at Pick Your Nose, Welded a lug nut on the screw. Really low profile and lifts my 32 just fine with very little effort. I also carry a little temp spare tire which the jack fits inside of the rim
     
  20. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    Picked up this freebie last weekend. I think it's out of a Volvo but I don't know why the lever seems to pivot the wrong way.

    0610190857_HDR.jpg
     
  21. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    I think that lever slides into a square piece of tubing on that Volvo jack. The little scissor jacks we used to get from Hondas had a 3/4", or 19mm nut on them. They work nice with an impact as long as they are well lubed.
     
    blowby likes this.
  22. Pats55
    Joined: Apr 29, 2013
    Posts: 554

    Pats55
    Member
    from NJ

    My father and I had a history of doing really dumb things, were people actually thought, we were trying to kill ourselves. My father had a 59 Imperial . He used the bumper Jack on the grass to jerk around with something underneath. The car fell on on him and damn near killed him. He had two black marks on his chest like an X that he wore for quite a while.This was a teaching moment for me
     
  23. DOCTOR SATAN
    Joined: Mar 21, 2014
    Posts: 710

    DOCTOR SATAN
    Member
    from okc

    I am prone to removing the bumpers on my hot rods...saves on weight
     
    nochop likes this.
  24. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

  25. I was helping my dad jack up a car as a kid and the bumper jack slipped out, got whacked hard under the left eye, surprised it didn't leave a scar. I avoid them like the plague.
     
  26. bill gruendeman
    Joined: Jun 18, 2019
    Posts: 807

    bill gruendeman
    Member

    I can’t use a bumper jack on my 39, I don’t have any bumpers and on my o/t gto with rechromed bumpers no way!
     
  27. Dixon Bastie
    Joined: Apr 7, 2017
    Posts: 175

    Dixon Bastie

    I restore my collector car factory bumper jacks and related parts and decals for their use, and LEAVE them in place in the trunks as accessories only.
    I carry a small hydraulic jack and my AAA card for any roadside issues, and would never use one of those spindlely man-killers again.
     
  28. fred farmer
    Joined: Apr 9, 2020
    Posts: 14

    fred farmer
    Member
    from earth

    We use tractor jacks or hi lift jacks. They are still unsafe if not carefull.
     
  29. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,514

    5window
    Member

    Funny this thread re-surfaced almost exactly a year after it was started. Not sure it moved forward much.
     
  30. fastcar1953
    Joined: Oct 23, 2009
    Posts: 3,567

    fastcar1953
    Member

    Newbies are on it this week. :D
     
    5window and 31Vicky with a hemi like this.

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