Lifting jacks are versatile tools used to raise cars, boats, and planes for repairs or replacement. Different types of jacks are used for different purposes, such as car jacks, scissor lift jacks, floor jacks, air lift jacks, high lift jacks, and tongue-mounted jacks for boat trailers.
A lifting jack is a multi-purpose tool used to raise a car, boat, or plane for a number of reasons. Lifting jacks allow access to tires and rims on vehicles or trailers so they can be removed for repairs or replacement. Using this tool also allows space under items so mechanics can fit under them to make repairs. There are several different types of lifting jacks where each one works differently and is designed for a specific purpose.
When raising a car, a car jack can be used under the frame in a designated location, usually near a front or rear wheel on each side of the car. Smaller, lighter vehicles often use a scissor lift jack. This type has a centrally located threaded spindle to which a single or multi-piece shank is attached. The handle is usually turned clockwise to engage the jack in an upward motion and counterclockwise to lower it.
Heavier trucks and vehicles may use a standard jack that is a different design, such as a floor jack. This style usually has wheels so it can be easily moved when placed under the frame of the vehicle. The handle is much larger than a scissor jack, and is rotated to the right to lock it and then pumped up and down to raise the vehicle. To release pressure and lower the object, the handle is typically rotated counterclockwise until the reversing pin engages, allowing the pumping motion of the handle to lower the object.
A variation of the floor lift jack incorporates hydraulics into an air lift jack. This type is identical to the standard floor jack but much faster to use. The air pressure allows an object to be lifted in just a few pumps of the handle, and the jack can be lowered with only a partial counterclockwise turn of the handle.
High lift jacks serve many purposes and are a unique style of lift jack. They also work by pumping the handle up and down like a floor jack. These are sometimes called house jacks and can be used to raise a house so it can stand on blocks, or raise a mobile home so it can be properly leveled. This type of jack can generally lift items much higher into the air than other jacks, and can be used to lift four-wheel drives and ATVs out of deep mud.
Another type of jacking jack is tongue mounted on the side of a boat trailer. This jack is operated by turning the crank clockwise to raise the wheel at the bottom of the jack. Turning the crank counterclockwise will raise the tongue of the boat trailer so it can slide onto the ball hitch of a tow vehicle. After hitching up the trailer, clockwise steering will raise the wheel to its highest position so it does not touch the ground and present a road hazard during transit.
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