changed my oil and a foglight using my new quickjack

Yesterday I used my new quickjack to do an oil change and change a foglight bulb on the F355.

Its a cool little lift that's pretty adaptable.

Also thanks to Dave Rocks for posting the lifting/jacking and oil change documents.

I certainly know how to change the oil in a car but DR's document lets you know all the tools you need and the torque specs all in 1 convenient spot.

This is the latest SLX model with 5,000 lbs capacity. I could have gone with the 3,500 lbs model for all my "play" cars by my DD is an Audi S5 that tips the scales at like 4,500 lbs so I got this model.

Also, when I was doing my due diligence I saw some negative comments regarding leaking of the quick connects. This appears to have redesigned ones that look robust, are very easy on/off, and do not leak a drop.

I was concerned that it would not fit between the tires on the F355 but it fits fine. It also stores compactly under the car when not in use.



Since I was going to be spending considerable time under the car, I used jack stands too for extra safety.

Im looking forward to using it again when I flush the brake fluid
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Yup, great tool. I also chose 12v, as I wanted complete portability. I love mine!

 

I'm pleased with it overall. I do feel a bit mislead with regards to portability. Those ramps are HEAVY. Yes you can move them around but it ain't easy.

Who knows, maybe if they catch on they'll come out with an aluminum version.

 

Very cool, Neil. Smart using the jack stands for extra saftey.

 

Did you have any trouble fitting the rubber blocks under the door sills? Those rubber blocks seem to add 50% to the height of the lowered jack.

 

Always use jack stands

 

Not at all. The lift comes with 2 sets of 4 rubber blocks of different heights. I used the taller ones plus 2 hockey pucks at all 4 corners.

The lift has an arm (on each side) that locks in 2 positions so that the car is not suspended by hydraulic pressure.

For wheel end service I'd probably rely on those alone but definitely want an added measure of safety working under the car.

Since the lift is positioned in the area of the jack points and surrounding structure the on,y place to put jack stands in the rear is the engine cradle which limits maneuverability under the car.

Next time I think I'll either block up the wheels or try placing the jack stands under the lift platforms themselves.

 

Agreed. Very smart. Always assume that a hydraulic seal, hydraulic line or a fitting could give at any second. The 2 minutes max that it takes to set up the jack stands properly is just cheap insurance.

 

Will this raise the car high enough to perform engine out procedure? I will be doing the timing belt in my 348 in the near future and would be awesome if I could use this to make the job easier.

 

How much clearance is needed for these? Is it pretty low profile?

 

That's basically what I do. Keeps the jack stands out of the way but provides an extra measure of safety in the event that the structure of the Quickjack fails.

 

Perfect.

 

Agree

 

The specs say 21" if you stack both sets of blocks. You can probably go higher if you are creative with what you stack (they also have an SUV adapter) and maybe use a floor jack to lift the car more to get the cribbing under.

I think the difficulty/challenge on using it for an engine out is that it doesn't lift perfectly vertical. The car moves forward as the frame arms extend up.

The specs say 3 inches. I haven't measured but they fit under the 355 with plenty of room to spare.

 

Do you have the jacks stands under the platforms actually carrying the load, or are the safety bars supporting and the jack stands underneath but not actually supporting?

 

The latter. I just want something there in case the lift structure fails.

I have an early 3500 model so I had to make a platform to extend it to reach both jacking points. I usually place the stands under the ends of the extension.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Mike, why are the front wheels like double the height off the ground compared to the rear?

 

Looks like more suspension droop rear than front. My car (e36 m3 sedan) looks like this when I jack it up in the air too. Here's another example from google images:

 

Good question, Dave. There's a lot more suspension droop in the rear than the front because of the coilover struts in the front-- the rear rires are partially tucked under the fender lips when the car as at rest, so what you see there is a fair amount of droop in the rear. But even so, the back of the car still looks to be lower than the front, which I cannot explain. It's on the factory lifting points and the weight distribution is close to 50/50, but it could be that there's more arse hanging out than front. I'll have to try to remember to cogitate over that the next time I raise that car.

 

So this is how New age criminals steal rims? haha

 

I just tried my new Quickjack 5000SLX and didn't realise how much the larger rubber pads would compress. When the rubber compressed, the metal frame of the jack came in contact with the underbody panels. I hope they survive. I wouldn't recommend using the jack without the hockey pucks ... although how you get them to go under the car, I don't know... I think my rear tyres are taller than standard, and I barely got the larger provided pads to go under the car. Maybe my springs are starting to sag? Next time, I may have to drive the car onto a small ramp of some description before putting the jacks underneath.

About storing the jacks under the car... I would be very careful when positioning the car over them. The metal frame of the jack is probably high enough to contact the wheel rims. Make sure you are dead centre.

I recommend reading the manual from end to end. It's not quite "plug and play". You need a variety of tools. All the nuts and bolts seemed to be non-metric, so you either need a full set of non-metric spanners or a few adjustable spanners. Also, you'll need a footpump to charge the cylinders, a pressure gauge (if the pump doesn't have one), allen keys and some automatic transmission fluid.

The YouTube videos can be of some help, but one video shows something which should not be done. i.e raising the jacks to full height without a load. The manual expressly forbids this.

According to the manual, the Quickjack should not raised if the car is already in contact with rubber blocks. You do need some space between the blocks and the car prior to lifting. This is pretty hard to do when the car is so low. I asked the distributor about it and he said as long as there is a gap it will be ok, but I don't know how 0mm is not ok, but 1mm is ok.

I bought the larger jack because I wasn't sure if the unequal load on the jacking points would be an issue (the Ferrari is tail heavy with respect to the jacking points). Perhaps because the hydraulic ram is pushing diagonally, the forces on the jack may be distributed better and it may not be an issue (?).

I thought it wouldn't matter which direction the jacks were facing. For some reason, I had difficulties having the yellow sticker end at the front of the car. I had to turn them around and put them at the rear. i.e. the pump goes at the front of the car. Also, make sure you put the safety bars on the outboard sides (you don't want to stick your hand through the frame to get to them... a little risky). It also makes it harder to see if the bars are in the right position.

I don't know why, but the hydraulic rams don't seem to hold their air charge for long. I had to top them up each day. The pressure must be equal in both rams or the two jacks will lift at different speeds (I'm told).

Note that the hoses have to go under the frame (but obviously not where they will be squashed).

If I come across any other issues, I'll add them later.

Cheers
Ian

 

Good call Dave even the fenders look weird??

 

Maybe the car sits nose down when on ground kinda like a rear end lifted nova from the 70s??

 

I can not see how not high enough lift.

 

Quickjack!

Has anyone actually accomplished an Engine-Out Service using the QuickJack? Is there enough clearance?