Cheap Unreliable jack for fixing flats

[amychelle]

I had a flat tire today and had to get the donut and jack out of the back to use to get me home. I got the car up and the tire off - then the car just started to lean and the jack bent and dropped the car. 3 times. I had to use 2 other (much larger might I add) jacks to get the car back off the ground and tire on.

I feel i might have possible rotar damage and possibly alignment damage at the least.

Anyone else had trouble with the cheap jacks that come with the car?

Do you feel I am out of line asking for them to check my rotars and alignment and to have them repaired at no cost? As well as a new BETTER jack?

I have 5 year bumper to bumper (which I know does not include the tire...but...)

[They Call Me Whatshisname]

You did it on a flat hard surface right? If so I would definitely call your dealership and tell them about the jack.

[Ginsu]

Jacking is not as simple as it first seems. When you fully extend the jack you can find yourself at a much different angle than when you started. This happens when you're not on a level plane and the car wants to move when you give it some leverage. That being said though, I'm having a hard time understanding your problem. How could you drop your car three times? Where were you placing the jack? And how is the quality of the jack's construction the problem here? If it actually collapses straight down, its the jack. If its falling over to the side, its not the jack, its how you're using it. I can't see the dealer being sympathetic with your case.

[amychelle]

The jack was placed exactly where it was instructed in the manual - but we were forced to change it on gravel as it was either that or the MIDDLE of the road. Silly me didn't have a flat tire in a conveniant place. I'll try to pick a better place to do that next time.

The slight rock of the car when aligning the spare on the bolts triggered it - then it was just like the base of the jack gave and it came down. The second two attemps were hindered due to the already damaged jack.

Have you ever seen the jack provided with the versa? I was hesitant to use it to begin with. It doesn't look like it would hold up much more than a good size lawnmower.

[the djay]

Well I had a flat tire on the highway 2 weeks after I bought my Versa and used the jack that came with it and I lined it up with the notches under the car as indicated. No problem at all. We had the tire replaced and my 10 yr old son wanted to put it back on the car himself and I hate to disagree with you on this, but he had no problems either. The first time was on gravel on the side of a very busy highway with trucks whizzing by and the second time was on pavement. I made certain the emergency brake was on and the wheels were chocked, and I loosened the lig nuts before raising the car. Doing things carefully, calmly and gently usually works better than if one is ticked off and angry. Trust me I've found this out the hard way.

[nissan24009]

I say user issue as well.

[Bubs daddy]

This post title is misleading. Because you had a mishap with your jack doesn't mean they're cheap or unreliable.

I have used this jack numerous times to rotate tires and have never had a problem. When placed appropriately and used appropriately, the jack works fine.

Also used to inspect rotors, drums and brake pads. No problem.

[voltin]

I have had had to put my donut on twice (my car seems to be attracted to nails and screws), both times I did not have any problems.

[sooner4x4]

I have used the jack several times when rotating tires, and it worked fine. Yes it was on a driveway, but the construction of the jack seemed pretty similar to jacks I have used on other vehicles. None of them are super heavy duty, but most will not be used more than a few times during the life of a vehicle.

Understanding that a flat tire and the need for a jack might find you on other than a paved road, I carry a short piece of wood in the spare tire area. I think it is a 6 or 8 inch length of 2x6. You can set the jack on this if you are on rocky, uneven, or soft ground, and prevent the type of problem that was reported by the original poster of this thread.

Be sure to break loose the lug nuts before lifting the car.

[williamk10]

I've used the stock jack many times swtiching from stock to summer wheels with no problems. Only complaint I have is I have to jack each corner to get each wheel out. I don't know why they couldn't put the jacking point in the middle

[keanucosmo]

If you are having problems with the supplied jack, you may want to consider an exhaust air jack. I saw this on DIY's Cool Tools and it looked liked it could be useful if you have to jack the car in less than ideal conditions.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I don't think I like that idea at all. You could easily put stresses on some very fragile things with such a large lift surface. Rocker panels dent very easily. There's only a small section of reinforced frame rail that is strong enough to support the jack. Anywhere else and you can damage the frame, bend the floorpan, damage your rocker covers, or harm other things. Bad deal. You want to put all the weight of the car on the factory designed lift point. I'd rather do things the hard way and come away with my car unharmed.

Some options I'd be comfortable with recommending:Get a lightweight aluminum floor jack. Keep it in the hatch. Some are very small with detachable levers that will only take up a small amount of space. Floor jacks are very stable but can bend the frame rail seam used for the factory jack if you don't use the right lift adapter. My cars' seams are all bent over from floor jack use; I simply put a piece of 2x4 on the jack to distribute the weight more evenly.ORGet a good hydraulic stand type jack. The downside with these is they don't lift very far, but they're very strong. They also lift on a VERY small point, so you'll want an adapter to lift on the factory seam spot or something with slightly more surface area to avoid damaging the frame rail.

[Andrews Chalmers]

I've used the stock jack many times swtiching from stock to summer wheels with no problems. Only complaint I have is I have to jack each corner to get each wheel out. I don't know why they couldn't put the jacking point in the middle

They didn't put the jacking point in the middle so owners wouldn't jack up the car and bust the tires/rims on the other side...

The max load for the ContiProContacts is 1168 lbs.

The Versa weighs about 2700-2750 lbs. Most users have additional items in the car + fuel. Do you really want to lift one entire side of the car and put that load on the sidewall of the tires?

As to the original poster... so the car leaned, then the jack gave way. I can't think of a single OEM jackscrew in all the vehicles I have owned that would be able to handle a car leaning away from the jack.

The static friction of the jack's base plate & the ground is the only thing that prevents the jack from leaning over when it is holding up a car. I don't see how you can expect it to laterally stabilize an object that weighs over a ton.

Cheap or luxury.

[Ginsu]

I noticed the inflation tube connecting the ball to the exhaust is relaxed. How do they keep the pressure contained in the 'jack' and out of the car? I guess this is probably an 'after' shot and the tube was full when they were inflating. That's got to be bad for the engine. You know how hard some frickin birthday balloons are to blow up, and this thing has got to have way more pressure than that.
Modified by Ginsu at 11:11 AM 3/23/2009

[matt_a]

I agree with ministerofDOOM on this one. That looks like a really bad idea. You're lifting the weight of your car in areas that aren't designed to support that much weight. Easier isn't always better.

[tama48]

My jack is perfect. Never a hint of a problem. It's the user at fault here. Nissan won't cover any of it.

[tyler_ofspain]

I agree with ministerofDOOM on this one. That looks like a really bad idea. You're lifting the weight of your car in areas that aren't designed to support that much weight. Easier isn't always better.

bad idea but i like how it looks

[marleyfan]

I agree with the OP. The jack supplied with the Versa is one of the cheapest I have ever seen. The amount of movement with this jack is more than I have experienced with any other jack in 30 years of car ownership. Jacks cannot always be used in perfect conditions. A jack needs to be robust enough, and have a large enough base to be used under real world conditions. This jack doesn't cut it. I have now purchased a hydraulic jack to keep in my garage to use for tire changes. And I hope that I never get a flat in less than ideal conditions.