Stan Design

Tag: Heavy-Duty Lifting

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Bridge Jacks Floor jacks Hydraulic Jacks Jacks Truck Jacks

How to Choose the Right Truck Jack for Efficient Lifting?

Choosing the Right Truck Jack
Explore various truck jacks and their features to find the perfect match for your lifting requirements.

Working in commercial garages or automotive workshops can become a nightmare without the right collection of equipment at your disposal. One such tool in your arsenal is truck jacks. These heavy-duty jacks for trucks are capable enough to make the lifting process of big vehicles smooth and effortless while ensuring safety and stability.

By saving time in lifting heavy loads, suspending them securely to service them efficiently, and lowering them without technical hiccups, truck jacks enable workers to maintain and repair bigger vehicles like heavy-duty military or commercial trucks, buses, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and all sorts of big automobiles.

Having many different operational mechanisms- mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, hybrid, etc., these jacks deliver high value to professionals wielding them. By lifting and transporting all types of heavy weights, industrial loads, vehicles, and machinery equipment for clamping, jacks aid customers in varying industries, like:

  • Aircraft
  • Automotive
  • Bridges
  • Cable tensioning
  • House moving
  • Construction
  • General industrial
  • Laboratory
  • Locomotive
  • Marine
  • Mobile home
  • Railroad
  • Shipbuilding
  • Shoring and stabilizing such as for tunnels and mines
  • Tractors & trailers

To understand simply the workings of a truck jack like the Stan Design pit jack, let us consider the example of a hydraulic system of operation, consisting of the following broad components:

  • Hydraulic oil,
  • Reservoir or buffer or oil tank,
  • Main cylinder or ram,
  • Release valve,
  • Control valve,
  • Check valve,
  • Lifting arm or pad,
  • Hydraulic pump with piston or plunger, and
  • Pump lever or handle.

The reservoir or buffer or oil tank is the physical compartment of the heavy-duty jack for trucks that holds the hydraulic liquid or pump oil together when it is not in use. The control valve stays in a closed position when the jack is not in use to prevent the accidental flow of oil.

When the handle or lever of the hydraulic pump with piston or plunger is mechanically lowered or raised, it activates force and builds up pressure in the adjoining compartment, i.e., the reservoir or buffer tank containing the hydraulic fluid or pump’s oil.

This applied pressure transfers the oil from the pump through a check valve and into the main cylinder or the ram, which extends out of the hydraulic jack body creating the required lifting force and lifting the load.


What are Factors to Consider for Choosing the Right Truck Jack for Efficient Lifting?


1. Compatibility with Your Vehicle: Before choosing the right jack for lifting heavy vehicles, it is essential to check its specifications to verify its compatibility with your vehicle. This step is important and must not be avoided under any circumstances or considerations because doing so can impose great harm on not only the vehicle being lifted and serviced using the jack, but to the safety and even life of the personnel engaged in the process of lifting and maintaining the vehicle. To ensure compatibility, checking the jack’s weight capacity, size, portability, clearance or lift range, quality, build materials, brand reputation and user testimonials can be a starting point.

2. Weight Capacity: Usually expressed in tonnage, the weight capacity of a jack shows its capability of clamping, lifting, suspending, lowering, transporting, etc. loads of particular weights. The load or weight capacity of a jack is distinctly different from its lift range or size and is not indicative of either. Neither do the jack’s lift range nor its size in any way denote its load capacity. So, if you have a bigger or heavier vehicle to be repaired, going for heavy-duty pit jacks would be a wise choice, while for smaller cars investing in small and more portable repair and maintenance jacks would be sufficient.

3. Size and Portability: The size of a jack directly affects its portability. Heavier jacks, usually made of steel, are more suited for use in commercial garages and automotive workshops where they may be fixed in places for more convenient use. Unlike that, smaller jacks using hydraulic systems to operate either made of lightweight steel or aluminum, can be stored in small storage compartments of cars to be unloaded and used for emergency purposes like fixing a flat tire, etc. However, it is wise to not rely on portability alone while determining the size of the jack being purchased and weigh its compatibility with your owned vehicle or the types of vehicles you commercially service.

4. Clearance: The clearance of a vehicle refers to the distance between the lowest part of its undercarriage (not including the tires) and the ground. Also referred to as ride height or ground clearance, this area is the best suited for car jacks to be implemented for repairs and maintenance. Usually, the higher the clearance, the higher the center of mass of the vehicle. Therefore, this can be translated to suit low lift ranges of car jacks to make it compatible with the clearance of the car being serviced.

5. Brand Reputation and User Testimonials: While making an automotive jack purchase, you should bear in mind its producer and manufacturer. Checking out the brand reputation diligently and doing a fair bit of research on its product description and features, while also reviewing user feedback and testimonials for both the product and producer can go a long way in ensuring that you make a wise investment. For example, our Stan Design pit jacks are highly trusted across the industry as we serve our customers not only before they make a purchase with us, but also long after they sale is closed.

6. Quality and Build Materials: Perhaps, the biggest component in selecting a jack is its safety features. Since it is such a basic consideration, we have not discussed it as a separate point and wish to highlight it through this concluding point about quality and build materials. The quality of a jack should never be compromised based on price points as it can severely constrain the safety of your vehicle and yourself. Checking its build materials, whether steel, aluminum, hybrid, etc. is imperative to determine not only its size and portability but also its quality and sustainability, that is directly proportional to the safety it offers.

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Categories
Floor jacks Hydraulic Jacks Jacks Pit Jacks Truck Jacks

10 Reasons Hydraulic Jacks are Extremely Useful

Hydraulic jacks are a cornerstone in today’s self-sufficient garages. Be it for industrial repair or maintenance purposes or personal use, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes to serve all types of vehicles, their service pits and allied requirements.

Designed to lift heavy loads, weights and forces, mainly in the automotive industry, like heavy duty vehicles, cars, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, etc. hydraulic jacks like Scorpion floor jacks from Stan Design are a useful addition to any trucker’s or other customer’s garage.

Spanning several beneficial and customizable features, like weight, size and portability, lift range, weight capacity, safety, construction material, etc. jacks like Scorpion floor jacks and Scorpion pit jacks have applications in a range of industries.

How do Hydraulic Jacks Work?

An important reason why customers prefer hydraulic jacks over other mechanical jacks is that they work according to the principles of fluid dynamics. In simpler terms, this makes it easier for the end user to utilize in lifting heavy loads effortlessly and efficiently.

A hydraulic jack’s workings are simple. First, let us understand its anatomy. Among other things, it mainly consists of:

  • Reservoir or buffer tank
  • Pump with piston or plunger
  • Pump lever or handle
  • Check valve
  • Main cylinder or ram
  • Release valve
  • Handle

The piston is responsible for lifting the heavy load or weight. It is usually mechanically activated by shifting the positions of the handle or pump lever attached to it. This movement builds up pressure in the hydraulic fluid contained inside the reservoir or buffer tank. The pressure created allows the fluid to move through a check valve into the ram or main cylinder, which then pops out of the main body of the hydraulic jack creating the force required to lift the load. Finally, the release valve relieves the built pressure for easy retraction and lowering of the ram with the load on it.

Why Use Hydraulic Jacks– 10 Reasons

Hydraulic jacks, like the Scorpion floor jack, are mainly used by the lay person for the repair and maintenance of cars. Other than that, its industrial use is varied from applications in the automotive industry to a variety of other industries where it is also used for lifting and moving heavy weights, like:

  1. Aerospace and Aircraft: Aircrafts often take on large amounts of stress in the ordinary order of business. Standard flight operations of everyday requires the need for robust and regular checks and inspection to ensure the competency and safety of the vessels used to transport life and property. Hydraulic jacks form the root of the maintenance operation by assisting in essential ground support.
  1. Bridges and Cable tensioning: Bridges support extreme tension regularly, by accommodating fleets of vehicles and the movement and sustenance of life. That is why they require daily maintenance which bridge jacks can do. Cable tensioning, a construction method often used in erecting cable bridges, also requires hydraulic system jacks in its production, maintenance and repairs.
  1. House Moving and Mobile Homes: If you have ever witnessed the procedure of house moving, a method of lifting off a made building structure from one point to the other, you would know that hydraulic jacks come at the core of it. Hydraulic jacks provide the support for lifting the heavy weight of a building off the ground and moving it to the desired location through a series of often repeated steps.
  1. Construction: Hydraulic jacks are used by construction workers for a variety of reasons other than just lifting heavy quantities of loads or working with great forces. From moving building materials in the bulk to dealing with heavy equipment, or even entire structures, one may find hydraulic jack systems built into forklifts, bulldozers, elevator systems and a range of other products within the construction industry.
  1. General Industrial: In general industries, hydraulic jacks, like the Scorpion floor jacks, have a single purpose of lifting and transporting heavy loads from one point to another. By the application of fluid dynamics, these jacks are able to support the accommodation and transfer of heavy loads of materials offering considerable and convenient load-lifting solutions to a range of consumer applications.
  1. Agriculture: In the agricultural sector, hydraulic jacks have been used substantially. From being a part of heavy machinery used for agricultural purposes like tractors, trailers and trucks, to helping in moving goods around and assisting in carrying out repairs on farm vehicles, hydraulic system jacks come in handy for a large range of workers employed by the sector. Farm jacks, with a system like the Scorpion floor jack, are specialized hydraulic jacks used specifically for agriculture.
  1. Laboratory: In laboratories, usually smaller variants of jacks are used, that employ the use of hydraulic systems, to support a range of equipment for the purposes of research and development. For example, portable lab jacks can act as a support for benchtop glassware or equipment like hotplates, flasks, baths, magnetic stirrers, or any other objects that need a precise height setup to stabilize sensitive objects.
  1. Marine and Shipbuilding: This industry deals with behemoth machinery and vessels that traverse the known and unknown waters and weather conditions of the world. For transporting passengers to essential goods from one to the other corners of the world, they require a strong build and robust upkeep. That is why hydraulic jacks are required by the marine and shipbuilding industry.
  1. Mining: The mining industry is an ardent consumer of hydraulic jacks because of the importance of the work it does. To meet the demand of valuable minerals and other natural resources for sustaining the increasing population, the mining industry requires stable jacking to explore its full capacity and potential. Hydraulic jacks come into play here from providing support to shoring up the land to employing stable jacking methods, and more.
  1. Railroad and Locomotive: The rail industry is a loyal consumer of hydraulic jacks. From the production to the maintenance and repair of rail vehicles, to the production and maintenance and repair of heavy railroad tracks, hydraulic jacks are crucial equipment of the workers engaged in these essential tasks. Bigger hydraulic jacks with robust rotation capacity, or weightlifting capacity are often in high demand by this industry.

Now that you know the 10 reasons why use hydraulic jacks, you would be better equipped to purchase one for your garage. Depending on your vehicle size and use, various hydraulic system jacks like our Scorpion floor jacks or Scorpion pit jacks may assist you in the maintenance and repair of your daily transport system.

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Categories
Pit Jacks Truck Jacks

Top-Rated Portable Truck Jacks: Your Ultimate Guide

When it comes to lifting trucks, buses, and other heavy vehicles for undercarriage maintenance, the heavy-duty truck jack is the best tool one can have. Truck jacks come in a variety of types. Hydraulic floor jacks, pit jacks, bridge jacks, and pneumatic jacks are the most popular iterations. But if you are looking exclusively for portable truck jacks, nothing beats the good old-fashioned floor jack!

There are lots of different brands selling a plethora of portable heavy duty truck jacks. But what’s best for you? In this blog, we will look at our top picks for the best portable jacks on the market. We have intentionally left out pit jacks, bridge jacks, and Fast Lube Rolling Pit Jacks to cut the clutter.

But before we can proceed further, here’s a list of things to consider before buying a truck jack:

  • Weight Capacity: Knowing the weight capacity of a truck jack is the crucial first step to buying the best tool for your workshop. Jacks are subjected to tremendous pressure and stress when lifting heavy vehicles. Never use a floor jack or pit jack with a truck heavier than the jack’s stipulated weight capacity. It can cause the jack to buckle and fracture, compromising user safety.
  • Durability: Heavy-duty truck jacks are made from materials resistant to wear and tear under prolonged use. They are also corrosion-resistant and don’t buckle under stress.
  • Collapsed height: A practical floor jack must have a low collapsed profile for it to reach under all sorts of vehicles. Always go for a jack with a small footprint and a low collapsed profile.
  • Lift height: A jack’s lift height decides how high it can lift a vehicle. This is crucial because you need to be able to access your truck’s undercarriage easily once it’s lifted. Floor jacks and pit jacks with good lift heights enable users to carry out maintenance work efficiently, minimizing downtime and maximizing the workshop’s output.
  • Safety Features: Safety is paramount in any workshop environment. Hence, you need jacks that have inbuilt safety features like multiple contact points and locking mechanisms to keep users safe while lifting heavy vehicles.
  • Intuitive Design, Portability, and Storage: Truck jacks that are portable, and easy to use and store increase user efficiency and maximize workshop space.

Stan Design’s Top Picks! 

We evaluated multiple heavy-duty truck and car jacks based on the above criteria to come up with the following list for you:

1. Pittsburgh Low-Pro Aluminum Racing Jack

This trusty portable truck jack has a lot of good things working for it.

Pros 

  • The frame is made of aluminum, hence corrosion-resistant, lightweight, and durable.
  • The jack’s low-profile design makes it easy for users to service vehicles with low ground clearance.
  • Great for small trucks, cars, and other mid-sized vehicles, the Pittsburgh Low-Pro can easily lift up to 6000 lbs. over 19”.

Cons

  • Small wheels affect portability.

2. Stan Design’s Scorpion MJ25 Floor Jack 

When it comes to lifting bona fide behemoths like military trucks and armored cars, there’s no competition for the MJ25!

Pros 

  • Lifts 25,000 lbs. over 36”. The lifting apparatus uses the combined force of hydraulics and pneumatic pressure for heavy lifting.
  • A robust, durable, and corrosion-resistant metal frame enables this mean beast to take abuse for decades on end.
  • An extendable beam with stackable adapters makes the MJ25 a workhorse suited to any vehicle type.
  • A three-stage locking mechanism makes this heavy-duty truck jack extra safe.

Cons 

  • The pneumatic apparatus needs a compressed air source to operate.

3. Blackhawk B6530 Fast Lift

The B6530 is your ideal garage jack capable of lifting small trucks, and small to mid-sized cars easily.

Pros 

  • The B6530 has a maximum weight capacity of 7000 lbs. and can lift over 21”.
  • Here’s the best part: you need no more than 2 pumps to lift a car with this robust jack!
  • An elongated chassis design makes it easy to reach the lifting points under sedans.

Cons 

  • Although not a deal breaker, the jack’s large footprint can be tricky to manage in crammed-up workshops.

4. Big Red AT84007R

The Big Red has a big heart and takes the lifting game a notch higher than the Blackhawk!

Pros

  • A weight capacity of 8000 lbs. should be good enough for lifting any hatchback, sedan, or small truck.
  • A heavy-duty steel frame with reinforced arms makes the AT84007R one robust floor jack capable of handling lifting duties day in and day out.
  • A collapsed profile of just 3.8” enables this heavy duty floor jack to reach under cars with low ground clearance easily.

Cons 

  • The only negative aspect of the Big Red – and we are nitpicking here – is its weight.

5. Vevor Pneumatic Jack

Several heavy-duty truck jack manufacturers are relying more and more on compressed air or pneumatic pressure operated lifting mechanisms for their products. The Vevor is the perfect example of this new trend.

Pros 

  • Super quick lifting time – simply plug in the compressor to the nearest electrical power source, open the valve, and you have lift off!
  • This cool floor jack can lift over 15” and has a maximum weight capacity of 6000 lbs.
  • A low weight of 34 lbs. and an incredibly small footprint make it easy to move around and store the Vevor Pneumatic Jack.

Cons 

  • Like any other pneumatic jack, the Vevor Pneumatic Jack requires a power source to operate its air compressor. So, forget using a hand pump if your workshop has a power failure!

Endnote

Each of the portable heavy-duty jacks mentioned above is an absolute winner when it comes to lifting trucks, cars, or other vehicles. Before you buy your floor jack, make sure you have read the product manual carefully to facilitate an informed decision.

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