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I would like to carry a portable jack in my car for peace of mind. The jack would only be used to lift the car in an emergency under the right albeit unfortunate circumstances (hopefully never). Even as I type this I am having trouble envisioning the "right" scenario in which an alternative solution would not suffice. Nevertheless, I am one who likes to be overprepared.
This morning I discovered that the scissor jack from my 2010 Malibu will fit under the Corvette and will also fit into the rear cubby hole. Like many GM scissor jacks I have encountered, this jack has a groove in the center of it so that it can be aligned with an edge of the Malibu's frame at the jack point. I have included a picture of the jack in question for reference. I attempted to use this jack with an aluminum puck on the driver's side front puck location as a test. I did a few turns and the car started to elevate but not to the point that the tire lost contact with the ground. It was difficult to tell if the puck was sliding as the car was elevating so I thought it best to get another opinion in the event that what I was doing was incredibly stupid. I would rather not start Spring with the jack slipping, punching a hole through my footwell, or any other form of misfortune that I cannot not foresee.
My question to my fellow C6 owners - will this jack work for the rare circumstance I described or am I setting myself up to make things worse? I have read some older threads on the topic but could not gather enough from them to avoid creating another one. Thank you in advance!
Before jacking you must put the parking brake on so the car won’t move. I have the same kind of jack it came from a Porsche 944 and it works perfectly for me.
I would buy some liquid plasti dip and mix some sand in it, then coat the top of the Jack to help prevent slipping.
Another option would be to put an eye bolt through your aluminium puck. The nut end could go into the frame and the eye portion would go into the slot of the Jack designed for the unibody pinch area.
I understand wanting to be prepared. But....you will never have a situation in which you will want to remove the tire on a lonely road...you don't have a spare, so why remove a tire? So, anything else you might need a jack for would involve something UNDER the car. If you get under the car with that jack, ANY amount of vibration, pushing, pulling, loosening of something, will possibly cause the jack to slip, and you might die. Rather than carry a jack, carry a credit card with a high limit, and live out your natural lifespan.
Hi, I had some of the same concerns, I followed the advise from a forum member. Went with this low profile jack, little pricey, but it's small and compact to carry around. You also need a small air compressor, they sell some that fit in your hand, they take a little longer to reach desired pressure, but the compact size is convenient, a tire repair kit. Of course this is for tire puncher, if the tire is sliced or mayor blow out your going to have to be towed. Good luck.Attached Images
Appreciate the feedback. I'm going to contradict my initial thought of not being able to provide a situation in which this would be of use. I'll first clarify that I would never get under the car with this elevating it. I'm thinking of a scenario in which I might want to plug a puncture and there are no other options available to me (ex. no cell service). Otherwise the credit card is likely my first choice, no argument there.
Perhaps It would have been better to share my plan in it's entire form. I intend to carry slime, plug kit, pliers, screwdriver, an air compressor, and a jack.
Some say the scissor jack is a definite no (and I can understand why), others say they've had the same thought as me. I suppose I have some more research and contemplation ahead of me. Appreciate your collective thoughts and time thus far.
My problem with doing this is that if you have a rear flat, you pretty much need to rotate the tire to a position where you can find the leak, then maybe again to a new position to repair it. Turning the rear tire takes a minimum of 100 ft-lbs torque to overcome the drag of the positraction rear end while on the jack with the parking brake off, can't recommend that! Can't recommend wheel chocking the front either. And you'll have to carry a socket and breaker bar to turn the wheel on a lug nut, also bad practice IMHO. Slime does your TPMS sensor no good too, and tire techs hate slime.
Field fix of a front is doable, rears is a lot more risky. Can you tell I'm a run-flat guy with a Credit card & Michelin 800 number!?
I am uneducated on many aspects of these cars still but I am learning as I read the comments. Perhaps my ignorance will show with this statement, but my thought was that the wheel would be removed to attempt a plug. Is this a bad idea? Run flats are not immune to punctures after all.
I am uneducated on many aspects of these cars still but I am learning as I read the comments. Perhaps my ignorance will show with this statement, but my thought was that the wheel would be removed to attempt a plug. Is this a bad idea? Run flats are not immune to punctures after all.
I prefer to just drive on the flat tires the nearest shop for a fix or replacement. I always buy DT warranty, if the tire is ruined I get a free new one.
My problem with doing this is that if you have a rear flat, you pretty much need to rotate the tire to a position where you can find the leak, then maybe again to a new position to repair it. Turning the rear tire takes a minimum of 100 ft-lbs torque to overcome the drag of the positraction rear end while on the jack with the parking brake off, can't recommend that! Can't recommend wheel chocking the front either. And you'll have to carry a socket and breaker bar to turn the wheel on a lug nut, also bad practice IMHO. Slime does your TPMS sensor no good too, and tire techs hate slime.
Field fix of a front is doable, rears is a lot more risky. Can you tell I'm a run-flat guy with a Credit card & Michelin 800 number!?
Why would someone need to have the car on a jack anyway to find a leak on the rear? You're not gonna hurt anything by just rolling the car back or forward while its on the ground a few feet in order to find the leak.........
Maybe it's helpful to add conditions. Pretend it's 7PM Saturday night of a holiday weekend, meaning all shops are closed until Tuesday 8am. You are 400 miles away from home and absolutely have to be back Monday evening. There's a nail in [pick a tire] that can be plugged safely.
Maybe it's helpful to add conditions. Pretend it's 7PM Saturday night of a holiday weekend, meaning all shops are closed until Tuesday 8am. You are 400 miles away from home and absolutely have to be back Monday evening. There's a nail in [pick a tire] that can be plugged safely.
Will the jack, as previously described, work?
Like windy said above, you can just roll the car a foot or so at a time until the leak is accessible. No need to pull the tire to plug a leak as long as you can get to it.
Like windy said above, you can just roll the car a foot or so at a time until the leak is accessible. No need to pull the tire to plug a leak as long as you can get to it.
Thank you. I am aware of this method. It does not answer my question however. I love this forum and everyone's willingness to help but I feel like Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men trying to get an answer at this point. Maybe it's me, maybe I can't handle the truth
I am abandoning further attempts at trying to get more answers. I will take my chances with whatever decision I make. Thank you to those who provided feedback on their own experiences - very helpful.
Mike, I tried the roll and find technique once. It was a no go because the sight line to the tread is very limited, even with an inflated rear. Small nail or staple very hard to find. Slow leak, I aired up went home and got it fixed.
I agree, pulling the wheel is safest surest way.
I spend a lot of time in Baja (but sadly, not with the Corvette). Hence, I am somewhat biased towards being able to fix a flat in remote places on my own, and that has carried over to sporting around in the C6 in the lower 48.
Thanks for posting about this. This place remains one of the best resources for Corvette knowledge I have found, just trying to give back a fraction of what I have gained here. And PS: my sis lives up the road from you in Marion, I hope to be out that way in August, we can compare flat fix notes!
No need for a jack with no spare and no lug wrench either.
Not quite true. If you just get a puncture and carry a plug kit and air compressor, jacking the vehicle will help. Either to give you more room to work on the puncture with the tire on the car or to remove the wheel to work on the puncture.
Maybe it's helpful to add conditions. Pretend it's 7PM Saturday night of a holiday weekend, meaning all shops are closed until Tuesday 8am. You are 400 miles away from home and absolutely have to be back Monday evening. There's a nail in [pick a tire] that can be plugged safely.
Will the jack, as previously described, work?
Let's add to the conditions, like being on the side of the road on a surface that's not completely level or in some instances, not even paved either. Even in ideal conditions, I wouldn't consider that jack safe on a Corvette. Just my opinion.
03-23-2019, 01:09 PM
Portable Jack
