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Since I bought my 2016 Stingray, I have been wondering if I need to buy a floor jack. I don't anticipate doing major repairs but think it might be good to have one just in case and for cleaning wheels, etc.
What should I buy? I know it needs to be low profile but what brand, model? I already ordered the "hockey pucks" to protect frame and body.
Harbor Freight has three low profile, long reach jacks. Hard to tell what is different between them from the web site. The one I have is steel and very heavy. Works OK for occasional use.
Like you, I'm not planning on using a jack a lot but I just bought one so I could install side rockers. I got Harbor Freight model 60569, 1.5 Ton Compact Aluminum Racing Floor Jack. It worked fine for me. The slightly higher lift range on the steel jacks would have been nice but I liked the idea of the lighter weight for the aluminum model.
Like you, I'm not planning on using a jack a lot but I just bought one so I could install side rockers. I got Harbor Freight model 60569, 1.5 Ton Compact Aluminum Racing Floor Jack. It worked fine for me. The slightly higher lift range on the steel jacks would have been nice but I liked the idea of the lighter weight for the aluminum model.
I have two Harbor Freight aluminum racing jacks. One is 1.5 tons the other 3 tons. Both are fine. Recently saw a sale and the 1.5 ton jack was about $60. If there is not a sale get a 20% off one item coupon in any car mag.
Just remember they are small jacks and must be on a hard surface and placed perpendicular to the car so they can roll in as they lift. They will do that by themselves and keep the sadle under the jacking pad.
I also have a large steel jack I use when needing more height. However must use the small jacks on the sides to have room to place the large jack on the GM approved jacking locations on the front and rear hollow casting cross members. Unlike the C6 they are hollow so, as noted, they are to be jacked on the two ends except for one cross member in the front.
Here is a pic I colored to make it easier to see.
Made from the 2014 Service Manual-Colored for Clarity.
hmmm, this one from northern tool looks really close to mine from harbor freight, FOR LESS THAN HALF THE PRICE OF THIS ONE!! (if they let you use the 20%off coupon. Some do some don't)
Like you, I'm not planning on using a jack a lot but I just bought one so I could install side rockers. I got Harbor Freight model 60569, 1.5 Ton Compact Aluminum Racing Floor Jack. It worked fine for me. The slightly higher lift range on the steel jacks would have been nice but I liked the idea of the lighter weight for the aluminum model.
^^^^^^^ Same here. Got a pair of them, one for each side. About $60 ea. I have the flush jack pads installed, but if needed, one can use the extra thick rubber hockey puck style jack pads for another inch or so of lift. I also have those just in case. They have the tabs that lock them in place in the little slots on the car.
It's hard to beat the harbor freight low profile jacks for the price. One of my local friends has one and it is really nice for the price. Seems like HF is stepping the quality up on some of their tools. From what I gathered, it seems like many of the various jacks out there are all made by the same company in China.
2-Ton Super Long > low profile extended lift arm
T-handle with rubber grips > foot pump quick lift
2 ¾” > 24” lift range Richard Petty/STP Limited Edition
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Originally Posted by RonC7
Harbor Freight has three low profile, long reach jacks. Hard to tell what is different between them from the web site. The one I have is steel and very heavy. Works OK for occasional use.
Ron
I bought an aluminum racing jack from Harbor Freight last year (jack was made by Pittsburg Tools). Very low profile, rapid pump and price was right at $130 or so on sale. Has performed very well so far.
We have 2 of the Harborfreight #68050 jacks perfect for a Vette, And just saw a add they are on sale till the end of the year 119.00.
Will this jack or the shorter low profile 3 ton Harbor Freight jacks work without sliding on my flooring or slipping off the jacking pucks given that I have a SwissTrax Ribtrax floor? From the pic below, you can see that this flooring is not flat (alternating ribs and flow thru spaces).
It's hard to beat the harbor freight low profile jacks for the price. One of my local friends has one and it is really nice for the price. Seems like HF is stepping the quality up on some of their tools. From what I gathered, it seems like many of the various jacks out there are all made by the same company in China.
Recently toured one of the two Harbor Freight warehouses in the US, in Dillon SC. They had a recent expansion and now have 2 million square feet under roof! Some really high shelfs and very efficient high lift fork lifts, etc. Impressive.
They employ over 1000 people. Only problem is they take trailer load products on one side of the plant in containers that come off a ship from China and move them to their stores! That is what the US has become, great at distribution!
One of the engineers on the tour asked if they buy anything from Black & Decker, DeWalt etc. The tour guide said, "I see those brands in the Chinese factory where we have our's made!" Chicago Electric, Northern Tools, Sears all are, or sell, brands from China! They are usually very good copies of once American Made product! My arbor press, grinder and drill press etc all have US size bolts. Since we are the ONLY country in the world not fully on the metric system give them marketing credit for being good copiers, using low cost materials and value engineering our old designs! [Funny, I tried to reduce some of our 125,000 salable goods part numbers by eliminating the US size bolts we were selling for $3 million steel scarfing machines! Was told quickly, come to South Korea, India, or Japan - the only steel mills still buying scarfing machines to make quality sheet- and buy a US bolt. Reinstated ~2000!!]
Harbor Freight is a privately owned multi-billion dollar company started in CA in 1968. They buy directly from China. Could not understand when I bought my engine lift in ~2000 how they could ship in from CA (their only warehouse at that time) free of charge for $110? Or how the Chinese could ship that much steel from China, make a profit and have Harbor Freight also make a profit!
Been semi-retired for 16 years from a large welding equipment company. They just announced they are closing the plant where we had ~1000 employees and all welding and cutting machines will be made in China! Sad.
Originally Posted by Gymbow
Will this jack or the shorter low profile 3 ton Harbor Freight jacks work without sliding on my flooring or slipping off the jacking pucks given that I have a SwissTrax Ribtrax floor? From the pic below, you can see that this flooring is not flat (alternating ribs and flow thru spaces).
Larger jacks are somewhat better but would still be sure it was perpendicular and the rear wheel casters were set to move in. Look at the geometry of the levers.
The other, perhaps better and less expensive choice for you is a quality scissor jack! I used one until I replaced this old one in the pic below with another Harbor Freight racing hydraulic jack. But my jacks roll fine on my tiled floor.
Replaced my Old Scissor Jack I had used successfully with mu C6 with a 2nd Harbor Freight jack.
I looked at the Harbor Freight jacks and they were ok but decided on the jack from Costco. Lifts more than the HF jacks 3 tons vs 2 tons and to me just looked better built and only $99
just remember length if you need to lift from the front and back crossmembers. No way some of the shorter ones you guys are choosing will get to the front crossmember, maybe the back, but not even sure about that. If they make one longer than the harbor freight 68050 i mentioned above, i'd get that, but certainly nothing smaller than that if you need the front crossmember lifted like i do a lot. I try not to lift from the sides of the car because of the side skirts...
just remember length if you need to lift from the front and back crossmembers. No way some of the shorter ones you guys are choosing will get to the front crossmember, maybe the back, but not even sure about that. If they make one longer than the harbor freight 68050 i mentioned above, i'd get that, but certainly nothing smaller than that if you need the front crossmember lifted like i do a lot. I try not to lift from the sides of the car because of the side skirts...
Not only will a short one not reach, GM says DO NOT lift a C7 from the center of the rear cradle! Unlike the C6, the C7 cradles are made from hollow castings. Know some get away with dong it but hollow aluminum castings are more brittle than the solid cradles on the C6. Small cracks can grow with each lift! Even with the C6 GM recommended lifting only at the edges of the cradle. That needs a cross brace. It's difficult to get a large jack with a cross brace attached under the rear. I have to use my two small jacks on the side jack pads to get it high enough to insert my large jack. Only use that when it needs to be lifter higher than the small jacks can achieve.
If your interested made this PDF with 20+ pics on "Options For jacking a C7" http://netwelding.com/Jacking_A_C7.pdf
Below is a pic I posted about how you can make or perhaps modify a metal cross brace sold by Harbor Freight. Note from my above post #17 I use 2 inch jacking pads to clear my CF side skirts! In fact you can also see one in the pic below (yellow circle) that was used to get the clearance for my large jack with cross brace.
Pic of Cross Brace I made and suggestions on modifying a metal one from Harbor Freight
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Purchasing a floor Jack
I bought an aluminum racing jack from Harbor Freight last year (jack was made by Pittsburg Tools). Very low profile, rapid pump and price was right at $130 or so on sale. Has performed very well so far.
