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Stock Bottle Jack replacement

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38K views 44 replies 26 participants last post by  perchancetodream  
#1 ·
My Transit didnt come with a jack. And the original jacks is too expensive. Any recommendations 8 ton, 10 ton, or 12 ton? I need to fit on the stock bracket and high enough to lift the tires of the ground when changing flat on emergencies. Thanks
 
#4 ·
Not all things are created equal.. Cheap bottle jacks usually only work going up and down. Some come down with no control and some come down when you don't want them to. Some work great once and the next time you use them they've leaked past the seals and won't lift the rated weight.

If you invest in a quality 10 ton Jack (I have a JET) that works in any position, changing a tire is just one of the things you can use if for.
 
#14 ·
Nerd alert. :nerd: Is the jack necessary? If I need road service do they say, change the tire with my equipment? The jack obviously is provided to jack the van up to change a tire etc.... I WILL NOT BE DOING ANYTHING MYSELF.

Just wanting to be sure. I would like to have a swivel PS chair but have no place for the jack underneath it. Maybe I could have the jack stored in a box under the carriage????
 
#15 ·
Well, you may not use the jack, but you may be offered help by a passerby, so you don't want to ditch the jack. It can be relocated elsewhere if you install a swivel. I removed the center of the rear of the seatbase, which gives me easy access to the jack and the space under the seat even with the swivel.
 
#21 ·
In addition to lift height, here are two more things to consider, when selecting a non-Ford bottle jack. With greater capacity, you typically get a bigger lift point (good). But, with greater capacity, you also typically get shorter lift per stroke of the jack handle (kinda bad; less energy per stroke required, but, annoying doing a zillion strokes).
 
#23 ·
Looks like the stock bottle Jack I have is useless. It will start to lift van, then keeps slipping down before it gets the off the ground. could it be that out just needs more oil? I noticed that some leaks out when lowering. Glad I discovered this in my driveway and not on the side of the road.

Anyway, just wondering what would be a good (reliable) replacement Jack that is similar dimensions? I'd like to keep it close to the same size as the stock since it fits nicely under passenger seat even with swivel base. I thought about just buying another OEM Jack since I know its fits, but if they are crap I don't want to go that route. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!
 
#24 ·
... I thought about just buying another OEM Jack since I know its fits, but if they are crap I don't want to go that route. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

I'd look for another stock one. They're not ALL bad. Mine is fine. Have used it each time I rotate my tires -- along with an over-large Harbor Freight 20-ton (I think -- so big because it has more reach, and a larger contact pad). Two jacks allow me to lift one side or one end at a time.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I tried mine again and it does seem to work if I keep pumping. It appears that the inner piston is sticking a little?? With no weight on it, the inner rises fully, then the outer. However, if there is any weight on it, the outer rises before the inner. Once the outer piston is fully up, the inner then will rise without slipping. I repeated this a number of times with the same result.

So is there a way to fill the stock jacks with new fluid? I'm thinking mine's just a little gunked up.
 
#34 ·
What is happening is by design. The inner cylinder (the small thin one that raises "quickly") accepts hydraulic fluid quicker to raise quicker. This allows the user to get it place the jack in a secure location before jacking up the weight of the vehicle. Once the inner cylinder raises and contacts the vehicle, the fluid transfers into the larger cylinder to raise it. Being a larger cylinder, it accepts more fluid, raises slower but, also has a much higher lifting capacity.

PS: A little fluid will leak out if you release and drop your jack too quickly. It's recommended to release hydraulic jacks slowly to avoid loosing fluid.

PPS: The open diff in the rear of the Transit will allow the van to shift on the jack if the the van isn't level. If you've got to use the jack to lift a single rear tire, throw your E-brake on....ask me how I know. :|

LOL The parking lot appeared level to the eye. But once I slapped on the spare, the van shifted. Luckily I had 2-3 lugs started and spare took the weight. I still puckered a bit.
 
#30 ·
Since we are on the jacking/lifting/jack stands topic...

How to you put your transit on jack stands?

is there enough room at the jack points to jack and then insert a jack stand then remove the jack?

I had some tires installed and the techs slid normal rolling jacks under the front of the van not at the factory jacking points i don't think. They went pretty far underneath so maybe they hit the factory jack points from the front instead of the side? Maybe another viable jacking/lift point and then put jack stands at the factory lift points?

trying to get a safe strategy down for both tire rotation and brake changes/brake inspections.

Thanks!
 
#32 ·
Since we are on the jacking/lifting/jack stands topic...

How to you put your transit on jack stands?

...

That's a good question. I have not figured it out -- key problem being that there's no frame where one would traditionally slip in a jack stand.

I've been working with the 2 jacks only, when rotating tires. Yes, I know that's not great practice.
 
#31 ·
Here’s what I did, but would like to know if there’s a better way. For the rear, I placed my floor jack on the springs just in front of the axle, jacked up, and then put the jackstands under the point indicated in the BEMM. For the front, I put the floor jack under the indicated jack points, and then put blocks under the tires.
 
#36 ·
I got the "opportunity" to try my jack New Years Eve . About two months ago I actually looked at my Transit to see where the jack, lug wrench, etc. were all located in case I ever needed to use them one day. It all worked well. From pulling over to pulling away with the spare was probably about 25 minutes. It was the front right tire. The jack worked well enough, but with the extension provided it limited the overall stroke. I used just one of the extension pieces and was able to get a full stroke of travel under the van.
 
#37 ·
Hi. We just bought a used 2018.

It was also missing the hydraulic jack. for those interested in a ford jack, there are sellers on eBay selling “new old stock” for around $40.