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original jack and jacking points


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got my first flat on my 4 the other day and on a flat 80 profile tyre the car really does sink low. So low that I had to get the scissor jack from my RAV to lift it. The very cute and very original looking telescopic jack that came with the car was of no use as I couldnt figure out how or where to use it.

It has a toother round base, an outer section about 3/4 inch OD and 12 inches long with a inner bit that screws down and lengthens the jack when the square peg ontop is turned by the ratcheting handle acocmapnying it. The bit that lifts the car is a tiny little peg about 3/4 which protrudes out fromt he main cylindrical body of the jack. I couldnt figure out what part of the car this engaes in and lifts on and it also looks very dinky to lift such a heavy car - hence I used the scissor jack.

 

Other telescoping type jacks i have seen on old cars (mini, rolls royce, AH sprite and even my alfa 105) have a folding bar that engages in a reinforced hole in the sills either side to locate quite deliberately and as you extend the jack the whole side of the car lifts (front and rear) even the mini and sprite jacks seem a lot sturdier than the one that coam with my triumph.

 

Can anyone twell me is this sounds like the original jack and where on the car it is supposed to lift from

 

Also as I have never owned wire wheels when doing up the spinner / nut with a copper hammer how do you know when enough torque has been applied?

 

Thanks for anyone who takes the time to read and understand this and then to reply

cheers

andrew

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got my first flat on my 4 the other day and on a flat 80 profile tyre the car really does sink low. So low that I had to get the scissor jack from my RAV to lift it. The very cute and very original looking telescopic jack that came with the car was of no use as I couldnt figure out how or where to use it.

It has a toother round base, an outer section about 3/4 inch OD and 12 inches long with a inner bit that screws down and lengthens the jack when the square peg ontop is turned by the ratcheting handle acocmapnying it. The bit that lifts the car is a tiny little peg about 3/4 which protrudes out fromt he main cylindrical body of the jack. I couldnt figure out what part of the car this engaes in and lifts on and it also looks very dinky to lift such a heavy car - hence I used the scissor jack.

 

Other telescoping type jacks i have seen on old cars (mini, rolls royce, AH sprite and even my alfa 105) have a folding bar that engages in a reinforced hole in the sills either side to locate quite deliberately and as you extend the jack the whole side of the car lifts (front and rear) even the mini and sprite jacks seem a lot sturdier than the one that coam with my triumph.

 

Can anyone twell me is this sounds like the original jack and where on the car it is supposed to lift from

 

Also as I have never owned wire wheels when doing up the spinner / nut with a copper hammer how do you know when enough torque has been applied?

 

Thanks for anyone who takes the time to read and understand this and then to reply

cheers

andrew

Andrew that is a correct jack for your car and it locates in the chassis below the rubber bungs in the main floors either side. Its a bit Heath Robinson and you wouldbe better off getting a decent scissor type and then jack up under the main chassis rails. Spinners should be hammered up until tight but dont beat the life out of them. I have no idea of what the torque should be but Im sure someone will know.

Stuart.

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Briefly:

Yes it is the original jack. If you lift the carpet in front of each seat, you should find a large rubber bung. you are supposed to remove this and insert the jack through the hole. The hook should engage with a nearby chassis bracket and you can then wind the car up (in theory even when sitting inside the car!). however, unless your chassis is in exceptional condition, don't even thinl about trying this. most of us use a scissor jack under the main chassis rail in line with either the door A-post or B-post, or under the fron chassis cross-rail.

 

There are several threads on the Forum about correct tightening of knock-on wires, so I won't repeat them. If you can't find them with a search, I'm sure someone will post a link for you.

 

Looks like Stuart beat me to it - I must learn to type faster, or waffle less!

Edited by BrianC
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Hi Andrew,

At the recent Prescott event i asked a trader what is the purpose of the large round bungs in the TR floor...... apparrently they are for attaching the very item that you have..... just remove the carpet, the underfelt and the large bung....and your jack goes through the hole and engages with the chassis :P

 

john

 

Stuart and Brian got there first!! :lol: .........I'm turning this thing off and going to play with the car.......... :P

Edited by johnny250
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You don't need to beat the life out of the spinners - hand tight then a couple of knocks. They will continue to tighten as you drive the car, assuming you have got them on the correct side of the car. :blink:

A couple of other useful points:

 

1) To avoid over-tightening, knock the spinner on with the wheel off the ground, with one hand on the tyre to prevent the wheel turning.

 

2) Buy a copper/hide mallet and use the hide face whenever possible, but the copper can be used to knock-off an over-tightened spinner. If you use a lead or alloy hammer (and perhaps even the copper), then wrap a piece of towel round the spinner to protect it.

 

Spinners are quite robust if treated correctly, but easily damaged by brute force and ignorance. Also quite expensive to replace or restore and rechrome if damaged.

There is a wooden spinner spanner which some concours car owners use but I've no experience of these.

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unless your chassis is in exceptional condition, don't even think about trying this.

 

Maybe I've been lucky, but my experience is that the chassis is stronger

and safer than the jack.

Earlier jacks had a cast 'hook' that had a clamp bolt - can be suspect.

Later jacks had the hook formed from sheet metal - can be suspect.

 

One plus with the original jack is that you can jack up the car from a very

low height. Even if you don't trust the jack to lift the wheels right off the

ground (the original jack lifts the whole side of the car) then at least it's

useful to get the car high enough to get another jack under the chassis.

 

AlanR

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thank you guys for your replies. I would never use the original jack in my workshop where I have aproper one (unless it was as suggested to lift the car up to a ppoint where the trolley jack could fit) but it is nice to know that if I am stuck in the midle of nowwhere that I could change a tyre with the original jack and how to do it. I still cant get over how dinky the original jack looks regardless of the weight of a trr4.

Cheers -

andrew

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thank you guys for your replies. I would never use the original jack in my workshop where I have aproper one (unless it was as suggested to lift the car up to a ppoint where the trolley jack could fit) but it is nice to know that if I am stuck in the midle of nowwhere that I could change a tyre with the original jack and how to do it. I still cant get over how dinky the original jack looks regardless of the weight of a trr4.

Cheers -

andrew

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  • 14 years later...

Hi Guys,

I have an original jack, which a friend opened up fully but on attempting to close it, it would not close down.

It turns but does not close,

 any suggestions ?

Does anyone know the cross section inside the tube of jack i.e. how it works ?

Jim

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