HELP! Trolley jack stuck...

[Alex]

I mean using the end of the plank as the pivot point about a foot or 2 under the car, not using it as a see-saw like in the photo.

 

[kurlykris]

My next door neighbour had a flat tyre last year and her car didn`t have a spare or jack, I wasn`t in at the time to lend her a jack/get the puncture fixed for her, so she called a mobile tyre company and they used an inflatable air bag to lift the car to get the wheel off. It might be worth having a ring round :thumb:

I suppose they use this method as it will work on every car, nomatter how low/high it is :grin:

 

[DerbyJim]

I mean using the end of the plank as the pivot point about a foot or 2 under the car, not using it as a see-saw like in the photo.

Sorry, being thick... how does the wood lift the car up without a pivot point?

 

[Pip1968]

Derby Jim, I have had the same sort of problem as I jack my car up on out gravel drive. I usually find that jacking her up further and then just brushing the debris away will sort it out and allow the jack to drop fully. Just watch your hands :wink: . A brush or stick may assist if your risk threshold is low.

Best of luck.

Carrrera Monkey is probably smoking something esp. as "evar" does not even feature in the new OED. :dont know:

Pip

 

[Alex]

I mean using the end of the plank as the pivot point about a foot or 2 under the car, not using it as a see-saw like in the photo.

Sorry, being thick... how does the wood lift the car up without a pivot point?

The ground under the car is the fulcrum. The arrow (force) is your sill. The load is you pulling up. Do you get what I mean now?

 

[DerbyJim]

Derby Jim, I have had the same sort of problem as I jack my car up on out gravel drive. I usually find that jacking her up further and then just brushing the debris away will sort it out and allow the jack to drop fully. Just watch your hands :wink: . A brush or stick may assist if your risk threshold is low.

Best of luck.

Carrrera Monkey is probably smoking something esp. as "evar" does not even feature in the new OED. :dont know:

Pip

That's what I was thinking Pip and don't worry, I was VERY careful of my hands as they felt very vulnerable given I've seen how quickly the jack goes down!

I'll give it another go tomorrow

 

[Alex]

Jim, did you see my post at the bottom of the previous page? Do you get it now?

 

[DerbyJim]

Jim, did you see my post at the bottom of the previous page? Do you get it now?

Hi Alex

I didn't see that until just now, thanks.

That's what I thought you meant originally which is why I asked about the sills getting damaged.

I've got a few ideas from you guys on here so very much appreciated for your input. I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow!

Thanks again

Jim

 

[Alex]

You can always dig a whole under the jack if all else fails :wack:

 

[s70rjw]

Welfare check. You still with us Jim? Best of luck getting it sorted. :wink:

 

[911tom]

Alex I get the idea but not sure it is the way to jack a porsche lol!

Jim just take a second jack with and a couple of blocks of wood to use to spend the load. There are plenty of strong parts under the car you can jack from. Should not be a big issue.

 

[Captain Lockheed]

Jim,

Where are you? Where is the car?
If you are any where near Bristol, I can come out with a van and more jacks and axle stands that you can shake a stick at.
If not there must be some one near by with a 911 that can help.

CL

 

[DerbyJim]

CL - thanks for the offer but it's a long drive from Bristol for you!

I went up to the car earlier and dug the trolley jack out. Luckily the ground was quite soft from all the rain otherwise it would've been firmly stuck.

The piece of wood / pivot approach I think would've been difficult. Not sure how long a lever you would need to lift it (someone with a bit more time and physics capability should be able to tell us. Plus, I had no confidence that it wouldn't have damaged the sills of the car so gave that a miss.

Alex - happy to try it on the Beemer shed that we have but if it happens on the Lotus then I just lift it up with a spare hand! :grin:

 

[Robertb]

The piece of wood / pivot approach I think would've been difficult. Not sure how long a lever you would need to lift it (someone with a bit more time and physics capability should be able to tell us.

Glad its sorted anyhow.

To work out the length of lever required you just need the mass x distance from pivot = mass x distance from pivot equation, IIRC.

Also, the longer the lever is from the pivot, the less it would move on the other side, so you might not have been able to shift the car upwards much.

And you would need to make allowance for any flex of the plank!

 

[Alex]

I went up to the car earlier and dug the trolley jack out. Luckily the ground was quite soft from all the rain otherwise it would've been firmly stuck.

The piece of wood / pivot approach I think would've been difficult. Not sure how long a lever you would need to lift it (someone with a bit more time and physics capability should be able to tell us. Plus, I had no confidence that it wouldn't have damaged the sills of the car so gave that a miss.

Alex - happy to try it on the Beemer shed that we have but if it happens on the Lotus then I just lift it up with a spare hand! :grin:

So my last idea of digging under it worked then - result!!

This reminds me of a few years ago with my CLK cab. A week before I was driving down to the South of France for my summer holidays in it, I drove off a (VERY) high kerb with both front wheels. The car landed on the sills and was grounded rock solid (like the coach on the Italian job......nearly).

A couple of planks of wood, a trolley jack and some car ramps and I managed to get the car off. The sills had plastic trims down them (like the C4S and Turbo) and they pinged off and broke all the mounting clips. Was an absolute nightmare and a rip-off replacing all the clips off Merc. :nooo: