Exhaust driven jack

[cribbj]

Anyone used or bought one of these yet?

Looks pretty slick, and available here: http://www.cavemanperformance.com/servlet/the-545/TITAN-2-TON-EXHAUST/Detail for about the price of a floor jack.

I was just trying to get my car up on jackstands to bleed my clutch, but with the new 30 series tires and the dropped height, I can't get the bleeding floor jack under the car anymore!

Jacked it up enough with the Toyota tire jack to get my floor jack under it, then started jacking it to get it on stands, but for some reason my floor jack wouldn't go past 12" and the lowest my stands would go are about 14"....grrrrrr. Decided just to wait 'till Monday to put it on a free lift.

 

[stevechumo]

That's an interesting jack. I didn't see it specified how long it takes to fully pump it up and how the hose can clamp to the exhaust tip. I'm currently using this jack here for my car. My SC is very low with the body kit but this jack works wonderfully with it. I just need another piece of 2x4 wood putting on top of it to increase the height. This jack weighs about 24 lbs so it can be put in the trunk. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91039

 

[-Nemesis-]

Now you're entering my domain

They're originally a 4WD market item but obviously anyone can use them. They work very well and pretty fast too. Only catch though, I've seen people try and use them when they have a (previously unkown) exhaust leak and it has struggled to build pressure hehe. Also, never work under a car supported by one, only use it to get stands underneath.

They were designed like I said, for offroad. There's rarely a nice hard smooth surface out bush for a bottle jack, so you just whack a bag under it... Nearly every Off Road shop will have them, if you want to compare prices.

 

[cribbj]

It looks slick - but how does it take to hot exhaust pipes and pointy sharpy thingies?

If there's not a good hard surface out in the bush, do you go ahead and work under the car when it's supported only by the bag?

 

[-Nemesis-]

They're super tough material, you would have to put it on a real sharp/narrow edge to get through I'd say. Exhaust gas doesn't bother them, they've actually been around 'forever' in the off road circuit.

As for out bush, they're designed for changing out busted tyres, I shoulda mentioned that. So you don't actually get under the car... If you had to (most 4WD tyres are really big) I personally would lay the tyre/rim down under the sill also as a failsafe.

They're extremely durable, but at the end of the day they are a balloon, I wouldn't get under a car supported solely by one, incase the miracle pop happened.

 

[cribbj]

All the photos I'm seeing of it show it being used to jack up one side of the car. Maybe they're doing that to show how it can be used to change tires, or maybe to keep the thing away from hot exhaust pipes?

I'm thinking of using it to lift the front crossmember so I can get jackstands under the car.

Wonder how the engine (and oil pump) are going to like it, running at a 20% incline (2 feet rise in 10) while this puppy inflates?

Hmmmm, I'm tempted to get one and just use it with a portable air compressor.

 

[-Nemesis-]

Yeah I guess it would pay to keep it off the hot pipe itself.

Hehe it won't worry the engine an an angle: (My last 4Runner with 1UZ, which is now in the new one)

 

[Zuffen]

Best solution for a low car is a few bit of 12x2 nailed together to make a shallow ramp. I've used two pieces nailed together to give me around 3 1/2" (no 2" DAR is actually 2") lift so I can slide the jack under it.

The air jack (or Bull Bags as we know them over here) have been around for at least 25 years if not more in our 4x4 shops.

The hose is a simple push fit on the exhaust outlet. Even on a twin system they still work well.

You can't jack under the mufflers but they are fast, tough and make life so much easier.

Not sure it would go under the Supra too well as they are a few inches high even when fully deflated due to folds and puckering.

 

[cribbj]

Daaaaayuuuuummmmmm, I'll bet that gets kinda expensive putting it all back together after you break it on a pile of rocks.

I dunno if a Supra has quite the oil pickup system that your truck does ;-)

Apparently the X-Jack, which is the quality unit made there in Oz, is available here in the USA for around $250, while the cheaper Titan unit, which doesn't have all the features of the X-Jack, nor the steel reinforcements, nor the Schrader valve connection for an air compressor, goes for about half that price.

 

[cjsupra90]

Yeah, john what rod said about the wood to make a small ramp is how I get my jake under my car.....

Those air bags are nothing new really... via compressed air, they've been used in the trucking industry for years now... I remember the first time I saw / used one was back in 94 or 95 and even then, they supposedly weren't anything new...

 

[Cobber]

those jacks are great for 4x4ing, I have used one and they work great for getting out of soft sand.

 

[toyotasrfun]

i have to drive my car up on wooden planks before i can even think of putting it up on a jack. usually 2 planks and i can get the jack underneath..
it's a pain for when the car's not at home.. but for myself anyway.. i've got 2 different tire sizes.. cant really carry around 2 spares.. soooo yeh.. no precautions for that lol
thinkin aobut gettin some kind of trailer.. but i have nowhere to put it .. sigh.. looks like i'll have to get caa?!

 

[samsdad]

Once used these things many years ago when in the SES for the purpose of getting heavy things off people, eg cars, buildings, just shove the "flat pack under" stick the hose on the exhaust of the truck and let the Ambos go for it