You do not have to visit your mechanic for every little problem that you have with your car. Yes, it is true! Sometimes, you can save yourself a good amount of money by carrying out the maintenance or repair on your own. And the great thing about that is you do not even need complex tools!
One of those tools is the floor jack. But, getting the floor jack is the first half of the story; learning to use the jack correctly is the other half. Nonetheless, people especially struggle with learning how to lower a floor jack. Like raising it, lowering it is a breeze as well. You just need to follow the proper steps, which you can learn from this guide!
Jump To Contents
- 5 Steps To Lower A Floor Jack
- Step 1: Practice Lowering a Floor Jack on Its Own
- Step 2: Ensure That There Are No Obstacles on the Way
- Step 3: Alert the People Around You
- Step 4: Turn the Handle and Lower It
- How To Remove A Floor Jack?
- Step One: Release the Jack
- Step Two: Clear the Area
- Step Three: Remove the Jack
- How To Maintain Your Floor Jack?
- Method 1: Check Hydraulic Fluid
- Method 2: Always Use Proper Hydraulic Fluid
- Method 3: Lubricate Properly
- Method 4: Bleed the Jack Cylinder
- Method 5: Store Properly
- The Bottom Line
5 Steps To Lower A Floor Jack
Step 1: Practice Lowering a Floor Jack on Its Own
The first step would be to practice lowering without making the jack support a car. This practice session will let you know lowering a floor jack without the handle and in which direction you need to twist the jack. Also, you will get the hang of the handle in terms of placing it and removing it.
If you do not carry out the practice runs, you might end up damaging yourself or the car while using the jack. Considering all of that, you should not work on the Jeep without carrying out the practice runs first.
Step 2: Ensure That There Are No Obstacles on the Way
After the practice runs, it would finally be time to learn how to lower a 3 ton floor jack or other weight capacity jack while it is supporting a car. And before you do anything, you should ensure that there are no obstacles under the vehicle. If there are obstacles while you are lowering the car, you will damage the vehicle or the jack.
For that reason, it is pretty essential to ensure that there are no extra or unnecessary materials underneath the car when you are lowering the jack.
Step 3: Alert the People Around You
People usually use the car jack in a place where they are away from others’ hearing range. But that does not mean that you will always be carrying out the repair or the maintenance process while being in a secluded area. You might have people around you.
In that case, you should shout clear before you lower the car jack. That will alert the people around you, and they will not get startled when you lower the car.
Step 4: Turn the Handle and Lower It
Finally, you will need to turn the handle of the jack slowly and control the rate of the descent to lower the jack. If you rotate the handle quickly, the vehicle will drop at a fast rate, and that can eventually damage the car.
Instead, you need to turn the jack’s handle slowly and carefully to make the car lower down safely.
Related: What Size Floor Jack Do You Need?
How To Remove A Floor Jack?
Getting the floor jack lowered is pretty easy, right? Well, the case is the same for removing it from the place. You just need to follow these simple steps:
Step One: Release the Jack
First and foremost, you will need to release the jack if you are using the locking or ratchet-type jack. The lock or clamps should be in the middle, and when you release it, it should slide down automatically.
On the other hand, if you have a pin-type jack, you will need to pull the pin to make the jack release the pressure. And when you take out the pin, the center column should slide down on its own.
Finally, if you have a threaded type floor jack stand, you will need to rotate the center column. That should get the jack release and lower itself down.
Step Two: Clear the Area
After releasing the jack, you must clear the area. You need to be quick when it comes to getting the jack away from the underneath of the vehicle.
For that reason, check if there is anything around the area or not. If you do find any obstacles in your working area, put them in a different place.
Step Three: Remove the Jack
Once you have cleared the area, you can get the jack away from the area. Get any of the tools or attachments around the jack, and you can just call it a day.
How To Maintain Your Floor Jack?
Getting a good floor jack is one thing and getting an extended use out of it is another. Now, if you want to make your floor jack last for a prolonged time, keep these factors in your mind:
Method 1: Check Hydraulic Fluid
When the saddle is lowered to the ground, and the jack is at the ground level, take out the filler screw. You should see the hydraulic fluid after removing the screw, and if the level is lower than the screw hole, you should add more fluid to the system.
Method 2: Always Use Proper Hydraulic Fluid
Many people would opt for brake fluid, detergent motor oil, alcohol, and dirty oil for the floor jack. Well, these are low-quality hydraulic fluids. And they can cause internal damage to the jack. For that reason, you should always use proper hydraulic fluid for filling up the jack.
Method 3: Lubricate Properly
The jack has many moving parts, and all of the moving parts require lubrication. Lightly grease the saddle bottom and the saddle post of the jack. Also, remove the lower end of the handle and the handle, and lubricate the part that rotates.
You should also oil all of the arm linkages, rear casters, and front wheels of the jack.
Method 4: Bleed the Jack Cylinder
If you find the jack straining while supporting loads and lifting the car, you should bleed the jack cylinder slightly. However, do not over bleed it. Keep it at the optimal level to restore the jack to its original form.
Method 5: Store Properly
You should also give proper emphasis on storing the jack. In this case, ensure that the floor jack is clean. Wipe it and release all of the pressure from the cylinder before storing it.
Also, keep it in an upright position. That will lower the chances of hydraulic oil leakage from the jack.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to learning how to lower a floor jack, you do not have to go through much hassle. Just go through the steps that we have mentioned, and you will be able to use the jack like a pro. Also, do remember to store it properly after using it. That will help you to extend the lifespan of the jack.
Related Guides for Floor Jack Users:
- How To Make A Floor Jack Handle
- How To Fix A Floor Jack That Won't Lift
- How To Fix A Floor Jack That Leaks Down