iana Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 I need to maximise the space in the vitesse boot for camping weekends - Im considering moving the tools and jack to inside the spare wheel well. The jack supplied by triumph was a scissor jack, howvever a bottle jack is more compact, are bottle jacks a viable option or am I better sticking with a scissor jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 Ive always found bottle jacks to have a very limited travel so for our cars with the swing axles there can be a problem getting the rear wheels off the ground..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 I have both, plus a heavy duty hydralic jack. I keep a scissor jack in the car, but its only for emergencies. I agree about the limited travel on a bottle jack along with the danger of oil leakage if it falls over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iana Posted June 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 Thanks both, I hadn’t thought about the limited rise on the bottle jack or the oil leakage so I’ll stick with the scissor jack. I’ll source a replacement winding handle as there’s not one in the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 Never EVER, NEVER, trust a scissor jack! Do moderns have scissor jacks? No they don't! There is a reason why, they are dangerous! Once you've had one collapse or topple over you will understand, but before that happens to you, be warned, they are the Devil's tool. I have a small bottle jack that fits and a trolley jack for the garage. Doug 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iana Posted June 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 Doug I agree trolley jack for the garage every time. I’ve never really like scissor jacks or their type but it’s for road side wheel changing. I’d thought about a bottle jack for compactness (something like a Halfords 2t) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 I think some moderns still come with jacks and for those that dont its more because they dont have a spare wheel in an effort to save weight, costs and fuel. However its true these jacks are not the safest of tools and great care is needed using them to change a wheel especially as its usually done under awkward circumstances (by the roadside, in the dark, on uneven surfaces?). I always keep the spare wheel under the car while jacking so if the worst happens theres something to stop it crashing onto the ground..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 The problem would be finding a bottle jack compact enough to fit under the chassis of the car with a flat tyre and with enough travel to raise it high enough to change the tyre. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 The Karrier Bantam had a very low dumpy triple lift 3ton screw jack would be ideal stable jack with a big footprint and decent lift For the same reason low axle beam small wheels with a flat Where to find one now ???? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 2 hours ago, johny said: Ive always found bottle jacks to have a very limited travel so for our cars with the swing axles there can be a problem getting the rear wheels off the ground..... Even without swing axles! Back when I was a lad, we had a Commer Wanderer motorcaravan. The base van was designed to take a great big jack that slotted into holes in the chassis, but that was dead (thread stripped) so dad improvised with a crow bar and bottle jack. It worked on a test run at home but when, in the middle of France, we woke up to find a flat tyre, the bottle jack didn't have enough travel to cope with the combined suspension travel and tyre depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Thats a good one, we had to test the jack points on the Commer PB Load it with a 1ton on test blocks and jack to max height overnight , with the wind up jack in the hope it hadnt collapsed in the morning Early motor homes with wide body the conversion (cant remember who's) just extended the jack leg , not the underframe tube they collapsed and wrecked the side panel That caused some red faces, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 My old land cruiser had a bottle jack . It worked fine , Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 surely you must have carried some blocks with you to get the jack to the right height? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 1 minute ago, johny said: surely you must have carried some blocks with you to get the jack to the right height? No the bottle jack was supplied with the the LC and fitted in a rear side panel . I think it was rated for 3 tonnes and had about 4 extension rams . Needed a flat surface so always carried a short section of scaffolding board , thankfully never needed it on the road Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordfunker Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 I definitely wouldn’t trust a scissor jack, particularly a Triumph one, having seen one collapse under my teenage mates Triumph Toledo while replacing a front disc. Many of the bottle jacks have the screw up top to increase lift, and looking at a few of those on the MachineMart site there are quite a few with high degree of lift. I would still be inclined to Cary a section of board to set the jack on to ensure stability. As you can probably tell I’m very nervous about working with just a jack, even if it is just changing a tyre. Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 The trouble is the list of items to carry in our limited boots starts expanding: jack, board, axle stand. All for something that these days, taking how many miles the average Triumph does, is a very rare occurrence..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 46 minutes ago, Bordfunker said: I definitely wouldn’t trust a scissor jack, particularly a Triumph one, having seen one collapse under my teenage mates Triumph Toledo while replacing a front disc. Jacks are only for limited use ie changing a tyre at the roadside, NOT for home mechanics. That's what axle stands are for. I'd trust a jack for the designed purpose, and little else. We had a farmer 'pancaked' by a full slurry tanker / trailer when he tried to prop it up on a lane to change a flat wheel, and it rolled clean over him. Not a pleasant sight. His jack was not designed to take the weight of a full trailer, but would have been adequate for an empty one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordfunker Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 41 minutes ago, johny said: The trouble is the list of items to carry in our limited boots starts expanding: jack, board, axle stand. All for something that these days, taking how many miles the average Triumph does, is a very rare occurrence..... Sounds like an argument for two Triumphs to carry everything! Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Apart from the jack stuff I carry 3 spanners pliers , some tyraps, amd some wire , twomscrewdrivers If you cant fix it with those its call the cavalry Some locals have more in the car than I have in the shed and wonder why its down in power and poor on fuel Simple fix remove 1/2 ton of uselessness,...... get a life ..... have faith in your car Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Depends on who did work on it!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 36 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said: Apart from the jack stuff I carry 3 spanners pliers , some tyraps, amd some wire , twomscrewdrivers I have a mobile phone and two son-in-laws, works every time! db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 No Sons in Law, and my mobile phone is usually flat. Power supply socket high on the list with fusebox mod! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyman Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Being partially disabled the only thing i carry is my breakdown card and a phone. Not had to use it luckily. Watch that change now!!!!! Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 I have enough in the boot to strip down and fix alot of stuff along with a haynes manual. Wish I had the knowledge to fix all those things. Still, at least with a Haynes manual, any young breakdown person has a reasonable chance of getting me going as I suppose the WSM won't be on the computer. Maybe the club shop could try to clone and minuturise Uncle Pete to fit in a tool roll. That would be a best seller? Hummm!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 Luckily ive only use breakdown twice first in 1964 the 52Minx had a fuel blockage the AA Man on motor bike and side car Stripped the carb then advise now was the time to join .... clever that . 2nd was in 2010 the Vit6 when the front diff plate bolt came out and locked the propshaft care of a reputable exchange unit with the wrong non wedgelock bolts fitted and me not dressed for out and under . I needed a tow home (sisters can be useful) when not far from home sheared the diff output shaft on my rusty 59 948 So a small clone wont be much use !!!!! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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