# bought a jack today, question re: chocks



## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

The Sears 2 ton aluminum jack. <45 pounds which is heavier than the aluminum HF, but this one also has a third handle near the handle attachment point for carrying like a suitcase with the front roller on the ground. I was really torn between this one and one of the AC jacks, but it came down to weight and money...the Craftsman being lighter and cheaper (I think I'm going to order the AC jackstands in the next week, though). If anyone knows anything about this jack being problematic or not very durable, please let me know.

Also, does anyone know anything about the folding wheel chocks they sell? Are they any better/worse than the other, uh, "things" that you see people use?


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## bren (Jul 1, 2002)

I have both of those things....only used either of them a couple times but no problems yet. The chocks are kind of small and light but they worked well enough (in a flat garage.) Moving the jack around is easy thanks to its light weight. It does require quite a bit more force to lift the car than my old 3ton heavy duty Craftsman.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

I am not a big fan of the folding chocks. I have several kinfs, but the ones that have worked well for me are the plastic ones, with a curved ribbed surface to fit against the tire and a flat ribbed surface for the ground. The plastic is soft enough to hold on concrete.


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## Jetfire (Jun 20, 2002)

When I've needed chocks, I've just used 2x4s. If I wanted to buy my own, I'd probably go with plastic ones line Pinecone uses. They may get chewed up on rough pavement, though.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

As long as they don't slide they last fine.


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## JonW (Jan 6, 2002)

I had a few feet of a 4x4 piece of wood around. So I just cut it at an angle (maybe 30 degrees?) and made 4 chocks. I'll be working on the car this weekend and test them out for the first time. Not sure if they'll work well, but it was free and I'll soon find out.


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## LmtdSlip (May 28, 2003)

JonW said:


> I had a few feet of a 4x4 piece of wood around. So I just cut it at an angle (maybe 30 degrees?) and made 4 chocks. I'll be working on the car this weekend and test them out for the first time. Not sure if they'll work well, but it was free and I'll soon find out.


Would it be better to just leave them square edged?

I can see the curve working well if it is tall enough and has a similar radius to the tire but angling the edge of a 2x4 would seem like more of a ramp for the tire to roll up and over the 2x4 chock. Perhaps nailing two 2x4 pieces together would be better to get some height.

Just a thought.


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## JonW (Jan 6, 2002)

LmtdSlip said:


> Would it be better to just leave them square edged?
> 
> I can see the curve working well if it is tall enough and has a similar radius to the tire but angling the edge of a 2x4 would seem like more of a ramp for the tire to roll up and over the 2x4 chock. Perhaps nailing two 2x4 pieces together would be better to get some height.
> 
> Just a thought.


Yeah, I see what you're saying. We'll see what happens when I use them. They're cut from a 4x4, not a 2x4, so it does have the height. And the angle seems about right. I'll try it out this weekend and see.


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## JonW (Jan 6, 2002)

Clyde,

Please post your impressions of the jack after you use it for a while. I'm curious. I was also thinking about that one or the short AC jack. The Sears one is appealing because it's cheaper, lighter, and you can just get it (or return it if need be) at the local Sears.


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## LmtdSlip (May 28, 2003)

JonW said:


> Yeah, I see what you're saying. We'll see what happens when I use them. They're cut from a 4x4, not a 2x4, so it does have the height. And the angle seems about right. I'll try it out this weekend and see.


Ahh, sorry, I missed the part about it being a 4x4. Based on that it seems like it would work just fine.


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## JonW (Jan 6, 2002)

LmtdSlip said:


> Ahh, sorry, I missed the part about it being a 4x4. Based on that it seems like it would work just fine.


No problem. And after a weekend of working with them, I'd say they're excellent. :thumbup:

They're also good when placed on top of an inverted plant potter and used as a wedge to support the weight of the brake piston/caliper so it doesn't hang from the brake line. :angel:


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

Guys, if you use an AC jack to lift the center jacking point, where do you put the jack stands? I assume you don't want to change the oil with the car supported by just the jack, even an AC jack.

I got rid of my old Sears jack cause it didn't fit under the E46's side rubber jacking points. Now I need a new one.


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