I jack from the lower control arms.  Nice and flat and you only have to lift
a couple of inches, instead of cycling through the suspension travel
first...its way faster.

Jake

On Sun, Jun 20, 2010 at 8:24 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:

> When I first got the camper, I went through a drill to try out the OEM
> jack.  I did not and do not like it, as it did not seem as stable as the
> scissors jacks that I have been accustomed to with Japanese vehicles.  But,
> it worked, and I have not done anything about a better jack.  One question I
> have, and have been a bit put off by in considering other jacks, is how does
> one adapt them to the jack points built into the side of the van?  A
> scissors or a bottle jack either needs a notch or at least a flat place to
> fit the jack platform.  How do you guys deal with that?  I would like to
> have a jack that I trust more to remain stable while changing a flat if
> needed.  Thanks, David McNeely
>
> ---- Ryan Johnson <rhinoculips@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > Personally, I hate the OEM jack.  When I was 30 miles up a rough and very
> > remote mountain road, I got a flat.  The damn jack jammed half way up.
>  It
> > wouldn't go up, nor down.  It was high enough to get the flat off, but
> not
> > high enough to put the spare on.  Thus, I had to chip and scratch away at
> > the hard and rocky road base with a folding shovel, hatchet and crow bar
> > until I had a deep enough hole to get the spare on.  Then I had to pound
> the
> > jack out from under the van.  A really pain in the arse.  I am glad I
> didn't
> > have to dig a hole into the pavement to get my spare on........
> >
> > Now I keep a hydraulic bottle jack and some short 2x6 boards and never
> > looked back.  Its nice to pump up the jack and then twist the release
> valve
> > to lower.  Much easier than winding a "hundred" times in both directions
> > with the OEM jack.  My recommendation is to toss the OEM in the trash and
> > get a real jack.  Ideally, I would go for a HighLift, but I have yet to
> find
> > a satisfactory place to keep it and it's a little overkill for the run of
> > the mill flat.
> >
> > Fair winds and following seas,
> > Ryan
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 1:36 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > > At 10:27 AM 6/19/2010, Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" wrote:
> > >
> > >> Church. I destroyed my OEM jack by nit-wittedly leaning against the
> > >> rear of the van when it was up on the jack. Van was in neutral,
> > >> rolled a bit (it was on a slope) and twisted that jack like so much
> > >> licorice.
> > >>
> > >
> > > Cathedral.  I'm too embarrassed to say what I did.  It was long ago
> > > and I was a spavined wee thing of only forty or so.  I'll say this,
> > > though -- the brake backing plate bent, and if you go to a certain
> > > parking lot in Seekonk MA you might still find the dent in the asphalt.
> > > Didn't hurt the jack or mount though, because they're both round and
> > > designed to spin.
> > >
> > > And it was three other guys, it never broke and it was that way when I
> got
> > > it.
> > >
> > > Yours,
> > > d
> > >
>
> --
> David McNeely
>

--
Jake

1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'

Crescent Beach, BC

www.thebassspa.com
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27