Hi there
I don’t currently own an MX5. However, it’s very likely that my next car will be.
My rather ancient trolley jack seems to have given up the ghost today.
I hate messing around with bottle jacks, or the standard things that usually
come with cars. Which means that I need to repair/replace my trolley jack
quite soon.
With the possibility of an MX5 in mind, Mk1 probably, will I need a low-profile
trolley jack to fit underneath, or would a standard one be OK ?
Thank you
Andrew
It has to be reasonably low. Machine Mart do one I find good, about £110 if I remember correctly. You could probably manage with those little ones, around £15 but they are smaller, maybe not so good other than to lift at the sills. You need stability and a good lift height.
I went low profile with mine just for security it still has decent lifting height and can get my NC off the ground more than adequately. Plus my view it gives me more time to make a correction to it’s positioning if going off the sill (lets not get into a lifting location debate).
I’ve only ever used a standard trolley jack. If your car is a lower than standard then you can run the wheels up on to some planks of wood to raise it a little. I did this with my Mk2 so I could get the jack under the diff or front cross member, or even the side jacking points.
This seems good value if you’re on a budget, and it’s low profile http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_898893_langId_-1_categoryId_255207
Think you are better to make some wooden blocks with a shallow angle ramp up to the top, drive the car up onto two of them then use a larger high-lift (quick lift if you can afford) as Marpar mentions above, get a jack with a wider track and good stability.
I have one of the aluminium 1.25t racing jacks from Machine Mart, it is OK but easy to damage the ram housing as there is no over pressure relief valve
If I were buying again I would go for one of these, but whatever you do get some good axle stands and stay safe.
The standard Halfords 2 tonne jack works fine on a UK-spec Mk1, unless it’s been lowered. Many imports are much lower and you may have issues trying to get the jack under the front crossmember.
The Mk3.5 on standard suspension is a bit lower but the jack still just slides under the front. It is necessary to lift the car slightly by hand as it goes in, and initial cranking has to be done with something other than the long supplied handle, since the crossmember is so far back on the Mk3 that there’s no room to move. I use a 10mm allen key. There is no issue at the back.
FWIW, the jacking points are the centre of the front crossmember and the differential. Take care not to put the jack on the engine undertray by mistake - some people have!
I recently bought a 2 tonne trolly jack from lidl for £20. very robust metalwork & has a 2 year warranty. perfect for my 5. they might have some left.
I supose it depends what you want from the jack, I have a little 2 ton that just fits under the front subframe, however if the rear is already up in the air the angle of the car then prevents even the small jack getting under. The other problem is standard 2 ton jacks don’t give much lift, with mine I can just about get a small axle stand under at max lift.
Because of that I bought a full size 3 ton model http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190882403307?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649, this still goes under the rear diff fine but has no chance at the front, here is the drive on decking ramps solution I use:
I’ve not had any trouble at all with my El-Cheapo Costco lo-pro trolley jack. Perfect jacking every time.
Review here - http://www.eunos-roadster.co.uk/?p=856
Those that use their jack more frequently than perhaps I do have reported that they can develop leaks and
lose pressure. Mine seems fine after a couple of years of home use.
Hi again
Thank you everyone for all replies.
I had another look at my old trolley jack that had ceased to work, it no longer
wanted to lift. However, I found on a search that this can be a symptom of the jack
needing to be bled. So loosened the release valve, and gave the up/down lever about
20 pumps… , then gave it another try. It’s now working fine again.
However, as it is indeed rather ancient, I think in the near future I’ll replace it.
I checked out the Lidl one. They look much the same as all the inexpensive
ones on eBay, except, at £19.99, about £3 or £4 cheaper.
I know this sounds a bit shallow, but there are so many Red trolley jacks around, that I may
go for a Blue one. The Silverline jack seems to get good reviews at the budget end, so that
may be the one for me.
Thanks again
The Halfords one … (Low profile) At £50 is excellent for all MX5 lifts Very sturdy design too.