Airbag jacks

[Robert Weaver]

I'm thinking about a new trolley jack, and contemplating whether an air jack is a safe and practical alternative.

Generic item...

Apart from stability (pitch/roll and drift when under pressure), minimum compressed height and susceptibility to damage, are they any good?

Did anyone have experience with they?

Thanks

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Seanj the AA use one a few times.
On Older cars, were there was no suitable trolly jacking point and cars what had rust etc.
They used them just to change a wheel etc.
The AA ones had a springs and tellescopic rods to keep them up right.

The AA friend said they are used when nowt else is suitable.
They had a compressor on board to inflate them.

How long will it take for a car exhaust to get them pressuired enought o lift a car I don't know.

In Bus garages they are used a bit as well. I have seen them in use in Reading and Bournmouth, they are on a frame like the image.

Back in the 80's I had one, as gift never used it in anger. When I tried it. the exhaust pipe connection never realy sealed. It didn't seam to be stable.

I now carry a small trolly jack, decent wheel spanner and a small choc.

 

[James1979]

I have borrowed this one off my friend a lot

Draper Inflatable Car Vehicle Air Bag Jack 3 Tonne at Care4car.com

Draper Inflatable Car Vehicle Air Bag Jack 3 Tonne at Care4car.com

www.care4car.com

Different to the sort you have. Never used the lorry airbag type you show but I’ve used an ex fire brigade ‘pillow’ type. Very good. Some lorry trailers I work on hit the deck when they lose air and you can’t get a Jack under at all. The pillows get them up enough to take over with a normal Jack.

No complaints from either style really. Good for wheelchanging on soft ground.

Wouldn’t get under one without a stand but wouldn’t with a hydraulic Jack anyway.

That’s an after pic. Couldn’t find a before. Where that bottle Jack is, is about 50mm off the ground when it airs down

 

[GRW]

It's the sheer energy/force in high-volume, high-pressure lorry tyres that I always think about when I see pics like that.

I used to see the mobile tyre guys in the yard wrestling truck tyres, & putting massive air in from petrol-engined compressors to seat them. Always right in the open, the guy stood right next to (or on top of!) the wheel/tyre. I admit I always made sure I was nowhere near!
(I thought you were supposed to seat/inflate truck tyres with them inside a cage for safety.... but I've never yet seen a cage used. The things make me nervous!)

I know a local guy was blown clear out of his garage, across his yard up against a tree (fatally) a few years ago when a truck tyre he was working on blew

 

[8ob]

They are good but a bit woolly when you are trying to refine a lift by a few mm.If its just a lift you want they are good.

Bob

 

[skotl]

My dad used to do heavy recovery and he had versions of these including massive ones that could right a blown over single unit or even an artic and trailer. He used to consider them the most fun tools in his considerable collection.

These kinda things:

 

[zzr1200]

I can see their advange in certain circumstances, but you would definitively have to use axle stands as well.

I know you should always use stands........., but a trolley jack is less troubled by hot splatter......

 

[willie.macleod]

I have one, if you have a airline always on the go and want the vehicle up fast with minimum faffing around then it isn't bad at all, it's up in seconds with no effort. Not much difference between the access height of that and a normal trolley jack. Mine has quite a wide rubber pad at the top and a largeish steel plate as well, pretty stable and it isn't likely to punch through if its lifting something rotten. Useless if you want to use it out and about though.

 

[Robert Weaver]

Thanks all. My niggling doubt is in how much they can wander when under pressure. The cars I've had on jacks sometime are stiff enough to raise the opposite wheel (front or back) so only 2 points of contact until the axle stands are in.
Comments above suggest it'll be ok. I'll take a punt.

 

[Ubique]

Air jacks work well on soft or uneven ground, you don't need a lot of pressure, just volume - if you're using an exhaust powered one, if it's got twin tailpipes, you'll need a bung to block one off.

They're handy for lifting a vehicle enough so you can put sand ladders or mats under the wheels too.

 

[GRW]

I was in a field yesterday, jacking up my mates "logging trailer with log-grab thing" to remove a couple of the wheels to replace some wheel studs in the drums.

Luckily it's been dry for the last few weeks, so the field was dry and plenty firm (unusual for West Wales), so a trolley jack worked no problem - but if it had been "normal" conditions there's a strong chance the jack would sink instead of lift (without having a plate or ply board under it to spread the load).

A lot of tractors (inc. his 2019 Valtra) have an on-board compressor outlet (also enables the tractor to tow an artic type trailer with air brakes) which could inflate an airbag jack.
Seeing as blown tyres are an occupational hazard with that sort of work - an airbag jack might be just what he needs!

 

[James1979]

I was in a field yesterday, jacking up my mates "logging trailer with log-grab thing" to remove a couple of the wheels to replace some wheel studs in the drums.

Luckily it's been dry for the last few weeks, so the field was dry and plenty firm (unusual for West Wales), so a trolley jack worked no problem - but if it had been "normal" conditions there's a strong chance the jack would sink instead of lift (without having a plate or ply board under it to spread the load).

A lot of tractors (inc. his 2019 Valtra) have an on-board compressor outlet (also enables the tractor to tow an artic type trailer with air brakes) which could inflate an airbag jack.
Seeing as blown tyres are an occupational hazard with that sort of work - an airbag jack might be just what he needs!

I used the one I linked to for that kind of stuff.

It’s also pretty much the only thing that’ll get the front wheels of a transit off the floor when theyre totally flat.

Modern ones aren’t too bad, mk5 I am talking about. No room under there whatsoever when the rim is on the floor

 

[willie.macleod]

Thanks all. My niggling doubt is in how much they can wander when under pressure. The cars I've had on jacks sometime are stiff enough to raise the opposite wheel (front or back) so only 2 points of contact until the axle stands are in.
Comments above suggest it'll be ok. I'll take a punt.

They have telescopic tubes internally so you shouldn't have an issue.

 

[Trevorleach]

I have borrowed this one off my friend a lot

Draper Inflatable Car Vehicle Air Bag Jack 3 Tonne at Care4car.com

Draper Inflatable Car Vehicle Air Bag Jack 3 Tonne at Care4car.com

www.care4car.com

Different to the sort you have. Never used the lorry airbag type you show but I’ve used an ex fire brigade ‘pillow’ type. Very good. Some lorry trailers I work on hit the deck when they lose air and you can’t get a Jack under at all. The pillows get them up enough to take over with a normal Jack.

No complaints from either style really. Good for wheelchanging on soft ground.

Wouldn’t get under one without a stand but wouldn’t with a hydraulic Jack anyway.

View attachment 403100
That’s an after pic. Couldn’t find a before. Where that bottle Jack is, is about 50mm off the ground when it airs down

I swear modern brake chambers are made from dog poo, they do not last, and the park spring likes to go weak even when the chamber looks in decent nick.

I am old enough to remember the blue air line with the CA couplings.

 

[James1979]

Made to a price.

That type of trailer is crap. They’re made to a design to go on a ferry and air down for stability.

The absolute cretins that load the ferry seem to have a knack of catching the bottom of the chamber on the linkspan. Partly the design and partly operator error but mainly error and impatience!

 

[Robert Weaver]

Got one of these...

Now well used, lifted SWMBO's Berlingo many times today while I changed wheel cylinders and bled brakes.

If anyone is interested, it works really well, and it's internals are telescopic, as mentioned above...

 

[Blobber]

Nice I keep thinking about getting one, that will be the warranty void now you've taken it to bits!

 

[Robert Weaver]

Yes, plus I'm going to weld a re-enforced plate to the base, as I noticed it flexes on uneven ground.

and the pcl xt type inlet has a constant hiss as it leaks, I'll be replacing that.

not faulty goods, just need improving to be acceptable.

 

[8ob]

Got one of these...
Now well used, lifted SWMBO's Berlingo many times today while I changed wheel cylinders and bled brakes.

Did @steveo3002 offer any help

Bob

 

[Robert Weaver]

I am not a fan of the Citroen offering

Nice I keep thinking about getting one, that will be the warranty void now you've taken it to bits!

Forgot, the warranty is in pretty poor pigeon english. Clearly of eastern origin.