Low Profile or Standard Jack?

[Pilot1226]

Hi all,

 

In preparation for my Gen6 Legacy...

 

Going to continue to do my own oil changes/minor maintenance. I have an Outback currently, so I just drive the thing up on a few 2x4's and I have enough room to get under and do it without jacks or stands.

 

But, obviously, the Leg is a little lower.

 

What type of clearance do I need to access the front jack point? This is the jack I have presently:

 

https://www.costco.com/3-Ton-Professional-Grade-Aluminum-And-Steel-Service-Jack.product.100222458.html

 

Minimum lift height is 4", max is a little over 18".

 

Thanks.

[Jsmith]

Ramps are your best option for oil changes, and any work where removing a wheel in not required. They are $45 and make changing the oil much more simple. No jack stands, getting the jack out of the way, etc..

 

https://www.autozone.com/tie-down-and-cargo-management/ramp/hopkins-12000-lbs-rhinoramps-max/89618_0_0

 

 

But that being said, my standard 3 ton service jack (not low profile) works without issue lifting the car from the front and rear.

[waldguy]

The jack you have will work. I prefer a jack to the ramps myself.

[vtdog]

I used a floor jack recently to remove a tire to fix a leak. The floor jack fits under the car easily at the listed jack point noted in the owners manual. I did find out that you have to be sure to slide the jack far enough under the car so the lift arm will not touch the plastic rocker panel, or the plastic will start to bend. It was not a big problem as I just repositioned the jack before any damage was done.

So just FYI

[Pilot1226]

Thanks all. I don’t trust the rhino ramps. I have a 2x4 quasi-ramp that I use. I’ll continue to use that first and see what happens.

[capttris]

For anyone that uses a floor jack, PLEASE, PLEASE use jack stands in conjunction with the jack, BEFORE ever doing any work, removing a tire, and ESPECIALLY putting ANY part of your body under the car and/or in harm's way.

Hydraulic jacks can fail. Brand new, old, expensive or cheap.

I personally prefer ramps. I have a good quality set that is rated for more than double the weight.

Just be careful either way.

[Pilot1226]

Absolutely, never work on a jack by itself.

[Too40gawlf]

OP,

 

That Costco jack is a decent jack, but doesnt have the 'reach' to fit under the front of a 6th gen legacy and reach the front lifting point (or the rear for that matter).

 

For just a few bucks more, you can get this jack at HF. If you look, you can find coupons that bring the price to $130. This will get under the front lifting point and the rear differential with the car sitting on its tires:

 

IMG_1419 by emanookian, on Flickr[/img]

 

I also have a couple of pairs of these locking 6 ton jackstands that I got off Amazon for about $60 a pair. They are phenomenal, safe, and can lift your car up to the height that HF jack can put it at:

 

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4565/24709972678_5e143da019_b.jpg' alt='24709972678_5e143da019_b.jpg'>IMG_1420 by emanookian, on Flickr[/img]

 

You can get 4 of these for not much more than $120 or so on Amazon.

 

So for right around $250, you have a really nice set of stands and a very capable jack.

[waldguy]

^^^ Most floor jacks can be used easily enough with a shorter bar, or even partial "pumps" to get to the lift point and higher. Not a big deal.

[Too40gawlf]

^^^ Most floor jacks can be used easily enough with a shorter bar, or even partial "pumps" to get to the lift point and higher. Not a big deal.

 

Really?

 

What model floor jack do you own and what is your method for getting both front wheels off the ground or all 4 corners on stands?

 

I can tell you that most regular floor jacks with a 6 inch height are not going to easily clear the front bumper and absolutely wont clear the rear. This Costco one might clear the front but certainly wont clear the rear.

 

Why not advise the OP to spend a few bucks more and obtain more capability and save tons of time through the course of the service life of the jack?

[waldguy]

I've got a floor jack with similar specs to the one the OP already owns. I find the front to be slightly more inconvenient than the back to start, but not bad.

I believe the OP has a 4" low, which is low enough. With an 18.5" lift, I can get jack stands under the front arms for oil changes. For full tire rotations, I use wood blocks at the back because I only have 2 jack stands. So my guess was that the OP probably doesn't want to spend $250 when he has something already that could work.

 

Then again, I've been wrong before. In that case he should probably ignore my posts.

[Pilot1226]

OP,

 

That Costco jack is a decent jack, but doesnt have the 'reach' to fit under the front of a 6th gen legacy and reach the front lifting point (or the rear for that matter).

 

For just a few bucks more, you can get this jack at HF. If you look, you can find coupons that bring the price to $130. This will get under the front lifting point and the rear differential with the car sitting on its tires:

 

IMG_1419 by emanookian, on Flickr[/img]

 

I also have a couple of pairs of these locking 6 ton jackstands that I got off Amazon for about $60 a pair. They are phenomenal, safe, and can lift your car up to the height that HF jack can put it at:

 

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4565/24709972678_5e143da019_b.jpg' alt='24709972678_5e143da019_b.jpg'>IMG_1420 by emanookian, on Flickr[/img]

 

You can get 4 of these for not much more than $120 or so on Amazon.

 

So for right around $250, you have a really nice set of stands and a very capable jack.

 

Thanks. I think I have 2 3-ton stands right now, they seem to be fine for me when I need to get the wheels off for my Outback, and the Leg will be lighter.

 

Good to know about the jacks. How's the HF one holding up? One of the reasons I like the Costco one is they have a lifetime warranty on it (satisfaction guarantee) so I can swap it when/if the seals break on it. The HF one I'd be out.

[securityguy]

Why do you need a jack and stands at all to do oil changes if you have a 2.5??? Just buy an oil extractor and call it a day!

 

Google PELA 6000...I have had mine for almost 10 years!

[Too40gawlf]

Thanks. I think I have 2 3-ton stands right now, they seem to be fine for me when I need to get the wheels off for my Outback, and the Leg will be lighter.

 

Good to know about the jacks. How's the HF one holding up? One of the reasons I like the Costco one is they have a lifetime warranty on it (satisfaction guarantee) so I can swap it when/if the seals break on it. The HF one I'd be out.

 

So, you're right, the Costco warranty is hard to beat.

 

And of the 5 or 6 HF jacks I owned, 2 have failed (one was a lightweight aluminum one that broke a lifting arm within the 90 day warranty period and I got a refund) the other one quit holding weight after 2 or 3 years of hard service.

 

This 2 ton low profile heavy weight jack has been very very good and has been used frequently and heavily. I grease it through the grease nipple every 6 months or so and so far (knock on wood) its lived through 4 very hard years of use.

 

I also have a 3 ton HF jack at my parents' house that I bought in 2003 that still works perfectly today, but that only gets used a few times a year on average.

 

Anyway, point being is tha tif you work on cards often, you will come to very much appreciate the additional reach and life height offered by the HF 2 ton jack.

[Pilot1226]

Why do you need a jack and stands at all to do oil changes if you have a 2.5??? Just buy an oil extractor and call it a day!

 

Google PELA 6000...I have had mine for almost 10 years!

 

Well, I have to crawl under. My 2.5 is the "EJ253" engine from 2011 - so the filter is mounted through the ring of fire on the bottom. While the OB does have generous ground clearance, while not "necessary" to lift it, it makes it "comfortable" to get it up in the air another few inches.

 

So, you're right, the Costco warranty is hard to beat.

 

And of the 5 or 6 HF jacks I owned, 2 have failed (one was a lightweight aluminum one that broke a lifting arm within the 90 day warranty period and I got a refund) the other one quit holding weight after 2 or 3 years of hard service.

 

This 2 ton low profile heavy weight jack has been very very good and has been used frequently and heavily. I grease it through the grease nipple every 6 months or so and so far (knock on wood) its lived through 4 very hard years of use.

 

I also have a 3 ton HF jack at my parents' house that I bought in 2003 that still works perfectly today, but that only gets used a few times a year on average.

 

Anyway, point being is tha tif you work on cards often, you will come to very much appreciate the additional reach and life height offered by the HF 2 ton jack.

 

Good to know, thanks. I'll keep them in mind. Essentially the only time I really need to jack/stand is when I'm doing something with the wheels (brakes, rotors, tire rotation, etc.), so it's something that won't be used very often for my Outback, but possibly more for the Leg.