- Floor jack is a term used for a few different things. The jack you use to raise your car to make repairs under it or change a tire is called a floor jack. Another type of jack is used to raise a building to replace beams that may be rotted or sagging. A third type of floor jack is for telephone connections. It got its name because it is commonly installed at the floor and wall intersection. Each is a floor jack but has very different uses and purposes.
- When most people hear the term floor jack, they think of the automobile floor jack. It uses a pump arm, hydraulics or air compression to lift vehicles to gain access to the undercarriage. The jack makes easy work out of changing a tire or doing a brake job. This is not to be confused with a hydraulic lift used in auto repair shops. A floor jack needs solid ground or concrete to give it a good base that doesn't shift. There is a lip that can be attached to the automobile itself and is gently raised by pumping the arm, hydraulic system or air compressor. These jacks are rated by the amount of weight they can lift safely. They go anywhere from 2 tons to 20 tons. A 2 or 3-ton jack is what you would normally carry around in your car to change a tire. Heavier cars require stronger jacks, and farm equipment may require up to a 10-ton jack.
- A floor jack used to raise a building has to be able to handle much more weight than an automotive jack. There are two separate types of jacks used for buildings. The first one is like the automotive jack; when you are lifting a house, both sides should be lifted equally, requiring more than one jack. These jacks are either hydraulic or compressed air powered. The building is lifted and repairs to joists or foundation are made, and it is slowly lowered back into place. The other type of jack for buildings is basically a pole with flat ends. These posts are placed on a cement or wood block and pumped up to lend support to a sagging joist. They are locked into place and left in position.
Comments
swmo said
on 8/27/2009 This post should be named " Types of jacks" not "How does a jack work". There is nothing within that explanes "How" it works, unless i misunderstood.