Floor jack lowers too quickly

[t1snwrbrdr12]

I have an arcan hybrid jack that Costco used to sell. It’s probably 10 years old-ish. Last time I used it I noticed a puddle, so I tried to find an o-ring and seal kit. Nothing seemed 100% to be for this model and arcan’s customer service was worthless, so I just took it to the shop with me and matched o-rings. I topped it off and bled it.

No more leaking, but I used it this weekend for the first time and it lowers way too fast. So fast to the point it’s a bit too sketchy, landing the car on a jack stand so quickly it makes the stand shift for example.

I have no problem buying a new one, in fact I was looking for a reason to get a lower profile and higher lift jack, but I’m also frugal and if this would be a simple adjustment or fix I’d do that.

Biggest reason to get rid of (besides it being sketchy) is that I’m 6’4” and have a hard time getting enough room under a car with the lift this jack offers. I’m unsure, but I’d guess it’s a typical 18-19” jack height, just a basic non-long reach non-low profile jack.

 

[dumkid]

Turn the handle less

 

[supton]

Looks a lot like my 1.5T HR. Probably all variations of the same design, made in the same company, just with different paint.

On my 1.5T I do find I have to be very deliberate in how I turn the handle to lower. I typically grab the foam section so as to have a larger area to hold and turn, which seems to help a bit.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

Turn the handle less

I’ve had this thing a long time, and use a jack almost daily. No matter how ready I was to turn the jack handle to slow the fall, it still allows the car to fall way too fast.

Looks a lot like my 1.5T HR. Probably all variations of the same design, made in the same company, just with different paint.

On my 1.5T I do find I have to be very deliberate in how I turn the handle to lower. I typically grab the foam section so as to have a larger area to hold and turn, which seems to help a bit.

I tried. It’s nothing like it was the last 10 years or so. When I realized how fast it was allowing the car to come down, I was super aware and ready and I still couldn’t lower the car down nice and slowly. Turning the handle to release, it’d be nothing, nothing, nothing, then a rapid fast fall.

 

[Rand]

Feel free to laugh but:
HF's Daytona Jacks are the pinnacle of value+quality
their non dayona(pittsburgh?) jacks are a good value too.

Regular jacks are in the 18-20" lift range
here is a 24.25"

3 Ton Long-Reach Low-Profile Professional Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP, Blue

Amazing deals on this 3T Long-Reach Lp Pro Floor Jack, Blue at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[TheLastWord]

Feel free to laugh but:
HF's Daytona Jacks are the pinnacle of value+quality

Not laughing because I own one.............. and also a vintage Hein-Werner.

It should be noted that HF makes nothing above 4T. Good for home use. Pro use is another matter.

 

[Rand]

Not laughing because I own one.............. and also a vintage Hein-Werner.

It should be noted that HF makes nothing above 3T. Good for home use. Pro use is another matter.

commercial vehicle use? or pro use?
Also they have a 4ton now.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

Feel free to laugh but:
HF's Daytona Jacks are the pinnacle of value+quality
their non dayona(pittsburgh?) jacks are a good value too.

Regular jacks are in the 18-20" lift range
here is a 24.25"

3 Ton Long-Reach Low-Profile Professional Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP, Blue

Amazing deals on this 3T Long-Reach Lp Pro Floor Jack, Blue at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Not laughing, that’s the one (or a $280-90 one) that I was considering due to low profile long reach high lift.m

Do harbor freight jacks ever go on sale or does a coupon ever work on them?

 

[edyvw]

Not laughing, that’s the one (or a $280-90 one) that I was considering due to low profile long reach high lift.m

Do harbor freight jacks ever go on sale or does a coupon ever work on them?

Got that one last year on some weird sale here for $149!

 

[researcher]

Not laughing, that’s the one (or a $280-90 one) that I was considering due to low profile long reach high lift.m

Do harbor freight jacks ever go on sale or does a coupon ever work on them?

yes, HF has been offering coupons that include floor jacks, even daytona. And yes they also go on sale, I have that same daytona long-reach/low profile jack. Got it on sale for $209, I think it just went on sale within the last month. But the quality of this jack is excellent! If you loosen the handle to lower it just a bit, it will begin to lower slowly but it's just a small movement to start to lower, nothing like what you described your old one doing. oh and the lift height is crazy.. almost 24 inches! I think you'd be very happy with this one, Daytona stuff is really nice!

 

[Rogueman2016s]

Seal rebuild kit

Floor Jack Seal Repair Kit for Costco- Arcan Dual Pump Plunger 3 or 3 1/4 Ton | eBay

For Costco- Arcan dual pump plunger 3 or 3 1/4 Ton Jack, for Neiko Pro Floor Jack- 2 ton- 3 Ton, for Astro- 250DP, for AFF- Low Profile, for Jackco- 3 1/2 Ton, for Matco Beast- 3 ton, for Norco- 2 Ton Low Profile-71233A.

www.ebay.com

 

[mr_boring]

I dig my HF jacks. I want one of the lightweight 2.5 ton aluminum ones.

 

[208vette]

Feel free to laugh but:
HF's Daytona Jacks are the pinnacle of value+quality
their non dayona(pittsburgh?) jacks are a good value too.

Regular jacks are in the 18-20" lift range
here is a 24.25"

3 Ton Long-Reach Low-Profile Professional Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP, Blue

Amazing deals on this 3T Long-Reach Lp Pro Floor Jack, Blue at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I have this model and it has been awesome. I can get my lifted 4runner off the ground to full suspension droop with no blocks and can slide it under the front of my corvette to the crossmember easily

 

[Carmudgeon]

Not laughing, that’s the one (or a $280-90 one) that I was considering due to low profile long reach high lift.m

Do harbor freight jacks ever go on sale or does a coupon ever work on them?

You just missed a good one, a "Parking Lot" sale that started last week, but was extended into this weekend.

3-ton LP jacks were $100/$130. 1.5-ton racing jack $80. One of the better coupons in recent memory.



For club members, there is a current promo on the 3-ton super duty, which is full $290 price, but with a 20V impact driver kit thrown in for free. Some have found that it can be returned for a prorated $73 refund (like the Home Despot cordless tool hack trick) making the jack a net $217, if your store will accept the return. Doesn't say when it expires, though.

However, note that this is not the "Snap On Killer" model with the foot pump.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

 

[ajchien]

If you topped it off to the top of the fill hole, the reservoir is overfilled and can cause an extra quick lowering of the jack.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

Have you considered the seal-rebuild kit I posted the link to?

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

Have you considered the seal-rebuild kit I posted the link to?

I appreciate that. I supposed it could be leaking internally but I matched every seal / o-ring up that I replaced so I don’t have a ton of faith that a seal kit would fix it. It would make sense since I was just in it and now am experiencing problems, but it’s also 10+ years old although lightly used at home. I need to find time to mess with it a little more before dumping $250 in a new jack.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

If you topped it off to the top of the fill hole, the reservoir is overfilled and can cause an extra quick lowering of the jack.

I didn’t fill it to the top, although I did try to fill it further than barely covering the piston because at the top of its lift, it seemed to slip / have air, so as I bled it I tried adding a little more fluid to get rid of that slip and get the max lift I should be getting out of it.

 

[bchannell]

I replaced my old leaker with a HF aluminum low profile jack and it's a gem so far.

 

[ajchien]

I didn’t fill it to the top, although I did try to fill it further than barely covering the piston because at the top of its lift, it seemed to slip / have air, so as I bled it I tried adding a little more fluid to get rid of that slip and get the max lift I should be getting out of it.

You could “test” for overfilling by leaving the fill plug out. That prevents a vacuum from developing in the reservoir that would “suck” fluid back in when the release valve is opened, thus lowering the jack quicker. Your jack will likely spit out some fluid from the open fill hole when you test this.

For example, I used to have a harbor freight jack that lowered far too quickly. After doing the above “test”, I believed that the negative pressure generated when fluid got transferred out of the reservoir contributed to the quick lowering. I then substituted a hydraulic cylinder vent in lieu of the fill plug, and things lowered much more controllably.