Which trolley jack?

[Mickymouse]

Hi Everybody

I am thinking of buying a trolley jack for using on the Bongo when working on it at home,will a 2 ton one be OK or do I need to get a 3 ton one?

Many thanks

Mick

[daveblueozzie]

the bongo weighs in at about 2 tons, so unless your gonna pick the whole bongo up all at once the 2 ton should do, basically half a ton per wheel.

[francophile1947]

2 tonne is fine

[Mickymouse]

Thanks to you both for the advice

Mick

[missfixit70]

go for a decent one rather than a no name cheap thing, I'm sure Mike'll be along shortly to tell you his experiences.

[David Edwards]

I have one but it is mostly in the shed now, lol, as many on here know from previous threads I use a draper make air jack which looks like a space hopper,lol, superb, simple very quick and easy to use and has nevere let me down, certainly worth a look at as it is easier and lighter to keep in the bongo than a trolley jack, couple that with the draper cig socket wheel nut wrench and it is almost a delight to change a wheel,lol, I have used it on many occassions with other people and they always ask where they can get em.

[Ron Miel]

I have one but it is mostly in the shed now, lol, as many on here know from previous threads I use a draper make air jack which looks like a space hopper,lol, superb, simple very quick and easy to use and has nevere let me down, certainly worth a look at as it is easier and lighter to keep in the bongo than a trolley jack, couple that with the draper cig socket wheel nut wrench and it is almost a delight to change a wheel,lol, I have used it on many occassions with other people and they always ask where they can get em.

Draper dropped it about two years ago, David. I bought one of theirs last year, after reading your report on them in another thread, and it seemed at the time to be the final residual stock one left on eBay (at that time, anyway - haven't re-checked now) - everybody else still listing them, on or off eBay, said nil stock or discontinued.

Amazon, at http://www.amazon.co.uk/CONRAD-30178-pi ... 070&sr=1-3, is now offering a similar looking but unbranded one for £39.95 - although not supplied direct but by a 3rd party "marketplace" supplier. Personally, I would be nervous at buying a low cost, and safety critical, device like that, unless from a big brand name with a reputation to guard.

In fact, if you nose around online, you can find quite a few criticisms about the Draper one, presumably why they dropped them. Having said that, although I've not yet had to use mine, my son borrowed it to change a wheel on his much heavier County Tractors 4x4 high clearance Transit conversion (the sort electricity companies use for off-road power line maintenance), and on that one occasion it worked a treat.

The (allegedly) UK original "Easylift" 4-tonne air jack, from http://www.air-jack.com/comprices.asp, costs £425!

[You've Been Bongod]

i got a 3 tonne draper for the same price as a 2 tonne from local motor factors think it was around £30

[mikeonb4c]

go for a decent one rather than a no name cheap thing, I'm sure Mike'll be along shortly to tell you his experiences.

I will indeed

Fellow Bongo owner Shad was round there and confidently carried on jacking up the rear of his Bongo (becuase he reasoned it shouldn't be exceeding its design load) with his brand new 2 ton hydraulic jack even it it felt like it was working hard. Suddenly POP and the seals went and the Bongo collapsed. Jack had to be thorwn away

My (different brand) one also strains doing the rear (front is OK) but unlike Shad I didn't carry on trying to pump.

I'd do as YBB has done and get a 3 ton jack - its not worth the hassle / risk IMHO. 2 ton jacks seem to be the 'standard' one in Halfords etc. with 3 ton jacks also available. To my Irish mind that translates into 'the jack for small to medium size cars' being the 2 ton one, and 'the jack for larger vehicles' being the 3 ton one. found myself thinking the Bongo was more of a large vehicle than a small one

YBB also has one of those exhaust powered lifting bag devices and I believe they cope easily, but I'm not sure if you can still get them.

With all these things I'd put axle stands in place before getting underneath - way too dodgy without

[missfixit70]

You sure you weren't jacking it up against the garage roof Mike?

[mikeonb4c]

You sure you weren't jacking it up against the garage roof Mike?

sounds vaguely rude Kirsty

[missfixit70]

You sure you weren't jacking it up against the garage roof Mike?

sounds vaguely rude Kirsty

Sounds overly optimistic

[mikeonb4c]

You sure you weren't jacking it up against the garage roof Mike?

sounds vaguely rude Kirsty

Sounds overly optimistic

Love it. Ooooh you are awful