Baja Bug Jack

[Scott SD]

Looking for the best option for a jack. I’ve seen a lot of people use the farm hi lift jacks, but they are large and a little heavy. A lot of people don’t seem to like a scissor jacks. Everything I do on my car seems to be adding weight, so I am trying to be a little more conscious. Any thoughts?

[baja5]

I use a harbor freight trailer tongue jack. I welded a plate to the tube to go under whatever I’m trying to lift and took the crank handle off. I welded a nut to the center shaft so I can hit it with my impact gun. It’s compact and not too heavy. Mind you, it’s not safe to work under and mainly for doing a quick tire change out on the trail. If I was in need of a more extensive repair I would block the car or use a different jack.
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http://www.wix.com/baja5s/nightrun

[dirtkeeper]

[cbeck]

You will luv that high lift when you get high centered. Jack it up, and push it over to high ground. Or as a make shift winch.
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My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779

[earthquake]

I just modified a stock VW jack, I cut the base off and welded in a extension so it would lift the car high enough.

eQ
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74 CLASS 11 LOOK-A-LIKE
69 DUNE BUGGY
79 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
05 SCION XB SERIES RELEASE 2[#437]
95 Chevy C3500 dually
98 Ford E150
Link to Kelly J. Nolte 3/20/53 - 11/6/08
https://time-zonelabs.blogspot.com/p/about-kelly.html
DEATH TO CHINGERS!
[From a military recruitment poster in the novel "The Stainless Steel Rat" By Harry Harrison]

[Scott SD]

Thanks for the responses and pics. I like the trailer jack idea. Baja5, do you think you could snap a pic?

I just went and took the scissor jack from my F150 as a comparison. It raises up to about 17.5" and weights 5 lbs. To use it in the baja I would have to make a cradle, a larger base plate, and weld on a 19mm nut to use the impact. If I go with the scissor jack idea I prefer to have a factory jack, not an Amazon china jack that strips the threads.

[dustymojave]

I use a jack from a 1970s Ford passenger car. Most any Detroit iron of the 1950s through 1980s era had a lightweight jack that can easily be modified to work for a Baja Bug.

A High Lift farm jack IS VERY HEAVY for a Bug. Great for a Jeep or heavier 4x4, but big and heavy for a Bug or buggy.

This picture shows mine mounted inside my Baja Bug.

I modified the body by welding a piece of 1.5" exhaust tube cut in 1/2 to fit under the bumper tube.

It had a matching hole a little over 1/2" through the upright and through the jack body. I used that to hold it on a mount made of a 1/2" bolt, with a nut welded to a washer with a pair of 1/4" rod handles to make a large wing nut to hold it on. The end of the upright tube fits onto a piece of 1/2" rod welded to the cage with a large washer for a stop and a shock absorber rubber cut to fit the jack upright tube.

A tire iron stuck in the end of the jack and it's ready to go.

Some offroad racers weld a piece of plate on for a base. Mine came with a really large stamped steel base (great for sandy or otherwise soft ground) that I carry under the right seat.

I'll check if you can buy a jack like that from Amazon or someplace like that.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[dustymojave]

Here's a guy on eBay that's pretty proud of his, even though he's selling the pair with no bases or tire irons.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294189713638?chn=ps&n...X6EALw_wcB

Other folks are wanting as much as $150 each!!! + huge money for shipping.

Nothing on Amazon except for lots of farm jacks, including a 1/10 scale one for Radio Control rock crawlers.

Probably best to check wrecking yards and yard sales. Guys in the rust belt might be at a disadvantage for this.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[baja5]

Here are a couple pics of mine, cheap and easy but like I said, I wouldn’t use it for much more than changing a tire unless it was an emergency.
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http://www.wix.com/baja5s/nightrun

[dirtkeeper]

These are some great ideas. And dusty reminded me that I have had an old American car jack and they are much lighter than the hi lifts. The one that I had failed and became or non functional and I couldn’t fix the latching mechanism. . I think I may try to find another one of those. But looks like I have options.

[Brian]

[dirtkeeper]

[petrol punk]

I have nothing against scissor jacks. They can be had from the junkyard for very cheap, just go in and pick an appropriate sized car and check the trunk. I got a tiny one for my lowered bug and a bigger one for my bigger bug. It might be hard to find one tall enough for a lifted baja, but you can weld whatever you want to it to get the height you need.
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36hp '56 European DeLuxe oval, '70 bug 1835cc dual 36DRLA, and a '98 4x4 5spd single cab Tacoma

[baja5]

[Scott SD]

Thanks for all of the input. Good discussion. I am leaning toward the bumper jack. Found one on craigslist for $10 that I'll pick-up this weekend. Just needs to be cleaned up. When working on my friend's 5/16 a few days ago I checked out his bumper jack. His is the same, from a 70's car. Surprisingly light with a large base.