What do you need to do to have to lift it so high? I use the oem jack.

 

When using a floor jack, you don't use the edge of the car as you would with the oem jack. The fore and aft jacking points for a floor jack are in the User's Manual.

http://www.rav4world.com/forums/96-...om/forums/96-4-3-general/74838-stupid-purchase-small-floor-jack.html#post800505 states that 19.5 inches works, and provides a bit of margin.

http://www.rav4world.com/forums/96-...om/forums/96-4-3-general/74838-stupid-purchase-small-floor-jack.html#post774340 says 15 inches is sufficient.

 

A 3 ton jack will get you plenty of clearance. Just take some advice and don't get the "El Cheapo" $19.99 special. Those are toys for little boys. Get the big garage type jack with the attached handle that twists for raising or lowering. If you need more lift then I guess a safer option would be a set of ramps. You could even use a bottle jack since the Rav is so high.

 

Mine is supposed to be 15.5 inches of lifting height, but it doesn't get the wheels off the ground.

Lifting it from the middle of the car instead of the edge, I presume a slightly higher clearance.

My point in creating this thread is precisely avoiding to purchase a crappy one and get suggestions for some jacks that do work fine for the RAV4.

Thanks for the responses so far.

 

Are you doing it right? Set up the hack at the front of the vehicle at the lift plate in the middle of the front end. There is a circular opening in the under body cover. I have used my jack in that lift point to change tires and have never had a problem getting plenty of lift.

 

If you are going under the car, you must use jack stands. I expect that the lift required to get the jack stand under a good support point (allowing that the jack stand will have limited choice of heights, plus you must clear the sides of the notches in the top of the jack stands) will be larger than the lift to just get the tires off of the surface for changing tires. So somebody buying a jack might keep that in mind.

When people do use a floor jack in front or back, it would be nice if they would measure the lift height from the floor, and post the results here.

 

Harbor Freight sells decent jacks at very reasonable prices. For occasional use, they're more than sturdy enough, though I'd probably think twice if I were going to be using them on a daily or maybe even weekly basis.

 

I bought the AC Delco HD 3.5 ton floor jack from O'Reillys. It works well on the RAV4, Tundra, and Avalanche. It's also serviceable. Sometimes they have it on sale for $169, but mine was $199. I have an AC Hydraulics floor jack that I use for my S2000. The AC Delco won't reach the jack points on it.

You really do get what you pay for with floor jacks.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search/Jack+-+Floor/N0768/C0373.oap

 

So does yours also lift as high as 21"? If that's the case, no wonder you've been able to do anything.

Yes, I have tried lifting it from the jack point in the middle of the front (I checked in the manual), and my jack doesn't quite get the wheels off the ground.

. Does anyone have any experience with this brand/model?

 

Yes, I have tried lifting it from the jack point in the middle of the front (I checked in the manual), and my jack doesn't quite get the wheels off the ground.

For now, you could put the business-end wheels of the jack on a board or a thin concrete paving block to get a little more height for wheel changing.

 

Without taking a tape measure to it, I would say 21" sounds about right.

That jack you listed looks like a good one. I don't know how much of a hurry you are in, but I would shop around a little and just keep your eyes open for deals. I have two 3 ton jacks that I bought at different times. I got them both for around $50. If you look for sales or clearance , you can get a real deal! Same with the jack stands. I had two stands that I have had forever. Recently I decided to buy another pair because sometimes you need 4, so I shopped around. Kept my eyes open and I got a coupon in the mail from HF to get two 3 ton jack stands for $12, (regular price was $40), I snatched them up.

 

That explains it. As I've said, mine's lift height is just 15.5 inches, which is not high enough.

I'm in no rush whatsoever, just planning to get something better down the line, but I did want input so as to avoid purchasing something that won't work.

I changed the front brake pads and rotors with the OEM jack; I just wanted to start researching for a future purchase.

 

RACEJACKSET, Set, Service Jack and Stands, Aluminum, 3 pcs.

 

RACEJACKSET, Set, Service Jack and Stands, Aluminum, 3 pcs.

Wow, Snap-On--$442 and still made in China? That's disappointing.

 

If you want quality floor jacks, these are very good but expensive:

Discount automotive jacks, hydraulic jacks, floor jacks from ASE

I bought the DK13HLQ a couple of years ago for my S2000. I've been very pleased with it. I use the AC Delco 3.5 ton for all other vehicles though.

 

I have one of these, need it to jack up my other lowered rides... Matco—2 ton Low Pro Service Jack.

Hand Tools, Tool Storage, Automotive Service Equipment, Business Franchise Options - Matco Tools

 

I have one of these, need it to jack up my other lowered rides... Matco—2 ton Low Pro Service Jack.

Hand Tools, Tool Storage, Automotive Service Equipment, Business Franchise Options - Matco Tools

That's a really nice jack, but $400 I could use on something else. Way back when cars had more clearance I used to use bottle jacks all the time. Then I bought a 79 Camaro which was too low, so I bought a floor jack. Those standard floor jacks have served me well on every car for years. Recently when I purchased my 09 Mustang I found is was even lower and the standard floor jack had trouble squeezing under it. Fortunately I found someone else on a Mustang forum had a smart idea. Instead of spending big bucks for a lower floor jack I just made a couple of ramps out of some scrap 2x8 and that did the trick. I drive up on the scrap wood and those extra couple of inches are enough to get the jack uncer it. Saved some bucks for sure.

Is 1.5 tons enough for the RAV4? What about 17 3/8" of lift height?

I agree that the smaller jacks are fine, but unless he plans on spending the money for different jacks down the road if he gets a bigger ride, I would recommend the overkill option. Buy more than what you need now, and it will serve you well for years to come.

 

The Matco looks nice--goes up to 20"--but I can't justify spending over $400 on something I would use once every couple of years.

 

Is 1.5 tons enough for the RAV4? What about 17 3/8" of lift height?

 

I use a Pro-Lift 3-ton floor jack that has a 5"-16 1/2" inch lift range. It can provide several inches of clearance when lifting the front end. I imagine today's jacks will most likely give closer to 18" lifting - mine is 15 years old.

 

I have an old but rock solid reliable Lincoln W93642. It has a large pad on the lift arm that is too big for the front lift point cutout on my RAV. So, I am relegated to using my backup, which is a Michelin aluminum floor jack with a small round lift pad. It fits perfectly under the front lift point.

 

Here you go, for the OP (and anyone else) who is looking for a heavy duty jack at a great price. I got this email from HF having a 15 hour sale, today Wednesday Aug 17th only. Follow the link for a $59 jack (regular price $99).

Harbor Freight Tools ? Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1968.

 

Thank you.

I got that email too, and I also get one of their "coupon books" in the mail, where they have the same jack at the $59 price until the end of the month (sneaky marketing people ).

Does anyone have any experience with HF jacks? I've read that the lowering mechanism is not smooth, that it basically drops the car back to the floor. $59 is a great price, but I don't want to regret it later.

 

Does anyone have any experience with HF jacks? I've read that the lowering mechanism is not smooth, that it basically drops the car back to the floor. $59 is a great price, but I don't want to regret it later.

The HF $59 jack is a good value for an occasional user. If you were to use the jack every day, another choice would be better. Every few weeks, and the HF jack will last you a long time.

It lowers the car smoothly but you have to release the pressure gradually, like Rav408 says.

 

I can't speak about the HF jacks, but I think that is a common problem with floor jacks in general. Both my current jacks do the same thing. You have to loosen the adjustment screw ever-so-slightly to get a smooth drop, otherwise it will give you a sudden drop. Since it is holding up the entire weight of that portion of the car I think that is what causes the jerkiness. It's just something you have to get used to I would say.

 

I just came back from Costco, where I found the well-reviewed Arcan floor jack for $99

I'll update when I actually get to use it, but so far I'm really happy with the purchase; only $40 more than the HF for a rock-solid jack.

 

I just bought the same thing. The best part about it is since it's Costco, if I'm ever unhappy with it, it goes back for a full refund. I don't think you can do that with HF.

 

BTW...I just bought some 3-ton jack stands from HF, that were scary cheap. On sale, with 20% off coupon, they were about $10 for the pair. I just tried out the jack and stands. No problems with the jack. I wasn't sure about stand placement. I used the recommended front jack points, but the sheet metal there seems flimsy and like it'd be a bad idea to regularly have stands supporting the RAV there. About a foot in from those are some steel tubular body members. They look like what the lift at a shop would probably use to support the RAV. The stands seem to fit those pretty well.

I'm curious where others place the stands.

While I was under, I finally got a look at the oil pan, drain plug, and filter housing. It seems like the 67/65mm tool from Wal-Mart should fit well enough to remove the housing. I need to find out soon...I'm overdue for a change.

 

I think I use the same tubular spots for the jack stands. I'll try to take a picture the next time I have the RAV4 up.

 

I use a Michelin 2 or 3 ton floor jack. If I need a little extra "lift" I lie a 4x4 block on the cup of the jack - gets me a few extra inches of life.

I formerly worked at a garage where we used a pit or bumper jack... not a good idea on plastic bumpers of today!

 

Bought this at (of all places) Menards yesterday for $85, which seemed to be last day. I originally went in to look at the $70 3-ton that was advertised, but this one seemed more inviting. Hopefully will get to use it soon to change the brake rotors and pads.

 

Bought this at (of all places) Menards yesterday for $85, which seemed to be last day.

5 3/4-Inch to 19 13/16-Inch Lifting Range with Speed Lift function

 

I recently used 2 ton floor jacks from AutoZone to lift up my other vehicle...

They ran out of Duralast 2 Tons, but I don't think it matters if I mix them

 

They ran out of Duralast 2 Tons, but I don't think it matters if I mix them

The colors don't match... :mrgreen:

I have six 2-ton jack stands already, but recently got the 3-ton jack stands from HF, which they don't seem to be able to stock when I went there this morning, probably due to the price of $10ish after 20% coupon off of $12.99.