For anyone with a QuickJack, what model are you using and how does it work with your Prius? In particular, is anyone using an LX model, which I believe are the higher lift models? I've got both a Prius and a mid-sized truck that is fairly long and tall (4 door long bed 4x4) and I'm trying to find a model QuickJack that will work for both, essentially the largest that will still fit under a Prius without issue.
For anyone interested, this page has great info, this should be on their homepage not buried in a side page: Measuring Guide for the QuickJack Portable Car Lift My Prius measures ~80" between the wheel wells, the jack points are ~53" center to center and the car sits ~6.5" off the ground. Going by that info, I believe either of the 7000 series lifts should work. The 5000 series should too, but my truck weighs just more than 5000#. I'll post back the results if I end up getting it.
The BL-3500SLX is just fine. I use it for my Prius v. QuickJack 3500SLX Portable Car Lift - 3,500-lbs. Capacity
As you have one, may I ask can they be inserted not parallel to the car but perpendicular, (so the vehicle and quickjack make a cross shape), and raise the vehicle that way, if for example you bought one that is “too long” for your new Mini Cooper?
Check the documentation on their web site, I believe I saw a link to the owners manual. I'm sure it's possible if the jack points line up, but I would bet $1 they tell you it's dangerous.
Yeah, they want you to use the jacks by inserting them parallel to the car, not perpendicular. I am pretty sure it says that in the manual. I think mine is the 5000TL. I use it for my 2010 Prius (normal, not a V), my 2015 Mazda 6, and my tow vehicle which is a 2003 BMW X5. I keep it the middle of my garage, always hooked up, and park my car over it, so I just have to pull it out, position it, and lift the car - maybe a 3-4 minute job. If you have to disconnect the hoses and put the jack units away, it can be a 15-20 minute job to get it all out again, and your hands get dirty from the hydraulic fluid. So I figured out if you just park over it, it saves a ton of time and you don't get all dirty. But you don't want to drive on it or you can damage the units.
Huh? "So I figured out if you just park over it, it saves a ton of time and you don't get all dirty. But you don't want to drive on it or you can damage the units."
He leaves them together in the center of his floor so that the car can straddle them. It's convenient for storage and when you need it you just slide them into place. They're not intended to be driven on, so if you store it this way, be sure they are close enough together that the wheels don't run on them when you pull the car over top of them.
I don't think you should make a practice of it, but they are very robust. I'm sure they could take the occasional car rolling over them. The connectors too are very strong. But for me, I keep the hydraulic pump module hooked up directly behind where I park the car over the jacks, so that I don't roll over them on a regular basis.
My QJ (which came from Costco, when they were sold there a few years back) actually came with handles to make it easy to slide them out sideways from under a car. I'm not sure if the normal non-Costco package comes with that though. I couldn't be happier with the QJ as a purchase though. I have three vehicles in my household and all three have summer and snow tires that need to be changed twice a year, and I maintain all my vehicles myself, so it gets a LOT of use. Also one of those vehicles is a 20 year old BMW, which accounts for at least three-quarters of the work I have to do.
I saw this tip for adding casters to it, for easier moving while it's flat. The castors are off the ground before the jack touches the bottom of the car, so they don't take any weight when it's in use:
We finally developed the most useful and durable "pinch weld" blocks that rest on the same rails inside of the vertical rails made of UHMW Spectra. Since UHMW is used for bulletproof vests, they don't cut easy like the rubber one's that Quickjack sells. Consequently, the Quickjack ones have slots that are too shallow so that the knife edle of the pinch weld sits on the bottom of the slot and cut's into the rubber.
Here's another jacking solution I just purchased, makes your floor jack as safe as a jack stand. You lift as normal with your jack, then this fits between the raised part and the jack axle, then you lower slightly so the load is on the jackrod. Haven't used it on my Prius yet, but on my GR Corolla I just lift the entire side of the car from the front jacking point, easy to remove and service both wheels, etc. (Tried to add a photo, but that function doesn't seem to be working...) Search amazon for B0C7JWZSQS Amazon function on the forum also doesn't seem to be working..... .
I got a QuickJack 7000TL a few years ago and love the thing. I needed the larger size because we have some big vehicles....Tundra, Sienna, Palisade, it's lifts them all with no problem. I did buy the additional pinch-weld rubber blocks but returned them....too much of a pain to get them to work and the other rubber blocks work just find. For my truck, I have to use the SUV/Truck adopters because the frame is about a foot off the ground to start off from. (And you have to put the front on the frame, not on the pinch weld.) For the Prius, it's the perfect size so you can line up where the rubber pads fit right on the lift spot on the pinch welds. For longer vehicles, like the Sienna, it's a bit too short so as long as you ensure both sides are on the same position (for balance when it's lifted), it's fine. After lifting, you always want to stop just as the wheels leave the ground and then push the vehicle on every side just to ensure it's secure. Never pay full price...they are often discounted at Costco or on their website and even on Amazon. (I got mine for $500 off the MSRP)
