All about rhombic jacks

Very often it is necessary to change the jack supplied with the machine for a new one. The reason for this may be a tool that has become unusable. This is where the question arises of purchasing a new lifting mechanism so that it is of high quality and durable. In today's article, we will look at diamond-shaped jacks, their types and characteristics.

Diamond jacks are standard on the vehicle. The device consists of the following parts:

• one long screw;
• four separate elements, which are movably fastened to each other and form a rhombus;
• two nuts.

The threads in the described products are trapezoidal, metric threads are not designed for such loads. Depending on the direction of rotation, the rhombus either shrinks or expands, thereby lifting or lowering.

During operation, the persistent part of the jack is pressed against the bottom of the lifted load, and by rotating the handle, lifting occurs.

The trapezoidal thread has its own advantages, thanks to which it is used in products of this type:

• self-locking property;
• during lifting, there is no need to use clamps;
• reliable fixation of the load in any position

Each vehicle has its own jacks. This is not about its type, but about the maximum height to which a certain product can lift the weight. It happens that the car has too much suspension travel, so you have to select the appropriate lifting device.

Rhombic jacks are available with manual, electric and hydraulic drives. The principle of ascent and descent is absolutely the same for them. Depending on the model of the product, a groove may be located on the supporting surface, into which a stiffener is inserted on the threshold of the car. Other models may have a flat rubber coated surface to prevent damage to the paintwork during lifting.

The work of the described jack is carried out by folding and unfolding a structure that looks like a rhombus. As the horizontal corners of the rhombus contract, its vertical corners begin to move away from each other. Thus, the work of the jack occurs independently of the propeller drive. A similar design of jacks can be equipped with different ways to drive the propeller:

• manual;
• electric;
• hydraulic.

A manual car jack is the simplest and most common of all. Everyone has seen him at least once. But a diamond-shaped copy with an electric drive can be found not so often. Its device is even simpler than the manual version. It needs to be placed under the car in the right place and plugged into the cigarette lighter. Further, the control of the ascent and descent is controlled by the control panel. Electric jack this type cannot be called a necessity, rather, it is a pleasant addition that may not always be convenient to carry with you for years.

A hydraulically driven device is extremely rare. The reason for this is its high price and operating characteristics. In fact, it is a hybrid of 2 types of jacks (bottle and diamond-shaped).An oil pump is located on the body, which pumps fluid into the working cylinder.

Jacks of this design are divided into several types, an overview of which is given below.

The most common types of jacks that are used to repair a car or truck. They are inexpensive and reliable in design. They work thanks to a threaded screw that rotates in two directions, due to which the load is lowered or lifted. This type of tool is considered one of the most budgetary and common among motorists.

Such devices are most often used for car repairs as a stand. Models of this tapa can lift loads weighing up to 15 tons. The structure of the mechanism consists of a cylindrical all-metal base with one or two lifting screws, which are located inside the base.

The main advantage of this type of jack is its stability and strength. They can be used without additional stands and supports. Most of the models of these lifts can lift various loads to a height of 365 mm, but there are models in which the lifting and picking heights are greater.

They have a large carrying capacity with the same dimensions of their screw competitors. Hydraulic rhomboid models have a large footprint, good stability, and a small lift height.

These models are suitable for repairing heavy vehicles with low ground clearance.

This type of jack is equipped with a reversible ratchet instead of the usual handle. Otherwise, it is the same diamond-shaped jack with a screw, but it has become much more convenient to twist. Thus, they can work in places where free space is limited. Lifting capacity and working height may vary depending on the model.

The head, on which the knob is inserted, has a hexagonal shape, and in case of breakage or loss of the ratchet, it can be replaced with a regular ratchet wrench with the required head.

Jacks of this type are a long stretched trolley on metal wheels. Such devices are very bulky and heavy.... Carrying them with you will be quite problematic, given the large dimensions, which is why the unit will take up a lot of space in the trunk. In addition, its heavy weight will make it difficult to work with it, which requires a level and solid surface (not easy to find on the side of the road).

This type of jack is more suitable for garage repairs. Depending on the model, such a jack can have a lifting capacity of up to 10 tons. It is equipped with a hydraulic drive and a powerful frame. Thanks to this, it can be used in an unheated garage. These models have a fairly low pickup height, and lift heights up to 65 cm.

Rolling jacks are often found in tire shops, service stations and other organizations where partial lifting of the machine is needed.

There are a large number of jacks of this type. This is due to the fact that it is an inexpensive and sought-after device. Let's analyze a small rating of top models.

• Stvol SDR2370. This jack is supplied in a regular box and is finished in green. We can say that there is nothing catchy and superfluous in the device and its performance. The box contains the jack itself, an instruction manual, a 2-section folding handle and a warranty card.The lifting height here is small and the device itself is designed for small cars. The support platform is equipped with a rubber shock absorber, which makes it possible to lift vehicles of various designs. The low cost makes this model especially popular.

• "BelAK BAK" 00059. The jack is made of thin metal. At first glance, it seems very unreliable. In the complete set of this product, besides the jack itself and the handle, there is not even an instruction. There is a rubber stand on the support platform. The cheapness of the product makes it marketable even with such a "poor" configuration.

• "Russia" 50384. The simplest and cheapest jack of Russian production. There is nothing superfluous and unnecessary in it. The handle is not removable. This is the most common model that can be found on sale, and it is also one of the best selling.

Before choosing a new jack, you need to decide where and under what circumstances it will be applied. If you just need to replace an old worn-out unit with a new one in order to put it in the luggage compartment and hope that it will no longer be useful, then you can choose a simple and inexpensive, but still high-quality lifting mechanism. If you plan to repair your car from time to time, then this will require better and more reliable models.

Give preference to branded aggregates... Such products are of higher quality, are reliable and are accompanied by a manufacturer's warranty. As a rule, branded units come with detailed operating instructions - this can be an excellent help for a person who has no experience with such devices.

You need to choose any of these options only in a specialized store with a good reputation for many years. In such an establishment, you can not only choose the product you need, but also consult with experienced sellers about the possibilities of its application. Ask the store staff for a quality certificate for the purchased products. This will save you from low-quality goods or fakes. If for some reason they cannot provide you with this document, then it is better to look for another store.

Before the purchase be sure to carefully examine the goods... Sellers should not refuse you this. The selected unit must be free of visible defects, and its moving parts must move easily, without jamming. If you find at least one damage, an incorrectly exposed part or a curvature of the product, ask for a replacement product.

If a marriage is found after payment, you should take the jack and go with it back to the store where you bought it. Be sure to take a check and a warranty card, this will allow you to exchange the product for a new one in case of breakdown.

A high-quality jack of the type in question must not only be correctly selected in the store, but also properly operated. Only if this condition is met can a long service life and durability be expected from the device.

The simple design implies an even simpler application of the described product. To start lifting the car, you need to place the jack on the ground under the place where it should rest on the car. On one side of the product there is a fastening for the wrench. You need to install the device with this eyelet towards you. Now we attach the cardan itself and after that we can assume that the device is ready for use.

A very important condition for installing the jack is smooth and firm surface... It is not allowed to install the support platform on a slope, ice, compressed snow. This could cause the machine to fall.

It should be borne in mind that it is necessary to install the product with a slight pushing it under the machine, by 2-3 cm. The fact is that as the car rises, the jack will tilt in the direction of the rise, due to this, it will roll, and the probability of a breakdown will increase.

Another important point when lifting the machine is to secure one or two wheels with wheel chocks. The handbrake and the transmission are not a panacea for small swaying of the car, and if the car is on a jack of the described type, it can be very dangerous. Any brick or large stone that can be found on the side of the road can be used as an anti-rollback stop. It is still not worth neglecting this "fuse".

The TM Vitol rhombic jack is presented in the video below.