Top suggestions for bus jacks

skytripping · February 07, 2018, 03:21:00 PM

I'm looking for suggestions on which jacks you have found are the best for lifting your bus. I have an MCI MC-9 (1983). I'm looking for your experience on best value for reliability, cost, and convenience. Also, what weight rating should I be looking for? If you have any specific shops/stores you prefer buying from, I'd love to hear those as well. I'm hoping to find something we can take on the road with us, but I assume that's not abnormal? Hit me with your top picks!

Ron

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · February 07, 2018, 03:28:44 PM

I have two of these 20 ton air/hydraulic jacks from Harbor Freight. They well very well for the cost.

https://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-air-hydraulic-bottle-jack-69593.html

gumpy · February 07, 2018, 04:14:30 PM

Minimum of 12 tons. Short hydraulic with 4x6 blocking underneath. I saw some at Harbor Freight for about $32 yesterday. I think they are on sale.

chessie4905 · February 07, 2018, 04:15:20 PM

I have one as well. Buy it with 25% off coupon or when it is on sale. They also sell a low profile jack in 12 & 20 ton, but not air assist. Low profile was necessary to Jack under air beams on our 4104. Only problem with low profile is the range is only 3 1/2 or 4 inches. There are also air assist low profile jacks available, just not from Harbor Freight.

Scott & Heather · February 07, 2018, 05:42:53 PM

Hardly fake used to sell the low profile 20 ton air assist bottle jacks back in the day but not anymore sadly.

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luvrbus · February 07, 2018, 07:30:15 PM

Northern Tool has a good selection of jacks at all price ranges and it's free shipping most of the time

Iceni John · February 07, 2018, 10:01:59 PM

I have a few of the HF bottle jacks. They're cheap enough to not worry too much if they begin to weep and cannot be resealed - just get another! Is there any real difference between one brand and another of cheap generic Chinese jacks? I have two 20-ton, a 12-ton for the front, and a low-profile 12-ton in case a front tire is completely deflated. I also have two 12" x 12" squares of thick steel plate to put under them, and six lengths of 6" x 8" pine to go under tires. One of the 20-tons is beginning to weep slightly after several years of occasional use, so I'll try to put new O-rings into it - if that doesn't fix it I'll buy another when HF has their next sale.

John

bevans6 · February 08, 2018, 04:05:59 AM

Great minds think alike - two generic air/hydraulic 20 tons and a low profile... You really do need two at least, you can't get the front tires out of the wheel wells unless you get the body way up out of the way. If you can drive the bus and the tire has air in it, you can get it high enough with run-up blocks, but if you can't drive it on blocks, you need the low profile jack to get under the body jacking point. There's other ways to get it, but that's the most straight forward.

Brian

chessie4905 · February 08, 2018, 04:48:27 AM

My next jack purchase is going to be an air assist low profile. It sucks when it is so low to need one. Little range or leverage to move handle. Then it still doesn't get tire off ground, so lower screw, use spacer and do it all over again.

birdarchitect26 · February 08, 2018, 05:24:40 AM

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017YP874E/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Picked this up a while back, works great! Def Chinese; stand is cheap steel and the functions are not that great, but the bottle jack is solid. $150

Bird

windtrader · February 08, 2018, 09:39:58 PM

Are jack stands also needed with bottle jacks or are they reliable enough to not leak out?

Brassman · February 08, 2018, 10:24:19 PM

If life or limb is in danger a solid support is in order. What that is is also subject to debate.

eagle19952 · February 08, 2018, 10:27:27 PM

Quote from: windtrader on February 08, 2018, 09:39:58 PM
Are jack stands also needed with bottle jacks or are they reliable enough to not leak out?

NO JACK is reliable enough to not leak out.

If you don't get under it, you have no worry.

Blocking is good.

windtrader · February 08, 2018, 11:57:10 PM

What types of wood make good solid blocking? Railroad ties seem solid and pretty cheap.

richard5933 · February 09, 2018, 04:28:39 AM

Quote from: windtrader on February 08, 2018, 11:57:10 PM
What types of wood make good solid blocking? Railroad ties seem solid and pretty cheap.

Used railroad ties are removed from service for a reason. They have exceeded their useful life. New timbers are available but then the 'cheap' part goes away.

If you have a real lumber yard near you that deals in hardwoods you can see many other options. I'm using 2" thick blocks of oak which are about as free of cracks and flaws as I could find. They get covered with a piece of 3/8" steel plate to keep the metal on the bus from damaging the wood or splitting it should the bus fall suddenly. I went with 2" thick pieces so I could get them underneath at times my bus is not at full height. If I was using them only at full height I'd probably rethink this a bit. This is what I have - I am not suggesting it will work for you. You should do your own research before trusting anything to hold up the bus with you underneath. Bus owners have been killed in recent years working under their bus.

ALSO IMPORTANT: When you bus is being lifted, you must use appropriately sized wheel chocks. My research shows that appropriate sized means approximately 1/4 the height of the tire. For most of us that means wheel chocks which are about 10" tall. Those little things suitable for a Honda will not hold a bus from rolling if it wants to roll, especially if one end of the bus is being lifted up. A piece of wood from the wood pile is not a suitable wheel chock either, although I see them used all the time.