Safe is a questionable assumption. Don't get me wrong I used them plenty back in the 70's/80's. They tend to scratch the bumper, sometimes when the bumper flexes during lifting the bumper will come in contact with the body, and when for some strange reason it decides to tip it tends to bend things. Why not use a superior jack in the first place.

 

Well if thats the case I would vote on jack daniels even though i hated the stuff I always prefered A little sweetness like...southern comfort

 

Not sure I agree Eric. The bumper hook has padding to prevent scratching. If the bumper is firmly attached to the mounting brackets and they are securely mounted to the frame horns there's no reason anything will get scratched. And if memory serves, that's exactly why GM installed rubber fillers on the bumpers between the fender and quarter panels.

OEM jacks are just as safe as other ones mentioned provided they are used as per instructions. That's where safety enters the equation IMO. I don't think new cars even come with jacks or spare tires, even space savers so chances are the new generation of drivers haven't a clue what do do when they get a flat except to whip out their cell and call auto rescue.

 

"best jack"

my favorite

 

Put er' ther !!! Just add a sweet Jill underneath to keep things up.

 

LOL some Gentleman Jack. Now that's the kind of Jack I have in my trunk. Ole' #7...
Anyone who has ever owned a 68 knows what the OE bumper jack does to those paper thin bumpers. Not on my 400 dollar triple chrome!

 

I wouldn't use the original "Jack in the trunk" in my 1976 either, Mine doesn't have the padding Allan is talking about. Maybe the later years have something better. I wouldn't jack the rear up with the bumper slots as many others say padding or not.

 

Starting in 73 the bumper jacks had a round rubber disc in the hook/cradle to cushion the bumper against the hook.

Of course you must know this fellow Jack. Just for fun, guess the significance of these cards???

 

the rat began
to gnaw the rope
the rope began to hang the butcher
the butcher began to kill the cow
the cow drank the whiskey
the water began to quench the fire

 

You are correct, using the bumper jack will let you know if the bumper brackets are attached well enough. Back in the 80s after repainting my '70 Supreme (had the bumpers off for that) I used the bumper jack and while lifting the car I heard a loud metallic screeching sound and the bumper moved a significant amount and the bumper corner gouged the paint. I thought I had really cranked on the bracket bolts but apparently they still weren't tight enough.

I also don't like having to lift the body and completely unload the suspension before the wheel starts coming off the ground. I find it much better to lift from the axle or front control arm to get the wheel high enough off the ground.

 

There is a jack carried at the local O'rielly auto parts I am pretty sure it is an ac/delco jack. It is a floor type jack that is relitively small and has a socket set in the side of it. not a high dollar item but would be great for those not wanting to use a bumper jack and still store without too much dificulty.

 

Well, if you have just spent $3.000 bucks to have your front and rear bumpers rechromed you get a little paranoid when it comes to putting something as hard as a bumper jack against them, especially when the one supplied by GM was from the lowest bidder....Tedd

 

Along with the jack, any ideas on a 5x4.75 compact spare? Much lighter and smaller than full size just to get home in a pinch.

 

Kenneth, did you use the ridged OEM washers on the bumper brackets or plain lock washers. It sounds like a minor thing but it makes a huge difference.



Check out the boneyard. GM A & G body cars from 78-88 came with those. They're common as dirt up here. They're recommended for use on only the rear though and limit your speed to 50mph tops. Means that if you get a front flat, you have to change 2 tires unless you just feel lucky? LOL new cars don't even come with a space saver spare or jack - it's an option now that you have to pay for.

 

I put back on what came off the car, which I expect was the factory installed hardware as my dad was the second owner of the car and it was 12 years old at the time. That was 1982 so at this point I can't really say what was there.

 

Reason I ask is when I took off the bumpers on my car I found the bodyman who worked on the last repaint had used ordinary washers instead of the proper ones. I ordered new ones from ILT and installed them on the bumper braces. Those suckers lock in place and don't move a micron! None of the braces on my car were installed properly either, so I had to finesse them and then make minor adjustments when the bumper was attached. Taping the fenders to protect the paint was something I learned a while back and it really helps when installing these suckers.