Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

What is a good jack to use for changing tires? I have a hydraulic jack that is OK when the tires are inflated but is too tall when I have a flat.

thanks

I generally use the supplied scissor jack to lift the subframe enough to get a hydraulic jack in there.

Here's one option for a low floor jack. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L1 ... ee1c0a08de

If you're looking for a jack to have in the car, the Porsche 944 had a compact lightweight aluminium jack; see for example https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORSCHE-944- ... SwD2tcFt2D

Paddy

Hi Lotus 50,
Paddy's suggested Porsche jack has merit. I purchased one and converted it to fit my S4, on someone else's recommendation. It weighs a lot less than the original Lotus item, and actually works.
Cheers,
Colin.







quote="paddy"]If you're looking for a jack to have in the car, the Porsche 944 had a compact lightweight aluminium jack; see for example https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORSCHE-944- ... SwD2tcFt2D

Paddy[/quote]

I just did the same.Thanks for the link Paddy.

Is the original Lotus jack still available?

I found a scissors jack from a Mazda Miata that looks almost identical to the one that came with my Europa. even painted blue just like the Europa. bought it from a wrecking yard for $10. Gary

With respect to wrecker/breaker yards, many vehicles end up there complete with an unused jack. One of my local club members chose a jack by this method I think he said it was form a Ford Escort.

Richard Hawkins

Where do you put the scissors jack under the car? I use my hydraulic jack in the holes by the wheel wells. It has about a 1" diameter post that fits nicely and lifts the car. Except when a tire is flat and I can't fit it under the car.

Do you lift it by the suspension?

I can't tell the size from the picture, but the Porsche jack looks very similar to the ones often found in Japanese cars. One from a Honda or Toyota should be quite inexpensive.

Hi,

Lotus 50 wrote:Where do you put the scissors jack under the car? I use my hydraulic jack in the holes by the wheel wells. It has about a 1" diameter post that fits nicely and lifts the car. Except when a tire is flat and I can't fit it under the car.

Do you lift it by the suspension?

On the front, under the crossmember. On the back then yes, under the wishbone at the outboard end, with a thin board to spread the load.

Paddy

Why look for a Porsche Scissor Jack?
Anything with the Porsche name on it will command a ridiculous price,
just like an original Lotus Jack.

My +2S 130 didn't come with a Jack.
When Lotus Jacks came up on Ebay, they were madness in the price department!

My solution came with a VW Scissor Jack I found at a Car Boot Sale for the princely sum of ?5.

The best part was the Ratchet Handle. Which was so much better than the old style bent Rod
normally found on Scissor Jacks!

It had to be modified slightly.
It had a Dome shape on the top, which obviously located into a recess on the original VW Body.
I drilled a Hole in the Top of this and Tapped it with an M10 Thread.
An M10 Rod will fit inside the Elan Jacking Point.
The Nuts are wide enough to provide the support.

Using a bit of M10 Threaded Rod (Pennies at a Builders Merchant) and Four M10 Nuts to provide the necessary spacing to clear the Elan's Body.
The Weight of the Elan Body sits on the Nuts, not on the Thread, so dual purpose and no worries with the Thread giving in.
The Threaded adapter unscrews for storage.

I don't know exactly which VW this Jack came from, but I believe it was a Transporter
or similar.
I reckon pretty much any Scissor Jack can be modded this way for a +2.


Ian

i hate ta tell ya fellas: the metallafacture seems to be one of the very best and they cost big money nowadays, im afraid to say: i got mine when ebay started fer 20quid and a fiver postage sandy

I took Paddy's advice and bought an aluminium Porsche jack on Ebay. The MX5 Miata also seems to have a very good jack so there are plenty of alternatives.

I have not yet got round to actually using it but will create a pad system through the fibreglass to the full roll cage when I get to this point with my project (TTR 005A cage).

Serious injuries can happen with cheap, unstable scissor jacks.

I will also make up a timber system to go under the front and rear chassis.