Bumper jacks

[tbm3fan]

I was out washing the Polara when a neighbor came home from work and walked across the street to me. He had a question that he thought I might know the answer to. Seems at work there was a early 30 year old worker who had never heard of a bumper jack or ever seen one. The question was when they were last used. I said they had to be used at least in 1978 since both Chrysler and FoMoCo still had their big cars with bumper jacks in the trunk. Beyond that I have no idea how much longer in use. So any clue when those jacks may have last been used?

 

[saylor]

nice trivia.

 

[Wollfen]

Metal bumpers continued into the 80's so I am curious too, i wonder when bumper jacks stopped?

 

[1978 NYB]

Probably stopped when they started putting plastic bumpers on cars.

Probably need more than a bumper jack to change tires on this 1979 Diplomat!

 

[polara71]

I wanna say my Mirada had them but that isnt right, they had some big ol thing that went under the car

 

[67Monaco]

Probably stopped when they started putting plastic bumpers on cars.

Probably need more than a bumper jack to change tires on this 1979 Diplomat!

44 inches of lift, there's a jack for that....

 

[MYSINBIN]

FWIW, my '89 and'90 Crown Vic wagons have bumper jacks. I had a '91 Crown Vic sedan that had a bumper jack as well. I think they went to a sill/frame jack when they redesigned the whole body and the bumpers went to plastic in '92.

 

[Samplingman]

Better question is would any of you use one today? Scared the heck out of me back in the day so I used to keep an old scissor jack in the trunk of my Challenger.

 

[commando1]

We were manly men back then. Culled out the simpletons that way. Too stupid to live.

 

[1978 NYB]

I have one of these in the trunk of my 1978 NYB....

 

[commando1]

The purists will wince...

 

[Wildaugust]

:laughing7: I still use the bumper jack that came with my Newport, but just for changing a tire or to slip a jackstand underneath. I like it for that.

I Would never go under the car with just a Bumper Jack, although I did do it a few times, back when I was young and foolish. :whew:

The jack that came in the trunk of my '70 Meteor looks, more or less, like this one.

I'm not sure if it's original to the car. I don't think so, but it works quite well.

 

[tbm3fan]

I have one of these in the trunk of my 1978 NYB....

That is not very manly. I suppose, for a jack stand, you use a 155mm shell? Inert, of course, now that you aren't young and foolish...

 

[1978 NYB]

That is not very manly. I suppose, for a jack stand, you use a 155mm shell? Inert, of course, now that you aren't young and foolish...

Yep....actually 203mm and depends on how high I need it.

 

[Big_John]

The jack that came in the trunk of my '70 Meteor looks, more or less, like this one.

I'm not sure if it's original to the car. I don't think so, but it works quite well.

I have one just like that. It was my Dad's.

 

[Big_John]

One cool thing about the bumper jacks that a lot of people don't know is you can break down a tire with one.

Look at the base and you will see there is a slight curve on one end. That curve is about the same as your wheel. Deflate the tire, put the jack on top of the tire and wheel instead of the ground and the hook on the bumper. Jack it up and you break the bead on the tire.

I saw this in an older FSM and have done it a couple times. Not as easy as a Coates tire machine, but it gets the job done.

 

[300Nutter]

Tell the guy who asked, they quit using them about the same time they stopped building cars with muffler bearings.

 

[65Newport]

I have Triple A in my wallet. Small floor jack to use around the house.

 

[bluefury361]

One cool thing about the bumper jacks that a lot of people don't know is you can break down a tire with one. QUOTE]

It works, I've done that.
Another tip.... Ever have a wheel stuck or rusted to the hub, remove the lugs and it won't come off....? Back the lug nuts off about four turns and drive the car in a circle ...... It will pop loose.

 

[jct]

just be thankful we don't have to deal with this

from vw