Jack off, anyone? (Bumper jack safety question)

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The bumper jack for my '74 T&C leans like the Tower of Pisa. Maybe they designed it this way to compensate for the curvature of the upward bumper movement?

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I thought that the jacks for my mother's '67 Newport and my '73 Scamp pointed straight up when in use. The base doesn't look like it's bent. I haven't seen the aforementioned cars in over 30 years, so it could be that I don't remember jack.

(I've used only floor jacks and stands on this car.)
 
Either the jack is not in the base all the way, or the base has been damaged. The jack like you pointed out should be at a 90 degree angle to the bumper. Also do not forget to put some kind of block by the opposite wheel so the car does not roll off the jack.
 
That jack is a little exaggerated but it should be a few degrees like that, when you jack it, you'll see that it straightens up to 90*. The higher you go the more forward tilt there is and that makes it real dangerous situation real quick! Always try to keep the jack as perpendicular to the ground as possible when vehicle is lifted for the safest position. Also a block on the front wheel also helps secure the vehicle as well. Good Luck
 
If all else fails, read the instructions...

Your base is bent as it is most likely instructions 1 & 6 weren't followed.

JACK.INSTRUCTIONS.03.jpg
 
L@@k at it, it’s made that way. That’s a slot jack, if it tilts forward the slot could come out.

Long wheelbase car needs to be lifted higher and it will straighten out when going up.

Hook jacks don’t tilt as far for sure.
 
OK, time for a safety point. Back in my young and not informed days, I had to work on the rear brakes on one of my Fury's. Jacked it up in my garage, and the trans had not locked the car in park. Damn thing rolled backwards and pinned my legs against the wall for 45 minutes before I got someone to help me. "ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE JACK IS SET CORRECTLY WHEN IN USE"!
 
OK, time for a safety point. Back in my young and not informed days, I had to work on the rear brakes on one of my Fury's. Jacked it up in my garage, and the trans had not locked the car in park. Damn thing rolled backwards and pinned my legs against the wall for 45 minutes before I got someone to help me. "ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE JACK IS SET CORRECTLY WHEN IN USE"!
I know someone that had a car fall off a bumper jack onto them. It left him in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. I think it goes without saying that they are for changing a tire on the side of the road and that's it.

Of course, ever notice the slight curve in the base? That's so you can break the bead on a tire. You'll see that shown in older FSM's. I used the hitch on my truck and inverted the hook to break this tire down.

1QYvBup.jpg
 
Bumper Jack safety 101:
Leave in trunk mounted properly for people to enjoy at a car show like a museum piece.
Lesson over.
This works for me. Note to self: get a bottle jack to keep in the under-floor compartment along with wheel chicks (no, chocks, damn you, autocorrect!), but not the cheap-*** ones from Autozone that the heavy wagon squashed!

Y'all did confirm my suspicion: my jack is all jacked up!
 
This works for me. Note to self: get a bottle jack to keep in the under-floor compartment along with wheel chicks
A nice scissor Jack does well and is compact with no chance of hydraulic fluid leaking in trunk/compartment.
@Big_John A great use for bumper Jack. A couple of tire spoons and a bubble balancer and you can tell Manny, Moe, and Jack to F off
@stubs300 I have a E and a B body, those lump heads eat that correct stuff up and spend $$$ doing it. Sad point is when they were just old cars I probably scrapped them to save weight and was not going to use them.
 
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I use a bottle jack, but sometimes a flat tire will drop the car enough that I can't get the bottle jack n position. Only then will use the bumper jack and the only to lift the car high enough to allow me to use the bottle jack. Bumper jacks work well on level paved road surfaces, but are still dangerous.
 
@Big_John A great use for bumper Jack. A couple of tire spoons and a bubble balancer and you can tell Manny, Moe, and Jack to F off

I've been mounting tires myself for many years now. I started doing it after having a set of wheels ruined at a local shop. I do have a small bubble balancer, but lately, I've just taken the mounted tires to Wally World for spin balancing.
 
L@@k at it, it’s made that way. That’s a slot jack, if it tilts forward the slot could come out.

Long wheelbase car needs to be lifted higher and it will straighten out when going up.

Hook jacks don’t tilt as far for sure.

Good call! I was going to ask if perhaps it had the wrong hook, never seen the slots.
 
It’s not leaning... just an illusion caused by the curvature of the earth under that long wagon you got there.
 
A nice scissor Jack does well and is compact with no chance of hydraulic fluid leaking in trunk/compartment.
@Big_John A great use for bumper Jack. A couple of tire spoons and a bubble balancer and you can tell Manny, Moe, and Jack to F off
@stubs300 I have a E and a B body, those lump heads eat that correct stuff up and spend $$$ doing it. Sad point is when they were just old cars I probably scrapped them to save weight and was not going to use them.
The scissor jacks Ma Mopar supplied with my vans have worked well for me. Plus, they were made in Canada, not China!:canada:
 
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