Door jack

enjenjo · September 07, 2010, 07:03:16 PM

I needed a way to remove and install doors by myself. And, I'm cheap. So I went down to Harbor Freight, and they has a mechanical transmission jack on sale for $49. I used a 20 percent off coupon too. A couple hours of modifying with some old bed rails, a bit of OSB, and some scrap carpet, and it works great. Had the door off in less than 5 minutes.

Fuzzy · September 07, 2010, 08:27:19 PM

Great idea Frank! I've seen those jacks at Horrible Freight and knew they'd be good for a lot of uses but I didn't think of that one.Nice job.

Fuzz

chimp koose · September 08, 2010, 01:20:11 AM

Crafty indeed!

wayne petty · September 08, 2010, 09:04:14 AM

i have one of those also...

i use it for dropping gas tanks.... with the strap around the tank.. and usually a milk crate at the end of long ones...

i still use it for transmissions.... i bought a spare pan for the ones i do... took the jack and the pan to the muffler shop... had them weld some short scrap tube to the bottom of the pan.. this way i can walk the trans under the car on the pan legs... then usually with help rocking the transmission up and the short tubes into the brackets that hold the straps.... this prevents the transmission from slipping off the tray...

i do agree multiple uses....

oh... and somebody just threw out a wudel 700 transmission jack.. seems they tried to jack up a car with it.. bent a few things and cracked the piston seal.... 1 1/4" purple clear plastic.. the seal and o-ring supplier only had a fiber reinforced cup... i don't know if that will work in the long run... any body had experience with hydraulic jacks...

rumrumm · September 08, 2010, 11:37:15 AM

Great idea, Frank. I'll store that one in the gray matter file for a later date.

river1 · September 08, 2010, 07:12:24 PM

Quote from: "wayne petty"oh... and somebody just threw out a wudel 700 transmission jack.. seems they tried to jack up a car with it.. bent a few things and cracked the piston seal.... 1 1/4" purple clear plastic.. the seal and o-ring supplier only had a fiber reinforced cup... i don't know if that will work in the long run... any body had experience with hydraulic jacks...

wayne, are you familiar with http://www.garagejournal.com/ . there is a member there named hiball, he's the hydraulic guru with advice and parts for most hydraulic lifting devices.

later jim

jaybee · September 09, 2010, 09:13:51 PM

That's a great idea, hadn't thought a trans jack could be so versatile. I've pulled doors using straps through the window and over the garage trusses, but I'll bet it isn't as easy to line them up for re installation that way.

chris spokes · September 13, 2010, 06:02:06 PM

great job just what i need at the moment, now to find one in Aus

DrJ · September 18, 2010, 01:58:28 AM

Rube would be proud....

Inprimer · September 25, 2010, 11:33:48 PM

Learned this from an oldtimer at a bodyshop about45 yrs ago, Before removing any car door, drill 2 each 1/8 drill holes about 1/2 inch apart on the top door hinge and also at the bottom hinge all the way past the hinge into the door, When re installing door insert 4 1/8 drill bits into the holes that you have drilled and the door should be in perfect alightnment...

enjenjo · September 26, 2010, 12:41:25 AM

Quote from: "Inprimer"Learned this from an oldtimer at a bodyshop about45 yrs ago, Before removing any car door, drill 2 each 1/8 drill holes about 1/2 inch apart on the top door hinge and also at the bottom hinge all the way past the hinge into the door, When re installing door insert 4 1/8 drill bits into the holes that you have drilled and the door should be in perfect alightnment...

Did that