original bumper jack question

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Optik

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found an original bumper jack in the parts car so I took it out and started to jack the car up just a smidge to see if it worked (car is also on jack stands) but now I can't seem to get the jack to come down. How do you make the jack release? I flipped the little on/off switch but I can't get the jack to go down. I can always jack it up with a hydraulic jack and get it out but I'm curious how it works to get it down. Of course the sticker on the bottom of the trunk lid with the instructions is long gone in both my cars.
thanks,
-Tim
 
Optik said:
found an original bumper jack in the parts car so I took it out and started to jack the car up just a smidge to see if it worked (car is also on jack stands) but now I can't seem to get the jack to come down. How do you make the jack release? I flipped the little on/off switch but I can't get the jack to go down. I can always jack it up with a hydraulic jack and get it out but I'm curious how it works to get it down. Of course the sticker on the bottom of the trunk lid with the instructions is long gone in both my cars.
thanks,
-Tim
Click to expand...

This brings back memories from my youth. I used to have a Ford that did the same thing.

After you get it out try putting some oil on the moveable parts. Work it up and down just like you would if you were jacking up the car. It should loosen up.
 
If you only took it a smidge there may not be enough weight on it to make it work. I remember having to kick alot of those out when you got down to the end..also in the down position you have to push pretty good cause it has to go up a little before it can come down.
 
Bumper jacks are for show only. Even new they sucked.

They work by jacking. Flip the lever one way and jack it up, flip the lever the other way and jack it down.

They shouldn't just free slide on the bar (but sometimes they did, one of the reasons they suck).
 
Damn I hated those things. Flip the lever down, then work the handle so that it comes up a tad, then it will go down one notch.
 
hmmm....tried all those things but couldnt' get it down. I'll try again in the morning but looks like I will have to break out the hydraulic jack.
Thanks fellas!
-Tim
 
A lot of nice bumpers have been screwed up by a factory bumper jack. There was a reason a lot of folks carried a small hydraulic jack and a couple of pieces of 2X4 in their trunk in those days. It wasn't at all uncommon for one to go up and not come down requiring that the car be pushed sideways off the jack, or come down a few notches and then do the free fall thing.
 
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