Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Using a trolley jack

(See if you can guess what I got for Christmas).
When you use a trolley Jack, especially at the higher levels of lift, there is a lateral movement of the lifting head. Since we are supposed to chock the wheels, set the handbrake and put the car in gear, this lateral movement can only be taken up by the jack itself moving laterally when it is being raised. With a rough concrete garage floor and half a ton bearing down on the jack I'm a bit concerned about whether or not this will happen. Have any of you found you need to put a smooth surface underneath the jack rollers?

I don't have the car in gear and hand brake on when jacking (if you think about this it only helps if you jack up the front on a Morgan). I use wheel chocks at the end away from the jack.

My concrete floor has small ridges and it works OK, but then the jack has reasonably large wheels.

Enjoy your present - I hope it came with jack stands. Don't go under the car with it on a jack.

If you are on a flat floor, it's much better to leave the car in neutral and leave the handbrake off. Jack the car from a central point on either the front cross tube or the rear chassis crossmember, and let the car's wheels roll as the jack rises. If there's a risk of the car rolling off the jack, then the surface isn't level enough to be jacking on safely in the first place.

Once you have the car at the right height, put the axle stands in position and lower the car onto the stands immediately. Never leave the car supported on just the jack for a moment longer than necessary. Once it's safely on the axle stands, you can chock the wheels.

I have a very rough garage floor and have found using a piece of 3/8" ply under the wheels to allow the jack to move freely works great.

Georgie 2001 4/4 4 seater Avus Blue.

Thanks, guys. All sensible and logical advice. Several doubts now clarified.

I always chock the wheels for safety.