Ranger QuickJack or as I like to call it QuickJoke

Where do I start, swmbo did not like me working under a car that was sitting on 20 year old jack stands from Big Lots.(After a jacking incident that involved a 4' long 4"X4" which snapped out and presented me with a broken nose) Opportunity!!! flashed through may small cortex, dreams of lifts and walking under the car and sugar plum fairies. After researching the available devices and my budget, given the height of my garage factored in I picked the QJ.

Looked really simple and clean. so about the middle of July I ordered one $1000.00 extra $50.00 for home delivery and given a ETA of 2 weeks. The 2 weeks came and went when I received a call from them advising me they were backordered and I would not get mine until the end of September (2 months). Well what was I to do they had my money and I wanted the jack so I waited and about the last day of September it came, oh bouy!!

I will have this thing jacked up in 24 hours...1. opened all boxes found no instructions of any kind and also found the end on the drive motor cover crushed into the fan breaking off 3 of the cast mounting points. I called them and sent them pictures I also told them I received no instructions of any kind "oh no they said we will get you another motor sent right out, mean while a fellow rooter on here advised me how to put it together. I got about halfway through that and realized I was missing some parts. So I called them back hoping I was in time to get the missing parts and instructions sent with the motor......and then came the dreaded word again the motors were on back order.......and they would send me one "soon" so I waited a week and sent them a email asking for a ETA, "we really have no idea" well that's not good because you have had my 1k for months now and I don't have E36 M3.

It was the next day that I received a very nice email from their sales staff asking me if I was still interested in purchasing a QJ because they just happened to have some they could sell and send right out. So I sent that email the customer service rep asking him to please send me one of those motors a few more days went by with no reply, so I took all of my emails and pictures and sent the whole story to every email address I could find at their company. Abracadabra I get a email saying my motor will arrive in 2 days and 3 days later there was the new motor....you guessed it same damage motor fan cover pushed into the fan, this one not so bad. So I decide I am just going to make it work, but again no instructions so I call tech support and the guy says I will send it to you in 2 mins so I wait a hour call back get another tech guy he says ok iam sending them right now...nothing. all the while I am trying to figure out where you are suppose to ad 50 lbs of air, so I call back to tech support you add the air at the valve stems at the of each cylinder, well mine has bolts in it not valve stems....oh I will send you some right out.....I email the customer service rep asking him to send me the manual and ask him about the air "oh your model does not use air!!! he emails me the manual and at the top of each page in bold type "do attempt to assemble or use this jack without first reading and understanding this manual" it says that about 20 times, but you don't send out the manuals???

I had read other threads were the poster advised using thread lock not plumbers tape or you will have ATF squirting out of every orifice. So I used thread lock and assembled the jack the best I could, first it would go up but not come down and blah blah blah.

Here are some tips. 1. purchase 6 quarts of ATF 2. pour the first 3 quarts of ATF fluid on the floor of your garage making sure it is spread evenly across the surface. 3. take another quart and pour it all over the jack and the tools you are using making sure to cover all exposed areas. 4. take another quart and pour it on the top of your head allowing it to run all the way down until at least one of your shoes is full. 5. save the last quart to replace the ATF every time you operate the quick connects the double spoon full of ATF that leaks out every time you do this will mix right in with the first 3 quarts you poured on the floor (see tip #2) 6. have on hand at all time a good towel so you can wipe off what squirts out onto your body and to dry your hands constantly. 7. at all time keep a towel or bucket under the motor and ATF tank.

now I will attach some end result pictures which is what everyone want to know anyway. the qj will raise a 2002 E46 M3 with stock suspension about 18" off the ground. last but not least, I would not purchase a qj unless you have some kind of ATF fetish.

Wow, I was really looking forward to the 5,000-lb Quick Jack. This is very disappointing.

Sweet.

Glad I can cross this off my list.

Dear Lord man. That is some seriously bigtime customer service issues!

And this is why I would have shelled out the extra $400 or so to buy an Atlas EM06 midrise.....

it's a great concept but very poorly engineered with cheap materials and no I will not work under the car with out the Big Lots jack stands. that's a thousand bucks I could have used for mods.

And this is why I would have shelled out the extra $400 or so to buy an Atlas EM06 midrise.....

I had just envisioned having access to the drive line and exhaust......

The wrote:

And this is why I would have shelled out the extra $400 or so to buy an Atlas EM06 midrise.....

I had just envisioned having access to the drive line and exhaust......

You aren't missing out. The EM06 is a serious piece of E36 M3, too.

Took over a month to get your car 18" off the ground, well under 0.5" per day on average! That's not quick!

Seriously these guys berkeleyed up really hard. If I made even one berkeleyup as bad as any of these at work, my boss would be ultra pissed.

Could you could edit that post to include a few paragraphs? It's really hard to read.

Once we're past the customer service issues - how does it work? I got the ATF references. But is it actually useful?

Man that's rough. Sorry dude.

Could you could edit that post to include a few paragraphs? It's really hard to read.

So it is written, so it is done.

But is it actually useful?

honestly I am tired of cleaning up ATF, so when I got it where it is now I have not messed with it anymore, aside from the mess I can see it being useful at home and the track, its just heavy and messy.

Wow, that is some seriously lousy service from what most people consider a big company. Post this to their Facebook page and see what happens.

In reply to Swank Force One:

I meant on build quality.....Jason's lift doesn't look like its about to crush you to death and I didn't notice any leaks last time down.

yamaha wrote: In reply to Swank Force One: I meant on build quality.....Jason's lift doesn't look like its about to crush you to death and I didn't notice any leaks last time down.

We've also replaced all the fittings on it, it walks all around the dam floor, doesnt go high enough, and needs help getting even a 2500lb car off the ground with a jack to start.

It sucks horrendously badly.

Thanks for the paragraphs.

The head guy at Quickjack posts on the Garage Journal board, I remember there was a long thread about it when they were developing it and then subsequently working on larger models. You may want to go over there and look for the thread. He seemed pretty helpful and open for discussion in that thread, but then again I haven't had to go through trying to assemble one.

Yikes. I was also thinking that this might be a good option for me, but you've cured me of that interest.

I've been really really pleased with mine. It wasn't damaged, came with instructions that were not great, but it works wonderfully. I bring it to the track for lemons and it is especially handy. I never spill more than a few drops from the quick releases, and don't really see a better way they could have done that part of it. Never had any other leaks either.

Never had any other leaks either.

did you use thread lock? maybe I screwed it up some how, I would love to stop the leaks.

I'll jump in behind Sonic on this one, since I'm on his LeMons team. I've used it several times at the track and am quite fond of it. Takes a minute or two to make sure you've got it set up right, but it beats the hell out of jack stands. I haven't seen it leak. I'm often the one who loads and/or disassembles it into the truck at the end of the race, and as noted only see literally a drop or two at the quick releases as it comes apart.

Luckily, my new construction house will accomdate a full lift, I'm going with a Max Jax, but if it couldn't I'd be happy with a QJ.

Does it have a mechanical lock? Or is it just using (leaky) hydraulics to hold the car up?

I don't remember if I used any sealant...I probably would have unless the directions said not to.

There are support bars that drop down when fully raised to support the load.

aircooled wrote: Does it have a mechanical lock? Or is it just using (leaky) hydraulics to hold the car up?

It has a mechanical lock. The square tube in the middle of the the frame in the photos locks into a foot position when it's all the way up.

Mine didn't leak for the first 9 months I owned it, and I don't remember using any sealant. It's now started leaking a bit from the quick disconnects, but I suspect I've got a piece of dirt or something stuck in there. It's not the threaded fittings, it's the connection between the two quick disconnects. It also has no problems starting the car upwards (2400 pound Miata), assuming the battery is fully charged. Is yours AC or DC? What size wire are you running to it if DC? I'm using 4 gauge welding cable.

It sounds like the early ones were pretty good, but the quality has dropped. I wonder if they switched suppliers or something?

I was also thinking this would be an answer to my lift without space needs. Hmmm I think I shall wait awhile anyway. Who am I kidding I can't afford it right now anyway. Sorry you had such trouble it is beginning to sound like yours may be defective.

let me know when you do get one we'll have to work out some sort of share arrangement