Spent the weekend tweaking my homemade transmission jack and now it lifts like a dream

Remember that extra bracing isn't always the first fix. Sometimes the base legs are on uneven concrete, or the hydraulic pump just needs better fluid. I've seen guys add a ton of steel when the real problem was a tiny air bubble in the line or a floor dip. Check the simple stuff before you weld a whole new frame on there.

7

the_christopher7mo ago

Nice! I had to rebuild mine last year when the legs started buckling. Welded some angle iron along the frame and it made a huge difference. Also added a bigger foot pedal to the hydraulic pump so I'm not crawling under there to work it. The thing used to tilt like crazy, but now it's solid. Definitely worth the extra time to get it right.

4

drew8387mo ago

My first transmission jack had a tilt so bad it could double as a carnival ride. I should have taken notes from @the_christopher and reinforced the frame BEFORE testing it with a real transmission. These days I add extra bracing to everything, just in case.

1