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Thread: Is the included tire jack good enough?

  1. #11
    Senior Member stevedmc's Avatar
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    I'll admit, I'm guilty of not checking my spare tire often. I probably check it once or twice a year. As far as I can remember, it's never had a significant drop in pressure but it can happen.

    If tires went flat after just a few days as you say, we would have to fill up our regular tires with air every time we stopped for gas.

    I keep saying call AAA because some people don't know how to install a spare. Put the jack in the wrong place and you are going to have a really bad day.



  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by fc321 View Post
    Why do you keep mentioning AAA? I was asking about whether the jack is good enough to use on a flat tire and if I can leave my hydraulic jack at home.
    If used properly, I can't imagine having any problems with the jack provided. The Mirage is not a heavy car. I've used similar style jacks on heavier vehicles without issues. Providing consumers with a faulty jack would seem like a lawsuit just waiting to happen.

    Since I have a floor jack in my garage, I've used that to rotate tires. Thus, I haven't messed with the Mirage jack. Your question about the jack is valid, but I wouldn't be overly concerned. If someone has experienced a failure in the Mirage car jack department, we would all want to know!

    These small car jacks work best on flat, cement surfaces. I surely wouldn't use one to crawl under a car. Then again that shouldn't be done with any type of jack. I wouldn't be overly concerned about using it to change a tire.

  3. #13
    Senior Member IchabodCrane's Avatar
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    I use the Mirage jack in my gravel driveway to swap summer/winter tires and to do rotations. The jack works great. It's pretty efficient and stable too since it "locks in" to it's designated spot on pinch weld seam.
    As for the short tire wrench, it's sturdy enough to jump on if the lug nuts are too tight.
    Will weld for beer.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 45.3 mpg (US) ... 19.3 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.5 mpg (Imp)


  4. #14
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    I use mine once or twice a year...at least...for roadside tire changes. Also, I usually use it when doing brake work (since I am not working under the car).

    It works fine, if you know where it is and how it works. Honestly, it is really no more difficult or less intuitive than any other OEM jack I have used. Pretty standard scissor jack. The only truly odd thing about it is where it's stored in the car.

    If the people driving the car are in need of a lesson on jack use, it might be a good idea to get that out of the way before a tire change is necessary. That is what I did with my ex-girlfriend when she got her Mirage, and she successfully used hers on at least one occasion.
    Last edited by Cobrajet; 05-24-2018 at 10:58 AM.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to Cobrajet For This Useful Post:

    Fummins (05-24-2018)

  6. #15
    Junior Member FrugalDriver's Avatar
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    Question Has anybody used the jack on rusted Mirages?

    I live in upstate NY, and I am unable to own a car beyond 15 years of age because the body rusts to the point where my foot will go through the floor. I have, 2 weeks ago, bought a used Mirage, and admittedly, have not located the jacking points/spots. If they are in line with and between the tires and below the doors, then that area (might be called the rocker panel), with time and age, weakens with rusting, and in the cars that I have owned in the past, the jack bends the metal, and subsequently goes through the rusted sheet metal, instead of raising the side of the car, rendering the jack useless.

    I have used the scissor jacks for many years on my cars, until the jacks go through the metal and no longer raise the car. So to confirm to the OP, your jack is effective; use it, if needed. Once the sheet metal rusts, I have to find jacking points underneath the car that will safely support its weight, when I raise it with a screw or hydraulic jack. Then, on long distance journeys away from home, I take the screw jack along, and take the unusable scissor jack out of the car permanently.

    Hope this helps.
    2017 Mirage ES
    27k miles
    CVT tranny
    Bought used in 2018
    165 65 14 Dunlop Enasave tires

  7. #16
    Senior Member fc321's Avatar
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    Thanks guys, that is very helpful. I took out the hydraulic floor jack and also the cross style lug wrench I had been carrying around also.

    I have never used a scissor-jack or OEM jack before (I just assumed they where garbage) and on alot of used cars the scissor-jack is not even there!
    2015 Mirage DE 5 speed Manual - 30k miles

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 44.9 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


  8. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    Short answer: yes it's good enough. If you're expecting a trunk monkey to change it for you then you'll be sadly disappointed.

    It's better than a can of fix a flat and a compressor than many cars come with instead of a spare. Try using that when you hit a pothole that bends the wheel so bad you lose all air.

    Sadly I think you're right most people probably couldn't change a tire themselves. And....... as I type this one of our cars has a flat on the highway..... I guess I'll report back tomorrow if the driver is able to figure it out cause they're on their own, I'm going home in 20 mins.
    Well, the driver figured out how to change it quick enough. I don't think the airbag light recall was completed on this car yet since the airbag light is now on. The guy was driving at 60mph and hit something on the highway, the outer lip of the wheel looks like an octagon.
    Mirage videos:

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  9. #18
    Senior Member highwire's Avatar
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    Hi, I recently bought a $20 4-ton bottle jack with a minimum lifting height of 7" 1/2." I read that bottle jacks are usually too tall for cars and work with trucks and SUVs. But this one appears to fit under the side. I bought it so the included Jack in the Mirage wouldn't be overused for regular wheel rotations, and oil changes, etc. On page 9-3 of the manual, it shows where the garage jacking points are, and I think these would be better than the side points.

    But would a bottle jack be useful for these points? I do not know if it is low profile enough, but it does fit under the side. Since this thread mentions rusting side points that can bend the frame. I would prefer the central jacking points. Also the bottle jack handle is only a little over a foot long so it doesn't appear to be easily pumped without getting under the car, so it doesn't seem practical to use there. I haven't gotten under the car to check if it will fit the central points, but when I last checked the middle of the car appears to be lower than the the side.

    Update: I checked the middle jacking points The back and front central points appear to have enough headroom to fit, but the side jacking points also appear to be strong enough to lift. On first check I thought it was the plastic flat part, but then I found the metal toothed groove. The back fit perfectly, with less than a few milimeters to slide under. The front side points did not fit as they were a bit lower, although I was in a parking lot: any possible slight downard incline (with parking brake on) seemed to be why it would not fit, or is purposefully lower than the back points .I think that could be solved by driving the front tires only on light cardboard just 1/2" which is all it needs, to raise the front enough to fit the bottle jack under. I have Jack stands.

    This is the bottle jack I bought: https://www.amazon.com/Strongway-Hyd...dp/B00UAOL05U/

    Some of the other ones were only two ton, so I felt it was more secure, even though it's only lifting 0.5 tons per side. Plus it could be used for lifting other things. I hadn't realized it is using 1/8th of its lifting capacity. Perhaps that will let the jack wear slower...

    I also didn't realize that using the parking brake even on flat surfaces preserves the pawl from corroding and wearing:
    https://instamotor.com/blog/the-grea...g-brake-debate I am not sure if anyone has had a pawl that broke, but but I never remember that from driver's education. I will use that all the time now:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkin...ecommendations

  10. #19
    I use the factory jacks to lift at the rockers where the jack points are. When I use a floor jack I lift further towards the inside of the car on the "frame rail" just forward of those plastic trays. Jack there and you can lift the entire side of the car up. Might work ok like that with a bottle jack, smaftey third.
    Mirage videos:

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  11. The Following User Says Thank You to Fummins For This Useful Post:

    highwire (06-25-2020)

  12. #20
    As far as the parking pawl corroding, that's a load of ****. It is good habit to use the park break though, in a standard obviously but in an auto to. Just to keep everything moving. I always see e-brake cable seized from not being used. I use mine, but would sleep perfectly fine if I didn't ever use it. Not a big deal, you will not damage your transmission. Unless you park on fairly steep hills don't worry about it. If parking on Ice, use it. I've had more than one vehicle slide down my driveway while I was sleeping. Without the ebrake on, only one wheel was holding the vehicle in place. If you drag your car in park with a chain, one wheel will spin in the direction of travel and the other will spin the opposite direction. I've done it.


    Mirage videos:

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


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