So today I was planning on doing a 1x3 transmission drain and fill. I was using a jack I borrowed from a friend, just your standard compact pump jack. The Maximum raise height on it was 13inches. Long story short when I jacked up the front of my TL, the jack stands couldn't slide under the car. Car wasn't raised high enough, So my question is I plan on investing in my own floor jack, what maximum lift height should I be looking for? I saw a couple the other day one was I think 16inches and the other 18inches but was low profile floor jack.

 

I'd go with a minimum of 16" as jack stands tend to be around 14" all the way down.

Just remember you can use something to space the jack so you can get more lift. I place a few large bricks under the jack, then jack up my car higher if I need more clearance. Got it up to 30" to do work on the underside.

 

Thanks for the reply, and yeah that's what me and my buddy were doing today put some wood under the jack and even a little block where the jack meets the jacking point. But still wasn't high enough and the jack was slipping a bit it was sketchy, will go to Harbor Freight this weekend and get the low profile jack with 18 inch max height.

 

I had this same problem with the jack I bought... it's a low profile and I think it goes up to 15" or something but I could not get the little jack stands underneath where they're supposed to go... I am guessing one that goes up to 18" should work... I ended up buying ramps instead.

 

Dang what kind of Jack stands are you guys using? The large ones for SUVs? My jack stands at lowest height is 12 inches.

3 Ton Aluminum Jack Stands

I have Arcan XL325 low-profile floor jack that lifts up to almost 22 inches

 

I bet you're using a trolley jack ($30-$70) opposed to a floor jack ($60-$200+).

Trolley jacks don't go high at all. Lift range is 5"-13"?.

I'd get a harbour freight jack, one that has a max lift at least 18".

 

2 ton Low Profile/Long Reach Steel Heavy Duty Floor Jack with Rapid Pump®

The link above is what I have and in the right order I can lift my TL up high enough to drop the subframe.

 

I swear by my Arcan XL35 R I got from Costco for about $100. I'm not a fan of Harbor Freight when it comes to these sorts of things because my friend had an HF jack fail on him once.

 

I got the same jack from the same store for the same price lol.

My damn jack pad is missing though

 

Recently purchased this jack from Sears to replace my old one that failed after 10 years. So far couldn't be happier with it.
Sears.com

 

That thing has a rating of 2 out of 5 based on 100 reviews and costs nearly $180.

You are crazy.

 

Lol, my plan is to the swap it out yearly under their warranty.