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#1
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
Steel wheels aren't as robust as one might suppose. The 3.5-ton Michelin floor jack's steel wheels laid down a thin layer of a white, chalk-like substance which I can only suppose was ground steel extracted from the wheels by the heavy weight of the car as the jack rolled forward on the concrete ground while lifting the car. The substance looked a little like chalk scrawled on a concrete street. I think next time I'll lay a thin piece of wood or particle board down on the floor for the jack to roll forward on as it lifts the car. Using a wooden runway probably isn't keeping with the rules of floor jack operation, but I want the steel wheels to last. |
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#2
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
Built_Well wrote:
> Steel wheels aren't as robust as one might suppose. The 3.5-ton > Michelin floor jack's steel wheels laid down a thin layer of > a white, chalk-like substance which I can only suppose was > ground steel extracted from the wheels by the heavy weight of > the car as the jack rolled forward on the concrete ground while > lifting the car. > > The substance looked a little like chalk scrawled on > a concrete street. > > I think next time I'll lay a thin piece of wood or particle > board down on the floor for the jack to roll forward on as it > lifts the car. > > Using a wooden runway probably isn't keeping with the rules of > floor jack operation, but I want the steel wheels to last. It's the portland cement in the concrete on the surface that is being damaged, not the steel wheels. You can take a metal punch or chisel and scrape it on cement to observe the same on a smaller scale. On a larger scale it does the same when you drive a dozer on concrete. The tracks scrape the surface quite badly leaving the white marks, especially when turning. Your thought to protect it is a good plan. I don't have to do it often but I use sheets of particle board when working on tracked equipment rolling on a concrete floor that is six inches thick and reinforced. A couple of times can ruin the boards but the floor surface is saved for the most part. Even a small Cat dozer can weigh twelve tons. |
#3
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
>...chalk-like substance which I can only suppose was ground steel extracted from the wheels<
It's not steel from the wheels. Its concrete dust/marks in the concrete from the weight on the steel wheels. That's usually a sign of a weak mix or old concrete. We always called a weak mix a "barn yard" mix, meaning there wasn't as much "cement" in the mix, which made it weaker/cheaper, but was fine for a barn yard pour. Not allot of weight going to be on it. Was manly for ease of cleaning the barn yard. |
#4
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
Ph@tBoy wrote: > > It's the portland cement in the concrete on the surface that > is being damaged, not the steel wheels. ======== That's great news! Better the parking garage's concrete floor than the Michelin's wheels :-) I love this floor jack but it's a bear to lug around: 90 pounds to lift it in and out of the car's trunk. (My apartment building's contract doesn't allow working on the car in the building's parking lot :-( It wouldn't be so bad lifting up the jack, but there isn't a good place to grip it near the casters. Plus during the summer, I usually stop weight-lifting and begin running, so my biceps and triceps aren't what they were 6 months ago when I last lifted the jack. It was easy to lift then, but much harder now. If you need a good, reliable floor jack, Sam's Club is selling the Michelin for $65--best cheap one I've seen anywhere. |
#5
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
On Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:07:40 -0400, "Ph@Boy" > wrote:
>Built_Well wrote: >> Steel wheels aren't as robust as one might suppose. The 3.5-ton >> Michelin floor jack's steel wheels laid down a thin layer of >> a white, chalk-like substance which I can only suppose was >> ground steel extracted from the wheels by the heavy weight of >> the car as the jack rolled forward on the concrete ground while >> lifting the car. >> >> The substance looked a little like chalk scrawled on >> a concrete street. >> >> I think next time I'll lay a thin piece of wood or particle >> board down on the floor for the jack to roll forward on as it >> lifts the car. >> >> Using a wooden runway probably isn't keeping with the rules of >> floor jack operation, but I want the steel wheels to last. >It's the portland cement in the concrete on the surface that is being >damaged, not the steel wheels. > >You can take a metal punch or chisel and scrape it on cement to observe >the same on a smaller scale. > >On a larger scale it does the same when you drive a dozer on concrete. >The tracks scrape the surface quite badly leaving the white marks, >especially when turning. > >Your thought to protect it is a good plan. I don't have to do it often >but I use sheets of particle board when working on tracked equipment >rolling on a concrete floor that is six inches thick and reinforced. A >couple of times can ruin the boards but the floor surface is saved for >the most part. Even a small Cat dozer can weigh twelve tons. Trying to protect the concrete is an unsafe idea. The reason why these jacks use steel wheels is so they will roll easily on concrete. When you jack up a car, the jack has to move to compensate for the shifting lift saddle. Placing a piece of wood under the jack's wheels will increase the friction to the point where it's moving, or trying to move, the car instead of the jack. You could end up with a very unstable lift that could damage the jack, the car or you. Although the powder is very noticeable, brush it away and try to feel any groove the wheels have cut in the concrete. You won't be able to find any, it really doesn't do any great amount of damage to the concrete. Jack |
#6
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
On Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:17:33 -0700 (PDT), idbwill >
wrote: >>...chalk-like substance which I can only suppose was ground steel extracted from the wheels< > >It's not steel from the wheels. Its concrete dust/marks in the >concrete from the weight on the steel wheels. That's usually a sign of >a weak mix or old concrete. We always called a weak mix a "barn yard" >mix, meaning there wasn't as much "cement" in the mix, which made it >weaker/cheaper, but was fine for a barn yard pour. Not allot of weight >going to be on it. Was manly for ease of cleaning the barn yard. Have you ever seen any figures on the amount of stress a hoofed animal places on concrete. Believe me when I say that a 1000 pound cow will stress a concrete floor more than a 4 ton tractor. No one wants to put down a concrete floor more than once. So the mix isn't short on Portland cement on purpose. The amount of money saved is not very great and the durability of the finished floor is much reduced. Your "barn yard mix" comes from the fact that most of these older concrete floors were mixed in a small batch mixer. You measured the amount of sand, gravel and cement by the shovel full, not weight. The amount of water is measured by eye and supplied by a garden hose. So the proportions are an estimate at best. Add that to the fact that these floors have been subjected to 75 to 100 years of acid leaching by animal urine and fecal matter and you have concrete that isn't at it's best. Jack |
#7
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
Well, I guess if wood or particle board might hamper the forward movement of the jack, perhaps because of a warp in the board, how about just laying a piece of double-corrugated cardboard down? |
#8
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
"Built_Well" > wrote in message ... > > Well, I guess if wood or particle board might hamper the forward > movement of the jack, perhaps because of a warp in the board, how > about just laying a piece of double-corrugated cardboard down? As several others have pointed out, the white marks are from the concrete, not the jack's wheels. Concrete is the most stable surface for using a rolling floor jack, and putting anything under the jack would reduce the stability. I have been using a rolling jack for 40 years and still cannot see any permanent visible marks on any of my garage floors. Since you are not working in your own garage anyway, I'd skip the cardboard, particle board, steel plates, or anything else and just sweep the dust away when done. -- Ray O (correct punctuation to reply) |
#9
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
Built_Well > wrote in article >... > --best cheap one I've seen > anywhere. > Now, THERE's a classic oxymoron....... |
#10
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A floor jack's STEEL WHEELS
Ray O wrote:
> "Built_Well" > wrote in message > ... >> Well, I guess if wood or particle board might hamper the forward >> movement of the jack, perhaps because of a warp in the board, how >> about just laying a piece of double-corrugated cardboard down? > > As several others have pointed out, the white marks are from the concrete, > not the jack's wheels. > > Concrete is the most stable surface for using a rolling floor jack, and > putting anything under the jack would reduce the stability. I have been > using a rolling jack for 40 years and still cannot see any permanent visible > marks on any of my garage floors. Since you are not working in your own > garage anyway, I'd skip the cardboard, particle board, steel plates, or > anything else and just sweep the dust away when done. And I'm wondering if you leave the jack in the trunk all the time? If so what about the extra amount of gasoline used hauling a 90lb jack around in the trunk. The auto manufactures spend millions getting 90lb off the weight of a car. |
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