Well I bought my first floor jack yesterday from craftsman and I think it is defective. The manual is no help.

I turn the handle clockwise like it says and nothing. The jack does no raise. Am I doing something wrong or is it defective?

 

Usually turning the jack handle clockwise or counter clockwise just "locks" or "unlocks" the height the jack is currently at. You need to pump the handle up and down to get the jack to raise. For example, if you jack is all the way down, you would turn the handle clockwise to lock the jack and then pump the handle to raise it. When you want to let it back down, SLOWLY turn it counter clockwise.

If you meant you turned it clockwise to "lock" it, then pumped the handle and it didn't raise, it might be defective. I remember when I got mine I had to go through their process of getting the air out before it would work.

 

Yup thats what I did. Turned the handle clockwise and pumped, got nothing. So that would mean its defective?

 

some, very few in fact, do not ship with hydrolic oil in the cylinder. sometimes they have a filler cap you have to take off and fill with oil. Double check there is oil in the pump.

 

Ok purging the air worked and now the jack is working. I have a couple questions though, forgive me this is all new to me..

When I jacked up the Jeep under the front pumpkin only the driver side wheel would lift, any idea why?

Also I can't figure out how to position it right under the pumpkin. I thought I had it but as I jacked it up I heard and snap and the pumpkin shifted into a better position on the jack..

Finally when I released the jack it did not come down slow the Jeep slammed down. Thankfully it was only an inch off the ground. Am I doing something wrong? I turned the handle counter clockwise on the jack..

 

i would jack up the jeep by the frame and then place jackstands under the frame... the pumpkin is really not that safe for most cases.

when letting the vehicle down with the jack, you gotta release really slowly (i mean, really slow).

 

Thanks so much. So where is a good spot to jack it up on the frame? Do you jack one side and place a jack stand then do the same for the other side?

 

Thanks so much guys. Figured I would ask rather than get crushed to death. This is my first time with this stuff. If the pumpkin is not a good area to jack what is?

 

Awesome thanks so much. Also I see there is a zerk on the floor jack and a place to replace the oil. What grease should I use for the zerk and how often and also what oil should I use for the jack and how often do I replace that?

 

I don't think you ever have to replace the jack's oil...unless it leaks out. Glad purging the air out made it start working. Like I said, mine did the same and I thought it was defective.