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Well now, let me tell ya somethin’ about these car liftin’ machines, or whatever them fancy folks call ’em. You know, the things that get your car up in the air so you can poke around underneath.

What are these contraptions, anyway?

First off, there’s all sorts of ’em. Some are like them little jacks you see on the side of the road when someone’s got a flat tire. Them’s the small ones, ya know? Easy to carry around, but they don’t lift your car up too high. Then you got them bigger ones, the ones they use in them garages. Them’s the ones I’m talkin’ about mostly.

Them big ones, they call ’em floor jacks or garage jacks sometimes. They got wheels on ’em so you can roll ’em around, and a long handle you pump up and down to make the car go up. It’s like magic, but with oil and stuff, I reckon. And then there’s them fancy ones, like elevators for your car! Can you believe it? Lifts your whole car up to different floors in a buildin’. Must be for rich folks, I tell ya.

Why do you need one?

Well, if you’re like me and your car’s always makin’ funny noises, you need one of these things. Or, you gotta pay someone else a whole lotta money to fix it. With a liftin’ machine, you can get under there and see what’s what. Maybe it’s just a loose wire, or maybe somethin’s about to fall off. Either way, it’s good to know.

• Change a tire, that’s the first thing. Can’t do that without liftin’ the car up.
• Fix somethin’ that’s broken underneath. Cars break down, ya know? It’s just a fact of life.
• Look around to see if somethin’s wrong. Sometimes you just gotta take a peek and make sure everything’s alright.
• Change the oil. Gotta do that every now and then, or your engine will go kaput.

Different kinds of car liftin’ machines

Like I said, there’s all sorts. You got your basic jack, then you got your hydraulic lifts. Them hydraulic ones are the powerful ones. They use some kind of liquid stuff to push the car up. Strong as an ox, them things are. And then there are them two-post lifts you see in garages. They got two big arms that lift the car up by the frame. Look kinda scary to me, but they say it’s safe.

How to use one safely

Now, listen here, ’cause this is important. These things can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doin’. You gotta be careful or you could get hurt real bad. Or worse!

Here’s a few things to remember:

• Always read the instructions. I know, nobody likes readin’ instructions, but trust me on this one.
• Make sure the car is on a level surface. You don’t want it rollin’ off while you’re under it, now do ya?
• Use jack stands. Don’t just rely on the jack to hold the car up. Them jack stands are like extra safety, just in case.
• Don’t get under the car unless it’s stable. Give it a good shake before you crawl underneath. Make sure it ain’t goin’ nowhere.

Where to get one

You can get them little jacks at any auto parts store, or even online. Them bigger ones, you might have to go to a specialty store, or maybe find a used one somewhere. Just make sure it’s in good shape before you buy it. You don’t want somethin’ that’s gonna break down on ya.

So there ya have it. Everything you ever wanted to know about car liftin’ machines, and then some. Now go on and get yourself one, but be careful out there, ya hear?

Tags: Car Lift, Car Jack, Hydraulic Lift, Garage Jack, Vehicle Lift, Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, DIY, Safety