Bumper Jacks

[DGS49]

When I was first driving, every car had a bumper jack. If you got a flat tire (which was a fairly common occurrence, at least with our cars), you pulled out be bumper jack, which had a lip on it to securely attach it to the bumper of the car. The jack used a bit of leverage to facilitate lifting the car with moderate human effort.

Cars had steel FRAMES! The bumpers were bolted or riveted to the frame, so lifting the car was perfectly safe, although rational people wouldn't work underneath a car that was only held up by the bumper jack. (Not everyone was rational).

Can you imagine what damage would be done to a modern car if you tried to lift it by, say a jack attached to the right front bumper?

Are today's cars shit, relatively speaking?

 

[occupied]

When I was first driving, every car had a bumper jack. If you got a flat tire (which was a fairly common occurrence, at least with our cars), you pulled out be bumper jack, which had a lip on it to securely attach it to the bumper of the car. The jack used a bit of leverage to facilitate lifting the car with moderate human effort.

Cars had steel FRAMES! The bumpers were bolted or riveted to the frame, so lifting the car was perfectly safe, although rational people wouldn't work underneath a car that was only held up by the bumper jack. (Not everyone was rational).

Can you imagine what damage would be done to a modern car if you tried to lift it by, say a jack attached to the right front bumper?

Are today's cars shit, relatively speaking?

No. Bumpers are made to absorb impact these days. The old bumpers only made sure you ate the windshield way harder in a crash.

 

[Concerned American]

When I was first driving, every car had a bumper jack. If you got a flat tire (which was a fairly common occurrence, at least with our cars), you pulled out be bumper jack, which had a lip on it to securely attach it to the bumper of the car. The jack used a bit of leverage to facilitate lifting the car with moderate human effort.

Cars had steel FRAMES! The bumpers were bolted or riveted to the frame, so lifting the car was perfectly safe, although rational people wouldn't work underneath a car that was only held up by the bumper jack. (Not everyone was rational).

Can you imagine what damage would be done to a modern car if you tried to lift it by, say a jack attached to the right front bumper?

Are today's cars shit, relatively speaking?

I've used my share of them--had a few cars come off of them as well. I remember well, the first time I saw a scissor jack with a new car--"WTF is this?" LOL, they work pretty well though.

 

[rightwinger]

Are today's cars shit, relatively speaking?

Relatively speaking, today’s cars are MUCH better than those that had steel bumpers

More crash resistant, more survivable, don’t rust, last longer, better mileage, better brakes, steering, exhaust, more features

As per your OP, tires are so good, I don’t remember the last time I changed a tire….

 

[fncceo]

Are today's cars shit, relatively speaking?

Actually, today's cars are much better than the cars of yesteryear.

With regular maintenance, it's not unusual these days for a car with 200,000 miles on it to still be in good shape.

When was the last time you saw someone pulled over with their radiator boiling over on a hot day ... a very common sight in my day.

Overall, there is less steel in cars, but car frames are still made out of steel, a better grade of steel than in years past.

Bumpers are no longer statically bolted to the frame, but attached by impact absorbing devices that transfer less of the impact to the frame, and hence to the passengers surrounded by the frame.

We have padded dashes and airbags instead of steel bludgeons to bang our heads on in a crash. Not to mention safety glass that won't cut you into pieces if you go through it.

Overall, today's vehicles are built to a much higher standard than in days past.

 

[occupied]

I've used my share of them--had a few cars come off of them as well. I remember well, the first time I saw a scissor jack with a new car--"WTF is this?" LOL, they work pretty well though.

Putting a scissor jack under the suspension means you don't have to pick up the car nearly as far. Just a few inches. You had to lift a car nearly two feet from the bumper.

 

[progressive hunter]

When I was first driving, every car had a bumper jack. If you got a flat tire (which was a fairly common occurrence, at least with our cars), you pulled out be bumper jack, which had a lip on it to securely attach it to the bumper of the car. The jack used a bit of leverage to facilitate lifting the car with moderate human effort.

Cars had steel FRAMES! The bumpers were bolted or riveted to the frame, so lifting the car was perfectly safe, although rational people wouldn't work underneath a car that was only held up by the bumper jack. (Not everyone was rational).

Can you imagine what damage would be done to a modern car if you tried to lift it by, say a jack attached to the right front bumper?

Are today's cars shit, relatively speaking?

in the respect youre talking about with bumper jacks the answer is no,, the modern lifting method is far superior as it lifts from a more solid point of the car and is more secure and les apt to fail,,

a bumper jack on an older car where it has rusted or been bent is a death trap and far more likely to fail during the tire changing operation,,

 

[AZrailwhale]

I've used my share of them--had a few cars come off of them as well. I remember well, the first time I saw a scissor jack with a new car--"WTF is this?" LOL, they work pretty well though.

One benefit of a bumper jack is that you could use it top "walk" a stuck car out of trouble. On one occasion I used one to walk my car out of a ditch rather than call for an expensive tow.

 

[AZrailwhale]

Putting a scissor jack under the suspension means you don't have to pick up the car nearly as far. Just a few inches. You had to lift a car nearly two feet from the bumper.

No car I ever had used a scissor jack under the suspension. The jack points were on the "frame" just ahead of the back wheel and just behind the front wheel.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Relatively speaking, today’s cars are MUCH better than those that had steel bumpers

More crash resistant, more survivable, don’t rust, last longer, better mileage, better brakes, steering, exhaust, more features

As per your OP, tires are so good, I don’t remember the last time I changed a tire….

Totaled easier too

 

[Manonthestreet]

When I was first driving, every car had a bumper jack. If you got a flat tire (which was a fairly common occurrence, at least with our cars), you pulled out be bumper jack, which had a lip on it to securely attach it to the bumper of the car. The jack used a bit of leverage to facilitate lifting the car with moderate human effort.

Cars had steel FRAMES! The bumpers were bolted or riveted to the frame, so lifting the car was perfectly safe, although rational people wouldn't work underneath a car that was only held up by the bumper jack. (Not everyone was rational).

Can you imagine what damage would be done to a modern car if you tried to lift it by, say a jack attached to the right front bumper?

Are today's cars shit, relatively speaking?

When I was a kid with my first car, 67 Pontiac Executive tank, I hit the freeway wall going backwards at 60 in the winter. Ended up with scratching to the paint and the rear bumper was folded under ever so slightly on the bottom. Todays cars would explode into a million pieces and go straight to the junk yard.

 

[rightwinger]

Totaled easier too

Also less likely to get in an accident
Better suspension, brakes, steering, they alert you to possible collisions.

 

[occupied]

No car I ever had used a scissor jack under the suspension. The jack points were on the "frame" just ahead of the back wheel and just behind the front wheel.

I'm aware of that but being a hillbilly I am not afraid to crawl under a car. Putting the jack under the back axle or front suspension is way less effort than lifting the car through the entire range of travel of the suspension.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Also less likely to get in an accident
Better suspension, brakes, steering, they alert you to possible collisions.

which isnt the same as avoiding them. More expensive to fix which is why rates continue to climb

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I'll never forget working at a used car dealer as a kid.
I was only 15 and the owner offered me $100 bucks a week to wash do minor repair and maintenance on cars. He also let me test drive em which was the real driving force behind me taking the job.
He asked me to change a flat on an old Cutlass so I went at it. The car was in beautiful condition!
As I was letting the car down off the bumper jack it got away from me and it sent the jack handle flying,of course it landed on the trunk top and put a pretty good dent in it.
I checked to see if anyone saw it happen and tossed the jack back in the trunk and acted like nothing happened.

 

[DGS49]

Here's something to think about. POLICE DEPARTMENTS, when they have a choice, buy rear-wheel-drive cars WITH A FRAME. They have mourned the demise of the Crown Vic since it died.

I hear all that shit about the "crush zone" but the people who depend on those vehicles for their lives....kinda like full-frame cars.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Here's something to think about. POLICE DEPARTMENTS, when they have a choice, buy rear-wheel-drive cars WITH A FRAME. They have mourned the demise of the Crown Vic since it died.

I hear all that shit about the "crush zone" but the people who depend on those vehicles for their lives....kinda like full-frame cars.

Had one, loved it. Had the odd habit though of spitting out a plug now and then

 

[Crepitus]

When I was first driving, every car had a bumper jack. If you got a flat tire (which was a fairly common occurrence, at least with our cars), you pulled out be bumper jack, which had a lip on it to securely attach it to the bumper of the car. The jack used a bit of leverage to facilitate lifting the car with moderate human effort.

Cars had steel FRAMES! The bumpers were bolted or riveted to the frame, so lifting the car was perfectly safe, although rational people wouldn't work underneath a car that was only held up by the bumper jack. (Not everyone was rational).

Can you imagine what damage would be done to a modern car if you tried to lift it by, say a jack attached to the right front bumper?

Are today's cars shit, relatively speaking?

Cars still have steel frames. Bolting big steel bumpers to them turns out not to be the best way to absorb the energy of an impact or support the car while changing a tire. Advances in materials and a better understanding of the physics involved have lead to safer cars.

 

[Crepitus]

Had one, loved it. Had the odd habit though of spitting out a plug now and then

I hate those triton v8s. I had an expedition that did that. After the second time traded it in, and then the next one had a plug break in the head.

No more fords.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Cars still have steel frames. Bolting big steel bumpers to them turns out not to be the best way to absorb the energy of an impact or support the car while changing a tire. Advances in materials and a better understanding of the physics involved have lead to safer cars.

Not really.
They have unibody frames and full frames which are steel channel frames.
Unibody frames suck because once you bend em they're fucked because they affect the whole body as to where a channel frame can be bent but the body parts are still usable.