Car jack speeder

[mklotz]

In the shop, I use the scissor jack from my Toyota Camry for jobs other than its intended purpose. Whenever I use it I'm annoyed by the hokey crank arrangement Toyota supplies for raising and lowering it. Pictured on top right in the photo below, it's a bent steel crank with a hook on the end that engages an eye on the end of the jack screw. It's awkward to use, slips off, and is of a length that requires getting down on the ground to use it.

What's needed is a speeder. A piece of hex aluminum scrap was given a slot so as to fit over the jack eye and a cross-drilled and tapped hole to accept a thumbscrew which locks it onto the eye. An 11/16" socket just fits the hex. With a 3/8" adaptor for my electric screwdriver, spinning the jack screw is just a matter of pushing a button. This lashup is shown in the second picture.

A second benefit, not pictured, is that by using a 24" extension rod on the socket, I can, when using it on the car, operate the jack while standing erect. When you're 75 years old that's a very appealing feature.