Having recently bought a blue Sprinter jack, this morning I set about trying to remove the front N/S wheel whilst the car was parked in our garage. Adopting Stan's advice via his 'My new one' thread in the My Range Rover section, I set the car to off road height, opened the tailgate and put the hazard lights on (don't think any oncoming traffic saw the lights though as the garage door was closed ).

Anyway, I loosened each wheel nut (significantly, intending that I could then unscrew them by hand once the car was fully jacked). I then started to jack the car up. The EAS did not move at all but I didn't realise the Sprinter bottle jack works via a telescopic shaft and so when the first visible stainless shaft section extended to the fullest position, the wheel wasn't off the ground sufficient to actually take the wheel off.

Thinking the jack was duff, I then turned the release valve on the jack too quickly and during that process realised that as the weight of the car lowered back down, the bolts I'd loosened too much meant the wheel starting to turn in. Managed to intervene in time, averting any damage but... More importantly, it made me think that by being 'overly efficient' (not) by loosening the nuts too quickly, I could perhaps have had a major problem if the EAS had not been set or working properly and decided to do its own thing whilst the wheels were literally just hanging there (No adverse issues with Stan's jacking method but I then read the owners handbook).

The owner's handbook (reference the LR scissor jack) advises leaving the EAS in normal height (well ours doesn't say anything actually, so have presumed normal height is the default intended jacking position). The handbook advises, selecting neutral gear followed by selection of the Low Range ratio, followed by applying the Parking/ brake position followed by locking the steering wheel after removing the key from the ignition. So that's the way I've done it for the purpose of using a bottle and/or scissor jack. I've also left the passenger door off the latch as per CTC advice on another thread (making sure I turned all the interior lights off in the car as well).

Tried the Sprinter jack again and found that in fact it has telescopic, progressive shaft sections ... and it happily/ effortlessly jacked the car up sufficiently to enable the wheel to be removed.

But, to me, the Sprinter jack - on a decent flat garage floor - didn't look that stable, the shaft looking like it was leaning a little. Tried the LR supplied scissor jack and - on my garage floor at least - I actually thought it looked more stable than the Sprinter jack. Anyway, the car is currently up on the Sprinter jack and I've positioned the scissor jack under the axle as a fail safe in case the bottle jack moves (don't have axle stand or anything else).

I suppose it's just a confidence thing but has anyone else thought the bottle jack looked questionable on the stability front or am I worrying about nothing?

When I used the Sprinter jack for my flat tyre, I had to reposition it. Using the Park and Park Brake and wheel blocks, I had no issues. But compensating for the angle a bit is necessary to make sure it is straight when the wheel is up and the load is highest. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

actually my 'advice' re the jacking procedure isnt actually mine, its what the chaps at ATS have been told to do when jacking up a range rover and so thats how they did mine..i should have quoted it as 'their' basic jack up procedure and i'll amend my post to say that...

i have jacked mine up whilst in all 3 modes and other than when letting it down it comes down on to its bumps stops a couple of times , i've had no problems..


now thats out of the way, yes the bottle jack is a bit unstable because of the way the range moves when being jacked up...the best and safest way is to use a 3 ton trolley jack but not every one has one of these..
i and many others have used the supplied scissor jack but again the range moves and if you're lucky enough to have enough grunt to turn the handle and the range does rise you'll still have the problem of the range moving..

one note of safety is to use an axle stand at all times.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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All noted thanks.

Stan, I didn't use the access height setting but did use both jacks on normal and on off road settings, in accordance with the ATS experience and also in accordance with the owner's handbook; and both methods on these two settings worked fine with no issues.

Apologies Stan, the post wasn't trying to infer any form of liability on you for your 'advice' re how to jack up the car.

The main purpose of the post was to hopefully enlighten EAS novices not to be over zealous like I was and virtually remove the wheel nuts before raising the car, in case the jacking procedure and/or the EAS go wrong. The purpose was also to query whether others have found their Sprinter shaft maybe leaning a bit and also whether others might have felt the scissor jack was actually fine.

You're spot on about best practice being axle stands and I'll invest in some.

Anyway, job done, the car was up on the bottle jack for near 4 hours and never flinched despite my initial concerns and it does work nice and smoothly, both on the jack and on the lowering mode. It is a solid well made jack, safety precautions always apply and I'll feel much more confident using it next time .

Stan

you use "only" one axle stand?

yes, one for each wheel raised.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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Had all for corners up today using a sprinter bottle jack without any problems,used an axle stand for each wheel raised for security while on the jack working on the car.
If you have a gravel drive as i have use a small plank of wood under the jack to keep it a bit more stable.

Extra reach Clarke 4x4 trolley jack for mine.works a treat, and I do nothing special with the eas. Seems to work ok......

Just cycle the eas through the heights when all 4 wheels are back on.  There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
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I have to say although the bottle jack has a relatively small footprint, It is MUCH more stable than the awful and dangerous scissor jack. (mine bent the third time i used it, even though the car didn't roll forward or back).

You do have to compensate for the arc though, I just put the base of the jack further towards the middle of the car slightly more than looks "normal". By the time the wheel is off the ground it is fine.