Discovery I/II bottle jacks good units?

[zuren]

I'm outfitting a new-to-me 4x4 van and I'm looking into other options for lifting in an emergency. I'm not impressed with the GM scissors jack and have a floor jack for lifting at home. For situations that would be safe to use it, I'm looking at the Disco bottle jacks that have the cradle at the top for the axle:

My question is are these reliable units and is everyone pleased with them? I have seen no other bottle jack with this cradle. I've read in a couple places that they may not be the best made units but I don't want to resign my assessment to what could be the vocal minority.

I would most likely couple this (or some other) bottle jack with a Hi-Lift.

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[Mike_rupp]

I've used mine for the last ten years. The only issue is that I had to refill with oil once. Other than that it has worked without issue.

 

[WoldD90]

I have several, and they all work very well with out any issues.

 

[David Harris]

Yes.

 

[Chazz Layne]

Yep, excellent quality. I forget the name of the manufacturer, but they are the same units sold to professionals under a different name. The cradle is designed to secure in the notch on a Rover's radius arm...

 

[zuren]

Just for clarity, have all of these Disco jacks been the 2-stage with about 7" of collapsed height and 8" of lift (~15" total height lifted)? I know that Land Rover went from the Disco I to II in 1999. I see used jacks listed by range of model years; some overlap both series while other appear to be "specific" to Disco I's or Disco II's when they look the same.

Thanks for the feedback so far!

 

[Scott Brady]

Good units.

Also look at the Super Duty Fords - They have a sweet bottle jack too.

 

[rezdiver]

just for your info, i used one of these jacks for a couple of years. they work great but i got very tired of the effort it took to lift the weight of a rover. i think these ones are rated for 2t, correct?

i had a nice 12t bottle jack (made in china for 40 dollars, but works great. I used a bunch of these for jacking up my house) with i believe 16 inch lift. it is effortless to jack up a heavy truck with the 12t jack and it is only a bit bigger and heavier.

if the cradle is important feature for you, i made one for mine out of a small chunk of steel tube that slips over the top of the piston and welded a 3 inch angle iron piece in a V shape to the top of the notched tubing to cradle an axle.

 

[Dave Legacy]

Mine stopped working, maybe due to long-term exposure to heat under the hood? Why not an aftermarket bottle jack instead?

 

[Lancer]

They are good - but generally expensive - over here I've been quoted about£125 for one (new from the dealer).

A better bet is to get a decent 4t aftermarket one, and (as suggested above) either get a piece of steel tube or a large socket to slip over the top and weld on a "U" piece. Tom Sheppard also had made up for the bottle jack for his G Wagen, a sort of frame to enable him to lift the wheel (similar in concept to the attachment for the Hi Lift) - I believe that there is a photo of it in the GWagen section, and there is one in the Vehicle Dependent Expediton book by Tom Sheppard.

 

[Harald Hansen]

I'm very happy with mine. It's been in use since the Disco was new in 2000, and is used several times a year for tyre changes and whatnot.

 

[Antichrist]

The cradle is designed to secure in the notch on a Rover's radius arm...

Only on the DII. On swivel ball equipped Rovers the jacking point is the axle tube directly below the coil spring.

I'm pretty sure they are all the same. The PN's have been superseded over the years but the current PN is listed as for
Defender, Discovery 1, Range Rover P38, Discovery 2, WOLF.

All that notwithstanding, just getting a decent 6-12t hydraulic bottle jack and attaching a cradle would probably be a cheaper route (and just as good). I wouldn't weld directly to the lift pad, but make something that slips over it and weld a stop on the other side of the cradle so it doesn't slip off.

 

[zuren]

Mine stopped working, maybe due to long-term exposure to heat under the hood? Why not an aftermarket bottle jack instead?

Every aftermarket bottle jack I have seen has the flat-top piston; not the most secure. If I had the welding skills I would build a cradle for the top of one. I hope to take a welding course this spring but wanted something to get me started.

You can find these on eBay from $20 to $120 so I'm not looking into a heavy investment.

 

[JSQ]

The Land Rover bottle jack made by CORVA in Italy is one of the best made items on the truck.