Thread: put a hard point on a small bolt ?

Forgot to add Craft disease here [cant remember any thing'] its like climbing a rope those jacks but solid one grips the other releases bottom one bites allowing the upper to slip up then grip then the bottom does the slip up for the next lever stroke. John.

Originally Posted by nearnexus

One of the most intriguing locking systems I've seen (and owned) was the double knuckle system that old air cooled VW's used on their car jack.

How that system locked onto a round piece of smooth steel pipe and held the weight of the car was quite amazing.

Anyone that's ever had a vee dub beetle and seen the jack will know exactly what I mean.

Rob

those VW jacks sound interesting ,I dont kink I,v ever seen one .anyone got a link to them ?

From Google images: From memory, the top lever lifts and the bottom lever lowers it.

Genius whoever thought it out - one of Hilter's secret weapons.

beetle jack2.jpgbeetle jack.jpg

Originally Posted by nearnexus

Yes, the shaft got in the way.

Using one as a porta power would be interesting.

Getting back to the pointy tip question, if you want to go this way maybe you would be better off putting a hard bronze tip (brazing rod) on the bolt end.

This would not gouge the metal it's screwing against, yet is very hard and durable.

Rob

NO! The running board got in the way LOL. It flexed so much that the door would not move at all. He still managed to get quite a few of the fairer sex into the back seat. Hang on! He had taken the seats out lol.

Dean

Originally Posted by nearnexus

From Google images: From memory, the top lever lifts and the bottom lever lowers it.

Genius whoever thought it out - one of Hilter's secret weapons.

beetle jack2.jpgbeetle jack.jpg

Quote from an old work mate using a German accent "iff ve cannot vin de war den ve vill tek over the world car market.

True story.

Dean

Back to the original question for a moment,

I've previously centre drilled the end of a bolt and pressed in a ball bearing for this purpose.

Ball can be retained with an interference fit or peening it in with a centre punch.

Back off topic again,

The really unfathomable thing with those VW jacks is that they eventually gum up and don't work properly, the cure is to oil them!

Originally Posted by P J

Back to the original question for a moment,

The really unfathomable thing with those VW jacks is that they eventually gum up and don't work properly, the cure is to oil them!

I never really trusted them (or any jack) because even though they wouldn't slip (I think the more weight you put on them the harder they gripped) they had a nasty habit of tilting off of vertical in the flimsy tin tube they fitted into with the car.

They also had this not very big round base that encouraged the tilting action.

I suppose you could say that the jacks were about as good as the brakes.

Unsafe at any speed.

Rob