However, if you are willing to sacrifice a little pain (figuratively speaking), you can achieve a great gain by performing this type of work yourself. You stand to save a lot of money if you remove your transmission yourself and then take it to a mechanic that services it as opposed to paying the mechanic for the many hours of labor. How much money can you save you ask? Well depending on the type of car, removing a transmission can cost upwards of 1000 bucks. The cost of paying a mechanic is much higher than the cost of the tools to do the job properly.
When it comes to sourcing the proper tools to remove and reinstall your transmission, the fortunate news is that the tools are relatively cheap and make this job much less time consuming. The most difficult task when removing and reintalling your transmission, whether it’s an automatic or a manual, is the physical act of lowering it from the car safely during removal and raising it safely into position during reinstall. The tool that makes both of these operations significantly easier is none other than the transmission jack.
Transmission Jack Comparison
If you already know about transmission jacks, we have compiled a quick recommendations chart below just for you to save you some time. If you just need a quick recommendation, you can pick on off this chart with confidence. If not, skip ahead and read on for a more in depth look at what makes a good transmission jack.
Name | Price | Rating |
---|---|---|
![]() OTC Low Lift Transmission Jack | $$$$ | 4.7 |
![]() Grizzly Transmission Jack | $$$ | 4.5 |
![]() Powerbuilt Triple Lift Jack | $ | 4.0 |
![]() Torin 1000lb Roll Under Transmission Jack | $$ | 4.0 |
![]() Torin Half Ton Pedestal Transmission Jack | $ | 3.5 |
What Is A Transmission Jack?
A transmission jack is a hydraulic device that is designed to support, raise, and lower a transmission once it has been disconnected from a vehicle. A transmission jack typically consists of a stage that the transmission can be rested on or mounted to. This stage is usually mounted above a hydraulic cylinder which is actuated by the user via an extended hand lever. At the bottom, a transmission jack typically has a small frame with casters so that the jack is mobile and can be easily repositioned. Transmission jacks vary in height and range from very low profile for home garage use to very tall which is more ideal for auto shop use where there is a dedicated car lift.
While most tranny jacks are designed to be solely dedicated to this purpose, it is not uncommon to see transmission jack adapters that are designed to convert a normal floor jack into one suited for transmissions. These adapters are typically cheaper and essentially consist of a stage and a way to attach it to your floor jack. It should be noted that you will already need to have a decent floor jack to be able to make use of this type of adapter.
Finally, it’s important to note that this type of jack is not limited solely to transmissions. They also make great tools when it comes to removing subframes, differentials, drive shafts, and other heavy under-car components.
Transmission Jack Safety
When it comes to working on your car, you need to regard your safety with the utmost importance. Even one mistake or oversight can cost you your health in the form of an injury or even your life. Working on transmissions is serious business that requires a particularly high amount of care as you are working underneath your car. Below are some basic safety tips to keep in mind when working on transmissions or any other driveline components.
1. Always make sure your car is completely supported before climbing under.
This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people get this simple step wrong. First, never trust a jack alone to support your car as they are prone to failure. When working underneath your car, make sure you have one jack stand per wheel that doesn’t touch the ground. You can read more about jack stands here if you are unfamiliar. You should also use wheel chocks at a minimum on at least one wheel that’s touching the ground to ensure your car doesn’t roll (unless you have all four wheels lifted off the ground). Prior to climbing under your car, give it a shake to make sure your setup is sturdy. Doing this will cause your car to fall if it’s not sturdy, but at least it won’t fall on top of you.
2. Never try to lift your transmission or differential out of your car manually.
It may seem easy enough to bench press a 200 pound transmission once you’ve decoupled it from your engine, but the reality is that these components are heavy with weight that is not distributed evenly. In other words, they are awkward to hold and easy to drop since they are not so easy to balance when you are holding them. In addition to the fact that they are awkward, trying to manipulate them under your car in confined space often times places your body right under these components leaving little or no room to get out of the way if something goes awry. Using proper equipment will avoid any potential for dropping a transmission or differential on your head.
3. Inspect your tools prior to use.
It’s easy to overlook the fact that hydraulic tools are wear items when you are in a hurry to get an automotive repair done. Nonetheless, doing so is crucial to your safety. Make sure to inspect the hydraulic cylinders in your jacks. If you see any leaks, it’s time to replace the tool or have it rebuilt. Additionally, if you are using an adapter on a normal floor jack, inspect this connection to make sure everything is installed correctly and fully secured.
What to Consider When Buying A Transmission Jack
There are a few considerations that you must take when buying a jack for your transmission. While the weight of your transmission may seem like a large issue, even the lightest duty transmission jacks can support the vast majority of transmissions. Unless you know you have an especially heavy tranny, most any jack will achieve your desired weight capacity. More important is build quality. Unfortunately we aren’t all material scientists who carry a Rockwell hardness tester in our back pockets. As such, we aren’t going to be able to verify the alloy of aluminum or steel used to construct the device, nor will we be able to confirm that the heat treat on the critical parts is correct. Fear not though, because the fit and finish are typically good indicators of the build quality of the rest of the tool. The best transmission jacks are going to have a crack and flake free finish. They will also typically have very clean and even welds. If you don’t have the ability to put your hands on a potential purchase, you can also rely on the reviews from experts who have already done the work for you, such as the reviews we have posted below. A final consideration is the height of your car when you work on it. If you have a professional shop lift you’ll need a tall transmission jack whereas if you put your car on a set of jack stands when you work, you’ll need to find something with a lower profile.
Reviews of the Top Transmission Jacks and Adapters
Now that you know the basics, it’s time to get into the reviews. Below you’ll find reviews of some of our favorite offerings and exactly why we like them.
Wilmar Transmission Adapter
Powerbuilt Triple Lift Jack
Torin 1/2 Ton Pedestal Transmission Jack
Grizzly 1250 Lb Low Profile Transmission Jack
Conclusion
Congratulations on making it through this guide! You are now an expert and should have no trouble finding the best transmission jack to suit your needs. While the ones we have chosen above are all outstanding, remember that there are many other great offerings out there too that we just didn’t have room for. Feel free to check more transmission jack options out by clicking here. Thanks for reading and happy wrenching!