PASSCA air bottle jacks are compact, versatile, and extremely easy to use.

The air-powered lift of an air bottle jack means less manual labor for the operator and quicker lift times.

All of our air bottle jacks are inspected to ensure they meet the rigorous safety standards and reliability that PASSCA products have come to be known for around the world.

An air bottle jack from PASSCA means a sturdy cast iron base, welded construction for leak-free operation, and a unique safety bypass to eliminate the risk of over pumping.

PASSCA takes pride in the high quality of our air bottle jacks, and we source only the best materials and hire the most skilled engineers to produce them

Air Bottle Jacks: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

This FAQ guide will not only teach you about air bottle jack function and capabilities, but it will guide you to the perfect fit for your needs.

Air bottle jacks are a simple yet powerful piece of equipment, so it also helps to understand the basic principles behind their use and inner workings.

By the end of the guide, you will learn essential air bottle jack maintenance and how to troubleshoot simple problems to keep your jack working for a long and productive lifespan.

We add to this guide all the time, so please, send us your question

What is an Air Bottle Jack?

Also known as an air hydraulic bottle jack, these mechanical devices are one type of bottle jack, which features a cylindrical body, a thin neck leading to the top plate, and a hefty bottom for balance.

Like most jacks, air bottle jacks are used to vertically hoist vehicles, equipment, and even structures for positioning and servicing.

Air bottle jacks are set apart by their ability to combine with an air pump to power the lifting, freeing up the operator’s energy and attention for other aspects of their task.

When an air bottle jack is in the down position, its relatively small size allows for it to be stowed in a smaller space than many other types of jacks, even beneath vehicles.

Many commercial trucks for transportation or services carry a bottle jack on the vehicle to save time during required maintenance and emergency tire changes.

Air bottle jacks come in a variety of lifting capacities and sizes, so they can meet the specific needs of the customer while being as compact as possible.

Though air bottle jacks are improved through the use of compressed air, many models have an attachable hand pump, which provides flexibility in their application

How Does an Air Bottle Jack work?

When you use an air bottle jack, you apply air pressure to the hydraulic fluid inside the casing.

This pressure from an air source eliminates your need for manual pumping, using air to provide the lifting power

Is a Bottle Jack Better Than a Floor Jack?

If you need portability, you should choose a bottle jack for its small size compared to its weight capacity.

An air hydraulic floor jack can be more stable than a bottle jack. However, if you have a tight space or need to transport the jack, a bottle jack is the better option.

Many transportation and construction truck drivers keep bottle jacks on their vehicles for emergency use.

It is also much easier to access hard-to-reach jack points using an air bottle jack, thanks to their compact size and long air supply hose

Are Air Bottle Jacks Safe to Use?

Yes, air bottle jacks are safe for you to use in a variety of situations, but they should never be the sole support while working under a vehicle.

You can make any task even safer by pairing your air bottle jack with jack stands.

Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions for any air source you use and the vehicle you are lifting.

Vehicles should always be lifted by the liftingpoint or at the manufacturer’s recommended locations

Can an Air Bottle Jack Be Used Manually?

Yes; though it depends on the model of the air bottle jack.

PASSCA’s air bottle jacks include a pump handle and the ability to manually power the lift.

Depending on the placement of the jack, manually pumping may be impossible for some tasks, which is why air is superior

 Should I Get a Tall Air Bottle Jack or a Low Profile Air Bottle Jack?

PASSCA offers both a 12 ton and a 20 ton low profile air hydraulic bottle jack, for vehicles and equipment with a low clearance from the ground.

Both the low-profile models have a minimum height of 175mm and a maximum height of 335mm, which includes 60mm of adjustment using the extension screw and 100mm of lift.

The regular air hydraulic bottle jack 12 ton capacity, on the other hand, has a minimum height of 250mm and a maximum height of 495mm.  Air bottle jacks have a higher minimum lift height than other styles of jack, so the larger sizes are more suited to high-off-the-ground vehicles like RVs and commercial trucks.

You can use a low-level air jack to lift vehicles with lower ground clearance, like for most passenger vehicles.

Can I Convert Bottle Jack to Air Bottle Jack?

Theoretically, you could convert an existing bottle jack into an air bottle jack, although this would void any warranties on your existing jack and not provide as reliable a tool as a new air bottle jack.

PASSCA uses welded construction for every air actuated bottle jack, which may make modifying one difficult.

What Capacity Air Bottle Jacks Does PASSCA Offer?

PASSCA produces a 5ton air hydraulic bottle jack, a 12 ton air bottle jack, a 20ton air bottle jack, a 30 ton air bottle jack, a 35 ton air bottle jack, and a massive 50ton air hydraulic bottle jack.

The higher the weight capacity, the larger and heavier an air bottle jack will be. Choosing the best fit for your vehicle’s capacity will keep the air bottle jack a reasonable size.

If you are using air bottle jacks to save space and manual pumping time in an auto repair shop, a combination of two jacks might better meet your needs.

We also manufacture alternate, low-profile models in the 12 and 20ton weight capacities to better fit passenger cars.

What are Common Air Bottle Jack Parts?

Different models of air bottle jacks may have different features and parts; if you have a specific question about a particular model, please contact our support team, and they will be happy to help.

For example, the standard 20 ton air hydraulic bottle jack parts include a saddle, extension screw, ram, piston assembly, oil tank, pump assembly, release valve, and the critical air pump assembly.

Let’s go through the role of each of the core parts of an air bottle jack so our design choices make sense, and you gain a basic understanding of how the physics behind the lift is possible.

Saddle:

The saddle is where the equipment or structure being hoisted rests and needs to resist the weight without damaging the lifted item.

Extension Screw:

This piece is right below the saddle and is turned to adjust the height of the saddle in order to lift things with different clearances.

Ram:

The ram is what extends during pressurization or pumping to push the saddle against whatever you are lifting.

Piston Assembly:

Another name for the ram is the piston, and this part of the air bottle jack channels all its power into the ram.

Oil Tank:

The oil tank surrounds the piston assembly, holding hydraulic fluid and air to put force behind the ram.

Pump Assembly:

A pump assembly is loaded with another cylinder and piston combo to let you manually pump up the jack if needed.

Release Valve:

Once your task is complete, you need a way to relieve the jack’s pressure and lower the hoisted vehicle or structure; the release valve does this smoothly and safely.

Air pump  Assembly:

Without an air pump assembly, this would just be a regular hydraulic jack, and you would have to hand pump to get any movement. An air valve assembly comes with every PASSCA air bottle jack, ready to connect to your air source

Does PASSCA Have an Air Bottle Jack on Wheels?

Yes, the PASSCA air bottle jack 50 ton capacity model has wheels to make moving it easier.

The 50 ton jack weighs around 32 kilograms, so wheeling it can help prevent workplace accidents in your garage

Do I Need to Use an Air Compressor with an Air Bottle Jack?

While an air compressor bottle jack can be the most convenient way to use this in a shop, there are other ways to power it.

You can save time by using a truck’s air motor for the bottle jack; you can adapt most large trucks to use their brake air supply to run this jack on the roadside.

The main benefit of an air assist bottle jack is the smooth lift without any of the manual labor of a traditional floor jack, so using an air compressor is best

Troubleshooting: Why is My Air Bottle Jack not Working?

With a PASSCA product, this problem is rare, but we get many inquiries from around the world as a leader in automotive shop equipment.

Start with high-quality equipment so you’ll never be stuck asking yourself, “Why won’t my bottle jack work?”

Here are some common repair and problem questions

 Troubleshooting: How Can I Perform Air Hydraulic Bottle Jack Repair?

The most common maintenance activity for an air bottle jack will be replacing the fluid inside the oil reservoir.

PASSCA jacks use hydraulic fluid feature a filler plug that makes replacing its fluid a quick and easy process.

Troubleshooting: How to Get Air Out of the Bottle Jack?

Getting the air out of a jack is called bleeding the air, and it should be done with a new jack out of the box.

You should also bleed the air out of your air bottle jack once a month to keep it in top condition and ensure it lasts a long time.

Here is the process to bleed your jack:

1. Open the valve and pump ten times.
2. Close the valve and raise the ram until it is fully extended.
3. While extended, pump ten more times.
4. Release the valve again, and lower the ram.
5. Repeat this once or twice more to remove all the air from the jack.

 Troubleshooting: Why Won’t My Bottle Jack Stay Up?

When a jack does not fully extend, moves slowly, or will not stay up, it is likely a leak in the pressure system.

Carefully test your air bottle jack to see if you can find the source of the leak.

Over the long life of a sturdy jack, the O-rings and gaskets will probably wear out long before the jack itself.

You can usually replace O-rings and gaskets to restore contained pressure.

 How Can I Choose the Best Air Bottle Jack for Me?

There are many varieties and functions available, so it can be challenging to pick the ideal air hydraulic bottle jack for sale.

Measure the ground clearance of your vehicle or equipment against the minimum height of our air bottle jacks.

If you need the most compact jack, look at the weight and dimensions of the available models compared to your storage space.

All the specifications can be found in the PASSCA Catalog.

With the knowledge in this FAQ Guide, you are sure to find the best air bottle jack for your needs.

Contact PASSCA Tools now for all your lifting equipment needs