Pump it up: Titan Air Jack blows itself up with exhaust
If you've ever had the need to raise one side of your car, truck, RV or trailer a couple feet off the ground, the Titan Exhaust Air Jack is there to give you a lift. Quite simply, the jack is nothing more than a heavy-duty balloon inflated by the exhaust gas of your own vehicle. Once the deflated bag is placed under the vehicle, the Air Jack's inflation hose is connected to the vehicle's exhaust pipe. The engine is started and hot gasses are forced into the bag until the woven PVC-coated polyester bag lifts a vehicle a full 30 inches off the ground, which is plenty of height to get the wheels off the ground for most vehicles. With prices starting around $120, the device offers several advantages over traditional jacks. First, it can be used on soft surfaces (mud, sand, or snow) where other jacks just don't work. Second, it easily lifts one whole side of the vehicle at once, saving tons of time. Best of all, the low pressure bag doesn't require placement on normal jacking points so you more freedom to lift where you want and then place jack stands exactly where you need them. The military and emergency services have apparently been using jacks of this type for years, so the idea isn't just full of hot air.
[Source: CNET News via Crave Asia, Photo by Crave Asia]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
aman 7:32PM (9/02/2008)
Oy. Gas isn't cheap anymore. I'd rather use that gasoline actually propelling my car and suffer using a jack to get my car up.
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ambientFLIER 8:44PM (9/02/2008)
Lol, you'd rather save 10 cents worth of gas and bust your ass lifting a car in the sand or mud?
thomas 8:59PM (9/02/2008)
you must not get dressed up for work...
Tinu 9:20PM (9/02/2008)
I would hate to see this "bubble" burst. Hehe.
Randy 9:24PM (9/02/2008)
Bubble burst? No kidding, anyone know how it handles heat from an exhaust system? (i.e. front pipe)
pmiddle5 7:37PM (9/02/2008)
As an Industrial Design major Iam pissed off this wasnt my idea.
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PiCASSO 9:06PM (9/02/2008)
I'm also pissed off that you stopped using punctuation.
Nellydesign 9:34AM (9/03/2008)
How do you even get a tight enough seal on your exhaust pipe? What if the pipe has a rust hole? The pressure levels needed to get the thing to lift a car seem exessive considering you're connecting it to a non-standard exhaust tip.
Eric 7:41PM (9/02/2008)
I'd be a little concerned about the pressure created in the exhaust system. When you crimp your exhaust your car doesn't run very well! As the exhaust gases aren't exiting the cylinders very efficiently.
I could also see it blowing out gaskets or anything else that might not be brand new.
Interesting idea though.
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Eric 7:49PM (9/02/2008)
Having a look at the site:
"The maximum air pressure needed to lift up you vehicle is as little as 0.7 atmospheric pressure."
Which is about 10 psi. I could see that causing some problems in the exhaust system.
CarbonBlack 2:22AM (9/03/2008)
I suppose a one way valve would also help
spots 7:42PM (9/02/2008)
Nothing new- similar jacks were advertised in JC Whitney's catalog back in the 70's. Shrug.
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Lee 8:36PM (9/02/2008)
Yup, these things have been around for a very LONG time.
CarlosMC 9:43PM (9/02/2008)
+1
Was about to say the same
Student Driver 1:59AM (9/03/2008)
Ditto, again. I remember the commercial with a lady "jacking" up her car while on an incline using something similar. I didn't know if there was some sort of lawsuit that made these go away, but it's cool that they're back. Unless, of course, there was some massive flaw and we'll have more lawsuits over this one.
moa 5:04AM (9/03/2008)
+1
really old news. those things are available for years.
Holden 10:24AM (9/03/2008)
For some reason I feel the need to also say that these have been round for years. The olds used to have one when they went 4x4ing.
Big Rocket 7:57PM (9/02/2008)
Nice way of jacking off the ground with your balls.
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BlackEmblem 8:55PM (9/02/2008)
Well played, sir.
Hank 8:39PM (9/02/2008)
is it possible to inflate this pump using just like a regular air compressor? I'd think so right?
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