This jack is overkill in the best way.

"for Michigan" (formichigan)
10/14/2016 at 15:52 • Filed to: Mazda3, Wheels, Tires, Winter, Tools

Threw the steelies with Blizzaks on because it’s been consistently below 70° here and the Zeons don’t like cool weather at all. My new Daytona jack made the process so much easier than the old ACDelco O’Reilly’s special. Absolutely worth it.

On a completely unrelated note (absolutely related), I think I’m going to paint my stock wheels gloss black while they’re off the car. Been kicking around options in my head for a while, but seeing it on the steelies definitely pushed me in that direction.

This car is so much comfier on 16" wheels, but nowhere near as stable.

DISCUSSION (27)

MonkeePuzzle > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 15:56

this picture is btter than 99% of those in CL ads for wheels and tyres

Kinja'd!!!

Takuro Spirit > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 15:57

My Nexens have been hating the last few days. Temps in the morning in the 30's and not getting above 6o.

I might throw my snow tires on soon, just so I have SOME grip.

for Michigan > MonkeePuzzle
10/14/2016 at 15:58

Thanks!

I really like the camera on my new Nexus 6P. It takes wonderful pictures for a phone.

Urambo Tauro > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 16:01

Excellent choice! Not just with the jack, but the wheel color, too. Black does a pretty good job of hiding brake dust between washings.

Decay buys too many beaters > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 16:05

I wanted one of the Daytonas so bad! I went out and bought one once I found out about the snap on lawsuit, but unfortunately my stock height FR-S is too low in the rear to make use of the proper jacking point. For the few hours I owned it I was wholly impressed.

for Michigan > Takuro Spirit
10/14/2016 at 16:05

Yeah, I was starting to get random occurrences of excessive understeer, so I figured it was time to make the switch, even though it’s only mid-October. The Coopers seem to be a lot more sensitive to low temps than the Dunlops I had on my Civic.

Overall, I wasn’t very impressed with the Zeon RS3-S. Their minimum operating temp is around 70, they lack launching grip, and I made it down to the wear bars on the fronts in only 5K miles. Will definitely be going with a different summer tire next year.

Takuro Spirit > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 16:09

The Nexen SU1's I have are pretty poor for a summer tire but were cheap and they’re a HELL of a lot better than the all season Yoko Ascends that were on it. They only have a 220 treadwear, but I’ve put.... I dunno, a summer and a half of driving on them between the Camry and the 3 and they’re still above 6 or 7 32nds.

for Michigan > Urambo Tauro
10/14/2016 at 16:09

Thanks! I think it’ll look pretty sharp once the wheels are a different color than the car.

I use low-dust Akebono pads, so I can go about a month between washes before the accumulation is even noticeable and I don’t even have to bother with wheel cleaner because it just washes right off in the touchless wash. They’re pretty awesome.

for Michigan > Takuro Spirit
10/14/2016 at 16:12

Nice. I was really happy with the Dunlop Direzzas I had on my Civic. Much better grip, they have around a 400 treadwear rating, and they’re cheap for summers. They’re at about 20-25K miles now between the Civic and the Miata and I think I’ll get a third summer out of them yet.

for Michigan > Decay buys too many beaters
10/14/2016 at 16:14

Less than 3.5"!? That’s crazy.

I had no issues with my car, but it’s not a sports car, so it has plenty of clearance underneath.

Decay buys too many beaters > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 16:20

Here is the issue, car has about 4" of clearance, but the factory recommended jack points are the front crossmsmber and the diff. You need to jack up the front first, but doing so lowers the rear muffler to the point where I cannot slide the daytona jack all the way back to the diff. I’m really not a fan of jacking up by pinch welds.

The standard low profile harbor freight jack works perfect (it actually touches the muffler)

gin-san - shitpost specialist > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 16:22

I had Blizzaks on my old car, I really want to get a new set, but I’ll need 17s or 18s instead of 14s like before. Much more $$$. Those tires are remarkable, though.

for Michigan > Decay buys too many beaters
10/14/2016 at 16:23

That makes sense. The thing is huge and I could see how it would be difficult to get it under the car.

for Michigan > gin-san - shitpost specialist
10/14/2016 at 16:25

They are. I got caught in a snow storm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in February and my car just powered right through 8" of heavy, wet snow like it was nothing.

Decay buys too many beaters > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 16:26

I mean the standard steel jacks are great quality too, but the Daytona was on another level.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 17:23

Similarly, we had a snow day last year where 50 centimetres fell in one day. After clearing the snow off of my car and some away from the driver’s door so I could open it, I just had to rock it back and forth a couple of times to pack the snow under the tires down, then I just floored it and went home on my normal commute. It actually took less time than usual just because other cars were stuck on other roads; many left earlier in the day or just didn’t go into work at all. It was amusing how the Blizzaks just tore through snow; Bridgestone has got me hooked for life.

DMANbluesfreak > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 17:57

My 3.5" height 4 ton jack doesn’t fit under the pinch welds of my Mazdaspeed3, so it doesn’t take much lower than a standard Mazda 3 to not fit a standard floor jack.

MUGENJIBZ > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 19:53

Man, I used to hate throwing the 16" steelies + WinterMaxx on my WRX because of same loss of stability you describe. The days it actually snows, the setup is wonderful. Every other day? Not so fun.

Also thumbs up from a fellow Ohioan.

Orange Exige > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 21:03

Dipping below 70 and you’re putting on your winters already??!

It’s a bit chilly here in CT for the morning commute, but I’d feel kinda silly (to myself) running my winter tires in 60 degree weather in the afternoon.

I’ll probably switch out come November unless the temps drop a lot more in the next week or two (but please don’t weather gods!). I didn’t realize street summer tires would be that picky about temperature. 70 is pretty dang warm outside...

for Michigan > DMANbluesfreak
10/14/2016 at 22:59

I could see that. It’s a pretty tight fit already.

for Michigan > MUGENJIBZ
10/14/2016 at 23:00

For just cruising, it’s not bad. Great ride. But as soon as you go around a corner, you feel the difference, and it isn’t good.

MUGENJIBZ > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 23:01

Seriously, made me feel like I was disabling my WRX every winter :(

for Michigan > Orange Exige
10/14/2016 at 23:10

It was 50 when I was running errands this morning and my summers didn’t take to it kindly. That’s one of the many things I don’t like about the Cooper Zeon RS3-S I ran this summer; they just don’t do what they’re supposed to under 70 degrees. The Dunlop Direzza DZ102 I ran last year were great down to around 40 or 50, but those were on a different car.

Additionally, they’d become unbalanced (a common issue with the Zeons) and I’d rather just put the winters on early than pay to have the summers rebalanced for two more weeks of use.

for Michigan > MUGENJIBZ
10/14/2016 at 23:11

But then you hit some real snow and you feel like you’re driving an all-terrain beast.

MUGENJIBZ > for Michigan
10/14/2016 at 23:24

True...maybe they just clean the snow up in my area too soon for me to enjoy it :(

atfsgeoff > for Michigan
10/23/2016 at 23:21

I’ve found that I can slide the whole Daytona jack all the way under my vehicles and jack from structural centerpoints that are tucked in too far for my other jacks to reach.

Great time saver for jacking up the entire back end or front end of the car instead of having to do each side at once. Particularly when setting jack stands, which you can do both at once instead of having to precariously balance one corner of the car on a jack stand while moving the jack over to the other side and repeating the process.

for Michigan > atfsgeoff
10/24/2016 at 00:00

I used it that way on my brother’s Miata and it made my life so much easier. The awkward jack/stand dance will not be missed.