Ranger RTJ-1100: A 24 in. Square Footprint That Reaches 72 in. Up
The interesting thing about the RTJ-1100 is the ratio between two numbers. The base measures 24 in. x 24 in. (610 mm x 610 mm) — small enough to live in a corner and to be wheeled between a lift's posts without a shuffle — while the saddle travels from a lowered height of 45 in. (1,143 mm) to a raised height of 72 in. (1,829 mm). Compact where it sits on the floor, tall where it has to work.
That combination is what a transmission jack is really bought for. A gearbox does not come out at a convenient height; it comes out wherever the vehicle happens to be sitting on the lift that day, and a jack that runs out of reach at that height is a jack you end up shimming with wood, which is how transmissions get dropped.
Will It Fit Your Bay?
Measure the height of your lift's runways or arms with a typical vehicle on them, then add the height of the transmission's mounting face above that. The saddle needs to arrive there comfortably inside the 45 in. to 72 in. range with travel left over, because you want to make the final approach slowly and under control, not at the very top of the ram's travel.
On the floor, the 24 in. x 24 in. base determines whether the jack can be positioned squarely under the load or has to be angled in around a post. Check the gap between your lift's posts and any tool cabinets, air lines or drain covers on the route, and remember the jack is pushed loaded on the way back out.
The floor needs to be flat, hard and level: a loaded transmission jack carries a high, heavy mass on swivel casters, and a slope or a lip is where control is lost. There is no power requirement — the RTJ-1100 is hand and foot hydraulics. Confirming clearances and floor condition is the buyer's responsibility.
Confirm the rating before you put a load on it
Published ratings for this jack differ, so both are on this page.
- The product name and marketing describe it as a 1/2 ton capacity transmission jack.
- The specification table gives a lifting capacity of 1,100 lbs (499 kg).
Those are not the same load, and this is a component that hangs over a technician's head. If your heaviest transmission is anywhere near either figure, confirm the rating with us in writing before you order — we will get it straight from Ranger.
Whichever governs, the ordinary rule applies: the rating is for a load centred on the saddle and strapped, not one hanging off an edge.
Check the travel your job actually needs
Published figures for lift height differ too. The product copy describes a full 71 in. of lift; the specification table gives a lowered height of 45 in. and a raised height of 72 in., which is a much smaller amount of travel between the two.
Read the 45 in. and 72 in. figures as the working height envelope — that is what a lowered/raised pair normally means. If the exact travel matters to your application, confirm it with us before you buy, and we will check it against Ranger's current specification sheet.
Foot Pump and Hand Release: Why Both Controls Exist
Pumping is done with a foot pedal, which keeps both hands where they belong: steadying the load and reading the fit of the input shaft into the clutch. Anyone who has run a hand-lever jack while also guiding a gearbox onto its dowels understands why.
Lowering is done with a hand control release valve — deliberately the opposite choice. Coming down needs fine, progressive, immediately reversible control, and a hand on a valve modulates better than a foot ever will. Dual push/pull handles let you steer from either side, on heavy-duty steel swivel casters.
Safety Features That Are Not Decoration
A built-in safety overload valve limits what the hydraulics will do if the jack is asked for more than it should give, protecting against a sudden drop from overload or hydraulic failure rather than merely warning about it. Rugged chain anchors hold the load onto the saddle — a transmission that shifts on an unrestrained saddle is the classic way this job goes wrong, so always strap, even for a short lift.
The hydraulics are sealed against contamination, and the ram is alloy plated. Plating is not cosmetic here: the surface finish is what the seals ride against, so a plated ram is a ram that keeps sealing.
One more point to raise with us: the feature list describes an alloy-plated single-stage ram, while the current marketing copy refers to a two-stage design. Those describe different mechanisms. If the staging matters to you — and it does affect how the lift height is achieved — confirm it with us before ordering.
Perfect For
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Independent repair shops pulling transmissions, transfer cases and differentials as regular work.
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Transmission specialists who need a jack that fits between lift posts all day.
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Fleet and municipal workshops servicing drivetrains on a schedule rather than on failure.
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Restoration shops where the same gearbox comes out and goes back in more than once.
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Well-equipped home garages with a lift and no floor space to spare.
What's in the Box
- RTJ-1100 transmission jack, heavy steel construction
- Foot-operated hydraulic pump and hand control release valve
- Alloy-plated ram
- Extra-wide base with heavy-duty steel swivel casters
- Heavy-duty chain anchors
- Built-in safety overload valve
That is the manufacturer's stated content. Expect some assembly of handles and casters on arrival, as with any jack that ships in a compact carton.
Specifications
| Model |
RTJ-1100 |
| Lifting capacity (spec table) |
1,100 lbs (499 kg) |
| Rated capacity (marketing) |
1/2 ton — see the note above |
| Lowered height |
45 in. (1,143 mm) |
| Raised height |
72 in. (1,829 mm) |
| Lift quoted in current listing |
71 in. — see the note above |
| Base dimensions |
24 in. x 24 in. (610 mm x 610 mm) |
| Shipping weight |
126 lbs (57 kg) |
| Shipping dimensions |
50 in. x 13 in. x 9 in. (1,282 mm x 330 mm x 228 mm) |
Certification, Stated Honestly
Ranger claims no third-party safety listing or approval scheme for this jack in the data we hold, and we are not going to imply one. Say it plainly: equipment that holds a heavy component above a working technician is exactly what written safety policies target, and some insurers, corporate and fleet safety programs, vocational training providers and municipal inspections require independently listed lifting equipment along with inspection records for it. If a standard like that applies to you, read its wording before buying, and ask us if you want help matching it to this machine.
Shipping and Delivery
Shipped as freight within the lower 48 states, at a rate quoted live at checkout. At 126 lbs (57 kg) in a carton 50 in. long this is not a parcel — someone at the delivery address must be able to receive and unload it, or arrange terminal pickup instead. Residential deliveries carry an additional fee, shown before you pay. Warehouse pickup is available at our published pickup locations.
Inspect it before you sign. Note any damage or shifted load on the bill of lading at the moment of delivery and photograph it while the driver is still there. A clean signed bill makes a claim very hard to pursue, and a bent ram is not something to put a transmission on.
Warranty
Ranger publishes its warranty for this product as a downloadable document, and that document — not a retailer's summary — governs, so we quote no term here. Download it from the product page and read the exclusions if warranty length is part of your decision.
If you do need to claim, do not open the hydraulics or disassemble the jack first — self-diagnosis is the most common reason a legitimate claim is refused. Photograph the fault as it is and contact us before anything comes apart.
