Strongway 5-Ton Screw Jack

The height is 9 1/2 inches when fully screwed down (minimum height), and 13 5/8 inches when fully extended (a tab prevents over extension). Under load, the maximum will be about 3/16" less; because the lifting surface's waffle texture is pressing against the softer material of your blocking

To be honest, any type of grease would suffice—lard, crisco, molybdenum lithium grease, Red and Tacky, Fluid Film, etc. It wouldn't make a difference in this case. I should mention that I've had these jacks—and a 15-ton version of the same brand—for years and haven't needed to add any more grease than the manufacturer provided. I should point out that I don't let them get wet, and I do use Boeshield T-Shirts to wipe down the bodies. 9 (as I do with all of my ferrous tools) to keep them from corroding. Cheers.

The jack does not come with a handle bar. 9/16" is the diameter of the turning bar hole.

The screw extends or retracts by 1/4" for every full turn of the screw. How far does the screw have to be extended for your goal, and how quickly can you physically turn something 2" wide through a full circle? I've been using these jacks for heavy lifting of yachts and houses, so I haven't needed a quick action (and I turn the screw with a simple rebar rod (indexed in the drilled holes on the barrel), but one could make a wheel (think steering wheel, or old-fashioned jack) instead. To facilitate fast turning, a timey steam valve) was used that was indexed with the holes in the barrel. Because of the wheel's weight, the screw may be able to 'coast' for full turns, allowing you to move the screw faster over longer distances.