jacks and stands

[brucecooner]

Or as I call it, the poor man's lift kit.

 

I didn't get an owner's manual with my truck, and I haven't downloaded one yet, but I wanted to turn to the forums and see what the consensus is.

 

In the rear....

Some googling indicates that in the rear, put the jack under the pumpkin and stands can go right on the tubes, near the wheels.  Or should the stands go right under the leaf packs?

I gotta say, this business of jacking up a vehicle via a vital mechanical component feels dangerous to me. 

I'm sure my rear axle is the Dana Delicate which seems to make it an even dicier proposition.

Some pictures indicated you could put the jack under the frame rails just ahead of the wheels.

And of course this all assumes your jack can reach  any part of the vehicle, which I guess is what makes the pumpkin a popular option.

 

In the front...

I couldn't form a clear picture of what to do in the front. 

(My Ranger is easy, there are cross members and A-arms everywhere I go under that guy.)

Some threads said jack from the center, next to the front diff, others said not to.

Is there no solid piece beneath the knuckle you could use or does it instantly destroy them to put a jack anywhere near the wheel?

 

Anyone have any solid rock solid options on getting one of these in the air?

 

 

[howeitsdone]

Rear: 

Jack under pumpkin and stands under shafts is fine. If you have to work on the axle or leafs then the frame is where you'll need the support. I don't recommend putting stands under the leaf springs (because jack stands are curved and you'll get better contact on the axle shaft). You can lift from there if needed though.

 

Front:

Jack under the pumpkin raises the driver side more. You can lift from there and place a stand under the shaft or lower control arm for support and then lift from the passenger shaft and place a stand under that shaft or LCA also. Again, the frame right behind the control arm mount is factory recommended, and required if you have to do work like replacing the axle, etc....

 

A 6 ton stand is ideal for frame support (because of height, not weight), but 3 ton will work fine if supporting from the axle. You can still jack up from the axles and get it high enough for the 6-ton stands to support the frame. If you need additional height from your jack, then you can use wood like 2x4s or 4x4s, but typically don't need to unless you're lifted a lot.

 

The axles are tough and you won't do damage to them by lifting from there. I'm sure there are ways to damage them if you tried really hard, but I've had no problems.

 

Goes without saying, but always make sure to chock the wheels and have the transmission in gear.

[Pete M]

I think the only thing you can hurt out back is if you absentmindedly get a tooth of the jack on the diff cover edge.  and even then it'll probably be ok.

 

where I lift depends a lot on what I'm doing, but usually I'm lifting by a control arm mount or the rear leaf pad / shock mount. 

 

get a hydraulic floor jack.  safest way to lift a rig.    my 3 ton jack has a nice wide bowl at the top that easily cradles the entire lower control arm mount of rear diff or whatever.  I have a smaller 2 ton in each car for emergency use. 

 

any port in a storm, but I generally steer clear of jacks that have tiny contact points (bottle jacks). 

[brucecooner]

Thanks! I'll definitely have more confidence when I lift it now.