Floor Jack Lift Points -- 2016 Land Cruiser 200

[Phantomx33]

Hello everyone,

I finally pulled the trigger on a 2016 Land Cruiser 200 (113k miles) after perusing the many wonderful stories and contents on this site. It definitely gave me that last nudge to trade in my wife's 2023 Volvo, which she wasn't exactly thrilled about (due to mileage and MPG of the LC200). I convinced it's never about that when one buys an LC200 but rather safety, longevity and fun future road trips, incl off-roading!

With all that being said, I am looking to do some work in my garage such as applying undercarriage rust protection (live in MD), tire rotations/change, oil change, brakes, etc. I do need to all four points of the car by using the 3 ton floor flack plus four 6T standing jacks. My questions are:

1) Can I use floor flack on the rearing housing differential (some call it the pumpkin) and front cross member (need to remove skid protector)? I hear it's better to use the frame rail but i would like to get the entire front or back up by using the aforementioned jacking points.

2) Has anyone had experience with raising the car higher once it's already on all four jack stands? How safe is it? I am thinking of doing this to get more under carriage space but not sure how stable it would be given the weight shift on the standing jacks. Maybe it's fine but there's an irrational fear car could slip off the stands.

I definitely can't wait to share pictures and stories of the LC200 adventures in the coming months and years.

Cheers,
Q

 

[Phantomx33]

Hello everyone,

I finally pulled the trigger on a 2016 Land Cruiser 200 (113k miles) after perusing the many wonderful stories and contents on this site. It definitely gave me that last nudge to trade in my wife's 2023 Volvo, which she wasn't exactly thrilled about (due to mileage and MPG of the LC200). I convinced it's never about that when one buys an LC200 but rather safety, longevity and fun future road trips, incl off-roading!

With all that being said, I am looking to do some work in my garage such as applying undercarriage rust protection (live in MD), tire rotations/change, oil change, brakes, etc. I do need to all four points of the car by using the 3 ton floor flack plus four 6T standing jacks. My questions are:

1) Can I use floor flack on the rearing housing differential (some call it the pumpkin) and front cross member (need to remove skid protector)? I hear it's better to use the frame rail but i would like to get the entire front or back up by using the aforementioned jacking points.

2) Has anyone had experience with raising the car higher once it's already on all four jack stands? How safe is it? I am thinking of doing this to get more under carriage space but not sure how stable it would be given the weight shift on the standing jacks. Maybe it's fine but there's an irrational fear car could slip off the stands.

I definitely can't wait to share pictures and stories of the LC200 adventures in the coming months and years.

Cheers,
Q

I forgot to attach the picture from the manual related to point #1

 

[Sandroad]

Congrats on the new ride and welcome!

First, I would not tip the LC once it’s up on jack stands. That’s too unstable and potentially too much weight on one stand. These trucks are heavy. But…….

Second, I’ve found it MUCH easier to simply drive up on 4 RhinoRamps. Lots of room to get underneath for any maintenance and safe. And did I mention easier? Tire rotations and brake work still need my floor jack for individual wheels, but that’s ok for those tasks.

 

[Phantomx33]

Congrats on the new ride and welcome!

First, I would not tip the LC once it’s up on jack stands. That’s too unstable and potentially too much weight on one stand. These trucks are heavy. But…….

Second, I’ve found it MUCH easier to simply drive up on 4 RhinoRamps. Lots of room to get underneath for any maintenance and safe. And did I mention easier? Tire rotations and brake work still need my floor jack for individual wheels, but that’s ok for those tasks.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, this is the heaviest car I've ever owned so it's new territory for me. I also have 2x4s as added security with the floor and standing jacks. Will look into the rhino as that seems quite safe and easy to use.

How do you like your 2017 LC200? Not sure sure how many miles you have it but was wondering if you have any pointers -- key maintenances and watch-outs.

 

[Sandroad]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, this is the heaviest car I've ever owned so it's new territory for me. I also have 2x4s as added security with the floor and standing jacks. Will look into the rhino as that seems quite safe and easy to use.

How do you like your 2017 LC200? Not sure sure how many miles you have it but was wondering if you have any pointers -- key maintenances and watch-outs.

I love the ‘17 and have joked with my 2 sons about leaving it to them in my will. 85k miles of mostly towing one of my 4 trailers. Plenty of sand dune driving too, getting into my cabin. No particular “watch-outs” for the vehicle, but definitely watch out for dealers. I bought the truck new and before I got through with the free 2 year maintenance from Toyota, the dealer had screwed up an oil change, missed doing some things entirely, broke the cabin filter fresh/recirc mechanism, and used non-Toyota brand parts. So you’re on the right track doing your own maintenance!

Read the owners manual on needed maintenance, treat any rust, coat the KDSS valve with grease, and make sure to avoid water leaks from replacement windshields or sunroof drains. If you want details, use Google to search this forum, or simply ask.

 

[Phantomx33]

I love the ‘17 and have joked with my 2 sons about leaving it to them in my will. 85k miles of mostly towing one of my 4 trailers. Plenty of sand dune driving too, getting into my cabin. No particular “watch-outs” for the vehicle, but definitely watch out for dealers. I bought the truck new and before I got through with the free 2 year maintenance from Toyota, the dealer had screwed up an oil change, missed doing some things entirely, broke the cabin filter fresh/recirc mechanism, and used non-Toyota brand parts. So you’re on the right track doing your own maintenance!

Read the owners manual on needed maintenance, treat any rust, coat the KDSS valve with grease, and make sure to avoid water leaks from replacement windshields or sunroof drains. If you want details, use Google to search this forum, or simply ask.

One of your sons will be very lucky to inherit this gem. I also intend to do the same for my daughter, whether she likes it or not.

Noted on the recommended maintenances. And sorry to hear about the dealership experience. I probably won’t use them as I have a local mechanic who specializes in Japanese cars only. Will use it for big jobs.

 

[Zill]

For the jack, since the car is so flexible with KDSS, I opted for a taller jack like a badlands off-road jack from harbor freight. That will allow you to get plenty of height.

Then also buy 6 ton jack stands to support the weight. The 3 ton jack stands are not appropriate for these heavy beasts. The 6 ton jack stands also sit taller.

 

[jwmNC]

First thing with a 2016 LC of that mileage, in addition to the things you've mentioned, I would read the threads on here about the radiator. Look to see if yours shows any signs of cracking on the top middle failure point. See if you can figure out if it's already been replaced. If not, start looking for a sale on an OEM replacement radiator.

 

[bloc]

1) Can I use floor flack on the rearing housing differential (some call it the pumpkin) and front cross member (need to remove skid protector)? I hear it's better to use the frame rail but i would like to get the entire front or back up by using the aforementioned jacking points.

2) Has anyone had experience with raising the car higher once it's already on all four jack stands? How safe is it? I am thinking of doing this to get more under carriage space but not sure how stable it would be given the weight shift on the standing jacks. Maybe it's fine but there's an irrational fear car could slip off the stands.

1. Yes, you can lift from the center of the axle housing and front cross member without issue. You will need to remove the splash shields in the front to prevent it bending though. Also depending on the lifting plate of the jack you use, you may mark up the crossmember.. if there is some kind of wooden or hard rubber block, it really helps.

2. I've done it.. works fine. The thing you need to keep in mind is the front and rear will behave differently, because in the front the jack stands are under the frame, and in the rear they are under the axle. This means the rear can adapt to the vehicle itself tilting slightly during lifting/lowering, but the front can't.

3. @Sandroad is right, rhino ramps are super useful here. They can generally be sourced much cheaper on fb market or other classified sites. Even one pair plus a floor jack makes greasing the driveshafts much simpler than inching the vehicle forward and backward over and over to get the zerks oriented correctly. Two pair makes under-vehicle work a cinch.

How I grease my front driveshaft

I've seen a few threads asking for advice on getting the front driveline lubed, and even a couple asking whether there are even zerks up there. Had to do my drivelines recently and figured I'd take some pictures of what I do. First off.. the equipment. No fancy grease gun or nozzle here. Just a...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[kcjaz]

FWIW, if I will be under a vehicle on jack stands, no matter the weight, I always use a redundant method of support to stop the vehicle from crushing me if it were to somehow fall of the stands. Usually this takes the form of the tire I’ve removed plus 2x6 planks used as cribbing on top of the tire. I want something else under the car that’s thicker than me in case the truck falls.

 

[OregonLC]

1. Yes, you can lift from the center of the axle housing and front cross member without issue. You will need to remove the splash shields in the front to prevent it bending though. Also depending on the lifting plate of the jack you use, you may mark up the crossmember.. if there is some kind of wooden or hard rubber block, it really helps.

I use a Pro Eagle with the rubber disk in the center of the lift plate with no issue pushing with the factory skid plates installed. No warping, no issue with re-fitment, no visual distortion.

 

[bloc]

I use a Pro Eagle with the rubber disk in the center of the lift plate with no issue pushing with the factory skid plates installed. No warping, no issue with re-fitment, no visual distortion.

Good to know. Mine was damaged by a tire shop assuming they could jack there. No rubber pad.

 

[Phantomx33]

1. Yes, you can lift from the center of the axle housing and front cross member without issue. You will need to remove the splash shields in the front to prevent it bending though. Also depending on the lifting plate of the jack you use, you may mark up the crossmember.. if there is some kind of wooden or hard rubber block, it really helps.

2. I've done it.. works fine. The thing you need to keep in mind is the front and rear will behave differently, because in the front the jack stands are under the frame, and in the rear they are under the axle. This means the rear can adapt to the vehicle itself tilting slightly during lifting/lowering, but the front can't.

3. @Sandroad is right, rhino ramps are super useful here. They can generally be sourced much cheaper on fb market or other classified sites. Even one pair plus a floor jack makes greasing the driveshafts much simpler than inching the vehicle forward and backward over and over to get the zerks oriented correctly. Two pair makes under-vehicle work a cinch.

How I grease my front driveshaft

I've seen a few threads asking for advice on getting the front driveline lubed, and even a couple asking whether there are even zerks up there. Had to do my drivelines recently and figured I'd take some pictures of what I do. First off.. the equipment. No fancy grease gun or nozzle here. Just a...

forum.ih8mud.com

This is super useful insights so thank you. Glad to hear you’ve already had experience with raising a car higher while it’s on all 4 stands.

With regards to the car movement behavior, I should lift the front first then the rear. Or do you think it doesn’t matter? And likewise when taking the car back down.

 

[OregonLC]

Good to know. Mine was damaged by a tire shop assuming they could jack there. No rubber pad.

Interesting. The monkeys up at Discount use floor jacks on all of my trucks and I've never had damage. I wonder if your case because it wasn't centered and slid out?

 

[ryanCA]

One of your sons will be very lucky to inherit this gem. I also intend to do the same for my daughter, whether she likes it or not.

Before you give it to your daughter in your will, with the miles you have make sure you have:

new radiator
new starter
check head gasket leak
timing chain tensioner issues
Valley Plate leak
Steering Rack leak
Transmission gear hunting TSB

In the long term, Volvo will seem cheap

 

[Phantomx33]

Before you give it to your daughter in your will, with the miles you have make sure you have:

new radiator
new starter
check head gasket leak
timing chain tensioner issues
Valley Plate leak
Steering Rack leak
Transmission gear hunting TSB

In the long term, Volvo will seem cheap

Most definitely. I just hope the parts are still available for the usual maintenance as this V8 is rarer and rarer each year.

 

[ryanCA]

Most definitely. I just hope the parts are still available for the usual maintenance as this V8 is rarer and rarer each year.

rarer than a F50

 

[Phantomx33]

First thing with a 2016 LC of that mileage, in addition to the things you've mentioned, I would read the threads on here about the radiator. Look to see if yours shows any signs of cracking on the top middle failure point. See if you can figure out if it's already been replaced. If not, start looking for a sale on an OEM replacement radiator.

Thanks for the advise. I am bracing myself for this radiator issue. Another member mentioned to pre-emptively use JD Weld radiator kit around the pop up area, middle of the radiator.

 

[TeCKis300]

I forgot to attach the picture from the manual related to point #1

View attachment 3832250

Practically speaking, I never jack from the front cross brace because taking off the shields isn't worth the effort. I'll usually jack from the robust LCA inboard mounts with a polyurethane jack pad.

I don't think I'm the only one?

 

[rherrco]

Thanks for the advise. I am bracing myself for this radiator issue. Another member mentioned to pre-emptively use JD Weld radiator kit around the pop up area, middle of the radiator.

I think most concerns mentioned can be mitigated by good maintenance. Oil changed frequently. Stay on good terms with your mechanic, he should have tools and knowledge that you don’t. The Car Care Nut on YouTube is helpful. Find some challenging terrain and go for it.