Jacking

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Joined
Jul 14, 2013
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Location
Castle Rock, CO
:censor:

This topic has been brought up before, but there was no clear answer....

With a floor jack, is it safe to jack up the front of a 100 with the under-engine protection in place? (sheet metal stuff)
 
:censor:

This topic has been brought up before, but there was no clear answer....

With a floor jack, is it safe to jack up the front of a 100 with the under-engine protection in place? (sheet metal stuff)

I do it all the time. There's even a raised ring there for your jack pad to go up against.
 
It's covered in the owners manual. Jacking points for the factory jack are at the front frame rails or the rear axle. That raised ring is part of the structure of the plate, I don't think it's intended as a jack point, doesn't mean it won't work but it's not one of the factory listed points.

While I would lift a corner with the factory jack, I'm not sure I would lift the whole front end. The factory jack may overload or the sheet metal could crease and things could change vary quickly (like the jack can come shooting out from under the vehicle seeking victims).

Please use jack stands under the frame rails whatever you do or you can die.

Sorry you got frustrated that Mud did not reply to your previous thread in a timely manner but it is a owners manual topic and a dangerous one at that.
 
It's covered in the owners manual. Jacking points for the factory jack are at the front frame rails or the rear axle. That raised ring is part of the structure of the plate, I don't think it's intended as a jack point, doesn't mean it won't work but it's not one of the factory listed points.

While I would lift a corner with the factory jack, I'm not sure I would lift the whole front end. The factory jack may overload or the sheet metal could crease and things could change vary quickly (like the jack can come shooting out from under the vehicle seeking victims).

Please use jack stands under the frame rails whatever you do or you can die.

Sorry you got frustrated that Mud did not reply to your previous thread in a timely manner but it is a owners manual topic and a dangerous one at that.


Have no fear... we're talking about a floor jack, not the factory jack. A floor jack is not covered in the owners manual, but I'm looking in the FSM and it shows the spot and even says "engine under cover" but I didn't know if that was lost in translation and meant "under engine cover."

:cheers:
 
Oh, apparently I can't read, floor jack it is.

I think the bump has a tube support pointing back to the cross member so it can probably take the weight but it could buckle, I don't know if it is intended to be a jack point or not. I always use the frame rails behind the front wheels and lift one side at a time onto stands, I then place an extra pair of stands under the trans cross-member for added piece of mind. I prefer the added lifting stability of having 3 wheels or 2 wheels and a jack stand on the ground so the jack can't sway or lean as the front un-loads when you lift it all at the cross member. I also tend to run out of height and lifting behind the wheels gives me a little more lift height, I still end up with a wood block on top of the jack most of the time. Maybe I just need some better floor jacks though.
 
Maybe this could be the definitive jacking thread and we could get some pictures on here. At least of the FSM or owners manual. I know some people may be wary of telling others how to jack up their vehicle, due to liability. But if properly disseminated, this information could save life and limb.
 
Maybe this could be the definitive jacking thread and we could get some pictures on here. At least of the FSM or owners manual. I know some people may be wary of telling others how to jack up their vehicle, due to liability. But if properly disseminated, this information could save life and limb.

Good idea!

I'm also finding that 12 ton jack stands are very hard to position on the frame rails due to the large size of the "heads" on the stand. I think the best front jack stand placement would be achieved by removing the under-engine tin or any recovery points towards the front of the rail.
 
Good idea!

I'm also finding that 12 ton jack stands are very hard to position on the frame rails due to the large size of the "heads" on the stand.

False. I do it all the time and I cant think of a safer way. Plus those monsters are good to have around when crawling around underneath with no wheels/tires on the rig. I wouldn't do it with less, now that i have them.

Best thing to do is get sliders and/or steel bumpers front and back, and use a highlift. All but a necessity once you raise the vehicle with larger tires or a lift. Realizing this doesn't answer your question and is costly...
 
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False. I do it all the time and I cant think of a safer way. Plus those monsters are good to have around when crawling around underneath with no wheels/tires on the rig. I wouldn't do it with less, now that i have them.

Best thing to do is get sliders and/or steel bumpers front and back, and use a highlift. All but a necessity once you raise the vehicle with larger tires or a lift. Realizing this doesn't answer your question and is costly...


please post pics of the exact location next time you do!
 
Maybe this could be the definitive jacking thread and we could get some pictures on here. At least of the FSM or owners manual. I know some people may be wary of telling others how to jack up their vehicle, due to liability. But if properly disseminated, this information could save life and limb.

This is the internet folks, you have to be very careful when making an open invitation to post 'your jacking pics', this is a family site after all!

As is coming through here, you have to be very careful and diligent anytime you lift any vehicle and if you're not sure a point in question is up to the task then it's better not to risk it. The other point coming through is that there are a lot of different solutions people use depending on the job, vehicle and mod state, and tools available.

As an example the Hi-lift referenced above could be the safest way to accomplish one lifting task but could be the most dangerous tool for another.
 
I had this same question a few weeks back. I was changing the oil/rotating the tires. I jacked the front up in the center, I think its right where the 2 axles meet the front differential, in any case the brush guard there is made of fiber board and it broke under pressure. The differential held so the truck didnt fall. When I lowered the truck on to the jack stands... placed under the lower control arms, one of the jack stands did kick out. And I was glad that I have a 4 ton jack. Always leave the jack under the truck and raised enough to almost if not support the truck so that if something does give way...the truck wont go anywhere.

But I came away from that with the following thoughts. Then I had 3 ton jack stands, now I have 6 ton ones, not for the added weight capacity but because they are taller when set to their lowest possible height and have a wider base, which makes them more stable. There may be some 12 ton jack stands in my future for the same reason.

Second HF, And I know some folks despise HF chinese steel , but I shopped pepboys , advance and sears looking for 4 ton jack and 6 ton stands... and they didnt have any... Harbor freight makes a thing... that replaces the jack cup with an extendable arm thing. It extends enough to reach from one frame rail to the other. So instead of jacking the truck up at onepoint i can now jack from the frame or really on the side with a lot less chance of the truck rocking or shifting in the process. Since I dont see this attachment on the website I will post a picture in a few minutes
 
Here is the pict

2013-08-26 18.56.21.webp
 
So are the control arms a bad place to jack in the front?

I'd like an answer to this as well. My jack doesn't have the height to raise the truck using the frame rails. I've been making stands out of iron weights to get the jack high enough.
 
2002LX470 I am no expert...I have worked under my cruiser... 3 times, but the bottom of the control arm is curved... which is why the jack stand kicked out. I am uncomfortable enough with placing the jack stand there that I went out and got taller jacks stands and the bridge thing so I can jack the truck up from the frame and put jack stands under the frame. Here is the thing. 6000lb truck. $300 in jack , jack stands and bridge. Peace of mind that everything that is lifting and holding the truck up, while you are under it fighting with some bolt that is stuck, is at least 25% beyond what it needs to be to hold said truck up, so the $100 you are saving by doing the oil change dosent turn into a $10,000 funeral... is price less. I totally get the more experienced on here who will jack a truck 3 feet off the ground with a 2 ton jack and use 3 ton jacks stands to hold it up... I do electrical work, all day, without turning it off... a lot of the time. And most of the time I dont get shocked. But jacks and stands are just to cheap to not get them bigger than needed
 
I'd like an answer to this as well. My jack doesn't have the height to raise the truck using the frame rails. I've been making stands out of iron weights to get the jack high enough.

If I were you, and I'm not, I'd get a high lift and use you bumper or sliders as a jacking point. Slip the jack stands under frame rails and go to work.

You'd want to be careful doing this and remember that this is America and regardless of what politicians and lawyers say, you are responsible for your own actions. If you don't believe in this train of thought I'd say the best way to jack your truck up is by taking a long walk off a short bridge. :flipoff2:
 
You guys are making this way too hard. Just a floor jack in the center, that's all. Just put a jack in the middle where the round thing is and be done with it.

Personally, I would not recommend putting a side load on a jack stand by doing one side at a time. That's a good way to get a stand through your floor pan or into an AC line.



Edit: Open circles are scissor jack positions, squares are jack stands, although I tend to put my rear jack stands under the axles and my front stands on the frame at the front door hinge.
 
You guys are making this way too hard. Just a floor jack in the center, that's all. Just put a jack in the middle where the round thing is and be done with it.

Personally, I would not recommend putting a side load on a jack stand by doing one side at a time. That's a good way to get a stand through your floor pan or into an AC line.



Edit: Open circles are scissor jack positions, squares are jack stands, although I tend to put my rear jack stands under the axles and my front stands on the frame at the front door hinge.


Ok, so now we're getting somewhere. :clap:

Frame by front door hinge is a clear, easy-to-access location that is not suggested by the FSM. Anybody else use this spot frequently?
 
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