Need a better jack handle (1 Viewer)

[60wag]

A club run this weekend further reinforced my appreciation for the utility of a compact bottle jack. We delt with several stuck vehicles but jacking up the axles and stacking rocks under the tires. One truck was a stock, extended cab long bed Chevy that was hung up on a rock right under the middle of the truck. I know everyone swears by a high lift jack but the tall jack would was pretty worthless in these cases. Keeping the suspension compressed while lifting the tire was key.

Anyhow I've got the OE Toyota jack in my 60 (along with a high lift) but the crank handle that fits on the end of the crank rod is a wimpy stamping that has the square hole nearly rounded out. I want a crank handle that I can CRANK on without stripping out the hole. Is the stock handle a stamping or a forging? Are there any better handles out there from minitrucks, 40s or Corrollas?

 

[zombiekiller]

hack the handle or make a different tool and pop that baby in a dewalt power drill... no cranking necessary and up she goes with quickness.

 

[SteveH]

Couple ideas - get the high-lift accessory that allows you to lift a vehicle wheel with a highlift - check out their website.

For a slicker 'cruiser jack handle, weld a small spline set (such as those from a steering shaft of a minitruck) onto your handle. From what I've seen, the non-cruiser Toyota stuff is no better, and frequently worse. FJ60 stuff was more 'stamped' than FJ40 stuff, which was typically cast or forged. None of it is exactly 'aerospace grade', which I why I suggested welding on steering splines. The more precise the fit, however, the less dirt tolerant it is.

Steve

 

[bram]

i just welded mine together

 

[2mbb]

Use a 2" wide or greater rachet strap and wrap it around the frame and axle to keep the spring compressed. Then you can lift the truck with the highlift and not have to deal with the spring unloading.

Or hilift makes an attachment that hooks onto spoked wheels allowing the jack to lift the truck by the wheel, keeping the spring compressed.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

If ya go poking around looking for the HI LIFT part, it's called the'Lift Mate'.

 

[sandcruiser]

x2 on the strap idea: just tie the axle to the frame. Rope, strap, nylon webbing.... lots of different ways to do it. I've been happy using a nylon sling (big circle, tied w/ water knot) and a carabiner. Just loop the sling, clip together, lift away.


Like the power-drill approach to lifting/lowering. Going to try that with an air ratchet or die grinder next time I'm working at home w/ the jack.

 

[zombiekiller]

x2 on the strap idea: just tie the axle to the frame. Rope, strap, nylon webbing.... lots of different ways to do it. I've been happy using a nylon sling (big circle, tied w/ water knot) and a carabiner. Just loop the sling, clip together, lift away.


Like the power-drill approach to lifting/lowering. Going to try that with an air ratchet or die grinder next time I'm working at home w/ the jack.

we used to use the power drill trick while competing, certainly saved alot of time if you have to get the truck off the ground to do a repair or change a tire. we used the tallest bottle jack that we could find at pep boys and it worked great

 

[60wag]

Strapping the axle to the frame is a good idea but time consuming - especially on a IFS Chevy. We had to jack all 4 corners independently to get it shimmed up high enough. The high lift adapter is interesting but will it work on my aftermarket steel wheels, an LX450s cast aluminum wheels and Chevy OE wheels with the stupid Chrome ring snapped in them? I find the lack of jack points on stock vehicles really limits the usefulness of the high lift and I really like the universality of a humble bottle jack. I'll likely fab up some kind of a stout crank handle with a square hole. The drill idea is cool but I don't need to add another tool to the toolbox - especially one that needs to have a charged battery.

 

[2mbb]

I had purchased the hilift adapter for lifting wheels hoping to use it for something else (lifting from an aftermarket steel bumper, which didn't work). I have wheels with cut outs (not the stock wagon wheels but wheels with circular cut outs). The device would work on the front, but on the rear, the drum brakes interferred with the hooks grabbing the rim. I also didn't like the fact that using the wheel as the lifting point won't do you much good if you need to take the tire off, so you would still need some other solution for that event.

 

[sandcruiser]

if you get a 14.4 volt drill, you can run it off of your vehicle's power. Weighs a lot less w/o the battery too.

I guess the easy solution to the IFS chevy problem is... um... don't take an IFS chevy out on the trail?

Day to day, I carry my toyota brown bottle jack, as well as a 4ft hilift.
When I know I'm "wheeling" ie: even more likely than normal to hit bad mud or other obstacles, I take the 5ft hilift bar instead of the 4, and I also carry a little 4,000lb hydraulic bottle jack that has a touch more reach than the toyota one. Jacks are good tools.

Keep in mind: I mostly drive with only one vehicle. If you have multiple vehicles, each with a hilift and bottle jack, there's no reason for anyone to carry more jacks than that, IMO.

 

[60wag]

I guess the easy solution to the IFS chevy problem is... um... don't take an IFS chevy out on the trail?

Keep in mind: I mostly drive with only one vehicle. If you have multiple vehicles, each with a hilift and bottle jack, there's no reason for anyone to carry more jacks than that, IMO.

Yea, I'd rec' leaving the Chevy home too but we found it blocking the trail with a clueless, unprepared driver. We weren't going anywhere until the pickup was unstuck.

My goal is to carry the most universal, reliable tools that will work both on my truck and whatever I find blocking the road.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I had a Tacoma that was missing the whole crank assembly, so I couldn't even take the spare down. I went to the dealer to buy a crank and they sold me a one piece deal. It was just like the one in the cruiser toolkit, but instead of three pieces, it was just one continuous piece. I think it was only $20 or so from the dealer a few years ago.

 

[TheJackRabbit]

Question: Why not replace the OEM bottle jack with a more powerful hydraulic bottle jack? Since I did this, up, up and away!

Am I missing some benefit of the OEM jack?

 

[hammer1]

[Anyhow I've got the OE Toyota jack in my 60 (along with a high lift) but the crank handle that fits on the end of the crank rod is a wimpy stamping that has the square hole nearly rounded out. I want a crank handle that I can CRANK on without stripping out the hole. Is the stock handle a stamping or a forging? Are there any better handles out there from minitrucks, 40s or Corrollas?[/QUOTE]

Weld the handle to the bar. It does present a storage issue, tho'.

 

[sandcruiser]

another idea: I got pissed at the jack the other night and had an

I'm going to attach a lugnut to the end of the jack handle. Then I can use the lugwrench (which I often need when jacking up the vehicle anyway) to raise/lower the truck.

If I get really industrious, I may do the same to the extension, and also weld a socket to the end that fits the lugnut... but I rarely use the extension anyway.

I'll just ditch the stamped metal handle completely as I've always got at least 2 lug wrenches* (as well as a socket w/ 1/2" ratchet) in the truck

*nothing ruins your afternoon like a broken lug wrench when you've only got one nut tight on the wheel!!

 

[roscoFJ73]

Strapping the axle to the frame is a good idea but time consuming - especially on a IFS Chevy. We had to jack all 4 corners independently to get it shimmed up high enough. The high lift adapter is interesting but will it work on my aftermarket steel wheels, an LX450s cast aluminum wheels and Chevy OE wheels with the stupid Chrome ring snapped in them? I find the lack of jack points on stock vehicles really limits the usefulness of the high lift and I really like the universality of a humble bottle jack. I'll likely fab up some kind of a stout crank handle with a square hole. The drill idea is cool but I don't need to add another tool to the toolbox - especially one that needs to have a charged battery.

The lift mate is just some webbing with hooks that fit into the holes in your wheel. You could probably make your own if from chain if your not worried about scratches.
I dont think any particular jack is good for all purposes