Jack Points for Floor jack (3 Ton Professional type)

[ShadowsPapa]

OK, my Bad, I misdiagnosed the situation...The Saddle does indeed stay flat, what doesn't stay flat is the frame of the truck as the truck tilts to the opposite side as it is lifted higher and higher. As the frame tilts towered the opposite side there is less and less surface area between it and the saddle...

Is there anything I can do to lessen this effect?

Ah, the angle of the frame or lift point itself.
Not really. That's one reason I tend to lift by areas that have "catch points" - not things made to catch on a jack, but placing it so that if something did actually slide, it would hit a bolt or bracket or whatever. I sometimes also jack in stages if for some reason I need one side REALLY high - I'll jack a bit, place stands to hold the vehicle, then reposition the jack and go up some more.
I will also sometimes jack the opposite side up a bit, put it on stands, then go jack up the side I want to work on, and put that side on another pair of stands, so the vehicle is never really at any angle.
Jacking front end or rear end is easy - jack under differential housing or "pumpkin" and raise the whole front or rear of a truck. Can do similar with a car.
I had to have my SX4 front end way up in the air to slide the engine/transmission/transfer case under it for installation so I put the rear differential on stands under the axle tubes, then raised the front of the way way up.

A lot of different ways to get there safely, and that's ALWAYS my priority - at all costs, avoid damage to me or the vehicle I am working on because I got sloppy, in a hurry, or didn't secure things.

When I detailed the rear differential, plated some of the brackets and u-bolts, washed and painted parts, I wanted the rear up high but that made it a real angle and I wasn't comfortable with stands under the rear frame rails at that angle, so I jacked up the front, put stands under the front frame rails, then jacked up the back as high as my floor jack would go and put stands under the rear frame rails. No chance of it sliding at all while I was under the rear of the car detailing it. I didn't need to be under the front, but didn't like the frame angles on the stands.



In this one - the rear of the car was raised using a floor jack, stands under the rear axle tubes. I needed the whole car high. Front is being lifted using a gantry crane and chain hoist because I needed 100% of the area under the car clear to slide the engine under as a unit. Note the stands on either side, though..........
I rolled the drive train under the car, let the front of the car down onto stands, then used the gantry crane to lift the front of the engine, and a transmission jack under the transfer case to lift the rear up until I could get under the car and put the cross member bolts in.
Car was on 4 stands while I did that.
Get creative.
Sometimes you have to take time to take multiple steps - "can't get there just in a single pass", so you jack, use stands, jack some more and so on.

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[joeym7]

Ah, the angle of the frame or lift point itself.
Not really. That's one reason I tend to lift by areas that have "catch points" - not things made to catch on a jack, but placing it so that if something did actually slide, it would hit a bolt or bracket or whatever. I sometimes also jack in stages if for some reason I need one side REALLY high - I'll jack a bit, place stands to hold the vehicle, then reposition the jack and go up some more.
I will also sometimes jack the opposite side up a bit, put it on stands, then go jack up the side I want to work on, and put that side on another pair of stands, so the vehicle is never really at any angle.
Jacking front end or rear end is easy - jack under differential housing or "pumpkin" and raise the whole front or rear of a truck. Can do similar with a car.
I had to have my SX4 front end way up in the air to slide the engine/transmission/transfer case under it for installation so I put the rear differential on stands under the axle tubes, then raised the front of the way way up.

A lot of different ways to get there safely, and that's ALWAYS my priority - at all costs, avoid damage to me or the vehicle I am working on because I got sloppy, in a hurry, or didn't secure things.

When I detailed the rear differential, plated some of the brackets and u-bolts, washed and painted parts, I wanted the rear up high but that made it a real angle and I wasn't comfortable with stands under the rear frame rails at that angle, so I jacked up the front, put stands under the front frame rails, then jacked up the back as high as my floor jack would go and put stands under the rear frame rails. No chance of it sliding at all while I was under the rear of the car detailing it. I didn't need to be under the front, but didn't like the frame angles on the stands.



In this one - the rear of the car was raised using a floor jack, stands under the rear axle tubes. I needed the whole car high. Front is being lifted using a gantry crane and chain hoist because I needed 100% of the area under the car clear to slide the engine under as a unit. Note the stands on either side, though..........
I rolled the drive train under the car, let the front of the car down onto stands, then used the gantry crane to lift the front of the engine, and a transmission jack under the transfer case to lift the rear up until I could get under the car and put the cross member bolts in.
Car was on 4 stands while I did that.
Get creative.
Sometimes you have to take time to take multiple steps - "can't get there just in a single pass", so you jack, use stands, jack some more and so on.

Great tips thanks!

 

[kb5zcr]

I almost always put the jack under the axle to get it up prior to using a jack stand, lots more lift than using the frame.

 

[Blade1668]

OOPS Apologize, I am not the best speller in the bunch. I edited my post...If you don't mind (because I can't do it) would you be kind enough to correct the spelling of the word in my quote in your post above?

Really appreciate it in Advance.

I don't want to think about your browser history.. I really get pissed off with the spelling corrections on my phone at times. It will change words besides correcting my shoddy spelling. The changes are not always correct.

Every time I see someone who lifts a vehicle up on a jack then starts working on it with out something else as support scares the S@@@ out of me. Some of the U-tube channels are challenging to watch due to that. I've seen a few jack, jack stands and lift fails.
I did have a few sets of heavy-duty jack stands before someone helped themselves to them. Now I've only got a set of light duty ones and a set of ramps.

 

[joeym7]

I don't want to think about your browser history.. I really get pissed off with the spelling corrections on my phone at times. It will change words besides correcting my shoddy spelling. The changes are not always correct.

Every time I see someone who lifts a vehicle up on a jack then starts working on it with out something else as support scares the S@@@ out of me. Some of the U-tube channels are challenging to watch due to that. I've seen a few jack, jack stands and lift fails.
I did have a few sets of heavy-duty jack stands before someone helped themselves to them. Now I've only got a set of light duty ones and a set of ramps.

Don't worry about me, I have no intention of ever getting under anything just being held up by a H-floor jack.

 

[Blackjeepjk]

Just as another option, you could lift it up to run 40’s and will never need to jack up again unless removing a tire!
That was part of my explanation to da wife for justification. Although not the cheapest route.

 

[dcmdon]

Hi Folks, I got a chance to try the jack...It is really nice and will help with the undercharge cleaning.

It is specked to lift up to 24.5", I probably got it to 22"s today or so...I got a little concerned about the angle between the saddle and the frame at that height.

If your floor jack is spec'd to go to 24", by the time its at 18", the jack head is moving laterally more than it is moving up. For me, that's the limit. If I need to go higher, I'll put a block on the jack head rather than jack it up to its limit.

I've got a piece of 4x4 that is 4.5" long. If I need a 3 1/2 lift, I lay it down on its side. If I need 4.5, I put it on end. I've also got a piece of 6x6 that is 6.5 inches long. If I need a 5.5 lift, I lay it flat, if I need 6.5 lift I put it length wise.

That pretty much covers me. Obviously be very careful when using blocks. All the wheels need to be locked and chocked because the truck can roll off a block much more easily.

Also a double ram bottle jack like this, can be useful.

https://smile.amazon.com/BAOSHISHAN-Bottle-Double-2in-16-Carrying/dp/B07VYXK8VB

I've found that a having a floor jack and a bottle jack gives me a lot of flexibility.

 

[joeym7]

If your floor jack is spec'd to go to 24", by the time its at 18", the jack head is moving laterally more than it is moving up. For me, that's the limit. If I need to go higher, I'll put a block on the jack head rather than jack it up to its limit.

I've got a piece of 4x4 that is 4.5" long. If I need a 3 1/2 lift, I lay it down on its side. If I need 4.5, I put it on end. I've also got a piece of 6x6 that is 6.5 inches long. If I need a 5.5 lift, I lay it flat, if I need 6.5 lift I put it length wise.

That pretty much covers me. Obviously be very careful when using blocks. All the wheels need to be locked and chocked because the truck can roll off a block much more easily.

Also a double ram bottle jack like this, can be useful.

https://smile.amazon.com/BAOSHISHAN-Bottle-Double-2in-16-Carrying/dp/B07VYXK8VB

I've found that a having a floor jack and a bottle jack gives me a lot of flexibility.

Interestingly, my lift point was on the frame close to the front driver's side tire (before of course the frame stars its curve in that area). That tire went quite high, but non of the others tires got off the ground at all. I had the 3 others with hard rubber chocks under them (recommended by a poster above)...I also of course had the truck in drive, parking break on, and put it in 4WDH (as recommended by another poster above). Being this was my first time, I'd lift a little walk around the truck to make sure everything was stable, and repeat, etc.

I like your suggestions. That bottle jack for 55ish$ @ 3 tons is quite a good buy, and being so small will take up little room in the garage (already filled with stuff supporting the good "health" of my Mojave ). And I can see the additional value it will add, so I am going to get it.

I also like your idea about the 4X4 and 6X6, but I am surprised a block of wood can take the stress without cracking?...Please clarify for me, when you say "Jack Head" is this the same as what my instructions call the "Saddle"?

Thanks in Advance,
-Joe

 

[dcmdon]

Yes. Jack head= saddle.

The saddle is quite large on a floor jack and there are no issues with the wood breaking.

On a bottle jack the head is very small so the wood should be put under the jack.

Also, if you are jacking to remove a tire, jack the axle, then you don't need to unload the suspension before the tire comes up off the ground.

re jacking one tire up and the other not coming up.

Yes that was quite a change from my European car the first time I jacked the Jeep. My old car was so stiff torsionally that the rear tire came off the ground only a bit after the front. This made rotating tires very easy with only one jack.

If you want both tires on a side off the ground then jack at the frame a bit more than 1/3 of the way back between the front and rear wheels. You will find the place that makes both wheels come off at the same time.

Or if you have 2 jacks like I do, just jack the front axle with one jack and the rear with the other. Its much faster because you dont' need to unload the suspension before the wheel comes off the ground, The suspension stays compressed.

I hope this helps.

Re wood. Home Depot sells sections of 4x4 and6x6 in 2 foot long sections. So it works well for little items like this. If you rip a piece of 6x6 from corner to corner then you will have some nice chocks to hold the wheels.

 

[joeym7]

Yes. Jack head= saddle.

The saddle is quite large on a floor jack and there are no issues with the wood breaking.

On a bottle jack the head is very small so the wood should be put under the jack.

Also, if you are jacking to remove a tire, jack the axle, then you don't need to unload the suspension before the tire comes up off the ground.

re jacking one tire up and the other not coming up.

Yes that was quite a change from my European car the first time I jacked the Jeep. My old car was so stiff torsionally that the rear tire came off the ground only a bit after the front. This made rotating tires very easy with only one jack.

If you want both tires on a side off the ground then jack at the frame a bit more than 1/3 of the way back between the front and rear wheels. You will find the place that makes both wheels come off at the same time.

Or if you have 2 jacks like I do, just jack the front axle with one jack and the rear with the other. Its much faster because you dont' need to unload the suspension before the wheel comes off the ground, The suspension stays compressed.

I hope this helps.

Re wood. Home Depot sells sections of 4x4 and6x6 in 2 foot long sections. So it works well for little items like this. If you rip a piece of 6x6 from corner to corner then you will have some nice chocks to hold the wheels.

Yes Sir, it does help, great insight!

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