Your Go To Jack
- Thread starter Jim SoG
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The 20 ton probably is overkill. Its one advantage is the larger footprint, hence better stability. That could be someone's justification.
Mine I picked up cheap at a swap meet and the dually seemed the most appropriate vehicle in which to place it. Way too big for the XJ.
Member III
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As the tonnage goes up, so does the height. Most 20 ton will are bigger and reach higher than a 12 ton. I just carry some 2x12x12 wood blocks.
I have a Ram 2500 4 door long bed 4X4 Starts at 8800# before my gear. 4 plus ton to start before my gear. The 20 ton is taller also.
Educator I
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Got a pic or link for this double d ring strap? Don't think I seen one of those.....
Great idea, gonna find me one,
Jim
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My OEM half scissor jack is kind of useless, so carry a bottle jack. I also carry some blocks of 6" x 2" hardwood timber that I can use to spread the load on uneven ground or use to level the vehicle when camping.
I have a high lift but it's not really suitable for the new vehicle, so I'm thinking of an air/exhaust jack (bag) for recovery purposes.
I have a high lift but it's not really suitable for the new vehicle, so I'm thinking of an air/exhaust jack (bag) for recovery purposes.
Axle Straps
They are a useful thing to have around. Kind of like a short tree saver. Although I suppose some folks would be concerned about the metal ends.
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In my Land Cruiser Prado J150 (think Lexus 460/470 in the U.S. market) , with no lift, I carry a Takla air jack, and have the factory bottle jack with a few planks of wood and GoTreads to place under the jack.
Pathfinder II
How many of you carry a jack stand (or two) when offroading or overlanding to support the vehicle once it is jacked up?
Expedition Master III
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I like having options and do not like being limited, as each has it's place, My OEM lives in it's stock backseat storage slot, I have had a Hi-Lift for years and have added accessories to make it more versatile. It allows options like a Manuel winch, wheel lift separate from a bumper lift etc. I do not take it everywhere I go. The last purchase was a 6 ton bottle jack for my 2500 HD (9000 lb + when loaded ). It's capacity should be ample, and it's size is small enough to be easily stowed. To make it more versatile, I plan to get a axle support cradle which should fit the trucks frame also. This increases safety and when combined with a automotive jack stand allows some peace of mind if working around and under your rig. For most scenarios, the OEM and bottle jack will cover most needs.
This allows use on round sliders and bar work and is a attachment to a Hi Lift I have some photos on my Instagram @Desertrunner_ LV
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Member III
Naw. I just use my tire under the axle, two stacked if I'm doing something sketchy.
Pathfinder II
I've sent @Dessertrunner_LV a few messages asking him if he makes an axle cradle that fits a 3rd Gen Tacoma stock bottle jack, but no response. The website also comes up a little funky. Anyone know if he is still in business?
Pathfinder II
How many tires do you have? I'm picturing I am likely to be replacing a tire on the trail, so I need the spare handy to put on when I remove the flat?
Member III
Flat replacement normally zero. I'll drive on the flat tire to get to a level area, if I cant, throw the spare under the diff until I get the flat off then swap that. Anything else the spare + the wheel I had to remove, or two spares (taking someone else's) .
Most of the sketchy work I've had to do, involved hard core rocks where you cant get the footprint flat to use any type of jack stand. Picture needing to swap out two broken front axles in a non flat area. Two tires stacked under the front axle.
For the most part, I just want to keep the axle from hitting the ground if the jack falls over. You have three wheels firmly planted for stability, it shouldn't fall over. This is why I lift by the axle, not the frame for flats. On one occasion, I had to swap out springs on a rig. Now the frame is high and suspension drooping. If I remember we stacked three tires under the frame.
All of my hardcore stuff was done in a group so we had access to extra tires if needed. In the early days, no one made real good parts. It wasn't uncommon to do major repairs. Unless a jackstand has a large flat base, your just going to sink it in soft ground. I carry a steel plate for my jacks because of this.
Most of the sketchy work I've had to do, involved hard core rocks where you cant get the footprint flat to use any type of jack stand. Picture needing to swap out two broken front axles in a non flat area. Two tires stacked under the front axle.
For the most part, I just want to keep the axle from hitting the ground if the jack falls over. You have three wheels firmly planted for stability, it shouldn't fall over. This is why I lift by the axle, not the frame for flats. On one occasion, I had to swap out springs on a rig. Now the frame is high and suspension drooping. If I remember we stacked three tires under the frame.
All of my hardcore stuff was done in a group so we had access to extra tires if needed. In the early days, no one made real good parts. It wasn't uncommon to do major repairs. Unless a jackstand has a large flat base, your just going to sink it in soft ground. I carry a steel plate for my jacks because of this.
Expedition Master III
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My apologies, as I have not seen your sent MSG's. I have not made any bottle jack cradles, but have toyed with the idea, as those offered for sale are way, way overpriced for what is offered both in labor costs and material costs. The main obstacle for me being I do not weld. I found a few offered on the internet, 1 offered by Amazon,. but all costly. If you have access to a welder, you could build a couple for various applications.
PS.....Safe jack offers 1 for a 6 ton at $50, E-bay for $54.99 etc
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Pathfinder II
Thanks Dessert Runner. I am leaning towards the safejack options and buying a 6-ton or higher bottle jack separately as the jacks seem to be to one item they sell that is not made by them, just private labeled and then jacked up (pun intended) from other similiar models.
The Tacoma OEM mechanical jack actually has a pretty good top height of about 19" so I was hoping to find an axle cradle that fit that, but seems no one makes them. I think in this thread someone said they inquired with safejacks about making one and they said not interested. Which I totally understand.
Thanks for the reply. FYI the message I sent was thru instagram.
Expedition Master III
I didnt mention that I have the Hi- Lyft jack base, so I can use that with a bottle jack, or use a set of X-bull recovery boards as a support base. I also have a small (thick) wood base for helping support a jack stand. They do not take up much room.
Advocate I
I go with a Safe Jack - 4WD, Outdoor,Off road, 4X4 accessories and products. kit. Kinda spendy, but IMHO a bottle jack with a really good saddle and some extensions like Safe Jack provides is about the best/only way to lift my rigs on the trail. Both my solid axle swapped Silverado and my WJ are tall (D'max on 37"s, WJ on 35"s), flexy and pretty heavy. Lifting under the axle out near the tire that needs changed is far and away the best strategy vs. lifting the chassis (or unibody in the WJ's case) and having to lift through all of the droop. For other repairs where I would need to lift from the chassis/body the bottle jack still works and with the extensions I can maximize the available travel (the biggest downside of a bottle jack).
-TJ
-TJ
Pathfinder II
I just ordered the 6-ton jack starter kit from safe jacks. I went ahead and bit the bullet as I didn't want to risk buying a 3rd party bottle jack where perhaps the safejack accessories didn't quite fit. I keep 2 pieces of about 8" 2x8" pieces of wood that I can stack for stability and height. Considering a hi-lift jack base for extra support and to have the safety stabilizer channel on it as well.
Do you know how much height the hi-lift base adds? They are pretty good about giving the other dimensions but I cannot find anywhere that says how much height is added! I'm estimating it adds about 3".
Pathfinder II
Got the safejack 6-ton starter package. Seems legit, except for the very short jack-handle, lever. What do people use to make it longer? Wil an extension handle bought off of amazon be compatible? Even safejack doesn't sell an extension for it,
