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Hydraulic floor jack

18K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  mubai 
#1 ·
Hi, Guys,

Thought I would buy an hydraulic floor jack and fit the wheel adapters tomorrow - so I went to the closest auto supply parts store on the way home - Walmart - and thought I hit the jackpot.

A 2 ton jack with a pair of stands for $50.00 - figured it should last for four lifts - one for each wheel.

Went out after dinner to have a closer look at it and it only extends to 13" or 14 " and the box recommends that it to be used for 16" tires max.

Well back in the box and crawl under the truck.

The highest jack point I found is the axle at 12" with 29" tires. 31" tires should add another 0.75" to the jack height giving a minimum of 13" before lifting. So I figure if I ever went to 33" tires - yeah right - then a jack that goes to 20" would be minimum.

Have I done the calculations correctly?

Anybody know of a reasonable brand floor jack so I can clean the rotors before mounting the adapters?

Another Bill
 
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#4 ·
I've always had Sears brand floor jacks. The 4-5 ton ones have plenty of lift. But they're not cheap. The way I look at it, buying quality means you only cry once.

Or put the Cheap Crap from China on top of 2X10 slabs - the same ones you'll be carrying with you on any trip to non-paved areas so the jack doesn't sink down in the mud.

There's a reason they invented the Hi-Lift jack and gave it that name. :thumbsup:
 
#5 ·
Hi, Guys,

I lucked out again - returned the Red Dog 2 T plus jacks for a 2.5T that has a 21" lift.

Got to try it out today - pulled the left front wheel and trial fitted the wheel adapters I got from MotorSport-Tech - they fit perfectly - no slop anywhere and just sit flat against the rotor with no play over the hub.

As Roadie reminds us every time we talk about spacers - remove the rotor retaining clips so the spacers can sit flat - do it first - there's only two per wheel - do it first.

Lucked out again because I didn't follow the advice given here and buy them from Fred Goeske at http://www.wheeladapters.com

No pics as I was by myself and just changing a tire with rheumatoid arthritis can sometimes be as much as you can do.

Having the tire guy install the 255/70R17 Silent Armors on Friday - he's working and I'm shooting - so there'll be lots of pics.

Another Bill
 
#8 ·
^ dangerous!.. Just think about all that could go wrong with that.

I've got a 3 ton Torin Big Red jack with 3 ton stands. I think it was like $169 at northern tool. Plus it came with a little knee pad and wheel chocks(sp?). I bought one a few months ago and it leaked. I called torin and they said to take it back to Northern Tool and they would replace it. Sure enough they did without any problems.
 
#9 ·
farmer's knack. used it for many, many years. still use jack stands (of course), and always just high enough to get the job done. Only a fool (Read: Darwin Candidate) would venture under a vehicle that's not properly jack standed.
 
#10 ·
Hydraulic Lift and Jack Stands

I am going to change my rear brakes, but wanted to know the best spot to place my hydraulic jack and the supporting jack stand. Also, is it better to lift one side at a time or put both rear tires in the air with jack stands? I have a 2 ton jack with two 2 ton rear jack stands.
 
#19 ·
OK, I just tried lifting it at the frame. The tire never came off the ground. The truck kept going up, but the tire stayed there. I reached the max height on the hydraulic lift, then I tried the one that came with the truck and that didn't work either. So my conclusion is that I have to lift at the axle, right? But where? Anyone have any pics?:confused:
 
#21 ·
OK, I just used the stock jack and positioned as the directions said, laminated sheet under the rear passenger side seat, the truck lifted up fine maybe an inch or two. I would probably call AAA if I had a flat on the side of a road...it's really difficult to get underneath the truck and position it properly.

If I continue to more work on the truck, I will go out and buy a real SUV hydraulic lift. I can't get enough leverage out of the one I bought, even though it's rated for 2 tons. Buy cheap, get cheap.
 
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