BajaNomad

A new jack for my truck

SFandH - 9-6-2017 at 09:04 AM

In anticipation of a flat tire this coming trip to BCS in my loaded down F-250 with fat, heavy, somewhat old tires, at the most inopportune spot on the highway, which is par for the course for me, I'm thinking about buying a new jack to use instead of the manufacturer's jack which looks like a hydraulic bottle jack but is actually a geared contraption. Something beefier and easier to use.

I already have a good x-type lug nut wrench, a cheater bar, and a foot long piece of 4 x 12 to use as a base for the jack.

Hydraulic bottle jack?
Scissors jack?
Or ????




[Edited on 9-6-2017 by SFandH]

mtgoat666 - 9-6-2017 at 09:14 AM

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH  
In anticipation of a flat tire this coming trip to BCS in my loaded down F-250 with fat, heavy, somewhat old tires, at the most inopportune spot on the highway, which is par for the course for me, I'm thinking about buying a new jack to use instead of the manufacturer's jack which looks like a hydraulic bottle jack but is actually a geared contraption. Something beefier and easier to use.

I already have a good x-type lug nut wrench, a cheater bar, and a foot long piece of 4 x 12 to use as a base for the jack.

Hydraulic bottle jack?
Scissors jack?
Or ????

[Edited on 9-6-2017 by SFandH]


Floor jack. They weigh a bit more, but are super fast.

Floor jacks don't lift very high, and like semi-flat ground, so also keep a bottle jack or screw jack with greater range (like the jack that came with vehicle).

bajabuddha - 9-6-2017 at 09:22 AM

Never knowing for sure where it happens, I always carried at least 3-4 different kinds in my truck when hauling loads. Always had my standard screw jack, have a high-lift, and two hydraulic bottle jacks in the 5th wheel... one small, one 12-ton, plus a milk crate of wood blocks for base or cribbing. A full size floor jack is great, but takes up a whole lot of room, and not as versatile as a combination of 'em. The high-lift handle is also a good breaker bar when you need a little extra oomph.

DENNIS - 9-6-2017 at 10:15 AM



Whatever you do, avoid getting one of those big-ass bumper jacks. They're lethal.

Alm - 9-6-2017 at 10:45 AM

Bottle jack is compact, and it will do. They have capacity from 6 ton (13,000 lbs) to 20 ton (44,000 lbs).

Scissors jack - if you are glutton for punishment. Very inconvenient.

StuckSucks - 9-6-2017 at 11:28 AM

I use an aluminum floor jack, rigged for off-road use. It has big/tall wheels for soft sand and a skid plate to keep it from sinking in sand. You can get the oversized tire kits at Kartek. Go nuts and get the quick-release jack rack for your truck -- super convenient but spendy.

gator - 9-6-2017 at 11:53 AM

The bottle jack is always in the truck. If there is room I'll also carry a floor jack.

PaulW - 9-6-2017 at 12:56 PM

Bottle jack always wins for ease of use and versatility. The only issue is having enough and varies blocks of wood for all the various uses. All my rigs have a 20 ton unit. The harbor freight ones are leakers, but they still get the job done for a good price. I gave up on HiLift and floor jacks a long time ago.

BTW, I just bought the highly rated 12v Viair compressor. I hope the reviews and test ratings are valid. Cost around $50. It has a 20 minute duty cycle and 60 psi max.

[Edited on 9-6-2017 by PaulW]

Bob and Susan - 9-6-2017 at 01:00 PM

I use a hydraulic bottle jack...
small but BIG

since I hardly ever have to use it I "cheap-ed out"
and bought it at harbor freight

no need for a fancy one

I have a piece of wood too for the sand
when you get a flat it normally isn't in a parking lot

I would unscrew the lugs before the trip and
wire brush the screws and grease them with "white grease"
just to make sure they are not seized on

worst thing is to have lug nuts that wont come off when you need them to

Maderita - 9-6-2017 at 01:07 PM

SFandH,
For your purposes, a cost effective solution is the hydraulic bottle jack. Get one rated (in tons) for at least double, if not triple, your intended use.
You want the capability to lift the entire front or entire rear of the loaded vehicle. The 4-ton jacks are small and wimpy. A few bucks more will get you 8-ton or bigger.
For occasional use maybe Harbor Freight. Their sales and coupons are almost perpetual.
https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/bottle-j...

MMc - 9-6-2017 at 01:08 PM

I have a 2 bottle jacks that ride in the truck always with a couple of 3' 2x6 for sand. I do have a aluminum floor jack if there is room.

Maderita - 9-6-2017 at 01:09 PM

Bob and Susan, You beat me to it.
+1

SFandH - 9-6-2017 at 01:54 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bob and Susan  


I would unscrew the lugs before the trip and
wire brush the screws and grease them with "white grease"
just to make sure they are not seized on

worst thing is to have lug nuts that wont come off when you need them to



I'm going to have the tires rotated and brakes inspected before I go but one of the reasons for doing so is to make sure the lug nuts aren't seized. I live at the beach on the Pacific in the salty air and am all too familiar with things rusting together (and away).

Sounds like a big bottle jack is in my future. I also carry jack stands and place one of them under the frame or axle after jacking it up, just in case.

Seems like I get a flat every year. Last year a valve stem leaked leaving me with a flat tire in the morning. Then there was the cactus spine that went through the side wall during a brief off-road adventure. Then there was the screw picked up in Mulege. And what about the blow out going downhill on a twisty curvy 2 lane road in Michoacan with a jake braking 18 wheeler behind me. :O

AKgringo - 9-6-2017 at 04:43 PM

A rookie tire guy with an impact wrench can make for a miserable time later on. I would make sure you can break the lug nuts loose with your star wrench before you leave the shop.

Make sure that anything in the bed of your truck (like jacks) are secured. In an unplanned ditch dive ten years ago, a loose chunk of fire wood came through my rear window and smacked my skull.

I suffered from double vision for six months, which even when that got better left me with permanente damage to my peripheral vision and depth perception.

Sr.vienes - 9-6-2017 at 06:58 PM

Big red two stage bottle jack wil save ya from blocking up twice.