[4wheeltripod]

Ok, this is not a general jack question, this is specific to bottle jacks. I don't do floor jacks, despise them greatly.

I'm looking at getting 2 bottle jacks for my 07 TRD, on possibly to stay with it, the other so I have 2 for rotating tires and such (makes life easier).

Now I was looking at the factory jack, it goes about 18.5 inches heigh, which is higher then most bottle jacks go. You have to get an insanely large one to get that height.

Now of course, the rear isn't very hard to deal with, since you got the axle. But on the front, the book says to jack on the frame. Now how much travel does one need to get that tire off the ground. I'm guessing this is jack they use on lots of models, I'd hope it could get the tire off the ground with room to spare. If I can do it with 15-16 inches of travel, them I'm good. I don't want to use any blocks under it either.

Surely some folks have gone on bottle jack quests. I really don't feel like going and jacking the darn thing up with the factory jack to find out, it's the only one I have around.

Did a search and didn't find much on folks and bottle jacks here.

 

[ScreamingTaco]

At the front jacking points the frame is around 14in (on my truck anyway), so I use a 4ton jack w/13.5in of lift (it's marked 15in, but it stops at 13.5) and a couple of 2x6 blocks to make up the difference.

Anyway, if you're looking for a small-ish bottle jack then not using blocks is dangerous IMO. While it'd probably be fine in a driveway, the jack's baseplate doesn't have a large enough footprint to stay stable on loose surfaces... nevermind that it'd be impossible to use on mud or dirt. When it comes to offroading a couple of jacking blocks are worth their wieght in gold.

 

[4wheeltripod]

I agree on the footprint, you can only go so small. But really most small jacks are bigger foot print then the factor 1.5 ton jack. I'm just working to avoid getting a 20 ton just to do what a 2-4 ton will do with no issue.

In the end, I'll probably end up with some blocks. But those don't help me if I get a flat in day to day use.

I'll never understand why Chrysler is the only company smart enough to make jacks with a hex head on the end of the jack the same as your lug nuts instead of the pin/hole thing. Those dodge jacks are great. Zip them up with your ratchet or even the impact gun if you got one around. Growing up we grab a good 1/2 dozen of those things out of old K cars and kept them around for randomly jacking up stuff. Far from the worlds greatest jack, but certainly the best one of their kind.

At the front jacking points the frame is around 14in (on my truck anyway), so I use a 4ton jack w/13.5in of lift (it's marked 15in, but it stops at 13.5) and a couple of 2x6 blocks to make up the difference.

Anyway, if you're looking for a small-ish bottle jack then not using blocks is dangerous IMO. While it'd probably be fine in a driveway, the jack's baseplate doesn't have a large enough footprint to stay stable on loose surfaces... nevermind that it'd be impossible to use on mud or dirt. When it comes to offroading a couple of jacking blocks are worth their wieght in gold.

 

[ScreamingTaco]

In the end, I'll probably end up with some blocks. But those don't help me if I get a flat in day to day use.

I'm not sure what model of truck you have, but in the double cabs you can stuff two 2x6x5 blocks side by side on the rise between the two recessed compartments. Myself, I toss them in the bed box.

I'll never understand why Chrysler is the only company smart enough to make jacks with a hex head on the end of the jack the same as your lug nuts instead of the pin/hole thing.

I wonder how hard something like that'd be to weld up? The stock jack seems rugged enough, but it's so f*cking slow....