Various common jacking systems can work for changing tires off-highway. Hi-Lifts are manual, demand solid jack points on the vehicle (steel frame-mounted rock sliders and bumpers), can be very hazardous in unfamiliar hands, and if you do use it to swap a tire, you’ll also need a jack stand. Bottle jacks are simple and have small ground and vehicle contact patches. Afield, they can leak hydraulic fluid and often require supplemental stability and/or lift (e.g., plastic RV levelers, pieces of lumber) or excavation to insert due to their height. Scissor jacks slide in low, provide load distribution, and are mechanically efficient. They’re more stable than bottles and much safer than a Hi-Lift as a pure jacking tool.
Agile Offroad now offers a military-issue scissor jack, coupled to their frame and axle adaptor. The jack, with its wide 12 x 7.5-inch base and 3.5-ton rating, is intended for changing Humvee tires. It’s manually cranked, slots into tight nooks, and provides about 18 inches of lift. The handle extensions connect to a heavy-duty, rubberized ratchet.
The AO frame and rail adaptor, originally made for Baja racing efforts, has a flat side for frame rails and the other curved for axles. I tested two versions, and they performed well with varied makes and models. The current adaptor is machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum, and black anodized. The ratings make this jack+adaptor combination especially suited for Mercedes Sprinters, Ford E-Series vans, and similarly weighted rigs. The jack and components along with the AO adaptor come in a canvas bag. $340/JACK PLUS AXLE AND FRAME ADAPTOR
