Jacks for expedition vehicles

cph05a

cph05a

New member
I'm in the early stages of building an expedition vehicle and trying to get everything together. The weight on my rear axle will likely be in the ballpark of 7000lbs which is the max load of a high lift jack so I'm looking into other options. What do you guys with heavy vehicles use/recommend?
 
ohanacrusader

ohanacrusader

Adventurer
I just ran into this over the weekend. I pulled out my X Jack exhaust jack and found that it couldn't lift even one tire off the ground. I understand it maybe from suspension travel but it also concerned me due to the bag being at its maximum rated weight. When airing it up with the compressor there was no way to tell when it was maxed out and filled to its max. I also carry a bottle jack that I built a platform to set on to increase the lifting height and account for increased ride height from wheels and suspension.

I understand the pro's of a hi lift jack for certain vehicles but I don't have a lot of lifting point and maybe my only one would be my sliders since they run wheel to wheel. So what would you guys recommend or what has worked for you with a full size or greater rig? If using an air bag are you guys placing the air bag directly under the axle?
 
F

FrenchieXJ

Expedition Leader
My experience with the X Jack type of jacks has not been the best. Do they work? Yes, some times. They have similarities to the Hi Lift jack. You will need extra accessories to get the full use out of it. Like a ground base protector and a vehicle undercarriage protector for the bag. A sharp piece of metal or bolt can puncture a unprotected bag. If your vehicle has been running hard the hot exhaust will need to cool for a while before using it. The inner liner of the fill tube will melt with a hot exhaust gasses.

I would recommend a hydraulic bottle jack with some additional blocks of wood and a larger plywood base.

Da Frenchman
 
chet6.7

chet6.7

Explorer
[QUOTE="ohanacrusader, post: 2541339, member: 42024"

I understand the pro's of a hi lift jack for certain vehicles but I don't have a lot of lifting point and maybe my only one would be my sliders since they run wheel to wheel. So what would you guys recommend or what has worked for you with a full size or greater rig? If using an air bag are you guys placing the air bag directly under the axle?[/QUOTE]
Do you have a lift mate?
https://www.amazon.com/Hi-Lift-LM100-Jack-LM-100-Lift-Mate/dp/B00042KGWG/ref=pd_sim_263_75?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00042KGWG&pd_rd_r=96c59385-d24f-11e8-b2b1-635e08f8ca97&pd_rd_w=DE6CQ&pd_rd_wg=jKeey&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=PHMARXPDMC2SDFQPHHYS&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=PHMARXPDMC2SDFQPHHYS
 
F

FrenchieXJ

Expedition Leader
I have all of the HI-Lift accessories for the HI-Lift jacks.
The problem with the Lift-Mate is that it will lift a tire and rim. You will not be able to take and remove the tire and rim while it is holding up the vehicle. You will still need a jack stand or other device to hold up the axle. On some vehicle you may be able to hook the strap hooks onto the frame or other solid frame component. If the rubber backed jack attachment point was against a solid point you may be able to lift off of that. The rubber backed jack attachment point against the body of the vehicle would crush it in. The rubber backed jack attachment point is designed to press against the tire or tire rim.

The Hi-Lift jack was great in the days of the early utilitarian box shaped vehicles. With the new vehicle with aerodynamics and plastic components they do not work so well.

The OP said that his rear axle is 7,000 pounds. If I remember the spec's correctly the sheer pin is rated for 7,000 pounds on the Hi-Lift. Unless the OP is lifting both tires off of the ground he should not reach the 7,000 pounds.
 
G

grizzlyj

Adventurer
Hiya
The capacity of hi lift type jacks usually drops towards the top of their reach too.
I think a pair of hydraulic bottle jacks is a good plan. If totally sunk I could put one under the bumper or chassis and lift until I can get the other under the axle.
 
Ovrlnd Rd

Ovrlnd Rd

Adventurer
I carry a 12 ton bottle jack for my Nissan Titan. A little overkill but I can help just about anyone out. I mate it with a piece of 2x10 for a base and several pieces of 4x4 for extra height. We had the chance to use it on another vehicle on the ID BDR trip.
 
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grizzlyj

Adventurer
Just to add, I did have some solid lumps of wood as base plates or spreaders which after some time and use split.
I then glued and screwed layers of plywood of maybe 5/8ths to end up with a block about 15" x 10" x 2.5" approx. This actually ended up lighter than the solid wood, and is stiffer.
 
waveslider

waveslider

Outdoorsman
Grizzlyj, you might want to look into the safe jack base plate. Seems a fair bit sturdier and potentially lighter (or similar) to your solution.

 
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