Jacking Points

[yz kid]

This Sunday I plan to paint my brake calipers and was wondering where the best jacking points are for a normal wheeling floor jack. I have a 3.5 inch Rock Krawler lift and 37s so I have some added articulation over factory set up. Thanks in advance

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[JIMBOX]

The manual says---place the jack directly under the axle tube--INLINE WITH THE COIL SPRING, that's the most direct load carrying point, without putting stress on the DANA 44s tubing--

Some guys just use the "PUMPKIN" itself--I never have and never will, to me that puts to much strain on the axle housings--

It's your jeep--use your judgement--

Good luck

W.E.

JIMBO

 

[mgroeger]

Thanks for that info Jim. I've been using the pumpkin forever and then place jack stand under the control arms where they bolt to the axle. Never thought about the stress. I doubt it would cause problems but better safe than sorry.

 

[JIMBOX]

Heh Heh, yeah, over the years I've only read a couple of "PUMPKIN" caused housing failures and that also depends on the amount of LOAD the jeep has--

Better safe than sorry-

W.E.

JIMBO

 

[Kadonny]

Use the axles as @JIMBOX said. It's actually much easier than most other cars/trucks.

 

[yz kid]

Thanks guys! I’ll be giving it a go this Sunday

 

[NavyVet1959]

Back in the old days, we always just used the "pumpkin" (differential) to jack up a car. Cars had more ground clearance back then than you see on a lot of them these days. These days, on some cars, you would be hard pressed to even be able to slide a floor jack under the pinch seams on the sides by the tires, much less under the front or rear of the vehicle far enough to get to something you could jack on. When jacking on the differential though, I would always have a small block of wood over the metal plate on the jack arm so that it could crush slightly and distribute the weight a bit better.

For the Jeeps though, we have a lot more room to work, so a floor jack does not have a problem getting underneath it. I still use a block of wood (short piece of 2x4) to distribute the weight a bit more though. The manual says to lift on the axle, but that is probably because they are expecting you to be using the scissor jack that comes with the vehicle for changing a flat and it has a pretty small surface area and might not be sturdy enough for jacking up the entire front or rear of a vehicle. Also, it might not even be rated for the entire weight of that half of the vehicle. Scissor jacks do have some advantages though... They are cheap... They are light weight and don't take up much space... When fully retracted, they can even fit under cars that are so low to the ground that you would not be able to fit a floor or bottle jack.

Back in my day, cars came with jacks that were more like the hi-lift jack mechanisms. They sometimes had a hook / tab that would fit into a slot on the bumper and you jacked the car up by the bumper. You're not going to be able to accomplish that on most car bumpers these days.

Back in my "poor student days" when tires stayed on the vehicle until they would no longer hold air (even if they were showing cord), I changed quite a few flats with one of those types of jacks -- often on the way to school.

 

[Kaliks&Bones]

Not what I thought this thread was going to be about.

 

[NavyVet1959]

Not what I thought this thread was going to be about.

Jacksonville? Looks like TS (Hurricane?) Michael might be headed your way...

 

[Kaliks&Bones]

Jacksonville? Looks like TS (Hurricane?) Michael might be headed your way...

Looks like it will be close. Probably just lots of thunderstorms but not a direct impact, which will be nice after two major storms the last two years (Matthew and Irma).

 

[NavyVet1959]

Looks like it will be close. Probably just lots of thunderstorms but not a direct impact, which will be nice after two major storms the last two years (Matthew and Irma).

That just means that you don't have to worry about the electricity going off during your hurricane party...

 

[californiajeeping]

From YouTube

 

[BrntWS6]

I have always lifted my cars from the pumpkin, just don't let the jack touch the diff cover. When i towed cars we would use the rear end to pull cars out of ditches, flip them over and secure them when on a flat bed. Rear ends are very strong.

 

[Jondrew]

I have always lifted my cars from the pumpkin, just don't let the jack touch the diff cover. When i towed cars we would use the rear end to pull cars out of ditches, flip them over and secure them when on a flat bed. Rear ends are very strong.

Getting ready to rotate my tires and plan on lifting both ends by the pumpkin and putting jack stands on the axel by shock ends to get all 4 off the ground.

 

[Jondrew]

Now that I see “the experts” have weighed in, I’m a jack by the pumpkin guy.

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