Stock Jack

Mike08Liberty · **Posted:** Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:25 pm

I have been meaning to write a little something about this but haven't done it yet. MtnLuvr mentioned it in one of his posts so now I will do a small write up on it.

Stock Jack = NO GOOD!

I had to take off my passenger front wheel a couple days ago and my big floor jack was being used at a friends house. I proceeded to get the stock jack out the back of the truck and began to jack up the front end. With the jack at FULL extension (which is not very safe) the jack was able to get the passenger front side up enough for me to just barely get the wheel off but after I got the wheel off the suspension dropped (normal) and you are not able to get the wheel back on. Luck for my I had a small (passenger car use) floor jack in my garage and I was able to jack up the suspension enough to get the wheel back on.

At the time I had my factory 18" Limited wheels with 235/60/18 tire on it and NO LIFT. That is a 29" tall tire.

I would HIGHLY suggest everyone get out there jack and do a test run on it. It would suck to get stuck on the side of the highway with your wheel off and no way of getting your spare back on.

The easiest answer to this would be to keep a 4x2 (4" wide, 2" high and about 6" long) piece of wood in the back of your truck. That would give you a good base for using the stock jack and would give you the extra height needed.

Now if you have a lift kit on your KK I would recommend you invest into a Hi-Lift.
http://www.hi-lift.com/hi-lift-jacks/index.html

KKommando · **Posted:** Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:32 pm

I tried using mine and the same thing happend well kinda i couldent get it up high enough to even take it off so I endend up running on a flat tire to the tire shop to get a plug. It would have really sucked if i was out in the boonies.

ups4 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:15 pm

I have to agree with all said here about the stock jack.

I recently had to use it to change a flat at night. Once I got it going, as I neared the end of the height of the jack, the handle that connects to the loop in the jack itself started to bend. I kept turning and the thing became so mangled that it was barely usable.

As you said, it barely gets the stock wheel off the ground high enough to get it off.

What were they thinking when they put this POS in the Jeep?

I'm sure I can get the dealer to replace it....but with what :shock:

.

I have a 3-ton floor jack in the garage, but you can't carry that with you on the road.

Paul

VoodooMann · **Posted:** Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:48 pm

At full extension it only lifted it barely enough to get the tire off?

I know this is a stupid question, but did you have it under the frame?

or the control arm?

Boblemoche · **Posted:** Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:55 pm

lol serieously guys, just put the jack under the lower control arm :lol:

VoodooMann · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 12:00 am

thats what I was saying :lol:

KKommando · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:48 am

ouch

Mike08Liberty · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 5:54 am

The proper and safest way to use the stock jack (and all scissor jacks) is to lift by the frame. The top surface of the jack is only about an 1"x1" ... I'm not trusting that under the control arm. If your on the side of a highway and a big rig flys by at 70+ mph there is a good chance it would blow your truck off the jack if you have it under the control arm. Yes, if you are in your garage and on a flat surface then sure use the control arm but out on the highway ... NOPE!

VoodooMann · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 1:48 pm

in the manual it says under the control arms

RTFM

1quick1 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 4:38 pm

VoodooMann wrote:

in the manual it says under the control arms

RTFM

KK manual shows a spot on the frame.

VoodooMann · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 4:51 pm

seriously? :shock:

show me a picture of the jack!

Mine (KJ) says control arm.
even my explorer said to put it under the LCA!

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:01 pm

VoodooMann wrote:

seriously? :shock:

show me a picture of the jack!

Mine (KJ) says control arm.
even my explorer said to put it under the LCA!

His 2008 KK manual indeed states to place the scizzor jack on the notch on the body weld seam behind the tire to be changed

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:06 pm

for clarification, the 06 liberty manual also states the same

Boiler · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:36 pm

I'm pretty sure my '05 manual says the same, but its on a different computer. RTFM :twisted:

Mike08Liberty · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:30 pm

VoodooMann wrote:

seriously? :shock:

show me a picture of the jack!

Mine (KJ) says control arm.
even my explorer said to put it under the LCA!

Can you get a scan of your manual where is say to jack it up by the LCA?

VoodooMann · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:43 pm

Back in May, we did a lift party, and It was Either Tom or Mitch told me In the manual it said control arm. Someone said that it was in the manual because I tried the same thing :lol:

They all told me to RTFM

I'll have to dig for my manual, I downloaded mine from the Internet a while back, I just assumed if they said it, It was the truth. :oops:

KKommando · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:35 pm

Who cares where the manual says to put it its a piece of junk anyway :lol:

.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:44 pm

i checked the 03 and 04's too and both say chassis

at the same time its not a question over what's accepted or whats easier it was a question of what the manual said

by the way that 06 manual photo i posted came from the Jeep website

chava_olllllllo · **Posted:** Tue Jun 16, 2009 2:24 am

Mike08Liberty wrote:

The proper and safest way to use the stock jack (and all scissor jacks) is to lift by the frame. The top surface of the jack is only about an 1"x1" ... I'm not trusting that under the control arm. If your on the side of a highway and a big rig flys by at 70+ mph there is a good chance it would blow your truck off the jack if you have it under the control arm. Yes, if you are in your garage and on a flat surface then sure use the control arm but out on the highway ... NOPE!

Almost happened to me even with the jack on the frame on the side of I-5. Semi rolled by and the car shook back and forth. Felt like it was going to tip over. The frame slipped a little off the jack. I just dropped it and called my friend to bring his jack.

GoodPrepper · **Joined:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:29 am **Posts:** 64

Would a jack like this work?

http://www.amazon.com/Torin-T82012-Hydr ... sbs_auto_1

I know it is only 2 tons but just to change a tire I would think it would be plenty. I like how portable it is but I'm not sure the 13" max lift height is any better than the stock jack.

Stock Jack

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