Jack Stands for DIY

[kimboy]

hydrolic Jack / Stands for DIY work

OK, my 4rnr recently passed NY State Inspection. I don't think the dealership did much, except take off the wheels and inspect the pads. But, in doing so, they said I was down to 15%-20% pad material left. I'm currently at 36K miles, and I figure, that's probably normal for someone with an agressive driving style.

The weather has gotten a bit cold in the northeast, and since I'm trying to avoid the cost of the stealerships $400 brake pad service (I'd like to get it done before snow is on the ground), I wanted to know what kind of hydrolic lift you all recommend/use. Will a 2 ton or 2 1/4ton jack work, or should I aim for a more sturdy 3 ton jack.

How high should the jack reach? Would you get the ones with wheels/castors or are the stationary ones just as good.

I'm in favor of the stationary ones sears 4 ton because their cheaper and lighter to deal with. They don't take up as much space in the garage, and would probably serve the purpose well. Thanks for any insight you can shed.

 

[loner]

If I were in your shoes, I'd go buy the best trolley jack (also called floor jack, with the wheels) and pair of jack stands that you can afford.

Jacks and jack stands are high risk items. You are lifting a 2-3 ton vehicle off the ground and then getting underneath it. If your equipment is sturdier than you need, you will not complain. If your equipment is not sturdy enough, hopefully you will still be alive to complain.

The decision of trolley jack versus bottle jack (like the one you linked) may be more subjective. However, having used both extensively, I'd say the trolley jack is far more stable and waaay easier to use. Think about this - if you are using a hydraulic bottle jack under your rear axle, you're probably going to have to have some part of your body under the truck when you reach over to raise or lower the jack. One great thing about trolley jacks is that the handle usually extends out further, and you usually do not have to be partially under the vehicle to raise or lower it. Trolley jacks also have a wider base, generally, and are less prone to tipping.

I am assuming you are thinking only of using it in your home garage, where portability does not matter. Portability and storage are key benefits of bottle jacks.

As far as lift height, I'd say get the tallest one that will still fit in the down position under the lowest jacking point on your vehicle - even if it has a flat tire.

OK, one last comment before I climb off my soapbox - Again, get the best jack and stands you can afford. If you are buying a jack that is made in China (and most are these days), and you plan to use it much, consider the extended warranty coverage. Chinese jacks have a reputation for leaking if used a lot.

Good luck, Kimboy! Let us know how your decision turns out.

 

[charlier180]

Don't get a bottle jack, get a floor jack instead.

I have a Craftsman floor jack that is made specifically for SUVs. It has a "one pump" feature that basically raises the jack arm to the frame in a single pump. It's also high lift... I think it's 21 inches or so...

Do yourself a favor and buy a set of jack stands with your jack.

I agree with Hitman do not get a bottle jack to work on your 4Runner. A couple of weeks ago I had to use the bottle jack that came with my 4Runner (my SUV floor jack was broken). Even when I used a 1ft square metal plate under the bottle jack it still gave me the feeling that it would tip over easier than my floor jack. I also will be storing that plate in thre 4Runner in case of a flat tire for added stability.

If you do buy a floor jack do make sure that the max lift height is at least 19 or more inches. Floor jacks for cars usually have a max lift height of around 13-14 inches which is not usually enough to get an SUV off the ground very far.

BTW, when you do buy your jack stay away from the cheap ones made in China and sold at places like Walmart. They do not last long and could compromise your safety, trust me I know.

 

[kimboy]

Thanks guys, I guess the standard rule for tools is, "buy the best you can afford at that point in time"

3-ton at sears Has a Floor Jack on sale, but, I think its made in China. I'll double check where its manufactured and maybe I'll get the extended warranty on it. All the boxes I saw only carry a 1 year warranty. (It's one of a few items sears doesn't provide a lifetime warranty on.)

Regardless of the jack I choose, it will probabaly be over 75 lbs.

Also, most of the jack stands I see have V groove up top. I'm not a fan of those because they tend to bite into the undercarriage.

Jack Stand I haven't read the manual for jack points, but, do we place the jack under the cross members to lift the truck or are we using the guides along the side?

Oh, I guess I'll be buying a torque wrench for the lug nuts as well.
I can rent them for free at Autozone, but, I think its time to get one for my own.

 

[Bobby]

Much better choices.

For home use, you might not need the extended warranty (I usually think it's a waste of money). Those floor jacks are pretty heavy duty. Costco also have great deals on some floor jacks. They're a bit more expensive but heavier duty than the one you linked. I've seen Lincoln jacks at Costco for $100 which is an excellent deal and it should last a lifetime for a home DIY.

Don't worry about the V groove. If you place it under your frame or on the solid rear axle, you should be fine and it won't damage it.

One thing that wasn't mentioned was wheel chocks. You should always use them when you lift your truck to do work under it. If you lift the front, put chocks in front and behind one rear tire.

 

[spyne]

I agree with what everyone else already said. Go with a floor jack and get some good jack stands. I like the Craftsman 3.5 ton jack stands at $25/pair. My thinking is that if each stand is rated for more than the truck weighs, then 4 of them should easily hold up the truck and have lots of capacity to spare.

In the rear I like to put them under the axle on each side. In the front I put them under the lower A arm as far to the outside as I can get them.

 

[Big E]

I've never had jack stands before, but I too am interested in picking some up.

Question...Bobby mentioned wheel chocks...well, I was wondering about lifting the entire truck up on 4 stands (for a criss-cross tire rotation, for example). Obviously, you can't chock anything if all 4 are in the air. Am I totally crazy to even think about doing this? Are you never supposed to lift all four at a time?

Getting under a lifted truck is a pretty imposing thought for me...I just don't want to mess up (obviously!)

Thanks.

 

[Jay]

If you get a jack get a floor jack with the larger contact plate. The ones with the small 2 inch contact plate (the part that touches the vehicle) dont fit well on the frame or other jack lifting locations. Ive been working on cars for the past 19 years, since i was a kid. You want something that is going to be very stable. spend the extra cash and get good equipment, your life depends on it.

 

[spyne]

Question...Bobby mentioned wheel chocks...well, I was wondering about lifting the entire truck up on 4 stands (for a criss-cross tire rotation, for example). Obviously, you can't chock anything if all 4 are in the air. Am I totally crazy to even think about doing this? Are you never supposed to lift all four at a time?

Getting under a lifted truck is a pretty imposing thought for me...I just don't want to mess up (obviously!)

Thanks.

I've lifted all four corners of the 4R several times to rotate tires and do some exhaust work. I even replaced a trans and clutch in an old Pontiac I had using just jackstands to hold up the car. The key is to do it on a flat concrete surface and make sure you have the jack stands sitting on flat areas of the suspension or frame as far to the sides as possible. You don't want to do it on asphalt as the bottom of the stands will sometimes sink into the asphalt, especially if it's hot.

As long as the stands are rated high enough to safely carry the load and you use some care with where you place them you should be fine.

 

[kimboy]

I've elected to go with the sears 3 ton floor jack and 3 ton jack stands. Their internet site is offering an extra 10% off today 12/10, and I figure its a good price. The jack is discounted currently.

I chose in store pickup as my method of shipping, and I hope that save the UPS man from getting a hernia.

The local costco only had a 2 ton jack combo w/ creeper and 3 1/2 ton stands, and a really nice looking 1 1/2 ton aluminum jack.

I picked up some OEM pads at the dealership and will probably change out the pads right before my next oil change.

Thanks for all your help This forum just saved me $200 buck

Also, does anyone know if the OEM pads are ceramic? I've noticed that the caliper housing is the same as those in the Lexus GX470's. hmmm

I will be looking for a torque wrench on ebay, but, what do you guys prefer? 3/8" or 1/2" sockets?

 

[Pirate VI]

yea it is nice to have them sturdy, one my other car, right after i got it, me and my dad were rotating the tires, painting the rims, and changing the brake pads, and we jacked the car up with the standard jack and rested each corner on 3 blocks of wood stacked each. When I was taking the last tire off, the car lost balance and rolled towards me, but luckily before it rolled all the way, the other side gave way and it went strait down. I jumped back in plenty of time, but it could have wrecked the car. It was a bitch putting the wheels back on later, the car was sitting on its rotors on 3 corners and a block of wood on the other corner, we had to be real carful jacking it back up again.
Since then we let the tire shop rotate the tires, they do it free anyway. we still do our own brakes, but one wheel at a time.
just something i found relevent, sorry if it is kinda a hijacking or something

 

[spyne]

kimboy, I think you bought the right pieces, they should last you a lifetime and be up to any task you're likely to need them for.

As far as a Torque wrench, I'd go with a 3/8 for anything under about 80-90 ft/lbs and 1/2 for anything above that. In most cases that's going to be your only choice anyway. There's no need for a 1/2 drive for low torque settings and the added size of the tool will just get in the way. For higher settings you run the risk of busting a 3/8 drive.

 

[kimboy]

Thanks for the advice Spine. There are some torque wrenches with a 15 degree pivoting head. Would you happen to have any experience with those? I'd prefer working with as much room as possible, but don't want to compromise on leverage.

Snap-on and MAC Torque Wrenches offer lifetime warranty's, and I'll probably save a few bones picking one up on ebay.

Does anyone now what size socket is required for the 4runner?

Also, what brand sockets do you use? Do you know where I can find a decent set for different sized lug nuts?

Thanks for your input

 

[spyne]

I haven't had any experience with the swivel head torque wrenches. Can't help you there. The lugs on my 03 are 21mm, so your's probably are too. I bought a Craftsman 2 1/2 in deep socket and use that. Since I don't have much need for any other sockets that large I just bought the one. I do however, have a set of smaller Craftsman sockets that I use for working on the rest of the truck.

 

[Bobby]

Snap-on and MAC Torque Wrenches offer lifetime warranty's, and I'll probably save a few bones picking one up on ebay.

Does anyone now what size socket is required for the 4runner?

Also, what brand sockets do you use? Do you know where I can find a decent set for different sized lug nuts?

Thanks for your input

No torque wrench carries a lifetime warranty. They need to be re-calibrated every once in a while and that's not covered either. Most lifetime warranties are for hand tools only.

Lug nuts should be 21mm. Craftsman makes good impact sockets that are inexpensive. Their regular sockets are pretty good now too.

 

[Uneek]

I will be looking for a torque wrench on ebay, but, what do you guys prefer? 3/8" or 1/2" sockets?

I've seen the one you're talking about at Costco... the stands look very weak and not that stable. (Follow up with that below.)

As far as a torque wrench is concerned, it depends on your application. For lugs, I'd recommend a 1/2" drive as mentioned, it's more bigger and durable. I have the Craftsman Digitorx 1/2" it goes from 25-250ft-lbs. My friend and I were figuring out how to cover everything in between and an inch-pound 3/8" drive (25 to 250 in. lbs) and 3/8" drive ft-lb (5 to 80 ft. lb) torque wrench, plus the 1/2" drive one (25-250 ft. lb), would be needed to torque everything and cover the entire spectrum upto 250lbs. Craftsman does not offer lifetime warranty on their torque wrenches because they're precision tools. But a buddy asked Home Depot and the sales rep said Husky torque wrenches are... not sure on that one.

yea it is nice to have them sturdy, one my other car, right after i got it, me and my dad were rotating the tires, painting the rims, and changing the brake pads, and we jacked the car up with the standard jack and rested each corner on 3 blocks of wood stacked each. When I was taking the last tire off, the car lost balance and rolled towards me, but luckily before it rolled all the way, the other side gave way and it went strait down. I jumped back in plenty of time, but it could have wrecked the car. It was a bitch putting the wheels back on later, the car was sitting on its rotors on 3 corners and a block of wood on the other corner, we had to be real carful jacking it back up again.
Since then we let the tire shop rotate the tires, they do it free anyway. we still do our own brakes, but one wheel at a time.
just something i found relevent, sorry if it is kinda a hijacking or something

I witness something along the lines of what you experienced. A van that we were working on a tire rotation slipped off its jack stands. From that incident on, I try to remove the wheels and replace them back as quickly as possible if the floor jack is pulled from underneath the vehicle, so it doesn't end up resting on rotors if it falls. Other times for oil changes on cars, I just leave the jack underneath it with the contact point barely touching once the vehicle rests on the stands.