Positioning of jack-stands & hydraulic jacks

[michael90630]

I am going to rotate the tires of my 2007 SR5 4WD T4R.

I checked out the user manual to determine the locations where I can position my hydraulic jack to lift the vehicle. What I need to do, is find a stable point to position the hydraulic jack say front right side, lift the vehicle and place a jack-stand at the location shown in the user manual diagram.

However, my question is, where do I place the hydraulic jack without causing any damage? Should I place it at the center of the cross-member?

The cross-member is not square but somehow tapered and has holes in them. The trick is to position the hydraulic jack to lift the vehicle and also keep room so that I can slide the jack-stand in-place.

At the rear, will it be OK if I position the hydraulic jack at the center of the differential housing?

The user manual diagram shows, jack-stands can be placed on the axle-shafts just behind the each rear wheel.

 

[Uneek]

Note: By "jack" I'm referring to a floor/garage jack, not the bottle jack that came with the vehicle.

In the front, the jack is suppose to go under the cross member behind where the oil drain plug access hole is on the skid plate. I tried lifting the 4Runner by that point and the skid started to bend. Some members raise the their 4Runner by placing the jack under lower control arms in the front. My jack however is too wide (the jack wheels hits the tires) to get the saddle on the flat part of the lower control arm. What I do is position the jack behind the front wheels under the front door and lift the 4Runner from the frame rail.

For the rear, I place the jack under the differential or "pumpkin". Just take a little precaution not to catch or clip the diff drain plug. I put my jack stands under the axle housing as close to the wheels as possible.

For a tire rotation, I lift the rear first to get stands under. Then I take the jack and position them in the front under the door on the frame rail and work with one side at a time. Unfortunately, it's not as easily done as with my other cars where I can raise both front wheels at the same time. Oh wells.

 

[AlexJet]

In the front, the jack is suppose to go under the cross member behind where the oil drain plug.
For the rear, I place the jack under the differential or "pumpkin".
This is the right positions. I'd be very carefull when lifting the one end with another end on the stands. I saw couple times when the truck slides off the jacks.

 

[Even Steven]

Since the 4Runner has a real frame, you can jack it up or put it on jack stands in almost any place that you see solid frame.

Go ahead and jack away...you're not going to hurt it!

Here's a tip: Try jacking it up under the suspension (A-arms in front, axle in the rear) and you'll get it up in the air much faster and easier because you won't have to keep jacking it up until you run out of suspension travel. Then again, if you plan on putting it on jack stands, that will not help.

 

[michael90630]

All

Thanks to all. Good suggestions.

Yeah I have to remember I intentionally bought a ladder/box framed chasis based 4WD SUV - not cross-over and don't need to baby it.

I will do the rotation this week. Next week I am taking a 4x4 Training class in Southern California and do some off-roading. Time to see what this baby can do on moderate trails.

 

[JB.]

I am going to rotate the tires of my 2007 SR5 4WD T4R.

I checked out the user manual to determine the locations where I can position my hydraulic jack to lift the vehicle.

With a floor jack it goes real quick. Jack it up once in the front, once in back. I use this spot for the front all the time. Works well. In the back you can use the diff or the trailer hitch. Might need a block of wood for the hitch.

 

[michael90630]

JB

Thanx for the picture.

I just saw your posting today. Will do this next rotation time.

What I did for the front was, position my 3 ton Hydraulic jack on the lower control-arm area. Jack it high enough to postition the jack-stands in the prescribed location per Toyato User Manual (i.e. frame rail). Let the vehicle drop down to the jack-stand but I still keep the Hydraulic jack in-place just as a secondary safety net if work-space permits.

Rotated the spare wheel to the right rear > the right rear to the right front > the right front back to the spare location.

Left rear to left front.

Left front to left rear.

This is per a rotation diagram in the Toyota User Manual.

The only thing I am not sure if all the guys who do their tire rotations themselves is, what happens to balancing the tires? The last time I had my Nissan Maxima and wife's Corolla tire rotated at COSTCO, they said they balance the tires. I asked another Mechanic and he said it is supposed to be done.

 

[TechWrench]

Re: JB

Thanx for the picture.

I just saw your posting today. Will do this next rotation time.

What I did for the front was, position my 3 ton Hydraulic jack on the lower control-arm area. Jack it high enough to postition the jack-stands in the prescribed location per Toyato User Manual (i.e. frame rail). Let the vehicle drop down to the jack-stand but I still keep the Hydraulic jack in-place just as a secondary safety net if work-space permits.

Rotated the spare wheel to the right rear > the right rear to the right front > the right front back to the spare location.

Left rear to left front.

Left front to left rear.

This is per a rotation diagram in the Toyota User Manual.

The only thing I am not sure if all the guys who do their tire rotations themselves is, what happens to balancing the tires? The last time I had my Nissan Maxima and wife's Corolla tire rotated at COSTCO, they said they balance the tires. I asked another Mechanic and he said it is supposed to be done.

Rotating the tires on a regular basis is a very good idea. However, having your wheels re-balanced just because a shop offers it, even for free, isn't necessarily a good idea, IMHO. I don't see the sense in disturbing the balance on a wheel if you are not having a vibration problem. If you don't have a vibration, the wheels are still balanced. Why would you want someone to remove the weights and try to balance them again, and possibly have it not done as well as it originally was? If a wheel has lost a weight, or gone out of balance for any reason, then by all means have it done again. Otherwise, why mess with a problem that isn't there?

 

[JB.]

Re: JB

...per a rotation diagram in the Toyota User Manual.

...The only thing I am not sure if all the guys who do their tire rotations themselves is, what happens to balancing the tires?

I gave up trying to determine the proper rotation method and just went with the same side diagram in the manual, too. Funny thing is, it doesn't seem intuitive to me that it would work well, but at 33K miles on the tires with lots of even tread left, it apparently does.

After 5 or 6 rotations, I've yet to have to re-balance.