Where to put a floor jack under the front?

[Parks Junkie]

Getting ready for vacation, which is the whole reason I bought it. First oil change. Easy. I've probably done a hundred in my time. Go to jack up the front end to get my floor jack under there and... uh, yeah, uh, where? I see lots of sheet metal skidplate, but it's not going to hold it without crumpling. With much ado I found a crossmember 2.5-3 feet in back of the front axle. Well back into the front door. That's got to be what, 75% of the weight of the vehicle? My little old American made 1.25 ton floor jack from the 70s didn't like it. Got it up far enough for jack stands to go under, but man, there's got to be a better way.

I think every car I've ever had has had something up front, maybe in front of the oil pan, maybe in back, once or twice way up front, a frame or subframe crossmember, something. Well there is, a couple I think, but I've got to have it up in the air to take off the skidplate to get to them. Which is a little self defeating.

What am I missing, or is it just is what it is, a quirk of the vehicle?

A wood and or polycarbonate spacer between the sheet metal and frontmost crossmember is coming to mind, I've done stranger. But this was like a 3 hour oil change.

 

[AuSeeker]

Getting ready for vacation, which is the whole reason I bought it. First oil change. Easy. I've probably done a hundred in my time. Go to jack up the front end to get my floor jack under there and... uh, yeah, uh, where? I see lots of sheet metal skidplate, but it's not going to hold it without crumpling. With much ado I found a crossmember 2.5-3 feet in back of the front axle. Well back into the front door. That's got to be what, 75% of the weight of the vehicle? My little old American made 1.25 ton floor jack from the 70s didn't like it. Got it up far enough for jack stands to go under, but man, there's got to be a better way.

I think every car I've ever had has had something up front, maybe in front of the oil pan, maybe in back, once or twice way up front, a frame or subframe crossmember, something. Well there is, a couple I think, but I've got to have it up in the air to take off the skidplate to get to them. Which is a little self defeating.

What am I missing, or is it just is what it is, a quirk of the vehicle?

A wood and or polycarbonate spacer between the sheet metal and frontmost crossmember is coming to mind, I've done stranger. But this was like a 3 hour oil change.

By searching the forum, and or reading your owner's manual you would find out the OEM skid plate is reinforced at the front cross member for a floor jack to be used there, I did the searching for you, here's a link to the results...

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/gsea...or-jack-under-front.html&ss=10879j19183807j27

 

[rdruss]

I've never needed a floor jack to do an oil change on my V8 4Runner. Simply slide under the front of the runner and do it. I can't imagine a V6 runner being much different.

 

[Mrvmax]

I use ramps, they are quicker.

 

[Cezar]

I've never needed a floor jack to do an oil change on my V8 4Runner. Simply slide under the front of the runner and do it. I can't imagine a V6 runner being much different.

With a lift you can, without it's not even close.

I just use a vacuum to do my oil changes. I don't care if I get all the oil out.

 

[ArthurKotb]

I must be doing something wrong. I remove the skid plate to get at the filter. I don't jack up the T4R at all.

 

[Parks Junkie]

Interesting. Every car or light truck I've ever worked on, and that's a bunch, I've jacked up the front to do an oil change. Well, except for aircooled VWs, but rear engine doesn't count. Semis tractors I've done the slide under, but they're a bit taller than the 4runner. The filter is easy enough to do from the top, but not the oil change. Oh, speaking of the filter there's a nice drain hole in the easy to get to housing, but it looks like it would go straight onto the belt! Something supposed to be there?

Part of the issue is when I do an oil change I like to check things out a bit. In this case doubly so, trying to figure out how it's all put together. Push on this, pull there, see what's connected to what, I need a little space to do that. I've had body on frame before, but this is a bit different. Oh well, I guess I'll be getting creative. Not the first and won't be the last. On it's predecessor, an Infiniti QX4/AKA Nissan Pathfinder with body cladding I had a bunch of BMW parts in it by the time I was done. The wheels are already turning...

 

[Parks Junkie]

By searching the forum, and or reading your owner's manual you would find out the OEM skid plate is reinforced at the front cross member for a floor jack to be used there, I did the searching for you, here's a link to the results...

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/gsea...or-jack-under-front.html&ss=10879j19183807j27

I did do a forum search and came up with nothing useful. Lot of hits, but no answers.

 

[ArthurKotb]

[snip, snip] Oh, speaking of the filter there's a nice drain hole in the easy to get to housing, but it looks like it would go straight onto the belt! Something supposed to be there?

You don't say if you have a V6 or V8. My 2004 V8 has several things in the way. I never have seen an easy way to get to the filter from the top.

 

[Cezar]

Oh, speaking of the filter there's a nice drain hole in the easy to get to housing, but it looks like it would go straight onto the belt! Something supposed to be there?

> Stick cup under filter housing at drain hole
> unscrew filter and remove
> once basin drains out, use clean rag to get all the oil up and clean mating surface
> Remove cup

 

[Parks Junkie]

You don't say if you have a V6 or V8. My 2004 V8 has several things in the way. I never have seen an easy way to get to the filter from the top.

Sorry, V6. The filter on it is right up top, super easy. Well, hard to get leverage on, but easy to see and get too.

 

[shine]

Don't forget to use jack stands

--

 

[Parks Junkie]

Don't forget to use jack stands

--

Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it.

But, that doesn't do much good, it lifts a corner, not the front. Maybe I should resign myself to it, but I want to lift up the front end for service/inspection, not a corner to change a tire.

Which brings up another question, is the stock jack, which looks like it came off a 40's Chevy truck, really do any good for a flat tire? I had one similar on a 80's Dodge pickup, County truck, my employer at the time, that had so little lift I couldn't even get the flat tire off, let alone get an inflated one back on. Yes I know, similar doesn't mean the same. Or do people substitute hydraulic bottle jacks? Or just hope not to get flats?

Good tires, but my plans include dirt roads and rocky dirt roads, flats happen!

 

[shine]

But, that doesn't do much good, it lifts a corner, not the front.

Hence the jack stands... at least that's how I do it - lift one corner, place one jack stand, lift the other corner, place the other jack stand.

Which brings up another question, is the stock jack, which looks like it came off a 40's Chevy truck, really do any good for a flat tire?

I've used the stock bottle jack to change a flat tire, both on the trail and on solid surface. For the front I suppose it depends on how much lift you have, but for the rear even that shouldn't matter since you'll be putting it under the axle.

I did try my Jeep buddy's larger after market bottle jack on the trail once, it was to big to fit under the axle when the tire was flat. If you get one of those at least test to make sure it fits with a flat tire.

I usually do keep a couple of 8x8x2 pieces of scrap wood in the truck in case I need to build up more or the ground is especially soft.

 

[SocalSam]

On a related note, where can I find stands that are made from frame rails? I have stands with a U-shaped top which I use with a piece of plywood to spread the load on the rail.

 

[SocalSam]

With a lift you can, without it's not even close.

I just use a vacuum to do my oil changes. I don't care if I get all the oil out.

I have an oil vacuum that works great where the tube can reach. My suction pump pulls 2-3 quarts which means about half of the old oil remains. Obviously, not ideal.

 

[SocalSam]

I must be doing something wrong. I remove the skid plate to get at the filter. I don't jack up the T4R at all.

V6 oil filter is on top.

 

[rdruss]

With a lift you can, without it's not even close.

I just use a vacuum to do my oil changes. I don't care if I get all the oil out.

You must be a BIG fellow Cezar.

 

[Ralph Blake]

On a related note, where can I find stands that are made from frame rails? I have stands with a U-shaped top which I use with a piece of plywood to spread the load on the rail.

I only need to place my small jack under a side of the frame, just a few inchs is all that is needed to have room to the drain plug and oil pan.

 

[Cezar]

I have an oil vacuum that works great where the tube can reach. My suction pump pulls 2-3 quarts which means about half of the old oil remains. Obviously, not ideal.

Weird. I get most of a gallon out. You have to kinda rejigger the tube a little bit at the end.