I carry a monster cross bar wrench ("t" wrench) from my Tow Truck days. It has enough leverage to break the nuts free.

Good ones, with machined sockets instead of cast, are available at AWDirect.

AW DIRECT A2TA - Tire Tools & Tool Kits - pg 104

 

I always throw a 3' section of pipe in any truck i'm driving/towing with. That with the 1/2 socket and impact extensions and sockets i carry and i can do things fast like at home. I'm no pro mechanic, but on the shoulder of an interstate i like to be fast, and i've never had much luck with any factory lug wrench, but honestly, i've never tried to use the Ford one.

 

when i blow a tire on the van, i pick up an air hose and an impact wrench... but i guess that means i'm just spoiled when thats not an option, i usually use a 1/2" ratchet, 16" long. i prefer it over the angled handle of the factory wrench.
for properly torqued nuts that aren't rusted, the factory wrench is enough. if yours are excessively overtorqued or rusted, a pipe may be needed

 

Thank you sir---thank you, thank you thank you! I knew we invited you here for a good reason!

Scooter your post shows one thing----there's more than one good way to do this, the budget being the main deciding factor maybe. What's common though is the emphasis on safety first--always! Whatever you get make sure its rated for your vehicles weight. Things like ramps and stands be careful to check the individual capacity of EACH---I never rely on what something in a pair or set is supposed to support, lift or carry. Then again I'm afraid of something big falling on me!

I can imagine that would be scary---thinking what if I'd been under there? I've used ramps this way too but perhaps a bit differently. When placing the second set I'll reverse the ramps inclined portion so they face opposite of the first set. This makes me believe the vehicle can't slide in any direction. This of course assumes I've make double sure the tires are inside the "pockets" on the flat upper stand part of the ramps.

So far I've not had to do a road side tire swap but just in case I carry a 3/4" drive 24" long breaker bar, 7/8" deep well impact socket and 6" extension. These stow nicely beside my scissor jack in an otherwise wasted space under a shelving unit sitting over top the right side wheel well bump.

I can't remember the last time I've used a factory supplied lug wrench---they never seem to fit the lug properly and their leverage is horrible.

Another thing I do is keep my wheel studs lightly lubed with spray-on lithium grease and always have the dog dish wheel covers in place too. Not even a bit of surface rust or scale can be seen---has to make tire changing a bit easier.

The guy with the air hose and impact wrench? That ain't spoiled---that's just smart! I do the same and on longer road trips carry a fully charged Milwaukee 1/2" 28 volt impact gun. It'll do two complete tire removals and reinstallations with the two batteries saving a lot of time by the side of the road.

 

i got an off topic question, earlier someone posted that you can not lift a truck, van , car by the center on the diff? Why not? ive been doing this for years and never had a dif cover leak, an axle bend or anything? BUT i only lift the rear this way so i can put jack stanhds under the leaf springs and then i remove the jack...

 

Apparently, discussion exploring this question on a thread entitled "Jacking up your van?" upset certain contributors.

So much so they forced/applauded deletion of reasons & warnings against posting "Why" FORD & many others so prominently caution: Do "not lift a truck, van , car by the center on the diff".

Hope it's OK to say: "BUT i only lift the rear this way so i can put jack stanhds under the leaf springs and then i remove the jack..." IMHO does not avoid specific risks FORD's caution/warning is intended to prevent - when "Jacking up your van".

Lots of people get hurt "Jacking up" vehicles carelessly, a few die. Stuff gets broken. A quick job can turn into long nightmare. There are millions of cheap, poorly made, overrated jacks, stands & ramps in use, in every condition & design. Have you seen the plastic ramps? How many spot welded exhaust pipe jack stands has China sold? Be careful, especially when "Jacking up" on dirt, not concrete. An imbalance can quickly & unexpectedly result in side load & cause lifting device to topple.

 

In your owner's manual you'll find this:



There is no possible way to put more stress on an axle than to lift it from the center like that with the axle supporting the vehicle from either end. They're not designed for it and it's a bad idea...

 

Ever seen the kind of carnage that happens if a differential loses its oil & you keep driving?

Catastrophic rear differential failure - MercuryMarauder.net Forums

Dear old friend, who isn't mechanically inclined, inherited his Mom's low mile Mercury Marquis. Apparently a tire jock accustomed to "Jacking up" RWD vehicles under diffy pumpkin caused damage to cover, resulting in a slow undetected leak. Some time later, during a long family trip down I75, the rear end began to make noise. Without much more of a warning the differential seized violently at 75 mph & nearly did an 'American Graffiti'! They were very lucky nobody got hurt.

 

We just did a transfer beam, and used 20-ton bottle jacks. For those who don't know, transfer beams are used to transfer the building loads / forces, from one load path to another.

About $ 70 at Home Depot. We're gonna start putting them in vans. If it can hold up a building, it might work for the van.

 

Personally I've been jacking things up by the pumpkin for years and never had a problem because of it. IMO the warning is for people who might not think to keep the jack off the sheetmetal cover.

For R/A jobs I use an 8x8 timber between the frame rails, with a jack in the center, and on vehicles with a hefty rear bumper I sometimes use a Bobcat loader. Then I use 4 tow straps to guide the axle into place.

 

Well, as this controversy swirls out of sight for no good reason it would seem many many DIY's and shops have successfully used the rear diff as a lifting point for years upon years. I'm guessing the real and true incident of "catastrophic carnage" due this practice is extremely slight. While the factory advisory against this practice is wise to a point it's still common among those who actually work on vehicles. I'm recalling nearly every dealership service facility I've visited or passed through where I've seen this done without hesitation. If anyone should heed a factory's warnings one would think its franchised dealers would be first?

Its very, very unlikely a careful DIY'er or good shop would damage something like the rear diff cover and not be aware of it. In this case the puddle of lube left in a parking spot would be my first indication something needs to be checked. Sure its happened but simple lack of any attention to regular maintenance is most likely to cause "catastrophic carnage" to a vehicle.

This off-center silliness is much ado about nothing I suspect. WHO would raise a via any sort of point jack and NOT pay close attention to its progress? ANYONE who has had even a slight mishap raising a vehicle by any means is 100 times more cautious next time out so its nearly impossible to believe an off-center differential wouldn't be taken into consideration. Heck I've seen vehicles fall of frame contact (in-ground or two/four post) lifts inside a shop----differential wasn't touched at all!

Just goes to show there is no perfect way to raise a vehicle yet safety first all through the process is a best practice always!

Scooter have you learned anything yet?

 

Apparently it doesn't take much to tweak these thin stamped steel diffy covers & minor deformation can cause gasket to separate & leak only after a number of heat/cool cycles. Leaks can be small, but smallest leak at the bottom, will over time, empty all the oil. Falling oil level & hard use go on a collision course. Once it goes low enough, friction & heat conspire to accelerate failure. It's not always up to "a careful DIY'er or good shop" many owners gas 'em & drive 'em, trusting the nitty gritty to others' interpretation/acceptance of FORD instructions.

The design of these FORD rear axles made them vulnerable. Long tubes are pressed into each side of diffy. Housing is wide open at rear, ending as an irregular rim. This edge is not intended or designed to support the weight of the vehicle, let alone the additional weight of common loads. In this situation they aren't nearly as strong/forgiving as the old welded solid rounded diffy housings, nicknamed pumpkins. Hence FORD's conspicuous warnings.

Don't think anyone's after the "perfect way to raise a vehicle". The "silliness" has been over what constitutes a BETTER WAY, while placing "safety first".

If we wanted to pursue the "perfect way to raise a vehicle" I'm afraid we'd have to endure arguments promoting inflation bag lifts.

 

Haha! I sure hope not. They have their flaws too, just like every other method.

 

I agree with JWA: like everything else in life, there is a limit to everything. Pros and experienced DIYers know the limit of lifting from the pumpkin.

Inexperienced ones should follow Ford's instructions to the T.

That's common sense that Krause was talking about.

 

I have been using a really heavy steel unit I got at Sams club about twelve years ago. It came with two cups, one is flat, and the other has a four inch section of pipe under it, and that's the one I use with the van mostly. I also have a large square pipe I put over it sometimes for really getting the sucker up there. I use the really large jack stands I got at Harbor Freight ordinarily, the same ones I used on an old bus. Haven't let me down yet.
For mobile use, I am planning on getting a better bottle jack, something with a wide base, or I may make a base for it. Maybe a second HiLift jack for the van only too.
I keep a four way lug wrench in my Jeep, and will probably get the same for the van soon.