Hi guys I need some help with jack ideas. My truck came with a big farm jack. While these are somewhat useful they really suck in many ways for changing tires being one of them. So, what should I get for a jack? Simple hydraulic bottle jack? Is there a particular factory jack from some other vehicle that is interesting cool?
Thanks.

 

Since you have a 4x4 with leaf springs up front, I vote for a 20 ton bottle jack and 6 ton stands. The weight ratings aren't really what to look at on these, it's the height they get up to; the 20 ton jack I linked to lifts 7 inches higher than the 12 ton one size smaller. A 3 ton floor jack is also useful to have at home, but I carry a bottle jack in a toolbox with a 24" breaker bar in the truck all the time instead of the crap stock screw jack and tire iron. There's also a couple pieces of 2x8 about a foot long, they're useful for not having to screw the jack out so far or being not on pavement.

Big Red 10-Ton Bottle Jack-T91003 - The Home Depot

6 Ton Jack Stand Set


Over time you acquire things, and I have a pretty long list of jacks and stands to choose from. The 20 ton bottle jack and 6 ton stands are what I use most often on my truck, except for the front I use a 3 ton floor jack since it's easier to put a floor jack under the radius arm. You have a different setup, so you don't have that problem.

 

Scissor jacks are too hard, workshop jacks too big, bottle jack perfect to fit behind the rear seat.
Make sure you have a plate for soft ground and remember that its not stable - put one side of a VW beetle off the side of a bridge a long time ago. Pumped the bottle jack all the way up and then pushed the car off it and back onto the bridge. Those were the days

 

Aexactly, it's the lift height that's important to go with the weight ratings.

 

Big fan of Bogert Mfr Safe Jack, specifically the bottle jack baseplate that gives a wider, more stable base of support. That's handy when you need the jack outside a nice, level shop surface.

 

Great input here thanks. Yeah I threw a (*) ton bottle jack in today since we were going to the beach. I've removed my rear seats but I have the utility bed so I can bring some good recovery gear if I want, and a breaker bar with special welded wheel nut wrench is already in the kit. But, a google search of "off road jack" returns lots of interesting results. Cool custome bases for old jacks and neat things modded to floor jacks. But, the simplicity and capability of a bottle jack is hard to argue with.

Then there's these new age pillow airbag things that you hook up to your tailpipe that I can't seem to wrap my mind around!

 

Then this came up......

I WANT!,!

 

Really bad reviews of those pillows, and if the pipe falls off when you're changing the wheel🙀
Seen some nice 12V scissor jacks but they only seem to go up to 2T so on the limit for us

 

Onboard air can be very handy if you drive the beach often. Drop your tire pressures and be able to fill back up as well as run air tools to include a pneumatic bottle jack.

 

I've had the air compressor sitting waiting to be installed through 4 different rigs now. Can't seem to get around to it. Maybe this will be the rig that finally gets it.

Well, at times I'm victim to drinking and ebaying, and last night I bought one of those hummer jacks pictured above. Remote pump, and 10,000 lb lifting capacity sold me. Plus the fact that the army tested 19 different jack designs to decide which one would help them overcome the problem of field repairs on "up armored hmmwv" and this was the only model that passed the test.
Wasn't really looking to spend 335$ on a jack but I feel that it's probably a good step above jacks costing as much or a little less. Plus it's folded size is perfect for one of the spots I can store it in my utility box.

Btw this jack is made for the army by BMI who is the company behind safejacks.com. Apparent,y they have a special division with military customers.

 

You're probably right! I work for an Army contractor and know what companies charge them for stuff. I bet they pay 10x that price.

 

Oh boy, we got away from Wal Mart bottle jacks and Harbor Freight breaker bars in a hurry.

 

Don't worry there is still a harbor freight breaker bar on board. And a bubba rope.

 

I saw some references to prices around $2000