Outer Limits 4x4 Board

What is the best Jack to use when changing tyres on the road?

I noticed my jack didnt work well, so I bought a new hydrolic bottle jack which was surposed to lift up to 390mm. It only lifted to 340mm and my tyre was still on the ground.

I thought about a high lift jack but was told that they are mainly for recovery and unstable. Best to use a normal jack on the rd.

I only run 32" tyres, what do you guys use on the rd when you have 35" or larger?

Is a high lift the only option other than having a trolley jack in the car?

Cheers
Eric

I tend to think that hilifts are pretty useless unless you strap the axle to the chassis and then lift with the jack, otherwise you have to unload the whole suspension. On cars with a SPUA and no travel, like ljxtreems critta, there is nowhere to jack off where you can get a flat tyre off the ground unless you strap the axle.

It can be difficult to get enough range in a hydraulic jack. I have this problem with the G and q78's - if it is dead flat, I can't get enough range to put an inflated tyre on.

How about a hilux bottle jack? I always thought these were excellent.

Mmmm that might be worth looking into.

I was thinking how a little standard bottle jack fitted into the jack lacation and lifted the car enough even with 31"s on.

ARB suggested an exhaust jack but they are also $250

never had a problem with hilux jacks with 15 or 16" rims and up to a tall 7.50, hight be of some help. I think they are pretty cheap from wreckers.

I have a bushranger Exhaust jack, got it on sale for $145 works very well for changing a tyre on my D90.

Nearly rolled a forester with it though

hehe, I did think about that.

If you were on accross a hill and had to jack up the upper side of the car. You dont have any control how high it lifts it do you?

depends how quick you dive for the key

oh, so if you turn the car off does it hold the car up long enough to change the tyre? Or does it go down?

Carry a brick and put your bottle jack under the diff.

MMmmm that might be the cheap option for now.

Was the jack fully compressed and block of wood under to lift to axle?
340mm is a good range!
Pracice in driveway with a flat tyre

I use hilifts all the time in the bush without a problem so far. You just need to ensure vehicle chocked and jack stable before pulling wheel off.
Safety is important here as well as with all jacks.


Bazzle

More in this Hi Lift question.

I have a hi lift that worked fine when I had standard sus. but now with 4 in lifted coils it is a touch too small. However a big lump of wood fixes this.

Ummm so do you guys honestly strap the axles to the chassis if you are going to lift one side.

Say if you need to change 1 tyre with your hi lift. What is the process you go through. Dumb question I know. But I was told to buy the thing cause "buddy you'd be lost in the bush without it". I have since bought one and haven't had to really use it yet... But a few pointers would be great.

I have -out of interest- used my Hi Lift as a winch. I was bored one sunday afternoon so got some chain, my winch extension strap and some chocks and slowly but surely moved my shorty with it.
I got the idea of some yankee website I pulled up when I typed in Hi Lift jack in google.

And as far as bar work goes do you find them stable enough just on your rear bars, bullbars and rock sliders. Or do you have a little jig rigged up so you can keep it fixed. I am slowly getting some decent barwork whacked on my shorty and am interested to know if incorporating Hi Lift jacking points is at all usefull.

Cheers,

Jeremy

Just wrote out a big reply to this, and then it disappeared

Here is the "abridged" version

Run a drag chain under the axle and pullit as tight as you can over a spring tower, chassis, even bar work if applicable, and lock it back onto the lug link. then when you lift, you pick up the alxe with the body, so all suspension droop is removed. we have done this with Critta (LJxtreem) to reseat a tyre and to change a CV. nice and safe, if a bit messy to set up.

Sooooo many people are told to buy a highlift and then realise that there is nowhere to lift from without bending something, nowhere to store it, and that the car is really spooky if you ever lift it with it.

I think that you really need dedicated slots in the barwork to safely lift with a highlift, they luuurve to kick out. Also, they don't like being up on blocks.

they hate being stored outside the car, esp. onthe back. this guarantees that they will be full of mud when you really need it to work, and it wont.

Best thing about a hilift- the removable handle - most useful tool ever!

I have a hilift that stays in the shed for workshop use. I have a hydraulic jack for tyre changing. with our club based driving, we have never had to use a hilift as a recovery tool, although I did set one up as winch for a mate, with everything, including the jack, stowed on the inside surface of the tailgate of a sierra. Never used it though.

One problem with winching with one - you relly need to set it up with a drag chain separate to the winch so you can lock the car off when re rigging, otherwise you longest pull will be 1X length of the jack. OK in mud, but what if you are on a slope???

One more thing - they can be stripped down - that way you have a ratchet, foot, clevis, rail a nd handle all separate, and easy to store/keep clean. A member who took a sierra to cape york did this.

So what do you think is the best tool to carry for the job off road?

Exhaust jack?

Eric my Nissan GQ jack is used for changing 35's, so you should be fine with a std one for changing tyres. Havnt had a flat with 15"rims yet. But have changed a flat with a 16" rim and the std jack does fit under the axle with a flat tyre (it does make a slight diffence as the rim gives another 1/2" clearance when flat).

turps wrote:Eric my Nissan GQ jack is used for changing 35's, so you should be fine with a std one for changing tyres. Havnt had a flat with 15"rims yet. But have changed a flat with a 16" rim and the std jack does fit under the axle with a flat tyre (it does make a slight diffence as the rim gives another 1/2" clearance when flat).

When I bought my SWB it had an after market Bottle jack

EricB wrote:

turps wrote:Eric my Nissan GQ jack is used for changing 35's, so you should be fine with a std one for changing tyres. Havnt had a flat with 15"rims yet. But have changed a flat with a 16" rim and the std jack does fit under the axle with a flat tyre (it does make a slight diffence as the rim gives another 1/2" clearance when flat).

When I bought my SWB it had an after market Bottle jack

Should be cheap the wreckers. I will work out what mine is compressed and extended. Then a bottle jack with the same measurements would probable be even better. But in saying that the std jack lasts a fair while, as I used to change tyres nearly once a fortnight and I only ever used the bottle jack the car came with.

As said earlier in the bush my HiLift works really well. Imagine being half way up a hill in a big rut with tyre flapping on rim.

Hook 4bee to a tree to keep it stable,
(I also a have highlift adaptor from ARB to use on my bar or rear step.)

Slots or square holes in bars etc also work reasonable well.
I also use the jack under side rails next to mounting tubes.
If the jack can pick up a point low enough suspension travel isnt a problem.

I have also jacked under bullbar tubes and from rear tow tongue area.

Try getting a bottle jack under vehicle in real world situation. ie. Stuck in ruts or rocks.

Ive also used it carefully to push vehicle to the side to move off obstacles that are hanging up under 4bee.

Just use caution and be aware of the safety considerations.
A plate of wood under base works well in deep mud with a pin thru to catch onto hole drilled into jack plate.

Never put face any where near handle when lowering as it can come up and smack you one ( )

Bazzle

A couple of things

A exhaust jack is fine if you are on a level track but when you start getting into ruts or on rocks they can be a bit of a worry. Also no good if you have to jack and your car isn't working.

A bottle jack is also fine some situations but there are problems as bazzle noted

Hi Lifts work well if you know how to safely use them, you have appropriate jack points on your vehicle, they are properly maintained, you have some to store them etc.

Hydraulic floor jacks welded onto a flat sheet are another option with pros and cons

it comes down to personal prefernece

ludacris wrote:Carry a brick and put your bottle jack under the diff.

I carry a bottle jack and peice of timber 5x3" gives extra height but also good if your on soft ground.

Seen the results of a hi lift hitting my mates jaw, think there more trouble than their worth.