A FWC Flat Tire? Advice?

[ntsqd]

I have two issues with bottle jacks. At full extension they aren't very stable. On soft ground you're as likely to push their small base into the ground as you are to lift the vehicle. A third occasional issue is that some of them do not like being stored or transported any way but upright.

I was given the full suite of Bogert parts as a thank you. They're heavy. With a bottle jack included they are heavier than the floor jack.

I built a mount for the floor jack that hung it off the side of the frame under my first Suburban. Really wasn't any other place to carry it. I currently carry it strapped to the spare tire carrier, but I've been chewing on how to modify the Sub's frame hanger to do a cleaner job of carrying it on the spare carrier.

 

[craig333]

I have the some of the Bogert stuff. Heavy but nice and compact. I need to get the base plate. The floor jack is nice (and I've carried one before) but just takes up too much room. Is your floor jack aluminum? My bogert stuff definitely is not heavier than the floor jack in my garage.

No doubt about the hi lift dangers. We've discussed that many times but sometimes its still the right tool for the job. I've changed many tires on my Jeep with one but its a very easy vehicle to lift, light and almost everywhere is a lift point.

 

[jha6av8r]

I carry a Hi-Lift with a wheelmate and a Bogert Safe Jack kit (6 ton bottlejack), & jack stand pad for it.

 

[Advmoto18]

Indeed, SAFE JACK components are HEAVY!

 

[brianjwilson]

My bags have separate air lines, and an off camber situation would certainly result in asymmetric loading. I have a Hi-Lift jack base plate and a lift mate and like you said mainly use it to lift up a tire to get off high center or to put material underneath the tire. I think the last time I actually used a Hi-Lift to change a tire was when cars came with bumper jacks.

Lots of folks have been hurt with Hi-Lifts, even used properly, but I have also seen them used in crazy stupid ways when someone should have gotten hurt and didn't.

I was mainly curious about the statement that air bags 'will' be damaged by lifting by the frame, but I'm also hoping I never have to find out first hand. My bigger problem with a flat would be getting the spare off and on my rear swing out spare tire carrier.

It says right in the instructions not to lift by the frame with the air bags. The problem is that they don't allow much travel, so allowing the axle to droop with them can actually pull the air bars apart and tear them. Obviously each application varies. Maybe your stock shocks are so short that they won't allow damage to the air bags but usually they do. This is why day star created the air bag "cradle" which allows the bag to separate from the mount under droop for off road use generally.

 

[Stalking Light]

Firestone says not to use the Daystar cradles: http://blog.truckspring.com/post/2014/06/13/firestone-issues-warning-on-use-of-daystar-air-bag-cradles-with-ride-rite-air-bag-kits

The instructions do say not to lift by the frame or damage may occur, but if you have to lift by the frame to deflate the bags. I would only try and jack up my truck with the rock rails if I had no other choice.

Since I installed my air bags I have upgraded my suspension to an OME lift with heavy springs and extra leaf in the rear, so the air bags are mostly redundant now and have little pressure in them.

 

[2020]

I got one of these:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/29178645?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227019391825&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40838760272&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78651978752&veh=sem

I haven't tried it yet but it's rated for 7000 pounds.

 

[ntsqd]

The steel floor jack that I'm using is not the full size unit that most have in their garages. It is one of the smaller jacks with a more limited max lift height. With the leveling cribbage that I carry anyway, and local rocks if necessary, I've not had trouble with not enough lift height.

It could stand to have a better cradle for engaging the axle housing.

 

[frosty_1]

I've got one of these I carry with me, haven't used it yet but I think it should get the job done...PowerBuilt Jack

 

[smlobx]

I have an aluminum floor jack that I also use for my race car. I just put a 2' by 2' piece of 3/4" plywood under it for a base. The jack handle is removable so it doesn't take up much space.

 

[Bill D]

Firestone says not to use the Daystar cradles: http://blog.truckspring.com/post/2014/06/13/firestone-issues-warning-on-use-of-daystar-air-bag-cradles-with-ride-rite-air-bag-kits

The instructions do say not to lift by the frame or damage may occur, but if you have to lift by the frame to deflate the bags. I would only try and jack up my truck with the rock rails if I had no other choice.

Since I installed my air bags I have upgraded my suspension to an OME lift with heavy springs and extra leaf in the rear, so the air bags are mostly redundant now and have little pressure in them.

Here is the actual instructions. They reflect exactly what Stalking Light mentioned.

[SIZE=15pt]NOTE: [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Once the air helper springs are installed, it is recommended that the vehicle not be lifted by the frame, as over-extension may occur, resulting in damage to the air helper springs. However, should it become necessary to raise the vehicle by the frame, deflate both air helper springs completely. [/SIZE]

 

[wuck]

But I had no trouble using the stock/OEM bottle jack to jack up my F250 with FWC Hawk

Me too. Promontory Pt, Utah, F250 rear tire w/stock "Bottle Jack" on Central Pacific RR ROW.

150+/- year old spike, or the remnants of it.

 

[Bill D]

Me too. Promontory Pt, Utah, F250 rear tire w/stock "Bottle Jack" on Central Pacific RR ROW.

150+/- year old spike, or the remnants of it.

P1010902r.JPG

You should be a hand model

 

[wuck]

You should be a hand model

Gee, umm, thanks Bill, umm, I think. You know, my feet are really cute too. . .

 

[Old Crow]

Just thought I'd post a comparison photo and weights and dimensions of two I've been trying to decide between for my rig. I'm not quite convinced I can't just live with my stock jack but did find it a bit shaky when I used it on a recent trip.... and that was on a flat, paved surface.

On the left is a scissor jack a friend gave me after picking up several at a local military base's reutilization store. It's a 3-1/2 ton unit from a M998 Humvee. On the right is a US General (Harbor Freight) 1-1/2 ton compact aluminum/steel 'racing jack' I've used for several years (light use).

Weights: Humvee=23 pounds ; floorjack=27 pounds

Lifting ranges : Humvee=6" to 19"; floorjack= 3" to 15" (at saddle).

Movement of load: Humvee= straight up ; floorjack=saddle shifts back several inches as the load rises

Dimensions: Humvee= 22L x 9W x 7H, floorjack= 22L x 10W (max) x 8H (plus lever sections)

Other info: the Humvee jacks are available on ebay and at military surplus stores. They seem to be typically $75 to $100 or more. Best price I found is Coleman's Surplus ($40) in PA but shipping to west coast is another $30 or so and may not include the bag.
Also- Harbor Freight has sales on the racing jack all the time. Their 4th of July sale has their latest version of it for $68. But is 3000# enough?

-OC

 

[Advmoto18]

While I have never had the priviledge of raising a Humvee with the scissor jack, I have watched others perform the task. The Humvee scissor jack is very robust jack. I'm not sure I'd be using a block of wood over the chasis post for fear of cracking and load shift. I have seen others use two hockey pucks with holes drilled for the jack's chasis post.

 

[Old Crow]

advmoto- yeah, I agree on the wooden block. I've been looking for something like the axle cradle at http://www.amazon.com/SWAG-Road-Bottle-Jack-Cradle/dp/B00LBFPN82/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435345973&sr=8-2&keywords=bottle+jack+axle but that's not quite it.

That's a great tip on the hockey pucks. Thanks!

-OC

 

[ntsqd]

The right species of wood I'd have no worries about. The wrong species......

 

[super doody]

There is also the inflatable jack: