Lifting (floor jack) points on my Jeeps

Just don't jack under the diff.

Frame lift points are the best but sometimes the jack simply isn't tall enough. I generally put the jack under the axle U bolts or fairly close. Haven't tweaked anything yet.

The first time I jacked up my Jeep I did it like a car, from the frame. It occurred to me real quick that it won't work that way on a Jeep when the body lifted up way high and the tire was still on the ground!!!

I always jack it up by the supports on the axles now. Lifts right up.

BLOCK THE OTHER WHEELS! I can't stress this enough. I have two 1 foot long 4 x 4 wood blocks with a hole drilled through the end and a loop of rope in those holes for easy removal. Just make sure no one is behind you when you remove one!!!!!!

Thanks to all!!

Greg

I always jack under the pumpkin. Whats wrong with that?

Carl

I use the axle tubes or if I can fit, the spring perches for my floor jack.

If I have a flat, then I sometimes have to jack twice due to lack of clearance. Once near the center to get room out by the wheel for a jack stand for the jack to fit out there on the second lift up.

I think there is a sticker under the back seat that shows jacking points for the stock floor jack also.

You should be checking out those rims 'very' carefully! We put modern,

92 I think, aluminum 5 spoke Jeep rims on our old Cherokee and the rear tires tagged the anti-sway bar! The backspacing was way off on the rims.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

I lift by the pumpkin all the time, without issue. However, in exchanging wheels or rotating, I tend to lift one side up at a time via the middle of the frame rail.

tw

Just be warned that you habit might come back and bite you big time if you use the pumpkin on some newer vehicles for a jack point. They made them weaker to save weight or as a planned obsolescence feature. Weaken the drive parts on a SUV, right.... Complete rear ends are expensive.

Second, just how freaking big is your floor jack that you can jack a TJ up from the side frame rails and actually lift the tires off the ground?????

I can't even lift my XJ that way, nor are the 'frame' rails on my XJ strong enough to jack from. The owners manual for the XJ says to use the axle tubes...

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Well, they don't come off the ground much, but all you need is a half inch. Another system I have for rotating, only requires one wheel off the ground at a time. Remove the spare from the back... then jack up the RR only and replace w/ spare, roll RR to RF, RF to LR and LR to LF...LF to spare. All one corner at a time. Easier to be happy with the jack point but takes a just a few mins longer and a bit more scrambling around. I use the control arm perches, again without issue. If you're lifting a corner of your Jeep and bending axle tubes, you've got more problems than needing a tire rotation. To replace the wheels completely, I'd be inclined to do one side at a time.

tw

You seem to be missing the fact that the new axle tubes on some Jeeps will bend if you lift from the pumpkin. We are not pulling your leg on this... They made some D44's out of press fit aluminum. Jeep recommends using the axle tubes for it's stock floor jack.

I have seen quite a few control arms and their mounts bent from jacking too.

I can't rotate either of my Jeep's tires your way. Both owners manuals say to only rotated front to back and if doing a 5 tire rotation, it goes on the main drive wheel, the right rear with the rear going to the right front and the right front to the spare. I guess they figure the three tires on one side will make up for the increased wear from the main tire.

Meanwhile I do 4 tire rotations and have perfect wear on my tires.

Mike

Didn't see it mentioned (probably 'cause it's obvious) but I thought I'd toss it out... A small square of ¾" plywood or short piece of 2x4 between the cup on the jack and jack point on the vehicle helps spread the load and gives the pointy metal bits (like spring shekel bolts, etc.) a better bite. & metal on wood doesn't slide nearly as easy as metal on metal.

When I am working on something, I block tires and use the jack, a jack stand or three and just for good measure I always lay the tire under the frame of the vehicle so if it does come down, it is stopping at the rim/tire width before it hits ground.

I also use the 2x4 lots to spread out the jack's pressure. Old vehicles, especially ones in the rust belt get soft or crystallized metal that will collapse under the weight of a jack, even at the specific jacking points.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail > I thought I'd throw this out too. I don't know how many times I've seen

I'm not missing it. I hear ya. I'm saying I've not seen any problem because of it, so I'm going to continue to do it if I have the need. That aluminum axle you are talking about was put on some Grands, not my XJ nor TJ. Hell, Jeeps will all be 4 wheel independent suspension soon anyway. ;)

I used to do a 4 tire rotation only, but I kept ending up with a brand new spare when everything wore out and I generally wanted to change tires/brands so I had to fire sale the spare. Wasted $. Since I've been doing the 5 way rotation, I've not noticed any negative affects from crossing over. The first 1000 miles smooths out the imperfections and then everything's OK. You have to do it often, however.

If you get perfect wear out of your rotation schedule, I'd keep it up too. I had an 89 4Runner that was the same way. I only did front to rear rotation on it and all 4 tires were always perfectly flat. Not all 4wd vehicles wear that well. These 35" MT/Rs are heavily lugged and need lots of rotation.

tw

I thought I'd throw this out too. I don't know how many times I've seen vehicles sitting in the local Peerless Tire lot with a jack under the pumpkin and two jack stands under the other end (Or maybe that was a jack under the other pumpkin?) waiting for four new tires...

Earle

Indeed. I've picked up my TJ many a time by the pumpkin with no problem. It's a heavy cast iron, not aluminum. Given the beating that TJ pumpkins get on the trail, it *better* be heavy duty!

Floor jacks don't work too well on the frame of lifted Jeeps :-).

_Elron

Yes, it's quite possible that anyone having this problem (if anyone actually is) it's occuring after beating the tar out of it on the Rubicon and Moab rocks, bringing it home, lifting it, and "OMG!, look what the JACK did!" ;)

tw

Can you just imagine how the poor suckers that have the Jeeps with that rear end and do that feel?

They are totally different stresses. The wheels punching the axle tubes up to the springs isn't even close to the vehicle weight being suspended on the pumpkin for stress on the inner tubes.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

The D35 (what I have the 93 ZJ) can be. It depends on how smooth you are. If you let the vehicle down quick and let it bounce off the jack, then yes.

It's just something every one I've heard recommends against.

Personally I wonder how something that bouces off the occasional rock can be hurt that badly by a jack, but it's not something I'm gonna test myself.

Actually not yet. I try to aim the rock where the diff pumpkins aren't...

Now I have been just plain high centered into mud and on trails that were dug out by larger tires than mine, but that has involved the whole axle, not just the center.

Mike