How To Jack Up A Lifted Truck [You Need To Know This!]
A lifted truck is higher off the ground than a typical truck. You may not know how to jack up a lifted truck and how the process differs from that of a regular truck, so let’s talk about it.
How to Jack Up a Lifted Truck
Jacking up a lifted truck requires a taller jack and jack stands to reach the frame, but jacking up a lifted truck is otherwise the same as jacking up a regular truck. The frame has specific places that the jack can safely support and the chocks need to be placed under the wheels.
There are some important things to know about jacking up a truck with alift kit and making sure that you do it correctly. Keep reading to learn more!
What Tools Do You Need?
You will need wheel chocks, jack stands, and a jack to lift the truck. If you are changing a tire, you will use an impact wrench and a lug/deep socket wrench.
Wheel chocks are used to keep the truck from rolling as you work on it. They are like small, curved ramps with ridges that you put beneath the wheels.
Jack stands hold the truck up after it has been jacked up. They have four legs that support the top, which has a ridge for holding up the truck. The jack stands for lifted trucks are taller than those for ordinary cars.
A lifted truck needs a taller jack than a normal truck because the frame is higher off the ground. Getting the right kind of jack is important.
Be sure to check that any jack you purchase is able to reach the frame of your truck, and make sure that you know how to use it correctly.
There are three basic types of jacks: scissor jacks, bottle jacks, and trolley/floor jacks.
Scissor jacks are the most common type of jack found in a regular truck. Rather than using hydraulics, scissor jacks operate using mechanical force.
They are a cheap type of jack, and some cars come with them already.
They are also easy to compress down and store in a small space. However, they are not tall enough to reach the frame of a lifted truck, so they are not options for using with a lifted truck, even if they work fine with ordinary trucks.
Bottle jacks are essentially vertically mounted hydraulic cylinders. Bottle jacks can work on a lifted truck because they can reach the frame and are powerful enough to jack up the truck.
They are also small and easy to store because of their long and thin shape.
However, they are also not very stable and much more prone to slipping. They are also harder to position properly.
Trolley jacks and floor jacks are very similar, though trolley jacks have a wider range of jack height options and floor jacks are lighter.
They are the most stable options for jacks. They can also reach the frame of a lifted truck. However, they are also the largest and hardest to store.
If you plan on using a jack so you can change your tires, you will want to make sure that the lug wrench can fit the lug nuts on your wheels.
Test out this process and your equipment frequently so you know what to do and know that it works properly. You don’t want to have to figure this out when you’re stranded with a flat tire.
How Do You Jack Up a Lifted Truck?
The process for jacking up a lifted truck is the same as jacking up any other truck or car. The tools need to be placed specifically and carefully so you don’t damage the truck.
If you already have a flat tire, you don’t want to ruin the body or mechanical parts of your vehicle as well.
The first thing you need to do when jacking up a lifted truck is place the wheel chocks beneath the wheels. Since one end of the car will be lifted upward, the car will be more likely to roll.
The wheels under which you place the wheel chocks depend on which wheel you are working on.
If you are working on a front wheel, place the wheel chocks beneath the back wheels. If you are working on a rear wheel, place the wheel chocks beneath the front wheels.
After the wheel chocks are in place, you need to check that your jack is working correctly. Make sure that you have all of the equipment for jacking the car up nearby. Make sure that the jack is working properly and isn’t missing any components
If the jack isn’t working right, it can break or slip and the truck can fall. This can damage the truck or even harm you if you are underneath it.
Once you’ve tested the jack, you need to position it. Some trucks will have jacking points added and labeled by the manufacturer on your truck frame.
You can spot these beneath the car or in the owner’s manual. These points are safe places to put the jack and raise the truck.
If your truck doesn’t have specified jacking points, find a level area that can fit the tip of the jack and support the weight of the vehicle without damaging it. Make sure that the jack won’t slip and damage parts.
Once the jack is positioned, raise it and place the jack stands. The locations where you place the jack stands should be similar to those where you put the jack: level surface, able to support the weight (concrete is ideal), and the right size.
Once the jack stands are placed, you can lower the jack, allowing the stands to support the vehicle.
At this point, you will remove the flat tire and replace it with the spare. Once that is done, you will need to jack the truck back up so you can remove the jack stands.
Once the jack stands have been removed, you can lower the jack until the wheels of the truck are back on the ground.
Make sure that you put all of your tools back and find a mechanic soon to repair or replace your flat tire.