Piece of shit

[Tray]

Why in the world would someone make a jack that doesn't even lift the truck enough to remove a tire?

Lucky me got a flat on the way to work this morning.

So after finally getting the spare un-stuck, and down, I turn my attention to raising the truck up to remove the flat.

Well, after spinning that bitch for 30 minutes, I find out that it stops about 3/4 of an inch to short for the stock tire, and about 1.5 inches too short for a flat 33.

Well, it's time to go hunting. After walking around King Soopers for 15 minutes, I finally found some scrap boards that would work as a base to put under the jack.

I now have my sweet stock spare on, and have to try and get 4wP to fix the flat one. Isn't it just my luck that their tire guy got sent home sick today!

[mattadams]

Tray, after hearing others horror stories, I did the following mod:
http://mattstruck.com/realjack1.jpg
Fits in stock location, and actually lifts the vehicle enough to get the tire off. Though I havent tested it with the 35"s yet.
Sorry to hear of your troubles though.

[rino351]

Was it the stock Ford jack?
if so, they do some really dumb things now and then.

[UrbanCowboy]

That's why I always have my hi-lift with me. I also have a Craftsmen 21" floor jack in the garage. Well right now it is in the front hallway but it will be in the garage at some point.

[mattadams]

While I like the Hi-lift jack and everything, I would NEVER use one to change a flat tire on my truck, at least if I'm going to be anywhere near the truck. Maybe in an emergancy or something, but those things tip faster then umm... can't think of anything clever, but I think every time I've used one in the past, it hasn't been very stable at all. Great for getting you off boulders, not something where I'd be rocking the truck, taking tires off crawling under the truck etc.

[Tray]

What're the specs on that jack you have there Matt? Looks like I may need to pick me up one. Where would I find such an item?

I have a couple of scissor jacks at home, and a nice floor jack, but without anywhere to store them, they really don't help in situations like this morning. I may have thought about calling my wife to bring one to me, if a) she could lift it, and b) my cell phone wasn't dead, and c) if I had a car charger to juice up the dead cell phone.

As for the hi-lift - No way in hell would I even think about changing a tire using one. Even in an emergency I don't think I'd do it.

[mattadams]

Its an MVP 6-ton jack, I got it at Pep Boys for like $15 I think. I did have to modify the plastic jack holder to have more room for the jack, but like I said, it fits in there just fine. Pretty much any standard bottle jack will probably do the trick.

[UrbanCowboy]

I guess it depends on what your comfortable with. I use my hi-lift to change tires, lift the truck over rocks, and have never had a problem. Sure, I'm not going to remove my transmission with nothing but a hi-lift supporting my truck but that's a lot different than a tire. To each his own I guess.

[cory]

i have the same jack, it mounts where my factory one goe's but a small
floor jack in the back works too.

[Tray]

Well, if I ever get the toolbox I need, I have a sweet scissor jack that I'll mount in there, but until then, I think I'm going to try and find one to put in my stock location that would actually work.

[cory]

ouch i have seen those things bend in half be careful.

[Tray]

Well, the one I have is a 3.5 ton, and it's been well abused, but I'd never heard of them bending. I'll make sure not to trust it too much then either.

[clavos]

Get a F-450 jack from the junk yard. They have a bottle jack like Matt's with an adjustable top piece, and are rated at 20 tons.

[Tray]

If I ever see a 450 in the 'yard, I'll be sure to do that.

Unfortunately I've yet to see one anywhere.

[clavos]

The jack probably wouldn't still be in it anyway, now that I think about it. Most 450s are commercial trucks with any number of clowns driving it, and the jack seems to walk away from them fairly quickly.