OEM Jack

D

Don Drake

Well-Known Member
So I decided to rotate tires today. No big deal, grab the floor jack, stands and impact and get after it. Then I thought, why not see what's involved in changing a tire using the OEM tools.

So first, I place the jack in the indicated position, and begin to use the handle connected to the lug wrench to raise the truck. Whoever invented this mickey mouse setup needs to be shot. Oh, and I checked the rating on the jack 3087 pounds. Not kilos. I wouldn't lift a 60's MG with a jack that light.

Okay I finally, it takes a long time turning that lug wrench to get the vehicle up, have it lifted and go after the lugnuts. Plan on another long frustrating session before there off, IF you can break the lugnuts loose without standing on the end of the wrench. Heck, even standing on it I had to bounce up and down (a human impact gun).

Conclusion, total fail with the supplied tools.

Now, I keep a battery powered impact in all of my vehicles, but batteries die so I keep the lug wrench in there as well. I looked at the jack handle and figured out with the right adapter I could drive it with the impact. It works, but talk about wobbly, and that was lowering it.

Then I thought about lowering the spare. Using the same supplied tools it's a pain. The impact made that much easier. So it seems the entire package of tools will stay just so I can lower the spare.

After these little experiments, I used the right tools and rotated the tires in less time than jacking, removing lugnuts for one tire and lowering and raising the spare.

Conclusion, replace the jack. I had already been thinking about it, but this pretty well cemented the idea. Possible candadates are a good 5 ton hydraulic bottle jack, off road floor jack or an electric jack. Each has it's issues. Bottle jack can leak oil, the off road floor jack are massive and the electric jack that looks best is a sissor jack which usually have a small footing.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?
 
Couple of tricks would help with the OEM jack, just incase your battery op tool has dead batteries.

Tip 1. Lower the spare first.
2. Loosen lug nuts before raising the truck.
3. Raise the truck.

FWIW, the 3087 lbs is sufficient to raise the truck to change a flat. You are not lifting the entire truck, all 4 wheels, off the ground. Only need to raise the wheel with the flat tire.

Agreed the OEM jack is not a good solution for shop maintenance. This is better suited for floor jack and a set of jack stands, 3 Ton rating is plenty.
 
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Never even looked what my trucks jack appears like, or where its stored, only know its under the rear seats somewhere.
 
Came across an interesting jack stand while researching jacks. It is collapsible unit that folds very flat for storage. Expensive but very well made and it has a high rating. US made, but currently out of stock. If they become available I'll buy a couple and pass on my evaluation.
 
Well after a bit of measuring, thinking and researching I figured a 5 ton sissor jack would just fit into the underseat compartment on the driver's side. The jack arrived today and lo and behold it fit like a glove. The few items I had in that compartment easily fit into the area vacated by the factory jack.

Like all sissor jacks it has a fairly small base. But then so does the factory jack. I had previously made a plate from 1/4" steel that as a base for the factory jack. I just need to cut off the studs for that jack's hole pattern and weld in new ones to fit the sissor jack's hole pattern. I set the base up with a center hole large enough so the spare tire "clamp" fits through. It lives onto of my spare with a hole to bolt it to the rim.

I like doing stuff like this. A bit of thinking on the fly and some relatively light work and things just get better.
 
The Powerbuilts are nice. I bought one to try out and it works as advertised. Two issues. First the thing weighs over twenty pounds, it might weigh even more than my Hi Lift. Second it is very bulky. They are great for the garage though.
 
I'll still wheel out, and use my trusty central hydraulics floor jack. Bought that sucker used cheap years ago at a tool sale. It's never failed me. Gotta weigh at least 80 lbs though.
 
On any of these jacks, including (maybe especially) the OEM, make sure you have either enough lifting height or some means of extending the lift if your vehicle is lifted I'd need more than my fingers and toes to count the number of times I've come across folks with lifted vehicles and no way to jack up it up. Or even folks with stock vehicles trying to use OEM jacks (any brand) to change a tire off road.

I'm only interested in road side tire changes in my Tacoma. It is expected that the usage would be extremely rare. Add to that my age and I want easy and quick. Electric jack, collapsable jack stand, and impact gun will let me minimize any lifting on my part.

My Jeep is and has been for decades outfitted with a "floor" jack, hi lift, jack stands and an impact gun (originally air driven not battery powered). One of the neat things about hi lifts is all of the attachments that have come out in the last forty years.
 
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