Newbie question!. Just got a 2001 TJ with 33's. What size jack should I get?
X2. And in a pinch, the factory OE jack will even work for 37" tires. Lift height doesn't matter at all since the OE jack lifts the tire up via the axle which only raises up from a taller tire height.Welcomes the forum!
You don't need a jack, the stock bottle jack is all you need and will handle even 35" tires. It's also MUCH safer than the hi-lift jacks you see people with.
For the most part those hi-lift jacks are a waste of money which is better spent elsewhere.
Two thoughts... First, 4Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine did an article on what it was like to use a Hi-Lift jack as a winch for a real vehicle recovery. They pretty much said they finally got it to work after way too much work but summed it up as not worth the effort and "never again". Two, the distance a Hi-Lift can pull something before it needs to be undone, reset back to the top, and reconnected again means you can only pull in 3' max increments and often not even 3' due to things like strap or rope stretch. I've yet to ever do a real vehicle recovery where I didn't have to winch myself or the other vehicle many times that distance.I had a hi-lift given to me and have used it as a winch more than once.
P.S. Here's a pic I took years ago of my OE jack holding my 35" tire several inches off the ground. Yes my garage has indoor-outdoor carpeting in it.
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Ha that's an old pic that was probably taken right after we bought this house a dozen years ago. The 3-car garage was a pool/rec room when we moved in, I had to convert it back into a garage. That carpeting is nowhere near that good looking after too many gear lube and ATF changes, it's pretty trashed now lol.Good lord... How do you keep that carpet clean?!
Ha that's an old pic that was probably taken right after we bought this house a dozen years ago. The 3-car garage was a pool/rec room when we moved in, I had to convert it back into a garage. That carpeting is nowhere near that good looking after too many gear lube and ATF changes, it's pretty trashed now lol.