Is there a preferred method for jacking up a TJ?

[chino1969]

Is there a preferred method of jacking up a TJ without damaging anything? I've always jacked my XJ using the axle and then placing jack stands under the axles. I jacked under the axle close to the differential next to the larger diameter OD and then placed jack stands as close as possible to the shock mounts. How do the rest of you do it?

 

[Steel City 06]

I usually jack on the axle tubes if I need to lift it by the axles. The combination jack/jack stands are great for this.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/powerbuilt-3-ton-all-in-one-jack
If I need to droop the axles, I’ll use a hi-lift on the front or rear receiver hitch, jack it up, and put jack stands under the frame between the wheels. The hi-lift is removed before I get underneath it. The frame on a lifted Jeep is usually too high to use a normal floor jack.

I recommend putting it in 4Lo and tightly engaging the parking brake before lifting it. You don’t want it to roll away while you’ve got it in the air.

 

[mrblaine]

I usually jack on the axle tubes if I need to lift it by the axles. The combination jack/jack stands are great for this.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/powerbuilt-3-ton-all-in-one-jack
If I need to droop the axles, I’ll use a hi-lift on the front or rear receiver hitch, jack it up, and put jack stands under the frame between the wheels. The hi-lift is removed before I get underneath it. The frame on a lifted Jeep is usually too high to use a normal floor jack.

I recommend putting it in 4Lo and tightly engaging the parking brake before lifting it. You don’t want it to roll away while you’ve got it in the air.

If you want to droop the axles for anything other than just to look, use the pumpkin as a lift point for a floor jack. When you get the tires a few inches off the ground, put the stands under the frame or bumper. Lower the rig onto them to stabilize the frame while keeping the tires off the ground slightly. When that is done, remove the tires and lower the axle.

 

[Steel City 06]

If you want to droop the axles for anything other than just to look, use the pumpkin as a lift point for a floor jack. When you get the tires a few inches off the ground, put the stands under the frame or bumper. Lower the rig onto them to stabilize the frame while keeping the tires off the ground slightly. When that is done, remove the tires and lower the axle.

I’ve been doing that a few times recently. But then just yesterday jacking on the differential I noticed that my axle tubes don’t look collinear with one another, like they’re slightly in an upside-down V-shape. Is a little bit of housing or tube flex normal when jacking on the differential? Or is my axle likely bent?

I haven’t had time to measure if it’s real or just my eyes playing tricks on me. But comparing to the gas tank skid on the GenRight tank they don’t entirely look collinear/parallel.

 

[chino1969]

If you want to droop the axles for anything other than just to look, use the pumpkin as a lift point for a floor jack. When you get the tires a few inches off the ground, put the stands under the frame or bumper. Lower the rig onto them to stabilize the frame while keeping the tires off the ground slightly. When that is done, remove the tires and lower the axle.

I was going to do a power steering flush which would require both tires off the ground. I used to jack under the axle tubes but am not sure this method is benign. What are your thoughts using the axle tubes? If using the frame would jack placement be where the control arm bracket is welded to the frame?

 

[mrblaine]

I’ve been doing that a few times recently. But then just yesterday jacking on the differential I noticed that my axle tubes don’t look collinear with one another, like they’re slightly in an upside-down V-shape. Is a little bit of housing or tube flex normal when jacking on the differential? Or is my axle likely bent?

I haven’t had time to measure if it’s real or just my eyes playing tricks on me. But comparing to the gas tank skid on the GenRight tank they don’t entirely look collinear/parallel.

No way to know without getting a straight line on there for comparison. It isn't normal though. An unbraced D-35 will flex upwards about .060 when lifting the weight of the rig from the center of the diff. You can really see that.

 

[mrblaine]

I was going to do a power steering flush which would require both tires off the ground. I used to jack under the axle tubes but am not sure this method is benign. What are your thoughts using the axle tubes? If using the frame would jack placement be where the control arm bracket is welded to the frame?

We use the axle tubes all the time. I don't lift by the frame much. You are lifting one side and that isn't safe for the lesser experienced and given how far the frame has to move to do anything with the suspension, there is little value in using that method.

 

[chino1969]

We use the axle tubes all the time. I don't lift by the frame much. You are lifting one side and that isn't safe for the lesser experienced and give how far the frame has to move to do anything with the suspension, there is little value in using that method.

Thanks.