Which jack?

Newbie question!. Just got a 2001 TJ with 33's. What size jack should I get?

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.
 
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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.
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.
 
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I have a hi-lift jack. I carry a hi-lift jack. I use a hi-lift jack. I've been doing that forever.

With that being said, a hi-lift jack is both unnecessary and dangerous. It is also awkward to use. Buy some fuzzy dice instead. Those are both lighter and safer.
 
I had a hi-lift given to me and have used it as a winch more than once.
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.

To me, in the real world and in real legitimate circumstances where a vehicle needs to be recovered, use another vehicle with a strap to pull you out and forget about a Hi-Lift being used as a winch. If you're offroading, wheeling with another vehicle is just a basic safety requirement and to me, so is a strap if you don't have a winch. In that situation, there'd be no need to have to resort to that ridiculous use of a Hi-Lift, trying to make it work as a winch.

My opinion of being told a Hi-Lift is suitable for winching is similar to being told you can use a Dremel tool instead of a real saw for cutting major pieces of lumber... maybe possible in some cases but not even close to being the right tool for the job.

I wouldn't even consider a Hi-Lift as better than nothing since there's usually someone else with at least a strap around.
 
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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. :)

35OnOEjack.jpg
 
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I should have said I'd rather use my hi-lift jack than my cable hoist for retreiving a stuck vehicle.
Hi-lifts are also called farm jacks and work great for pulling fence posts.
 
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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.
 
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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.

Which begs the question: Why not just rip it out?

Can't find the time?

I imagine that carpet in a garage (especially a garage that is home a TJ) wouldn't stay clean for long.
 
I started to tear it out but discovered the concrete under the carpet has a really rough sharp finish that would take a big power concrete grinder/sanding tool to make it smooth. You couldn't lay on it to work under the jeep, it's pretty rough. It'd even be bad for the dog to walk on, it's not a type of concrete finish I've ever seen before.
 
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Ahhh, that makes sense. You'd spend a lot of time / money fixing that sort of concrete and polishing it up.
 
All good advice. A hi-jack is a waste of money.

Sure, if there was nothing else around I would use one, but if you are somewhere going wheelin, chances are someone else will have a better means of getting you out of a sticky situation (i.e. a winch).

The stock bottle jack is all that's needed.
 
Resurrecting this old post...

I have the original bottle jack that came with my 2000... No idea as to whether it is structurally sound and is to be trusted. Any suggested maintenance or steps to check before I rely on it, or replace it?

+++edit+++

Looks like it should be good to go. Found this thread....

Mechanical screw style that no doubt needs zero maintenance as opposed to a hydro bottle jack...
 
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So I bought a 48" Hi-Lyft a couple days after I bought my TJ as I thought that was an essential piece of gear and there was no jack with the Jeep. I've since learned that my money would have been better spent elsewhere...live and learn.

For off road tire changes and repairs the suggestion was made to me to purchase one of the bottle jack/jack stand combos with a wide base. Would that be a better option that a OEM bottle jack?
 
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