I tried to use a small 2 ton Jack to lift my 04TL, using the rear hook as indicated by many, and it didn't lift the car high enough for me to place the jack stands on the sides of the car. (for a tire rotation).

I went to Sears, and I noticed they have different types of floor jacks:
according to their lift height: 15, 18 and 21 inch (for SUV).
(2 ton, 3.5 tons, etc)

which one should we use?

 

just use a wood wedge...., or buy the 21" jack.

 

I bought a Michelin 3.5-ton floor jack from Sam's for $70. Not a bad deal at all. I used it on my Explorer and the TL and has performed flawlessly. Go check that out.

 

i got the 2.25 ton jack from Sears.
i used it to swap my 18" with the stocks for winter.
i got it for $20 (it was originally $40).

 

I use two floor jacks and raise and lower the car on one side at the same time so as not to put any undue stress on the frame.

 

I have the 21" from Sears. The other ones are too short for the rear.

 

I use a 21".

The TL has alot of suspension travel, it takes some height to actually get the wheels off the ground.

I think 18" minimum.

 

great price,
thanks...

does it go to 21 inch elevation ?

 

I have no clue, but it reaches the bottom of my truck within a push. Now, imagine if it does that to my Explorer, which has about 9 inches of ground clearance, I'm pretty sure it can go up pretty high. But anyways, here're the specs I found on this ebay auction:

Features:

Lifting Range: Lifts 5 1/2" - 22" High

Universal Joint: Ensures smooth release valve operation
* ANSI Superior Quality
* Magnetic Tool Tray: Ideal for keeping small parts or hardware
* Saddle Pad: Prevents chassis lift point from scratching while lifting
* Just one pump brings the saddle all the way up to the chassis
* Double Handle Spring - minimizes stress on the unit during operation by spreading torque evenly across the pump assembly.

Good luck!!!

 

Good Advice. That's exactly what I did while swapping out my OEM swaybar for the Comptech one. My standard jack was unable to take the wheels off the ground while jacking up the rear at the tow hook. Two pieces of 2 by 4s did the trick in a pinch. I will invest in a 21 incher next time.

dsc888

 

I bought the 22 inch Michelin floor Jack from Sam's.
it weights a ton (100lb) but I like it like that,
floor jacks have to be very strong .

problem solved.

 

Bump... This thread is really old but I searched all over and couldn't find the answer I was looking for... (post #7 said *I think* the minimum is 18", but that was a close to an answer as I could find).

Sears has this jack + jack stand + crawler set for $99 this week only and I just wanted to make sure the max lift height of 19-3/4" (and min height of 5-1/2") was enough to clear jack stands? Does anybody have this jack (or one with the same max lift height) who can tell me?

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

TIA

 

The jack you mention will do fine. I used the exact same height jack for a couple of years with my TL, until the jack broke and I replaced it with a quick-lift that goes to 22". This gives me a little more height, but 19" will also clear the stands easily.

I don't think the jack you are looking at is a quick-lift jack, which means it will take a lot of pumps to get it to the correct height to jack up the car when it is on the stands. You can ask the salesman and he can explain the differences to you.

Check out this thread in the 3G Garage

E-028: DIY: Where to jack
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85473

 

Heh heh, that's why I bought an air-powered jack Not because I'm a lazy SOB, (which I probably am), but because in my other car, the clearance is so tight, i used to have to pump the jack with a screw-driver, which was very tiring...

I'm glad someone said 19" will work fine for the back, because my old 15" jack was useless for the back, and the new air-jack I bought goes from 5-19"... Hopefully it get's here in time for me to change the oil this weekend

 

I have this one, and HIGHLY recommend it.

Craftsman 4000 lb. Capacity Aluminum Jack
Sears item #00950239000 Mfr. model #G620S



And YOU MUST HAVE STANDS (or a good death insurance)

Craftsman 3 ton High Lift Jack Stands
Sears item #00950159000 Mfr. model #50159

 

The rear requires alot more height to get the wheels off the floor, i think you need at least 20in. to get the rear off.

 

So you use this one on the center/rear jack point and it clears the jack stands? This one only goes up to 18-1/2"...

I'm not sure I really care about the quick-lift... it just takes a couple minutes longer, right?

Thanks for the responses everyone!

 

<<So you use this one on the center/rear jack point and it clears the jack stands? >>

I need to double check my stands to make sure that I am telling you the right size for these stands. But, yes, my stands lower enough to fit under the car.

<<I'm not sure I really care about the quick-lift... it just takes a couple minutes longer, right?>>

"Quick lift" is misleading. This feature just means that the jack raises quickly with NO load on it. This makes it quicker to get the jack up to reach the car. After the jack makes contact with the car, the lifting rate is just like any other jack.

My Craftsman jack (model #G620S) will raise the front end where the tires are hanging approx 6 inch from the floor. It will raise the rear where the rear tires are hanging approx four inches from the floor. This means to imply that the suspension is relaxed to full suspension travel.

 

I am looking to pick up a jack and a set of 4 stands to perform regular maintenance on my TL. I was reading about the recommended height requirements and everyone indicates that 19-22" would be a good range. My question is with the unit in the link below, (18-1/4" for jack and 16-7/8" for stand) would I still be able to safely lift the vehicle with the addition of perhaps a piece of wood or a brick? If there are any safety risks with this please let me know as that way I will simply opt for a better unit altogether.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/AutoTools/CreepersJacksStands/PRD~0091055P/Certified%252B3-Ton%252BJack%252BKit/CROSSSELL~0091054%20Michelin%2B3%25BD-ton%2BSpeedy%2BLift%2BJack.jsp?locale=en

If this above unit isn't ideal the other one I am considering would be the following Speed Lift Jack.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/AutoTools/CreepersJacksStands/PRDOVR~0091054P/Michelin%252B3%2525BD-ton%252BSpeedy%252BLift%252BJack.jsp?locale=en

 

My personal opinion is you should buy the taller one (I think it said 22").

I have tall jackstands - lowest setting is like 15". My jack goes up to 21" and that still was not high enough to get my 15" jack stands in place on the rear. I used two blocks of wood that I cut from a 2x4. This worked great, and I was able to easily clear the stands with these wood blocks. One of the times when I was lowering the car, I got lazy and didn't make sure the wood blocks were exactly centered on the jack pad. As I lowered the car, the top block kind of snapped out. It scared me, but fortunately, it didn't hurt me or the car. So, go ahead and use the wood block method, as it works great. Just don't be lazy like I was (one time) and make sure the blocks are centered. Every other time, when I made sure they were centered, it was just fine.

The reason I say get the taller one though is you never know when you might want the car a little higher. Even an inch of more room can really make your work a lot easier. (Sometimes it can be hard to get enough height under the car to use the torque wrench, since it's so long). Plus, I would not be comfortable using more than two wood blocks to gain that additional height.

 

Bump.

Forgive me for the noobie question, but I'm a new TL owner and I've never done my own maintenance before, but I'd like to be able to perform my own oil and ATF changes. For those tasks, is it acceptable to just have 2 stands and jack up the front of the car? Or are 4 stands and lifting the entire car necessary?

 

This exact set is on sale for $99 again.

I only really saw one response about this specific set. Would this be acceptable for doing my own oil and ATF changes?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...1&blockType=G1