Will your factory jack do its job out on the trail?

[Shankster]

For me the answer was no. I lost a tire on a gnarly trail and my factory mechanical bottle jack was too short to lift the vehicle (3ish inch lift on 245/75-16s). I had to stack rocks to set the jack on to lift the vehicle high enough - super sketchy. My short term solution was to carry a stack of 2x6s to place under the jack - not ideal but it worked. When my daughter, in my Jeep, by herself and out of cell range cut a tire on another trail she didn't know about the 2x6s, so was helpless until some experienced jeepers stopped to help her out. I recently pulled out the jack to make sure it was still serviceable - not so much. It was basically jammed in the compressed position and would not have worked in an emergency situation - with some oil and an impact wrench I eventually got it freed up. Bottom line, the supplied jack is not an ideal trail (or highway) companion. It's too short for a lifted Liberty and is unreliable. So what's the answer?

I bought a "farm jack" AKA high lift jack but returned it because it showed up broken and missing parts. It also appeared to be an instrument of torture that could leave the operator unconscious. It also won't work for many of us since there are not enough good lifting points on a stock Liberty - the rear hitch might be the only spot.

I went with a cheap hydraulic bottle jack which I think will work well. I bought this one from Walmart.com:

Robot or human?

It goes as low as 9" and as high as 19" (verified) which was better than anything else I found under $150. The jack that showed up was a Vevor MR10. At $23 with free shipping (as long as you spend $35+ [just buy some groceries]) it seems like a steal. I tested it and it lifts the Jeep easily but it needs an adapter to spread the load or securely match up with your rear axle tube. I have one coming from Amazon but will need to wait till it shows up before I can verify that it works. I also made a pad out of a couple of pieces of 2x8 if I'm on soft or uneven ground. Everything still fits under the rear seats but I was not able to get the factory plastic jack holder / clamp down thingy to work with the new jack. I may just leave things lose or might decide to fabricate something to keep the jack securely fastened.

Anyway, I feel much more comfortable heading out into the wilderness now. If you haven't played with your factory jack lately or if you have a lift, I'd suggest looking at your options so that you don't find yourself stranded.

Anyone else got some solutions or suggestions for this?

 

[Shankster]

Hmm, I'm having issues with links to online stores lately - if the Walmart link doesn't work google "KFFKFF Hydraulic Bottle Jack" and look for the 10 ton one from Walmart in the search results. It's such a great deal I think it must be a mistake so don't procrastinate if you decide to buy one. I bet the shipping cost Walmart more than the $23 I paid.

 

[mercdudecbr600]

For me the answer was no. I lost a tire on a gnarly trail and my factory mechanical bottle jack was too short to lift the vehicle (3ish inch lift on 245/75-16s). I had to stack rocks to set the jack on to lift the vehicle high enough - super sketchy. My short term solution was to carry a stack of 2x6s to place under the jack - not ideal but it worked. When my daughter, in my Jeep, by herself and out of cell range cut a tire on another trail she didn't know about the 2x6s, so was helpless until some experienced jeepers stopped to help her out. I recently pulled out the jack to make sure it was still serviceable - not so much. It was basically jammed in the compressed position and would not have worked in an emergency situation - with some oil and an impact wrench I eventually got it freed up. Bottom line, the supplied jack is not an ideal trail (or highway) companion. It's too short for a lifted Liberty and is unreliable. So what's the answer?

I bought a "farm jack" AKA high lift jack but returned it because it showed up broken and missing parts. It also appeared to be an instrument of torture that could leave the operator unconscious. It also won't work for many of us since there are not enough good lifting points on a stock Liberty - the rear hitch might be the only spot.

I went with a cheap hydraulic bottle jack which I think will work well. I bought this one from Walmart.com:

Robot or human?

It goes as low as 9" and as high as 19" (verified) which was better than anything else I found under $150. The jack that showed up was a Vevor MR10. At $23 with free shipping (as long as you spend $35+ [just buy some groceries]) it seems like a steal. I tested it and it lifts the Jeep easily but it needs an adapter to spread the load or securely match up with your rear axle tube. I have one coming from Amazon but will need to wait till it shows up before I can verify that it works. I also made a pad out of a couple of pieces of 2x8 if I'm on soft or uneven ground. Everything still fits under the rear seats but I was not able to get the factory plastic jack holder / clamp down thingy to work with the new jack. I may just leave things lose or might decide to fabricate something to keep the jack securely fastened.

Anyway, I feel much more comfortable heading out into the wilderness now. If you haven't played with your factory jack lately or if you have a lift, I'd suggest looking at your options so that you don't find yourself stranded.

Anyone else got some solutions or suggestions for this?

I think you were lifting on an incorrect lift point. For rear, the differential is always low enough to jack on and the front, could do a lower control arm in a pinch. I have a farm jack (harbor freight sells them too) but it's real knarly and is supposed to be used for getting your vehicle out of a ditch, etc. and pivoted over. Seems sketch, haven't done it myself.

 

[Shankster]

I think you were lifting on an incorrect lift point. For rear, the differential is always low enough to jack on and the front, could do a lower control arm in a pinch. I have a farm jack (harbor freight sells them too) but it's real knarly and is supposed to be used for getting your vehicle out of a ditch, etc. and pivoted over. Seems sketch, haven't done it myself.

IMHO using the rear diff as a lifting point with a tiny bottle jack, on uneven ground is not a good idea. You'll end up lifting both back tires of the ground and it will be super tippy and unsafe. You want to be able to lift from one side and only lift the problem tire off the ground with the other 3 providing some stability. I believe I used the rear axle tube as close to the wheel as possible as my lifting point and the factory jack was still too short - maybe a combination of tall tires and uneven ground. I'm not even sure my factory jack can fully extend (it only goes to 12.5") which could have been part of the problem too. I suppose you could use the lower control arm mounting point on the axle tube which is a few inches lower but you're getting really close to the tire (which could be all mooshed out) and potentially putting your body parts in harms way. Also, with a pancake flat tire, that potential lift point may be too low to get the jack under.

I'd just suggest everyone get out their factory jack and test it on your vehicle to make sure it will work for you. And try to visualize all the potential issues you might have with the challenging conditions on the trail.

 

[mercdudecbr600]

I solve most of the unevenness issue with short cut 2x4" lumber stored under the rear seat as a companion to the jack. It's worked well for me but I haven't gotten a nasty flat in super rough terrain. In that case, a farm jack is your best bet.

 

[Shankster]

I solve most of the unevenness issue with short cut 2x4" lumber stored under the rear seat as a companion to the jack. It's worked well for me but I haven't gotten a nasty flat in super rough terrain. In that case, a farm jack is your best bet.

But with a farm jack you need lifting points that a lot of us don't have. At a minimum you need both front and rear trailer hitches with something extending out far enough that the farm jack can get under. If you have front and rear ARB (or similar) bumpers I'd agree that a farm jack is probably the way to go, as long as you learn how to use it.

 

[Jeremy-WI]

Farm jack? Likely the thing we called a hi lift jack

 

[Shankster]

Farm jack? Likely the thing we called a hi lift jack

Exactly

 

[lfhoward]

A 4” block of wood cut from a 6x6 beam makes the factory jack a lot more capable. Since my Jeep is 4” lifted the factory jack doesn’t know the difference.

 

[elafilos]

Hi guys, factory jack on 2.5 ome lift + 265/70/16 worked like a charm on really bad conditions (snow + mud) Had to lift from the shock mount (rear) though. Not the best practice but did the trick!

 

[seafish]

A 4” block of wood cut from a 6x6 beam …

I use 6x6 eucalyptus cribbing blocks on my tracked equipment, but of course I just get to crawl on top of them like steps

 

[lfhoward]

The block of wood under the jack helps keep the jack from sinking in when lifting the Jeep on sand or saturated ground.

 

[elafilos]

The block of wood under the jack helps keep the jack from sinking in when lifting the Jeep on sand or saturated ground.

Indeed! I had to do some digging afterwards.

 

[Shankster]

Can one of you take your factory bottle jack and extend it all the way and measure the height? Mine goes to 12.5" before it stops. I'm wondering if mine is damaged internally? I believe it used to go a few inches higher but not 100% sure. At this point I'm sold on my new hydraulic bottle jack - MUCH faster and easier to extend and retract but I still want to know if my factory one should be tossed in the dumpster.

 

[JeepJeepster]

If you think that factory bottle style jack isn't adequate, you should see the useless scissor jack they put in 2004 and up KJ's. It didnt take me long to crush that little thing

 

[Shankster]

If you think that factory bottle style jack isn't adequate, you should see the useless scissor jack they put in 2004 and up KJ's. It didnt take me long to crush that little thing

No kidding. Check this video out:

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I guess I'm still OK with lifting my Fiat 124 (2400lb or 1090Kg) with its scissor jack but will be nervous if I ever have to use the one on my wife's Mitsu Outlander PHEV (5000lb??). Another takeaway from that video is the cheap floor jack - I have one just like it I got from Checker Auto 40 years ago - thankfully I have 2 others I now use exclusively. The mechanical bottle jack does really well - the one in the video looks like a copy of a Toyota jack so not sure how well it represents the one that comes with the early Liberties.

 

[Hulq]

For me the answer was no. I lost a tire on a gnarly trail and my factory mechanical bottle jack was too short to lift the vehicle (3ish inch lift on 245/75-16s). I had to stack rocks to set the jack on to lift the vehicle high enough - super sketchy. My short term solution was to carry a stack of 2x6s to place under the jack - not ideal but it worked. When my daughter, in my Jeep, by herself and out of cell range cut a tire on another trail she didn't know about the 2x6s, so was helpless until some experienced jeepers stopped to help her out. I recently pulled out the jack to make sure it was still serviceable - not so much. It was basically jammed in the compressed position and would not have worked in an emergency situation - with some oil and an impact wrench I eventually got it freed up. Bottom line, the supplied jack is not an ideal trail (or highway) companion. It's too short for a lifted Liberty and is unreliable. So what's the answer?

I bought a "farm jack" AKA high lift jack but returned it because it showed up broken and missing parts. It also appeared to be an instrument of torture that could leave the operator unconscious. It also won't work for many of us since there are not enough good lifting points on a stock Liberty - the rear hitch might be the only spot.

I went with a cheap hydraulic bottle jack which I think will work well. I bought this one from Walmart.com:

Robot or human?

It goes as low as 9" and as high as 19" (verified) which was better than anything else I found under $150. The jack that showed up was a Vevor MR10. At $23 with free shipping (as long as you spend $35+ [just buy some groceries]) it seems like a steal. I tested it and it lifts the Jeep easily but it needs an adapter to spread the load or securely match up with your rear axle tube. I have one coming from Amazon but will need to wait till it shows up before I can verify that it works. I also made a pad out of a couple of pieces of 2x8 if I'm on soft or uneven ground. Everything still fits under the rear seats but I was not able to get the factory plastic jack holder / clamp down thingy to work with the new jack. I may just leave things lose or might decide to fabricate something to keep the jack securely fastened.

Anyway, I feel much more comfortable heading out into the wilderness now. If you haven't played with your factory jack lately or if you have a lift, I'd suggest looking at your options so that you don't find yourself stranded.

Anyone else got some solutions or suggestions for this?

I originally picked a High lift and

For me the answer was no. I lost a tire on a gnarly trail and my factory mechanical bottle jack was too short to lift the vehicle (3ish inch lift on 245/75-16s). I had to stack rocks to set the jack on to lift the vehicle high enough - super sketchy. My short term solution was to carry a stack of 2x6s to place under the jack - not ideal but it worked. When my daughter, in my Jeep, by herself and out of cell range cut a tire on another trail she didn't know about the 2x6s, so was helpless until some experienced jeepers stopped to help her out. I recently pulled out the jack to make sure it was still serviceable - not so much. It was basically jammed in the compressed position and would not have worked in an emergency situation - with some oil and an impact wrench I eventually got it freed up. Bottom line, the supplied jack is not an ideal trail (or highway) companion. It's too short for a lifted Liberty and is unreliable. So what's the answer?

I bought a "farm jack" AKA high lift jack but returned it because it showed up broken and missing parts. It also appeared to be an instrument of torture that could leave the operator unconscious. It also won't work for many of us since there are not enough good lifting points on a stock Liberty - the rear hitch might be the only spot.

I went with a cheap hydraulic bottle jack which I think will work well. I bought this one from Walmart.com:

Robot or human?

It goes as low as 9" and as high as 19" (verified) which was better than anything else I found under $150. The jack that showed up was a Vevor MR10. At $23 with free shipping (as long as you spend $35+ [just buy some groceries]) it seems like a steal. I tested it and it lifts the Jeep easily but it needs an adapter to spread the load or securely match up with your rear axle tube. I have one coming from Amazon but will need to wait till it shows up before I can verify that it works. I also made a pad out of a couple of pieces of 2x8 if I'm on soft or uneven ground. Everything still fits under the rear seats but I was not able to get the factory plastic jack holder / clamp down thingy to work with the new jack. I may just leave things lose or might decide to fabricate something to keep the jack securely fastened.

Anyway, I feel much more comfortable heading out into the wilderness now. If you haven't played with your factory jack lately or if you have a lift, I'd suggest looking at your options so that you don't find yourself stranded.

Anyone else got some solutions or suggestions for this?

I originally picked up a High Lift jack with a extension for the runner to reach the lift points on my lifted Lib. Used it once an decided on finding a better way. I pickedup a Safe Jack - Bottle Jack Recovery Kit With 6 Ton Bottle Jack. I used it the other day and it worked great with the multiple extensions. Don't forget to chock the wheels.

 

[JMichael2006]

For me the answer was no. I lost a tire on a gnarly trail and my factory mechanical bottle jack was too short to lift the vehicle (3ish inch lift on 245/75-16s). I had to stack rocks to set the jack on to lift the vehicle high enough - super sketchy. My short term solution was to carry a stack of 2x6s to place under the jack - not ideal but it worked. When my daughter, in my Jeep, by herself and out of cell range cut a tire on another trail she didn't know about the 2x6s, so was helpless until some experienced jeepers stopped to help her out. I recently pulled out the jack to make sure it was still serviceable - not so much. It was basically jammed in the compressed position and would not have worked in an emergency situation - with some oil and an impact wrench I eventually got it freed up. Bottom line, the supplied jack is not an ideal trail (or highway) companion. It's too short for a lifted Liberty and is unreliable. So what's the answer?

I bought a "farm jack" AKA high lift jack but returned it because it showed up broken and missing parts. It also appeared to be an instrument of torture that could leave the operator unconscious. It also won't work for many of us since there are not enough good lifting points on a stock Liberty - the rear hitch might be the only spot.

I went with a cheap hydraulic bottle jack which I think will work well. I bought this one from Walmart.com:

Robot or human?

It goes as low as 9" and as high as 19" (verified) which was better than anything else I found under $150. The jack that showed up was a Vevor MR10. At $23 with free shipping (as long as you spend $35+ [just buy some groceries]) it seems like a steal. I tested it and it lifts the Jeep easily but it needs an adapter to spread the load or securely match up with your rear axle tube. I have one coming from Amazon but will need to wait till it shows up before I can verify that it works. I also made a pad out of a couple of pieces of 2x8 if I'm on soft or uneven ground. Everything still fits under the rear seats but I was not able to get the factory plastic jack holder / clamp down thingy to work with the new jack. I may just leave things lose or might decide to fabricate something to keep the jack securely fastened.

Anyway, I feel much more comfortable heading out into the wilderness now. If you haven't played with your factory jack lately or if you have a lift, I'd suggest looking at your options so that you don't find yourself stranded.

Anyone else got some solutions or suggestions for this?

I broke down and bought the Harbor Freight 4-wheeled Off-Road jack. It is big but works fantastic every where. I run 32" tires with a 2.5" lift. It works!! The farm Jackson don't work well on our soft bumper KJ's.

 

[Shankster]

I broke down and bought the Harbor Freight 4-wheeled Off-Road jack. It is big but works fantastic every where. I run 32" tires with a 2.5" lift. It works!! The farm Jackson don't work well on our soft bumper KJ's.

Yep, those things rock - Trail Mater Off Road Recovery carries one of those on each of their recovery rigs. They seem to take a lickin' and keep on liftin'. I'd have one if they weren't so bulky or if I had a vehicle with more space.

 

[burntkat]

For me the answer was no. I lost a tire on a gnarly trail and my factory mechanical bottle jack was too short to lift the vehicle (3ish inch lift on 245/75-16s). I had to stack rocks to set the jack on to lift the vehicle high enough - super sketchy. My short term solution was to carry a stack of 2x6s to place under the jack - not ideal but it worked. When my daughter, in my Jeep, by herself and out of cell range cut a tire on another trail she didn't know about the 2x6s, so was helpless until some experienced jeepers stopped to help her out. I recently pulled out the jack to make sure it was still serviceable - not so much. It was basically jammed in the compressed position and would not have worked in an emergency situation - with some oil and an impact wrench I eventually got it freed up. Bottom line, the supplied jack is not an ideal trail (or highway) companion. It's too short for a lifted Liberty and is unreliable. So what's the answer?

I bought a "farm jack" AKA high lift jack but returned it because it showed up broken and missing parts. It also appeared to be an instrument of torture that could leave the operator unconscious. It also won't work for many of us since there are not enough good lifting points on a stock Liberty - the rear hitch might be the only spot.

I went with a cheap hydraulic bottle jack which I think will work well. I bought this one from Walmart.com:

Robot or human?

It goes as low as 9" and as high as 19" (verified) which was better than anything else I found under $150. The jack that showed up was a Vevor MR10. At $23 with free shipping (as long as you spend $35+ [just buy some groceries]) it seems like a steal. I tested it and it lifts the Jeep easily but it needs an adapter to spread the load or securely match up with your rear axle tube. I have one coming from Amazon but will need to wait till it shows up before I can verify that it works. I also made a pad out of a couple of pieces of 2x8 if I'm on soft or uneven ground. Everything still fits under the rear seats but I was not able to get the factory plastic jack holder / clamp down thingy to work with the new jack. I may just leave things lose or might decide to fabricate something to keep the jack securely fastened.

Anyway, I feel much more comfortable heading out into the wilderness now. If you haven't played with your factory jack lately or if you have a lift, I'd suggest looking at your options so that you don't find yourself stranded.

Anyone else got some solutions or suggestions for this?

Sounds like you have it figured out. This is what I came to recommend. I am curious about the hit you ordered off Amazon as a base for it. If you can weld at all, you can easily fab up a baseplate and an adapter for the head of the jack to get a better bite on a suspension arm or axle tube. Really, those are the only points I'd be jacking the vehicle.

Don't count a high lift out. While your points about lift points are absolutely valid (very few vehicles have a factory point suited), they still make a damn fine jack substitute in a pinch. Your points about them being dangerous are of course valid, and it's not going to get you out of a bid quickly... But they do work well as long as you use your noodle and don't get in a hurry.