Bottle Jack - Anyone actually needed to use it?

haven't used factory jk,but have used a 20 ton model,also working on mod for cranking tire down,used 3/8 rodx17"long,weld 11/2" end to form a"T" to fit recess run rod thru a thin piece of tin,with drilled hole.mount over opening in frame,on other end thread with die add 9/16'' nut or 14mm.this leaves nut just inside frame access hole,approx 1-2" away.lot easier to find at nite.i used collar with set screws to keep in place.can be moved to new truck if needed.

 

He said an 8 ton fits.

As you increase the ton capacity of the bottle jacks the diameter increases.

I bet a 20 ton would be way to fat?

 

yea the 20 is thicker ,only use in driveway,a 6or 8 would be plenty,get one that has screw head,you can extend height a bit that way,,

 

I just remember the first flat I got in my 94 Toy pickup...the truck was only a few months old, picked up a nail at the lumber yard, pulled the "virgin" tool kit from the storage area and the jack handle was missing.

Used a crescent wrench lower the spare and twist the jack rod (luckily I had a 4 arm lug wrench behind the seat) and got the tire changed, while getting filthy dirty in the process. Went to the dealership to complain and they offered to swipe a handle out of a truck on the lot. I went ballistic and insisted they order me a new handle, and provide to me the order paperwork to verify that some other poor soul didn't end up with a missing part.

So, the bad jack? There is a good chance it failed on someone else first and the dealership did a swap on you.

Howard

 

i changed out jk for a 3ton bottle,,fits no problem,uses standard handle,no cranking,,am working on extension to stay in receiver to drop tire,just use long socket & speed wrench to drop unit.

 

I've used mine to replace a truck tire and once a boat trailor tire.
The spare was on super tight. The shitty linkage thing used lower down the spare stripped due to required force to break that tire free. Took a while.

Eventually I went to a dealership to get it replaced (for free) cause it sucks. The person I talked to said it can't be replaced cause it has been used. I just laughed and said can i speak to your manager....

 

When using bottle jack to replace a blown boat trailor tire, I had to dig out a hole in gravel w my wrench to get it low enough to place under axle.

 

Out at TDS last weekend, buddy had two flats on the same side. Neither of us had a high lift or floor jack. The other two trucks we were running with abandoned us. Only thing we had was a bottle jack. Damn thing sunk into the wash after we got the tire off and dropped the truck on me. Got away with a minor cut on my head. Some jeeps came by with a high lift and got it done in a few minutes

 

I've used mine to help install a new rear leaf pack. Been lucky enough not to have a flat, but now I have a Hi-Lift.

 

Haha, that's the only use I've ever gotten out of mine as well.

I've got front, rear, and side hi-lift points and carry the offroad base with me.

 

I just realize this was a thread necro from 2012... Doh! lol

 

worked fine on boat trailer. Fortunately I have not had to use it on truck.

 

I used mine on the rear pumpkin to change out my drums. Used jacks stands as well. Safety first.

 

I've used mine two or three times for various task but yeah, it sucks.

Wait until your POS, poorly fitting lug wrench bends or the cheap chrome lug nut covers pop off leaving you with 20mm lug nuts instead of 21mm. I carry a 3/4" breaker bar and 20 and 21mm deep impact sockets now (found them one sale at Lowe's one day).

A tip I picked up from a friend is to spray the inside of the spare tire winch with motorcycle chain lube (just use the straw to spray in where the cable goes). It's a spray grease more than a light oil so it stays in place and helps prevent the assembly from rusting and getting stuck; I spray mine like twice a year.

 

Upgrade to a very cheap but much improved pump style 3 ton bottle jack. It takes up the same amount of room and can be stored in the same place but is MUCH MUCH MUCH better and easier to use. Also carry a piece of 4x4 in the truck if you are worried about lift range because of uneven surface or lifted truck.

 

I haven't seen a real need to use my Bottle of Jack recently.

I'm more of a beer/wine guy myself.

 

I used my stock bottle jack in December 2019. The truck has 2 inch lift with 33's. I put the jack on 2 stacked X-Bull tracks. It was able to reach the bottom of the cab mount no problem. Luckily I was on flat hard pack. I bought a Hi-lift since that time.

 

Anyone have a link to what lugnuts fit the spare wheel?

 

Factory lugs.

 

I pulled it out to see if it worked when I first bought my Tacoma, but thankfully I've never had to use it on the road. I use my floor jack when working on my vehicles.