Minimalist floor jack for extended cab

I think the extended cab, plain setup (no cap or other accessories) weighs around 4500 lbs. Do you think a 2T floor jack is sufficient, considering that the front of the vehicle is probably ~70% of the weight, which should still be less than 2T? I am trying to not get any more than I have to because bigger jacks weigh considerably more and take up more space in my already packed shed.

There was another thread like this where most people said they had 3T jacks, which may be justified if they work on bigger trucks, but seems too much for a Taco.

 

From experience: get the 3T.

I have a 2T jack laying around that I originally bought to do rotations and the like on a hatchback. I used it when doing the suspension on my taco, along with a HF 3T. Just supporting an empty axle or an unloaded LCA while the big jack and several stands were doing the heavy work - it was fine. Trying to lift a single corner of the truck with the 2T by itself- scared the shit out of me and I put it back down.

You want a 3T with a minimum 19" reach. It's not just the weight capacity, it's the ability to lift high clearance things that you need.

Edit: if space is really at a premium, consider a 3T unijack or safety jack. They are a pain compared to a true floor jack, but they will happily lift your truck and more. I keep one of those mounted to my trailer and have used it both in the garage and in the field.

 

You think 2.5T would do?

 

if it has that tall reach. That's what you really need.

 

Makes sense -- is there a different term for "reach"? I am looking on Amazon and I am not finding that parameter in the specs although it sounds like a critical one that should be there.

 

It's either going to say lifting range or max height, or similar. You're looking for the maximum extension of the jack.

 

You think Pittsburgh is a good one? Is it the Harbor Freight generic store brand?

 

My 3-ton Arcan jack replaced a 2-ton Allied jack. They had the same footprint, and the Arcan, being part aluminum, weighed about 15 lbs less. They were low profile with similar lifts. You can get smaller all steel 2-ton floor jacks, but at the expense of a lower max lift. 3-ton gives a little better peace of mind and worth the extra money, imo.

 

Pittsburgh is the HF house brand. I'm happy with their rapid pump lo-pro jack. It's heavy as hell, but it had no problems lifting what I asked of it.

Side by side against my unijack/all-in-one (both of which will lift the truck):

 

Harbor freight is hit or miss. I had a 2t hf jack. Scary to use. I’d have to be strategic when jacking due to the limited capacity. It would just not lift beyond a certain weight. Scary part was going down. It had no slow release. Either locked or slam down. I was relieved when it got stolen. It replaced an old beat up hein Werner, which I should have never gotten rid of.

Now I have a Amazon 3t, powerjackoff or something, another pos.

 

what brand? is it good?

 

Unavailable. Not good, pos= piece of sh*t.

 

LOL... even a 1.5 T can easily lift either end of a Tacoma. The little 1.5T Harbor Freight aluminum racing jack is a great one to take along. I have an ancient heavy steel Craftsman 1.5T that I use in the garage and it works just as well as another similar 3T version. Remember when you jack up one end you are not lifting the entire vehicle weight. Not even close.

 

I had a 3 Ton from Northern Tool that I returned because I couldn't get the handle to stay where I left it no matter how I adjusted the let down screw. Every time I jacked the truck up it would just go back down when I raised the handle again. Wound up using the same money to get this Torin A94117B.

Torin A94117B BlackJack Hydraulic Trolley Service/Floor Jack with Extra Saddle (Fits: SUVs and Extended Height Trucks): 3 Ton (6000 lb) Capacity, Black

https://www.amazon.com/Torin-A94117...t=&hvlocphy=1026518&hvtargid=pla-935424778017
Says it weighs 38lbs, which is significantly less than the 66lbs one from Northern Tool. The extra height from the tube insert helps to not have to stack 2x10's if trying to jack on the frame. It had no trouble with the front end with the 4.0 during a re-gear job. Goes up to 20 7/8".
For the most part, it looks like pretty much everyone sells Torin jacks and re-brands them. They all look identical. (Harbor freight, northern tool, home depot, Amazon, etc)

 

@Mods2Travel -- how the hell is it so light? Does it come with a standard (saucer-looking) saddle that can be put in instead of that weird looking rod?

 

Yeah, at the top of that "rod" is a tiny saucer. It just sits in that rod. The rod can be removed, and the saucer placed where the rod was for a lower profile.

I think it's lighter because it's not as wide, and therefore has a smaller diameter saucer that actually contacts the vehicle. This also means it's not as stable, but now that I have a garage and am not working in a gravel driveway, it's plenty stable for me.

 

@Mods2Travel -- so is the lack of stability the main disadvantage?

 

I got a 12 ton hydraulic/pneumatic bottle jack. Doesn't take up much space and plugs into the air compressor so you just pull the trigger.

 

I think it's plenty stable, especially for a smooth level surface, it's just not as wide as the heavier ones. Definitely still wider, longer, and more stable than my cheapo $20 2T floor jack from walmart.

That's a great idea. I thought about a bottle jack but figured it would be horrendously slow, and I didn't want it to tip over. I like how the floor jacks can roll as the vehicle lifts/tilts and pivots a little.

 

+1 to the 3 ton low profile HF jack, had mine for years never missed a beat.