Jack for use with 10.5/31 tires?

I recently ran into a small challenge... I have a 1997 extra cab, with the 10.5/31 tires. Truck is 99% stock. I've had the truck 11 years and it was my Dad's before that. In all that time I don't think there's ever been a flat tire. Good thing. A while ago I decided to rotate the tires (at home in the garage, not at a shop)... that's when I discovered two things:

1) The jack that came with the truck from the factory, does not have enough lift to get the 10.5/31 tires (also from the factory) off the ground (garage floor). I was glad I was not someplace where I **had** to get a tire off.

It looks like the orig jack to me (Fits in the storage compartment behind the seat).

Is everyone's '97 this way?

What jack do people carry in the truck in case they actually need to change a tire?

2) The spare is in the usual place under the bed - hung on a chain that (is supposed to) lower the tire. BUT the chain is too short to lower the tire to the ground. It stops with several inches between the tire and the ground.

Is there a fix for this?

Puzzled about how I'd ever change a tire in the wild...

 

I carry a few 4x4's apx 12" long and put them under the base of the jack.

 

Did you use the jack at the right spot on the frame?
Is the jack extending fully?
I’ve got a 96 with 31/1050s and haven’t had any issue.

 

A short piece of 2X6 under the jack will do it. In fact it works better on soft ground. Without something under the jack instead of the truck going up, the jack will go down into the ground. Having 2-3 in the truck might be a good idea.

 

Thanks for the responses. One person has a factory jack that has enough travel, a couple of others apparently have same the issue and carry boards in the truck to raise the jack.

I'm kind of concluding the orig jack is too simply too short. Odd, as I'd not expect Toyota to do that.

Does anyone have a way to lower the spare to the ground?

I'm thinking that with the smaller tires that probably works fine, but with the 31's the spare starts higher off the ground and doesn't get all the way down.

Sorta feels like Toyota offered the larger tire setup and didn't adjust the jack and spare lift distances to work for the tire package.

 

I picked up one of these recently, and since I'm not a fan of the yellow China trademarked logo, repainted three sides orange. https://www.northerntool.com/products/cat-all-in-one-truck-jack-4-ton-capacity-model-240342-112096
I concur with the suggestions to place lumber under the jack for a larger base of support on the ground.

 

Is the little winch/cable in good condition? If it’s rusted then maybe it’s just seizing at some point. There was a recall for these rusting out and dropping the tire, iirc

Mine reaches the ground with ~2” lift leafs, for what that’s worth