best place to lift with floor jack

I feel pretty stupid asking this since I've worked on a few cars in the past. I'm installing a 3" spacer lift with AALs this weekend. In the instructions it says to lift the front up with the floor jack placed under the crossmember for installation of the spacers, and then by the rear differential when I lift the back. I was taking a look under my truck this afternoon. I don't think my floor jack will reach that far under the truck for either the front or the back. I've lifted other vehicles by the rear differential but they weren't trucks. The only other way I could do this is by lifting from each side of the truck putting the jack stands under the frame one side at a time. The only problem with this is that my garage is pretty narrow and i'm not sure if its wide enough to lift a vehicle from the side with a floor jack. Am I missing something...? I live in an apartment and I'm not supposed to work on my car in the parking lot...Maybe I'll wait and do it outside on sunday when the management people aren't here.

 

You can lift the front from the center of the cross member, but if your jack will not reach, then you are going to have to lift from the side and support with jack stands...which you should be doing anyway

As for the rear....same deal, lift from the center of the diff and support with jackstands. To install the AAL's you will need to support the frame of the truck, so you do not have any weight on the springs when you install the AAL's. Looks like you will have to wait until Sunday, or find a buddy with a garage/driveway you can use.

 

Jack up the truck at the center crossmember or the rear diff pumpkin. This wil lift the entire front or rear end. Then - place jackstands at each side of the vehicle under the frame. Drop the truck down on the jackstands and use the hydraulic jack as an 'extra' safety. Or....for the rear-end - you'll need the hydraulic jack to support the axle if you're installing rear suspension.