Jacking from lower control arm

Dumb ass maneuver this morning... Doing a tire rotation and decided to jack under the lower control arm up front. I always use stands when I'm getting underneath, but for a rotation sometimes I blow it off. With absolutely no warning (I wasn't even touching the truck) it just slid off. The tire was off on that corner and it came down on the brake disc. There doesn't appear to be any damage (looks fine, drives smooth, brakes fine), but I about jumped out of my skin.

I see some mixed messages about jacking from the control arm (mostly negative, but not all). I sure will not be doing it that way again. Plus stands all the time just to protect the truck if nothing else.

 

Thankfully you weren’t under the truck and are able to tell us about it. Jack stands are a must. I’ve skipped it when doing a quick peak but your story reinforces why I shouldn’t.

 

I rely solely on the jack when jacking up the front during tire rotation. I throw the rear wheels underneath just in case. Wheels are easier to replace.

 

I'll put the jack on the lower arm support, but never on the arm itself. It's a lot more solid, and allows me to take care of both front tires in one shot

 

Just curious... why not use the front lifting point?

 

Which one? I use this one. Inside/between front arms.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-jack-points.649345/#post-22554122

If I'm doing a full tire anything, I normally jack up the rear by the center diff, put jackstands on each side by the shocks, and the bring the jack to the front and use that single point.

I've done it the other way, with jackstands just inside the front suspension on the chassis pivot point and jacking the rear on the diff, but it's too far inboard for my preference on side to side stability.

If I'm only working on the front, and need clearance in the middle, I'll use that center bump to lift, then Place jackstands on the chassis pivot point of the lower arms.

What I don't like about running on the suspension arms is the suspension being loaded. It adds another variable to the situation I can't control.

And after enough bad stories from others, I've started throwing the wheel/tire assembly underneath the brake rotor/drum unless I'm actually working on the brakes. But then I'm not underneath the vehicle. I would always much prefer to scratch/damage any set of wheels than get pinned and die under the vehicle.

 

Yep... that's the one.