..I like that hi-lift jack though, which one did you buy? Can you lift these trucks from their bumpers? I'd think they were too heavy...
Jeremy
I've lifted bigger trucks by the bumpers using one...
My concern relying on one of those jacks to change a tire is how high do you need to lift the truck to get the tires off the ground. The bottle jack under the axle or spring pad assures you don't have to lift very far to get the job done.
I like the standard height all red one. The short ones are to short, and the long ones are even more unsteady up that high, the red ones are stronger/longer lasting, and not much more expensive than black.
Yep, the Hi-Lift jacks are a whole heck of a lot stronger than you expect, we've picked up and moved some incredible things with them.
They are also somewhat dangerous, and must be handled and operated carefully and treated with respect.
In order to change a wheel you've got to jack the bumper, and the suspensions means you'll lift it pretty high. I would be advisable to chock the axle once you get it up and before you pull the wheel.
There is a sling/hook sort of attachment sold to hook onto the wheel and pick it, then you still need to block under the axle before changing the wheel.
The hi-lift is great for trailer tire changes, they don't have a whole lot of suspension droop, and can jack anywhere along the frame or on a stake pocket.
For a simple tire change on the road first choice would be a small bottle jack, not so small that it's unstable, but not so big that it takes for ever. Pieces of railroad tie are nasty and larger than you'll usually need. 4 or 6 one foot long pieces of good clean 4x4 or 4x6 will be sufficient, and easy to carry.
Grigg
