The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Jacking from the center of a straight axle?

I have a feeling I know the answer to this one, but is it safe to lift the front of a half ton by placing the jack in the center of the axle? I've done it a few times on parts trucks and it doesn't seem to hurt anything and sure makes it easy to slide a couple jack stands under the spring pads. I just don't want to bend my axle.

I have done it many times; but, I soon thereafter put jack-stands under both sides of the axle, and then lower the jack.

Let's see if others post that is a no-no.

I think it depends on the weight of the truck and the relative size of the front axle beam.
Some trucks the axle looks small and fragile, so jack each side.
Some trucks have real beefy I-beam axles and don't look like they'd bend easy, so jacking in the middle seems safe. Though fully loaded may still opt to jack separately.

Use a little guesstimation and common sense.

Grigg

IMO, you're not going to bend the axle on a 1/2 ton truck. Even if it did deflect a bit, you won't exceed the elastic limit of the steel.

There's a story in here.

I've bent the axle on a Ford Model AA when we got it stuck in the mud when I was a kid. But of course, we tied the chain to the center of the axle, and my buddy used the back up and jerk method, then kept yelling at me to turn the wheels straight. I looked out the left side and the wheel was straight, but he was looking out the right side mirror at the wheel that was toed-in about 30 degrees. We both got out and discovered the center of the axle was about a foot closer to the front of the truck than it should have been.

Another story while I'm at at (sorry). I had a flat on the rear of my F250, and pulled into a WalMart shop to get it fixed. I stood there and watched the jack monkey try and jack it up from the pumpkin while it was loaded at max GVW with a camper. I told him to jack it at the spring mounts, so he tried to reach up to the front spring mount at the frame - way higher than his jack would reach. AT that point, I drove it out of the shop.

That's how I do it but the guys here will tell you that I have no idea what I'm doing so.......

Seriously, I have done it that way several times and I find jacking it up in the center makes it harder for the truck to slip off the jack or stands rather than trying to get one side up at a time. Just feels safer.

But..... let some of the other guys confirm this as I AM NOT an expert.

FWIW I always jack from the center if I'm going to be working on both sides of my '38. I put a jack stand under the axle of the side I have the wheel off of for safety but I usually leave the weight on the jack. I'm not an engineer but I think the axle is more than strong enough to take the load.

I try to always jack one side at a time and get a jackstand directly under the spring, or as close as possible. If you have the capability/tools, lift on the frame or at least get it high enough to put stands under the frame. I end up with two tall stands under the frame and two more under the axle. And another thought, I don't pull or tow on the axle. I figure out a way to pull on the frame. I saw an axle bend once, under some very extreme conditions and under the supervision of some very questionably skilled characters, so it is possible to bend an axle. Also if you look int he manuals, bending the axle is the way to adjust the alignment.

My way takes longer and requires more work and crawling around on the garage floor or driveway.

I've not heard of anyone damaging an axle in this way. But, you could use a piece of heavy angle or channel on the jack head to distribute the weight and eliminate any concerns.

The axle is designed to hold the weight of the truck, probably to at least 2G.