Okay here's the scoop...

I know the shocks are not happy, I am seeing some leakage on the pass front shock now.

However my alignment is shot to heck, and the shop is telling me ball joints.

I need to test this on my own. However there is a teeny, weeny little problem...

How the devil do I pick the truck up to put it on the jack stands?

With so much room between ground and frame, about the only way I have to pick it up is floor jack to lower control arm...

Who makes / sells a floor jack that offers decent lift that would have a chance to pick this thing up? I know I can get it on my HD jack stands, but just getting it there is a problem!

 

I don't know if it's recommended, but try using a 4x4 or a stack of 2x6s or 2x8s. Whatever fits.

 

Does your tire jack not work? How are you going to change a flat?

 

I should have been more specific. I am needing to do suspension work, so I wanted a jack to lift me up enough to allow full droop of the suspension, and get the thing up on jack stands.

4x4 cribbing isn't a terrible idea. They use it to jack up and move houses. Just need to make sure everything is bolted together tight. Not gonna trust lag bolts here...

A decent size base, could be fabbed up with 4x4s and 2x8s to create a solid, hefty base to lift from. Then it's just a matter of weight capacity of the jack. Most jacks will lift to 21" max, I need 23" to get full droop and about 1/2" clearance. If I go with 4x4 + 2x8 thickness, which is in reality 3.5 and 1.5" respectively, then we have 5" added lift possibility.

A flaky solution, but one worth considering...

A hi-lift jack is another option, just need to make sure I lift up enough, and put the jackstands under high enough that the suspension can droop when the jack is put down... Probably a better idea in the long run...

 

Do you have a 2 ton jack at all ?? Just jack it up under the LCA until you can get the stands under the forward part of the frame, and let it down. You need the jack under the LCA anyway to unload the lower ball joint to check for wear.

 

I thought the suspension needed to be at full droop to check the lower? The LCA needs to be supported? I guess too many years since I made money doing this stuff have passed...

 

Yep, when the spring is connected on the Lower arm, it needs to be supported. If the spring was on the upper arm (as in earlier cars) then, yes the suspension had to droop to unload the joints to check for wear.

 

All I ever do is jack the tire about 6" off the ground and slide a crow bar under the tire and pry up to move the front tire up/down while watching the ball joints.

 

If your still interested, I bought this jack a while back and have really enjoyed it. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...5429_200345429

 

This is correct way to 'unload' the joints in order check for wear.

 

Check Ball Joints while Jacked up/supportes under Lower Control arm,Have a assistant Pry up under the tire with a Pry Bar while you look,To check the upper ball joint have assistant push in hard on the top of the tire while you look for movement,If you need lowers & don't have access to a press it may be easier to just replace lower control arms with new.

 

Assistant? That's gonna cost a couple of beers I bet... :-)

Okay, yes I have a cheap as heck 2 ton jack. But I honestly HATE it. It strains to lift my Saturn... Even if I have to use cribbing, I WILL be buying a better jack. One with a saddle bigger than a silver dollar, and one that doesn't scare me is going to fold under its own weight...

 

Assistant not needed, save the beer money for better jack. Do as Gordon said, if there is play (wear) you will feel it as excess movement. If you truly don't trust that jack, then wait until you can get a better one...this is how accidents and injures happen. What about the jack that came with the truck, that would do the job of diagnosing for bad joints at least.

 

Need to dig it out, but yeah, I was thinking the screw jack would work in a pinch...

 

I bought a nice Heavy Duty 2Ton floor jack at Harbor Freight by my house for like 175.00, but it has a 24" lift height, so it worked perfect when I was installing my lift. I also picked up a set of nice jack stands that go up like 30".