I am putting my truck on stands for a few days to empty all the fluids. I already have the front jacked up and on stands but dont know where to jack the rear up. In the manual it says not on the diff. I would do one side at a time but since the front is already up i can do that. Is it ok to jack it up from the hitch? I tried to search but its down.

thanks guys
joe

 

If you have a good 2-1/2 ton jack, i'd just jack it up on the differential and throw in the jack stands real quick,, thats what i do every single time i jack mine up. As a matter of fact i beleive thats the whole reason why the jack end is shaped like some sort of bowl. You shouldn't have a problem at all as long as you place the jack right.

~Toast

 

ok ill do that...but why do they tell you not to jack it up on the diff?

 

I usually drive on a piece of 2"x4" wood to be able to get a jack under my Lightning because my truck is so low. I have jacked up my Lightning from under the tow hitch many times. Maybe since your truck is up in the air in the front, jack it up under the tow hitch slide some lumber under the rear tires then jack up your truck from each side of the frame in front of the rear tire then slide some jack stands under each side of the frame.

djy

 

well, i think one reason is cause if its not centered right o the jack it and you are doing work on the truck without jackstands, then it can easily fall off and smash your head in,, other then that i was just thinking maybe it puts some pressure on your driveshaft, but i seriously doubt how it could do that at all as our driveshafts are stronger lighter and longer then most others,,sorry,, had to say the longer part,, L owners got to have some cahonays though.

~Toast

 

reminds me of my first time under this truck when i tried to back it up on ramps placed under the tires big pain in the **** to do cause the tires were wet and all they would do is spin on the metal ramps cause they tires were tooo wide for the ramps anda ll that settled on them was the bars on the side,,,,, eventually put some wood in the ramp wells and had my friends push

didn't want to use ramps but my big ole jack was busted, and the stock jack really is a peice of junk if you ask me.

~Toast

 

thanks for the help guys. i jacked the back up by the diff. and quickly put stands on the axle then release the jack.

 

From now on jack up the truck on the dif under the spring where the u-bolts are. At the center of the dif, you can bend the 3" tubes that go out of the two sides of the center section. You will never know you bent it till the splines in the dif center ware out from being out of alignment.

Andy