I saw someone post previous that it wasn't a good idea to jack up the f150 by the rear diff. On a 2wd model what are the best jacking points front and rear?

chaz

 

do not pick it up by the pumpkin you could bind the rear end you should pick it up under the springs

 

It will tell you in the owners manual. If you don't have one, look here. You can download one for free.
http://www.motorcraftservice.com/vdi...p?menuIndex=15

 

Maybe I am picturing this wrong, but I need to get jacks under both sides of the truck, it seems like jacking under the springs would only lift one side, correct? Sorry for sounding dumb here.

 

Then what I would do is jack up one side, put a jack stand under it. Move the jack over to the other side, put a jack stand there. I would not work on it with just a jack, especially if you are crawling under it. Good way to get hurt or killed.
Also if you look in the manual, it states there to not jack up the vehicle by using the diff pumpkin.

 

I am using jack stands. I guess I thought a central jacking point was better in order to place both stands at the same time, other wise the truck will sit all ****eyed.

 

There is nothing wrong with using a jack under the pumpkin if you are using a floor jack. Jack it up and put some jack stands under the housing out near the leafs and set it down. The owners manual is referring to using the jack that came with the vehicle - do not lift it by the pumpkin with that jack.

 

It is not alright to jack by the differential. The picture in the manual even shows a floor jack in the picture. The exact wording copied from the manual is:

• Never use the front or rear
differential as a jacking point.

As the axle housings are no longer really part of the pumpkin, they are pressed in, I can understand not doing this.

 

so for those of you who have lifted your truck, where did you jack the truck from, front and back, in order to place the jack stands?

 

At the back, I would jack at the closest point to the normal position you can get while allowing for room to put the jack stand at the normal jack point. For the front, you may want to jack from the normal point and put the jack stand under the frame.

 

Yes, they are pressed in and spot welded - same as darn near every other rear end ever made that had a cast center. Let's see, that would cover about 98% of the rear ends out there...

What do you mean "no longer part of..."? When was an axle tube EVER part of a cast center section?

I stick by what I said. That statement in the manual is nothing more than a CYA for Ford. If the center section is weak enough that jacking up your truck would damage it, it would never survive being driven down the road. Think about it guys.

 

Believe me at one time they were one piece, except for the cover. They were fully welded. If I remeber correctly the first pressed in axle I saw was in the 80's.

 

so the general consensus is jack up one side under the springs, place jackstand under the frame on that side, and then go and jack the other side anr place jack stand for that side??

 

You are thinking of the old Ford 9" housing - very popular through the 60's and 70's. That was not a cast center section. There was a cast 3rd member that held the r&p, and it bolted into the housing. The rest of the housing and tubes were formed and welded. Maybe the first FORD pressed in axle you saw was in the 80's (believe me, there were cast center, pressed in tube housings before 1980 in Fords), but nearly every other MFG has used a cast center with pressed in tubes since the 40's.

The statement in the manual about using a jack under the center section is a CYA (Cover Your A$$) statement. Ford has to say that to protect themselves from the IDIOTS who do jack up their cars that way and don't block the front wheels. If you jack up the vehicle using the center section, there is a greater risk for stupid people to get injured. So, to limit liability, Ford tells everyone to only jack up one wheel at a time - that minimizes the possibility of the vehicle moving. If you are smart, you can safely jack up the vehicle using the center of the differential. If you don't know the safety precautions, then don't use the differential. Then again, if you don't know how to safely jack up your car, you probably shouldn't be trying to work on it yourself anyway.

 

I have done suspension work before on a car so I am not a complete noob. Sorry I have had no one around to teach me and am trying to learn. The whole job sounds straight forward, sorry for asking for tips though.

p.s. and can you really blame me since this one question has received several different answers?