Jacking safely for flat tire change

[Mike C]

The GM screw jacks are awesome. They are slow but they are just for flat changes not vehicle maintenance. I think I have one on the utility box of 2 or 3 trailers because they work great for that as well.

On the later model 2x4 Jack, it has a "hook" that comes off the top plate of the Jack. This effectively lowers the point at which it can attach to the truck. This hook goes underneath the control arm on the front which can lift almost from ground level even where the Jack won't fit.

The top of the Jack can be used in the rear on either the axle tube or the frame. It can also be used on the frame in the front.

[BILT4ME]

Wearing 33's is in reference to the tire size. In this case a 285/75-16 is equivalent to a 33 x 12.00 x 16 tire. The 33 is the outside diameter of a tire. The 12.00" is the width of the tread of the tire. 16" is the rim diameter. Yours appears to have a 15" rim, per your description.

Maybe the best way for you to change a tire is:
1-800-222-4357

[In The Ten Ring]

Excellent thread!

I try to be prepared for all eventualities and this is one I'll have to face at some point.

I was planning on carrying a 2 & 1/2 ton floor jack (the hydraulic ones on wheels) in a bed tool box I'll make out of wood but in the mean time, I'll figure out how to use the jack that came with the truck.

*Welding skills/metal fabrication skills are extremely useful, as you can see from this thread how one could easily modify a bottle jack to work well for them. My dad taught me to always cushion a jack with a block of wood and I've always done that. I will try to do the same with jacking my truck although this "hook" show in pics above for grabbing the control arms would not require such a cushion.

My Craftsman 2 & 1/2 ton (or is it 2 & 1/4 ton?) jack will lift my truck's front or rear end easily enough but I did bend the jacking handle once doing it, so it must be maxing out.

[biketopia]

Can't you just drive over the chains and then install them, thus not having a need to jack up in the snow?

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by biketopia

Can't you just drive over the chains and then install them, thus not having a need to jack up in the snow?

You sure can and I did it that way for three years, but using a hydraulic jack just speeds up the process so much. Try it both ways and you'll see too. *Be sure to try it at night, during a period of sleet and snow, with about 4 inches of mixed ice and snow on the ground, in wind, and temps below zero. Try both ways in those conditions and I'll bet you lunch you'll prefer the hydraulic jack.

[dmjlambert]

Excellent info, thanks very much. I know what to get and how to be safe.

[dmjlambert]

OK guys, I bought a later model Chevy jack with control arm hook and a long folding handle. I bought brackets to store it on the front fender in the engine compartment. I thought I may like that better than behind the seat. If it works out well, then I will use the area behind the seat for something else. I am thinking of putting the bracket that holds the folding handle on the driver's side fender, and put the bracket that holds the jack on the passenger side fender. Do you guys have any recommendations regarding placement, or does this seem fine and I should just drill holes and put on a bolt through the fender at any convenient point that works? This is on my 1969 CST/10.

[HO455]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

OK guys, I bought a later model Chevy jack with control arm hook and a long folding handle. I bought brackets to store it on the front fender in the engine compartment. I thought I may like that better than behind the seat. If it works out well, then I will use the area behind the seat for something else. I am thinking of putting the bracket that holds the folding handle on the driver's side fender, and put the bracket that holds the jack on the passenger side fender. Do you guys have any recommendations regarding placement, or does this seem fine and I should just drill holes and put on a bolt through the fender at any convenient point that works? This is on my 1969 CST/10.

Here is how I did mine on the drivers side. Mine came with a larger mount which limited my options. I added some high density shipping foam behind it to keep it from rattling. For the most part over the last twenty years I have carried a small floor jack like the one pictured above with a six inch cube of Oak. Everything I have driven regularly has been lowered and the jack won't fit under a control arm. So I jack it up and place the block under the crossmember lower the jack and then I can jack the wheel up. And if I have to raise the rear I use the block under on the of the fronts to help prevent the car from rolling. You can measure the distance from the bottom of the control arm and then measure your tire side wall and then subtract the two and that will be for the most part (Not counting if you were stuck in mud or snow) the lowest point you would have to get a jack under. If your on dirt roads regularly then a square foot of 3/4" plywood is a good idea to place under the jack to prevent it from sinking into to the ground and give you a more stable platform. I have also found that most jacks don't perform as well as one expect, so I suggest you do some trial runs so you are familiar.
When I have had a flat I have been perfectly happy to waste the tire in order to find a safe, flat place to change the tire. I have had to dismount tires with Fix A Flat in them and hate having to deal with the mess, but I would use it in a heart beat instead of cheating death trying to change a tire in a bad place.

[In The Ten Ring]

That's one way to use up all that space on the front inner fenders! *I would never have thought about storing anything there.

I am planning to build a cross-bed tool box and carry an extra hydraulic floor jack. The wider base should be safer than the pedestal models although I still have the original jack (dad said he used it one time, helping another guy). I'll carry wood blocks too if needed.

In winter I carry the same sort of hydraulic jack in my car as it's the best way I have found to put tire chains on. With that jack, I can do both wheels in under 15 minutes. Another benefit is the long base allows much more stability.

Here is the sort of jack I am talking about.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...5429_200345429