Lifted trucks have a high ground clearance and exceptional visibility, which makes it easier for people to travel through rocky terrain, steep inclines, fallen logs, and other difficulties encountered while off-roading.
Aesthetics and off-roading are two common motivations for truck body lifts.
If you own a lifted truck that needs tire placement or maintenance procedure. Then, in that case, you can jack up a lifted truck in just seven simple steps:
- Park the truck on a firm surface.
- Chock the wheels.
- Find the jack points.
- Put the jack under the jack points.
- Raise the vehicle using jack points.
- Place the jacks stand under the truck.
- Open the release valve.
In this article, I will explain each of these steps in detail.
Which tools are needed for Jacking up a lifted truck?
The following three main tools are needed for jacking up a lifted truck:
- Jack
- Wheel Chock
- Jack Stands
The first tool is the jack, of course. Jack is the equipment that will assist you in getting your truck into the air. Multiple types of jacks are available in the market. One of the common and popular choices is hydraulic trolley jacks.
Hydraulic jacks are simple to use and capable of lifting heavy loads, making them ideal for a lifted truck. However, before using it make sure the jack is not leaking oil or a foamy liquid and try to fix it beforehand.
Other jacks include a Hi-lift or Trail jacks and Air jacks. But I recommend you use a hydraulic jack.
The second necessary tool is a wheel chock. A wheel chock is a small piece of wood or hard plastic that prevents the wheel/s from rolling away.
Jack stands are also very important. Since the jack only lifts up your vehicle, the whole weight is carried by the jack stands. A Jack stand is like a tripod stand that is used to support the vehicle’s weight.
Read More: How to Jack Up a Car Without a Jack?
[acf field=’howto’]How to Jack Up a Lifted Truck – STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Now, after you have these tools in hand. You can follow these steps to jack up your lifted truck.
STEP 1: Park the truck on a firm surface
First of all, the position where you park your truck is very important for the proper lifting. If you park in an unsafe location, the truck may slip and tumble, inflicting damage to both you and the vehicle.
The ideal location is concrete or asphalt ground. Parking on the road is also a good idea. Don’t park it on an inclined or uneven surface.
Set the vehicle to park mode in transmission and engage the handbrake. In case of the manual transmission, set the truck into first gear.
longer_content -->If you are jacking your vehicle close to oncoming traffic, you must utilize LED lights, flares, cones, or pylons to alert oncoming traffic.
STEP 2: Chock the wheels
Now, you need wheel chocks; at least two. The chock placement is simple, you have to place the chock near the wheels that are opposite to the side you want to lift. For instance, if you want to raise the rear side, place the wheel chocks on the front tires.
STEP 3: Find the Jack points
Now, the next step is to find the jack points. The regions where the jack and jack stand come into contact are known as jack points. The truck’s frame likely has some jack points because the frame bears the entire weight of the truck.
In addition, each wheel on the truck has a jack point. Two jack points are located behind the front wheels, and two jack points are on the front side of the rear wheels. You may find the jack points near the axle as well. The good thing about the lifted truck is that it has a lot of jack points to use. The best idea is to use jack points of the frame.
If you are uncertain about the exact placement of jack points, the best way is to consult the vehicle’s user manual.
Step 4: Put the jack under the jack points
In the last step, you have located the jack point. Now, you can place the jack under it.
Slide the jack under the vehicle to the jack point. For instance, if the front wheel needs to be lifted, place the jack near the wheel.
Most vehicles have ground clearance issues. But, as it is a lifted truck, it has comparatively more ground clearance, which makes it easier for you to position the jack.
Make sure that you don’t install the jack beneath a delicate component of your truck, such as an exhaust pipe, or steering rack. If you place a jack under such spots, you risk damaging pieces of your truck owing to the weight of the truck.
Step 5: Raise the vehicle using the jack points
After you have positioned the jack, pump it a few times to elevate it to a level where it will make secure contact with the truck’s jacking point. Make sure that the grip is perfect and that the jack is standing properly and not tilted at this point.
Once the jack gets locked into position, pump the handle several multiple times to raise the truck off the ground. Lift it to a point where it provides sufficient space for a jack stand.
Step 6: Place the jack stands under the truck
As I mentioned earlier, the jack only lifts your vehicle, it doesn’t hold the weight completely. Working under the truck, with only the jack engaged, is extremely dangerous. Because the jack can fail at any time, and the truck may come down at any instant causing a severe incident.
So, place the jack stands near the jack, or more precisely, install the jack stands on jack points.
Step 7: Open the Release Valve
Once you have positioned the jack stands, slowly open the release valve. Keep opening the valve until the vehicle rests securely on the jack stands.
As soon as the stands support the whole weight of the truck, you can remove the hydraulic jack. The lifted truck is raised successfully.
Now, you can do any mechanical repairs under your truck.
Keep in mind that jacking up a lifted truck requires lifting thousands of pounds, which makes the entire procedure dangerous. Be cautious while following all the steps discussed in this article.
If you are going to use a hydraulic jack, don’t forget to read our in-depth guide to Hydraulic Jack Oils.
