Probably asked 100 times, what’s the best economical off-road jack, no hi-lift style

spot

Member
I carry 3 jacks. The high lift more for the come-a-long function but it’s good as a Jack too, the factory Jack and a 6 ton bottle Jack with extension sleeves. Again the bottle Jack can do more than lift. I can use it as a make shift press.
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
I carry 3 jacks. The high lift more for the come-a-long function but it’s good as a Jack too, the factory Jack and a 6 ton bottle Jack with extension sleeves. Again the bottle Jack can do more than lift. I can use it as a make shift press.
If I need a press on the road then my cell phone would be a way more important tool at that point.?. I know some places don’t have cell coverage- but the use of a press would imply I carry a bunch of tools as well..
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
I carry one of these. They're a little cumbersome compared to a bottle jack but has a nice stable base and it doubles as a stand and jack.
815kesovAzL.jpg
This has arrived and fits neatly in my recovery tote. The Jack appears to be well built, it’s jus the right size IMO.
 

rlynch356

Defyota
stock bottle jack and a 12" wide piece of wood with screws to keep the base in place.
2nd option is a safe jack (also a bottle jack) with the extension kit and a base plate (or wood as above)
 

slomatt

Adventurer
I've had good experiences with the factory Toyota screw jacks on my 4Runner and Tacoma. Both trucks are lifted with larger tires and the factory jacks go high enough to change any one of the tires or to support the frame.

In both cases I use a jack adapter when lifting the axle, for the Tacoma I use this one.

I also carry a piece of plywood that can be used under the jack on soft surfaces, it and the jack adapter for the 4Runner can be seen in this photo.
IMG_5567.jpg


This setup got used twice just a couple weeks ago when a friend broke the drivers rear shock on his 4th gen 4Runner on the White Rim Trail. We used my Tacoma's jack and the saddle adapter to lift the frame so we could remove the broken shock, and then once we got to Moab we used it again to install a new shock.
 

slomatt

Adventurer
I've heard that screw jacks are safer than bottle jacks because they will not "sag" over time or suddenly drop in height. That said, I strongly advise against putting any part of your body under a truck that is only supported by a jack and not a jack stand. If you remove a tire you can put it under a frame rail for a bit of extra security if the truck falls off the jack.
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
I think there are two kinds of lifting devices.....Recovery Jacks and Repair Jacks. While there is some overlap with that you can do with either unit, they try to do different things. A Hi-lift doesn't do you much good if you don't have bumpers or rockers that it can be used from. A bottle jack or a floor jack don't do you much good if the axle or the frame is sitting on the ground. For me, this led to the development of what I call the 'Tauler Jack' as a way to bring those two worlds together more....and frankly just to get away from the large bulky cumbersome dangerous farm jacks.



This was an interesting trail fix we recently did that was good as illustrating that there may not be ONE good option though....

signal-2023-11-01-100428_002.jpeg

This vehicle had the rear suspension fail in a way we needed BOTH options to be able to get everything back into place for the repair. I still have a hard time giving up the good old toyota style mechanical double extending bottle jack for the weight as a compact 'repair' option that fits under the vehicle.

Tip - JB weld a spark plug socket onto the toyota bottle jack to let you use a square or hex driver....ratchet, socket, extension, end wrench, etc.
 

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