High lift floor jack - replacing clutch

[icare_dou]

Looking for suggestions, feedback, and/or work arounds to lift a 1st Gen Tacoma high enough to replace the clutch. The two options I have located are:

1) Harbor Frieght's Badland
https://www.harborfreight.com/merchandising-promotions/new/3-ton-off-road-jack-59136.html
$320 goes on sale for $280 or $290.
lifts to 30 inchs
weighs 70 pounds
no swival wheels

2) Auto Zone's Duralast Gold 3.5 Ton Pro Foldable
https://www.autozone.com/engine-and...professional-foldable-garage-jack/1276164_0_0
$250 goes on sale for $200
lifts to 30 inchs
weighs 100 pounds
swival back wheels

Lifting 30 inches of the ground is a huge positive.
The wight of both is a negative and 100 pounds is getting pretty unmanageable.
Not sure about the lack of swival wheels.

Currently without a floor jack, so would be open to safely raise the jack off the floor but leaning towards spending the extra $ but remain opened to this option.

Also at that height I need to upgrade my jack stands. I was leaning towards Harbor Freight's DAYTONA 12 Ton Heavy Duty Ratcheting Jack Stands https://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-heavy-duty-ratcheting-jack-stands-black-58341.html
because the are nearly 30 inches tall. They run $150, but anticipate being able to get 25% off on the Memiorial Day Sale. Unfortunately jacks are excluded in the fine print.

Any and all input welcome.

 

[burbguy82]

Harbor Freight has many to choose from, but beyond standard jack stands, I suggest typical transmission jack, not what you have showcased in your post.

 

[Chris142]

The correct jack for less.

 

[atikovi]

I recently replaced the clutch in my Civic. Being lower to the ground you have to raise it a lot more than a Taco. Used this 2 stage bottle jack that goes from 9 to 24 inches,

and 6 ton jack stands,

then a transmission jack as posted above,

 

[icare_dou]

Harbor Freight has many to choose from, but beyond standard jack stands, I suggest typical transmission jack, not what you have showcased in your post.

I am looking for the jack to lift the Tacoma (whole vehicle). I am not worried about the transmission jack. In fact, when I last did this job in about 2011, I did so by driving the passenger side tire up on a curb and raised on lowered the transmission using tie down straps. It wasn't pretty but it worked.

 

[Rand]

ramps and chocks? or do you need the wheels off?

 

[icare_dou]

Ramps provide about 7 inches, ramp combined with bottle jacks get to about 12 inches. I have not so good memories of doing the previous clutch change with not any extra clearance. I am hoping to have fun this time. The concept of being about to raise the vehicle up nearly 30 inches is appealing. Even if I add the 6 inches of ground clearance that is 18 inches vs 30 inches.

I was hoping for more plus/minus comments of the two jacks and on alternative that would give me similar lift.

 

[eljefino]

Get some lumber to put under the jack (or on its saddle) for more height. If you put lumber under the jack stands sandwich it between some chunks of 3/4 inch plywood, nailed in, in case the lumber splits.

I did the clutch on my dodge plow truck by driving it up on two-by, then up onto 6x6 PT. Screwed some 2x on top of the 6x6 to chock the wheels. Much less lifting, and enough room.

 

[sloinker]

I remember those bad old days. 4 post lift and multi stage tall transmission jack means you can work standing up. No going back for me. Tell the old lady to get a second job then with that extra cash treat yourself to some shop equipment.

 

[cptbarkey]

If I need to go higher, I stack 4x4 blocks, as many as needed. I wouldn’t waste time or money on that floor jack.

 

[DemoFly]

I did it with a regular harbor freight 3 ton, jack stands, and the regular harbor freight transmission jack.

Pro tip, leave the crossmember attached to the transmission and remove as an assy.

The reason I was able to do it this way is because you aren't removing the transmission from the tunnel. You're just sliding it back a few feet. Truck was a 2RZ but I think the V6 uses the same transmission. Also, the white bread trick works better and is cleaner than the grease method for getting the pilot bearing out.

Now if you're looking to remove the transmission...that's when you need to jack the truck up really high.

 

[JHZR2]

I think I’d prefer to get the truck up and the wheels on cribbing so they’re secure and trapped. Then use a scissor lift to get the transmission down. But I’ve never done one myself…

 

[D60]

My vote: the AC Hydraulics DK20HLQ
https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/TOLDK20HLQ.htm?

ok, I'm mostly kidding as I assume it will exceed OP's budget, but I have that jack and it is stupid-sweet

and just get some small pipe stands. I've never understood shopping for extra tall jackstands when pipe stands are readily available and generally at least 2500# ea rated

The Ridgid VJ-98 goes 20-38" and is rated at 2500#. I use pipe stands all the time in my fab shop, and the folding ones are a staple on any welder's truck.

edit: check classifieds for pipe stands!!!

 

[icare_dou]

Thanks for the ideas. The jack might be sweet but it heavier and more costly. The pipe stand is sold individually, so a pair of car stands at Harbor Frieght are cheaper especially using a 25% off coupon.

 

[eljefino]

Ah, are those pipe stands rated for having people under the load? Jack stands made for the task might have a better margin of safety.

 

[vwmaniaman]

On our VW Cabriolet 5 speed transmission there was a nice tab on top of the transmission. It was at the center of gravity and allowed the transmission to be at its normal position and raised and lowered perfectly. The Golf had the same tab. I used a crank type with asteel cable and a hook and it made a clutch change easy. Disconnected CV's and linkage and electric and remove the bolts and lower it down. Some engineer made my life easy on that one.
















on

 

[wlk]

Check FB Marketplace, I got a super nice old floor jack for $20. Worth a shot if you have FB.