Where do you place your floor jack on a 2wd truck?

[The motor guy]

Almost everyone I see sticks it right under the shock absorber under the lower control arm. No solid front axle on this truck and I was always surprised it never bent those little bolts sticking out at the bottom that hold the shock on. Discount tire almost always puts their floor jack in the same spot. Usually one on each side. If you look at the picture the lower control arm has a little bump just to the right of the shock. Isnt that a place meant to place a floor jack?

 

[eljefino]

If the lower control arm has a pocket for the spring, under that pocket is a great place for the jack.

 

[The motor guy]

If the lower control arm has a pocket for the spring, under that pocket is a great place for the jack.

It's just got that little protrusion.

 

[emmett442]

If the lower control arm has a pocket for the spring, under that pocket is a great place for the jack.

This is the way.

 

[The motor guy]

This is the way.

So where on my truck? It has no pocket.

 

[emmett442]

Can't say. Hard to see what's going on in the picture. What kind of truck?

 

[D60]

It's actually a nightmare on '04-08 F150 4x4. I just "do what I can" and never get under it unless safely supported. A block of hardwood on jack saddle can sometimes help, but other times it's just one more thing to roll out and create disaster.

If a central crossmember or subframe can be accessed, I've been known to use my AC Hydraulics with stupid-high lift height and just lift the whole front and overcome suspension droop.

Another option is find a way to run a chain to prevent droop and then jack off another point like the frame.

 

[The motor guy]

Can't say. Hard to see what's going on in the picture. What kind of truck?

Yeah I zoomed in too much. I need to take another one farther away. It's just the lower control arm next to the bottom of the shock. Maybe 6" away from the tire.

 

[The motor guy]

It's actually a nightmare on '04-08 F150 4x4. I just "do what I can" and never get under it unless safely supported. A block of hardwood on jack saddle can sometimes help, but other times it's just one more thing to roll out and create disaster.

If a central crossmember or subframe can be accessed, I've been known to use my AC Hydraulics with stupid-high lift height and just lift the whole front and overcome suspension droop.

Another option is find a way to run a chain to prevent droop and then jack off another point like the frame.

The center cross member is an option, but I need to place a wooden block or something to allow the jack to get high enough, but imo that's too sketchy for my taste, but I did have a buddy with a v10 gas dodge ram 2500 and that's how he did it. I can't imagine it weighing more than my 2500 cummins. I'm just afraid the block will slide off and the jack go through my oil pan

 

[eljefino]

Some big cribbing, like stacked 2x10s under the jack wheels under your center lift point will probably be less sketchy.

 

[The motor guy]

Some big cribbing, like stacked 2x10s under the jack wheels under your center lift point will probably be less sketchy.

Maybe. The front end is like 4,000 pounds on that truck.

 

[The motor guy]

Can't say. Hard to see what's going on in the picture. What kind of truck?

This shows the lower control arm. Just about every shop this truck has been to places the jack at the base of the shock absorber where those two threads are sticking out of the bottom Amazingly this has never broken off those little bolts. This is my dodge ram 2500 cummins turbo diesel.

 

[The motor guy]

Okay, so I just placed an order for two new strongway low profile 3 ton floor jacks from northern tool. Apparently it's double piston. Are most jacks only a single piston? Has the pad already. Guess I'll just sell my old craftsman floor jack or throw it away. I don't know.... it's always done that weird thing with the handle where it raises up and the floor jack lowers until the handle hits the vehicle. Never made any sense to me, but drive me crazy. These two strongway jacks have pads already. I couldn't find any pucks locally that didn't have to be ordered.

https://www.northerntool.com/produc...cLw2DGyvkhmzC5AmBsoo-DVcHGoQlwNhLdSG7eITArahK

 

[emmett442]

Nice level, horizontal lower control arm. Id bridge it with a piece of lumber and jack it up right under that.

 

[The motor guy]

Nice level, horizontal lower control arm. Id bridge it with a piece of lumber and jack it up right under that.

It doesn't stay level when you start jacking it. I had it on the left part of the strut and it was still dropping down some

 

[The motor guy]

Nice level, horizontal lower control arm. Id bridge it with a piece of lumber and jack it up right under that.

Bridge under what part though? The shock where the two bolts are?