floor jack recommendations

[Nc211]

I am now a 100% garage family, and my old sedan hydraulic floor lift/jack simply won't work. I'm looking at a couple of brake jobs in the spring for the other two SUV's in my family and curious what floor jacks for SUV's you guys are using or recommend that you've seen, within price reason of course. Just a rolling jack is all I need, one wheel at a time. Many thanks!!!

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[swamp2]

Although I used to ridicule Harbor Freight, they have REALLY stepped up their game in recent years. Their BADLAND 3 Ton Off-Road Jack is incredibly well made and well finished. I've easily boosted my Raptor up on to 4 jackstands with this jack. I believe I posted elsewhere here on the forum with some additional comments on this jack.

 

[Doc TOC]

I like the low-profile, rapid pump style floor jacks. I DESPISE the steel wheel & bushing jacks; they eventually freeze up, and no one wants to drag 75-100 lbs around on the floor. I toss them and put on packed bearings, and new wheels if necessary. The HF 3T Off-Road is a nice jack, and the right one for the Bronco (vs. 1.5T). But I don't know if that is adequate for your other vehicles.

How much weight your are lifting is the key. It's not just the GVW. It's GVW+ all the other stuff in/on/and added at the moment you are going to jack up the vehicle. Also, front to back does not distribute 50/50. Same with side-to-side (like an awning mounted on the right side). So, GVW+added stuff weight = lifting weight. If you are doing corner lifting (per tire), most recommend multiplying by 0.525 (30% of the weight plus 1.75 safety factor). Then choose then next highest tonnage rating. For example, the Bronco Sas on average comes in at 6,250 with 56% weight in front. (6,250 x 0.525 x 1.06 = 3,478) or rounded up to 2 tons.

Jack stands! Yeah. And wheel chocks.
I have seen them save peoples lives, including my son's. Vehicle weight can shift while working on it. An unsecured vehicle can swing/slide on that jack FAST. And 99% of the time, you are in a compromising position. Shortcuts are for the lame (literally).

This is for a corner lift. Do no use your jack to do a center lift to get both tires up at the same time. If you want to raise the front/rear end, do one wheel, then the other.

 

[idontknow]

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[swamp2]

Do no use your jack to do a center lift to get both tires up at the same time. If you want to raise the front/rear end, do one wheel, then the other.

What is the rationale here? With parking brakes and chocks one axle at a time seems safe.

 

[indio22]

What is the rationale here? With parking brakes and chocks one axle at a time seems safe.

Yes I've often lifted the entire front or rear of various vehicles using one centered jack on a live axle or frame. Haven't had issues with that approach.

 

[Doc TOC]

What is the rationale here?

1. Exceeding weight safety rating of the jack. Would be lifting up to 70% the vehicle weight since the opposite axle/wheels becomes the fulcrum point.

2. Vehicle teeters on the jack's saddle pad, an unsecured point on most jacks, making a highly unstable vehicle. Vehicle could lurch when you attempt to place a jack stand under the axle.

Can you do it? As @indio22 says, its possible. Should you do it? Or really, why do it? What are you saving versus risking?

Part of my career is littered with fools that didn't now how to or care to use hydraulic equipment safely, and over estimated their perception of the mechanics. A few of them are dead. Many others lost body parts. All of them hurt themselves and others. And what the f'k for? "Cause I thought I could do it."

Engineers cannot design for every variable value in every situation that a piece of equipment will handle. So the safety factor was created. The more quickly a variable can change the situation, the higher the factor goes. When a fool comes along and says, I'm going to use up that safety factor and use this not as intended, then why are they surprised something or someone got hurt? What an abyss of stubborn ignorance.

 

[Gene Dios]

Very happy with the HF badlands jack

 

[5GENIDN]

I like the HF.... I just put it in the center of the vehicle and I can lift the whole damn thing, all 4 tires at once... makes life really quick and easy.

 

[Oldhippie]

Got rid of good floor jack when I moved into town and I don’t do much crawling around on the floor anymore but did get the cheap HF 3ton jack and welded on extender mount along with 2” and 8” extenders for it after I got tired messing with a bottle jack…it works for me…

 

[swamp2]

1. Exceeding weight safety rating of the jack. Would be lifting up to 70% the vehicle weight since the opposite axle/wheels becomes the fulcrum point.

2. Vehicle teeters on the jack's saddle pad, an unsecured point on most jacks, making a highly unstable vehicle. Vehicle could lurch when you attempt to place a jack stand under the axle.

I'm sorry you've encountered so many careless and/or stupid folks. Unfortunately, there is no shortage...

Hmmm, reading between the lines here though, the problem you identified is exceeding a jacks capacity, not necessarily lifting one axle at a time? There is no accounting for sheer stupidity. When one uses a 1 ton jack to lift an entire axle of a heavy off roading SUV, sure, that's absolutely dangerous. Now that said, it's more or less impossible to see 70% of a vehicles weight when lifting a single axle. I mean the rear of a very old Porsche 911, maybe 65%. A front engine SUV ain't going to see 70% on either axle.

If a vehicle can lurch on 2 wheels it could also do so on 3. Again, if the brakes are on, and chocks are used AND the jack is centered on the axle (on level ground), I really see very little increased risk as compared to jacking one wheel at a time. Again assuming no stupid factor with the wrong jack...

 

[Enginerd]

Another vote for the HF Badlands 3 ton.

It’s been awesome and I have used it a whole bunch between working on my Bronco and buddies GX.

I scored mine with a 20% off any item coupon a couple years ago. Zero regrets.

 

[Rydfree]

Although I used to ridicule Harbor Freight, they have REALLY stepped up their game in recent years. Their BADLAND 3 Ton Off-Road Jack is incredibly well made and well finished. I've easily boosted my Raptor up on to 4 jackstands with this jack. I believe I posted elsewhere here on the forum with some additional comments on this jack.

The Badlands 3 ton off road jack is great. Easy to roll even in gravel, comes with an easy to detach/install height extension and lifts the entire rear end of the Bronco with ease.

 

[Nc211]

Off to Harbor Freight I go! Many thanks guys!

 

[JSW377]

Off to Harbor Freight I go! Many thanks guys!

I have a HF Badland 3T “LONGREACH”. My old Jack could not get the wheels off the floor using the jack point. And, I read “somewhere” that the badlands jacks are manufactured on the same factory line used by Snap…

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