Member - Roachie (SA) replied:

Not sure about the term "safely"...........

My Patrol is around the 3T mark and I carry 3 jacks: the OE bottle jack, a Lion brand 6T hydraulic one, plus the High Lift jobbie.

My first choice for jacking (for say a flat tyre) is the 6T jack. It does it easily (as you'd expect), but I wouldn't say it is overkill. I certainly wouldn't like to try to lift a wheel on my truck with a 1.5T jack.

The biggest consideration (IMHO) that you need to consider is the size of the jack in both it's extreme positions. Because of the height difference you can experience when your 4by has a flat tyre, a jack that is short enough to fit under the axle when the tyre is fully flat, may not have enough height capability once it's fully raised, to get the new tyre onto the truck. You need to check this out pretty carefully (in your driveway etc is best, rather than waiting til your on the side of a lonely track somewhere).

My theory is to go for the biggest jack you can get hold of that meets the criteria mentioned above.

Cheers

Roachie

Steve replied:

I suppose the thrust of the question is that I was thinking of picking up one of those trolley jacks for $30 from supercheap. I think I'd probably just use it at home and wondered if the 1.5 tonne would be Ok for rotating tyres and lifting the caravan onto stands to take the weight off the tyres etc. I suppose they're a lazy man's tool in that they're easy to chuck under and quickly jack up.

Bilbo replied:

I always use a hi-lift jack to take the weight of the bodywork off the suspension then just use a screw jack to life the wheel high enough to get it off and the new one back one again.

Bilbo

Member -Dodger replied:

Got a 4t jobby from Supa Cheap and it does the job great on the haeavily loaded Nissan and the van. Using a base plate.
Easy as but hate laying in the dirt, howeverlife's like that!

Member - 'Lucy' replied:

Morning Steve.

I will be serious now ( I know soime think that that bi impossible).

Use the OEM supplied jack in the first instance and alternative jacks for specific purposes.

What I do.

Anyway, in the Troopy I carry and air jack, two bottle jacks ( one Toyota and one Nissan)and a genuine (not look alike) Hi-lift jack.

The two bottle jacks are a recent addition.

Why you ask, well its like this.

In May this year I was a passage controller with the OBC and had the good fortune to observe first hand how the so called 'Pros' do business.

Most use OEM Toyota or Nissan Bottle jacks which I must say had me 'p i s s e d & amazed seeing as how many times those vehicles were lifted during the competition. Some used bottle Hydraulic Jacks and there was the odd Hi-lift.

I made a sarcastic comment one night as to how the Nissan Bottle Jack was a deads ringer copy of the Toyota one and was promptly put in my place as to how the Nissan one compresses further than the Toyota one and lifts/expands higher, albiet ever so slightly. However in that business every Bees D i c k in difference is gold.

I trashed a Tyre whilst Convoy Commander one day and advised that I was stopping via the UHF.

Car behind radio'd back - soon as you stop give us the jack and you get the spare off.

On this outing I had decided to take the OEM Toyota jack kit along with the Hi-lift and had it stowed within arms reach behind the drivers seat.

Result: (1) The bottle jack was slipped straight under the spring pack, and had raised the vehicle with the trashed tyre wheel removed as I wheeled the spare around.

(2) Spare fitted to vehicle and lowered by the time I had fixed the dead tyre to spare wheel carrier.

All up 5mins.

OEM jacks are rated for the vehicle they come with and there is not much to go wrong with them either.

Steve replied:

Cheers guys. I always have a couple of good jacks on the road with me. I was wondering if the 1.5t trolley would suffice at home. Probably best to shake the moths out of the wallet and get a better rated one.

Steve replied:

Rick, think I might just stay as I am with my normal bottle jacks for the car and get a cheap trolley 1.5t for the van to put it up onto stands.

Member - Phil G (SA) replied:

Hi Steve,

Years back I had a cheap 1.5 ton trolley jack - started leaking after 12 months, and was struggling with the troopie I had at the time.

Upgraded to a 2.25 tonne trolley jack - much bigger, more stable unit, which has worked nicely over about 6 years - can sit it under the diff and lift both sides, but these days I'm a bit of a safety freak, and only do one side at a time.