So - I have a 10 ton bottle jack and some oversized jackstands.Problem is when I jack up the truck on teh drivers side - due to limited space between tire and front diff .... I cant get bottle jack AND jackstand in there together easily ........its a bit of a drama each time.So what do you guys do and how ??Was thinking of buying a proper jack and jacking teh drivers side up directly by the bottom of the front diff .......lets here/see pics

I use a big 4 ton jack to put mine in the air, but only if I have to work on something suspension related. Otherwise it sets up plenty high enough for everything else. I got a good deal on my craftsman 4 ton, some guy bought it the day before from sears, took it home and completed his task to which he promptly returned it and I purchased it for 50% off. Good day.

If the whole front is going in the air, the 10 ton air over hydro will lift the entire front end from the inboard edge of the diff casting.

If the whole front is going in the air, the 10 ton air over hydro will lift the entire front end from the inboard edge of the diff casting.

Not sure what that is .... guessing one of these under the diff casting would work ...... http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/floor-jacks/floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-4-ton-heavy-duty-steel-68056.html Assume it brings both wheels off ground fairly evenly ....... enough to then get a stand on each side ......

I got tired of lifting with levers. I push buttons when this fits under. http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-air-over-hydraulic-jack-95553.html

I got tired of lifting with levers. I push buttons when this fits under. http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-air-over-hydraulic-jack-95553.html

So trying to be cost effective this would work also right ? 12 ton should be overkill still http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-air-hydraulic-bottle-jack-94487.html but 2 questions 1) Does it fit under the diff - thinking a bottle jack wont 2) When lifting from this point - is it balanced such that both tires lift together off ground to get stands in place ? thx

my bottle jack fits under the tube, inboard of and up tight against the diff, to lift the whole front at once.you won't get a bottle jack under the diff with stockish sized tires on.

my bottle jack fits under the tube, inboard of and up tight against the diff, to lift the whole front at once. you won't get a bottle jack under the diff with stockish sized tires on.

In tight on the drivers side right ? But that lifts one side up only ............. at least I thought it did

inboard of diff = near centerline of truckoutboard of diff would be between the diff an the knuckle where you only have room for a jack OR a jackstand and would be lifting only the driver side tire

Looks like Im going to have to either get one of these or a good floor jack and play around with jack positioning.I basically need to be able to lift both wheels off ground in 1 go This stuff seems like the way to go - make life much easier - so thanks !Right now Im jacking it up directly to the drivers side of the diff joint to the axel ... then trying to squeeze a jackstand further to the wheel tucked in behind teh knucle - I always about 2 inches short - so I have to angle it in - then bring it down and let truck pull itself over and then I can get the bottle out ...pretty messsy, time consuming and a little dangerous ! :whistle:

I use my 3 1/2 ton jack on the pumpkin on the driver side and the control arm on the passenger side. I just rotated tires before my road trip and and did one side at a time with my jack and one jack stand.

Yeah I bought a 3 tonne from HF yesterday. Tried lifting by the pumpkin but only does 1 side at a time ... But a heck of a lot easier than a hand bottle jack. 4 pumps and she's up. Just storing that beast yikes .... That's why I originally went with the bottle

I carry my 4 ton in my tool box just in case..... Lol

I use a floor jack from Northern Tool and some blocks of wood.

I use a 3.5 ton floor jack which happens to be a speedy lift jack which the first pump the arm is already touching the axle. Then from there just a about 6-9 more pumps I'm off the floor. I'll jack stand the front axle use the jack on the rear axle and I can do 4 wheel tire rotation.

my bottle jack fits under the tube, inboard of and up tight against the diff, to lift the whole front at once. you won't get a bottle jack under the diff with stockish sized tires on.

Just to be sure, your lifting from the front axle tube right? This is ok to do and wont bend/mess anything up? I have been lifting from the pumpkin and putting a stand on one side, then from the arm and a stand on the other side.

I would venture to say your not going to hurt the tube or the pumpkin by using a jack on it. I suppose you could catch the edge of pumpkin and bend the cover if you screwed up real bad, but not likely. Only bad thing about doing one side at a time is the possibility of knocking the first side off the stand while jacking up the second side. Its happened before. I personally would do it a little at a time till I got both sides as high as I wanted them, less of a chance to create a bad situation. I love my 4 ton jack, it has a super long handle and is a speedy lift like Mopars.

I've always been cautioned NOT to jack at the differential or to put all the front end weight on any single portion of the axle tube/assembly and I would follow this advice with these trucks given the front end weight. The cautionary note was to prevent bending/breaking the axle assembly. I have two - 3 1/2 ton floor jacks and use one under each end or the axle with a chunk of 2x4 between the jacks/axle. Then I place jack stands under the axle as a precaution against a jack failure. If you look in the owners manual it will diagram proper jacking methods for these trucks and you won't find ANY that show a single bottle jack for the entire front end. Hope this helps

Just to be sure, your lifting from the front axle tube right? This is ok to do and wont bend/mess anything up?

just on the casting, as close to the centerline as possible

I've always been cautioned NOT to jack at the differential or to put all the front end weight on any single portion of the axle tube/assembly and I would follow this advice with these trucks given the front end weight

I've heard that before and with static weight I simply don't buy it. jumping? sure. Landing on it while moving? sure. Not statie weight being jacked up. No way.

i jack front and rear one side at a time, easy enough and ensures nothing gets damaged.