Bottle Jacks

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TreXTerra

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I've tried a couple different hydraulic bottle jacks and I'm disappointed in their performance. They have to be stored upright, the seals tend to go bad over time, and all the one's I've bought have very limited lifting heights. Any that have enough lift are often too tall to fit under the chassis on rough terrain, the ones that are compact enough to fit, don't lift high enough. Also, the pump style handles don't have enough movement in a tight space to jack quickly.

I know that the OEM Toyota jacks are mechanical and can lift much higher than an average hydraulic bottle jack. Are there any other aftermarket jacks with this same style mechanism?

Or, does anyone want to sell me their Toyota jack? :sunglasses:
 

Motoboss

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TreXTerra

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I saw that, but all of those jacks are simple hydraulic systems that have to be quite bulky to get the height I need - and that doesn't address the challenge of getting a large jack under a vehicle with a flat on uneven ground. I have a HF jack that I thought would be sufficient and ended up using it a few weeks ago. The jack topped out before the tire was sufficiently raised to get the spare on and we ended up resorting to the scissor OEM jack.

That's why I'm interested in a jack more like the Toyota OEM, it has two lifting pistons compared to one, it doesn't leak, and it doesn't rely on o-ring seals.

Sorry for the poor quality, this is the best I could find to show how much extension a mechanical bottle jack has. I can't find a hydraulic one with this much lift in this small a package.

99489
 

RoarinRow

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I picked this one up from Amazon and help lift my truck with a 6" lift. Hope it works. Haven't taken it out of the box yet lol.

 

Lindenwood

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If you have and carry a hi-lift, I am a big fan of the lift-mate wheel adapter. I have used it to lift 4Runners, an F250, an Xterra, and my Rav4.

For changing the spare, simply place a jack stand under the axle tube / control arm and set the jack aside.

Of note, I have never seen a mechanical bottle jack with the height, light weight, and compactness of the Toyota ones.

HiLiftLiftMateWheel.jpg
 

obchristo

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Ford Super Duties come with really nice mech bottle jacks.

$20 at any junk yard pick and pull.
What are the open and closed dimensions? I am currently carrying 2 Toyota bottle jacks and would not mind something with more reach. Thanks!
 

TheGrrrrr

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I'll second the Safe jack recommendation. The extensions and overall quality make them a great choice. They have a pricey mounting system that I haven't purchased yet as a wood plank is good enough Offroad, but it does look pretty sweet in that it can function for both bottle jack and hi-lift.


I have this jack system and love it:


The manual doesn't say anything about storing upright and the bag wouldn't allow for it anyway. Its never let me down.
 

phlfly

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I was looking as well, I need to check Tractor supply. Do you remember item number?
 

Road

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Bottle jacks suck they always rust out or leak and rarely ever go to the height i need. When i need a new jack i go to a junkyard and pull a scissor jack from a heavy duty truck.
View attachment 133462View attachment 133463
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I wouldn't part with the scissor jack I have. I used bottle jacks a bunch in the past and always had to crib them a bunch. My scissor jack, part of my GMC van gear, that looks just like @Boostpowered 's, along with my high lift, has been all I've used for years.

.
 

SavageCitizen

Rank I

Contributor III

I've been eyeing the SafeJacks recently. The frame of my FJC sits 19" above the ground. I am interested in the extensions and the baseplate. Any traditional bottle jack will reach my lower control arms, but with a tiny patch of contact between them (on a rounded surface, no-less). I like the ability to use different jack saddles/pads. I was unsure of the quality, having never seen these in person and only stumbling upon them on the web. I am happy to see some OB members are fans and vouch for their quality.
 
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Downs

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I was about to suggest hitting up a junk yard for a couple of scissor jacks. They beat me to it. My XJ's mech bottle jack works quite well for recovery if needed but the scissor jacks are quite versatile as well and are low profile when you don't have a lot of space. A properly sized socket can fit over the part the crank usually hooks into and combined with a drill or cordless impact will make quick work of lifting stuff.

Keep the threads cleaned and greased.
 
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USStrongman

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Another for Safe Jack. The adapters to allow for greater flexibility is what sold me. I can lift at the bumper, axle, etc. I carry a square 12"x12"x2" to use as a base regardless if I am on or offroad.
 
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Hamdog

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Just a heads up for anyone considering the Safe Jack- they are 20% off through the end of April. I am not affiliated with them in any way- just happened to peruse their site. Bottle Jack Recovery Kit With 6 Ton Bottle Jack
Thanks for the info. I was researching jack options this morning, when I came across some older Safe Jack videos on YouTube. They looked promising.

I just placed my order. To receive the the discount, you need to proceed to checkout. I didn't see any mention of it until I placed item in cart.