How do you jack up your Jeep

thebrick

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Chattanooga Area
Hey guys,

I was wondering...how do you jack up the rear of your XJ? I've always put the floor jack under the 'pumpkin' of the rear diff.

However, today, while reading a repair manual for Ford Rangers (my dad's truck), I came across this:

"Caution: Don't raise the rear of the vehicle with floor jack positioned under the differential. The cover could become distorted or cracked, resulting in lubricant leakage."

I've never heard of this before...I have and always seen trucks lifted in the rear by the differential.

What do you guys think? I would think this would be a concern for those who have done the Explorer 8.8 conversion. I know Explorer and Ranger are different, but I believe they used the same rear axle on some models.
 
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By the rear diff. I have an 8.8 conversion. I set it on the diff much more violently when wheeling, I'm not too concerned with a gentle lift in my driveway.
 
alot of automotive shops use jacks on rear diffs. if it wasnt stong enough they wouldnt do it and not want to buy everyone new rear diffs.
 
Depends on which end, the front axles we put the jack just to the pass. side of the diff and the rear we usually put it on the center section just forward of the cover. Dad usuallt sticks a small block of hardwood in the cup of the floor jacks too, just can't remember why off hand.
 
Either under the diff ( on an axle with a centered diff), or (on an axle with an offset front diff) under the axle tube at the centerline of the vehicle, usually with a 4 1/2" long chunk of 4x4 that allows me to lift it to the same height as if it were under the diff.
 
jacking an aluminum dana 44 rear found in grand cherokees from the center section is a no-no, so you cant ALLWAYS lift from the rear diff, its not a golden rule, but is allmost allways OK when on an xj. OF COURSE you 'COULD' mess up the diff cover, your using a floorjack! of course you gotta position it right!

it might as well say 'dont use a jack on the center section, you could mess up your u-joint'... yeah, if you put it under the u-joint like a retard!
 
I jack the rear of the XJ, TJ and ZJ from the center, on the front I jack from the pumpkin for the drivers side for the passenger side as far out on the side as I can get, axle tubes can be bent fairly easy. I've not jacked either up really high, usually jack it when rotating tires or doing brakes so I just get it high enough to get the wheel/tire off. The last set of tires I got for the ZJ and the XJ I got at Sams club, they came with a life time rotation and balance so twice a year they do it while we are shopping, but I watch to keep them honest :D :D :D while the wife shops.
Now that I had my driveway paved I need to get some kind of bases for the jack stands, don't want them punching thru the new asphalt.
 
Well, I looked in the XJ repair manual and 4th gen 4runner repair manual...and there is no such warning or caution about lifting by the rear center diff.

I'll have to check out my Dad's ranger later...like to know what makes it so special...
 
Well, I looked in the XJ repair manual and 4th gen 4runner repair manual...and there is no such warning or caution about lifting by the rear center diff.

I'll have to check out my Dad's ranger later...like to know what makes it so special...

Well, when they have to circle the problem on brand new vehicles, it's not much of a mystery:wave1:
 
ford.jpg
 
where do you guys put jackstands when doing suspension work? I was about to put mine under the unibody rail(right behind the lca) but noticed a dent thats probably from some previous moron...
 
The only reason they put that kind of crap in the repair manual is to cover there own a$$, I mean those manuals of torque specs on shock bolts for christ sake hahaha.
 
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