Best way to jack the rear to rotate tires?

[Elp_jc]

Harbor Freight has a steel floor jack cross beam.

Looks great and cheap, but can't fit it to my Craftsman aluminum jack, unfortunately. The 'tray' can't be removed. It was probably pressed in, since I see no way to easily remove it. Seems dangerous to use that bar without being secured to the jack.

I’m OCD, can’t deal with that 11 lbs
I have a hard time with a spare tire

The spare tire with jack is about 45 . I installed jacking rails, plus front and rear sub-frame braces, and put less than that (about 30 total) . Rather put stuff I use every day (braces), and every once in a while (rails), than something I haven't needed in 40+ years driving. Besides, if I got a flat on a trip, I couldn't fit the damn stock tire in a full trunk anyway, so it was an easy decision for me. I carry a very good flat repair kit (Stop'nGo), compressor, etc., but that's it. And I always tread carefully, and so far that has paid off.

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[shogun32]

I've been using the pumpkin for the last few years after seeing a mechanic do it. No issues

your diff is HORRIBLY supported by the voided rubber bushings and the rear hole pair are massively oversized. The pumpkin support is seriously weak and should not be used to support anything except it's own weight.

 

[CJJon]

Loosen the lug nuts for both rear wheels slightly
Chock at least one front wheel against rolling in either direction
Jack up one rear corner (diagonally opposite the chocked front tire if you only chocked one of them)
Place jackstand to support that corner
Move jack to other rear corner and jack that corner up
Swap rear tires left vs right

There is zero need to place jack stands under both sides just to move the tires across the car.

Or you could "cheat" this even further with two floor jacks and not bother with even one jackstand for tire rotation.

Harbor Freight usually has the cross-beam thingie. I have one.


Norm

"Zero need"? Life is rarely so absolute. It takes seconds to slide another jack stand under the other side.

A floor jack is for jacking only and should never be used to service the vehicle. At least we should recommend the safest (and most reasonable, 'tisn't that hard to do!) methods.

I feel like Spanky my old shop teacher...

 

[Norm Peterson]

"Zero need"? Life is rarely so absolute. It takes seconds to slide another jack stand under the other side.

A floor jack is for jacking only and should never be used to service the vehicle. At least we should recommend the safest (and most reasonable, 'tisn't that hard to do!) methods.

Seriously???

Rotating tires in your driveway is directly comparable to changing a flat tire out on the road, except that conditions for jacking at home are if anything better. Does anybody you know carry a jackstand around in their car as a permanent piece of trunk junk? Nobody I ever knew did.

I get that if you need to put body parts under the car that a jack (any kind) is not appropriate as the only support. But if you're getting under the car to change a tire you might be doing it wrong.


Norm

 

[CJJon]

Yep. But we were talking one jack stand and one floor jack. That's dangerous. Not sure where changing a flat came into it. I'd call AAA for that.

Personal safety aside, I'd not want to risk a car drop.

 

[shogun32]

Does anybody you know carry a jackstand around in their car as a permanent piece of trunk junk?

almost every car sold comes with a SCREW type jack which aside from the very small base, can not (well, short of metal fatigue) physically collapse.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Not sure why the OP needs to rotate the tires ... they rotate all the time ...

*crickets*

 

[Bikeman315]

Not sure why the OP needs to rotate the tires ... they rotate all the time ...

*crickets*

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Yep. But we were talking one jack stand and one floor jack. That's dangerous. Not sure where changing a flat came into it. I'd call AAA for that.

Personal safety aside, I'd not want to risk a car drop.

Yep, had a friend years ago that had a jack collapse, swapping tires, not under the car, but the car dropped enough - and so suddenly - he fractured a wrist a broke a thumb.

Even for tire changes/swaps/etc., I use some extra backup stands.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Yep. But we were talking one jack stand and one floor jack. That's dangerous.

How so? I mean, you're supposed to be aware of the condition of both of those items (jackstands are not immune to problems either - see the recall on 3-ton HF stands a year or two ago). You're supposed to chock at least one wheel on the other end of the car (I made sure to mention that).

Not sure where changing a flat came into it.

Because changing a flat is exactly the same thing as jacking that second side in a tire rotation job up, except that with the flat tire you're stuck doing the job in whatever the conditions near where the flat happened are like, with the car lifting equipment you have on hand.

I'd call AAA for that.

That's your choice, and not particularly relevant to being able to see the comparison I was trying to make. But since you brought AAA in, even if we had AAA I wouldn't even think of calling them for changing a tire as long as I am physically capable of doing such a simple job myself.

Personal safety aside, I'd not want to risk a car drop.

No extra risk of that with the one jack/one jackstand method as long as you're paying attention and the sill structure isn't rusty metal held together by more rust.


I really should swap the summer tires on the WRX out for the tires I run through the cooler season.


Norm

 

[shogun32]

I really should swap the summer tires on the WRX out for the tires I run through the cooler season.

just get one of those car-flipper devices - put the car on it's roof and you can change wheels at a comfortable height and zero risk of it falling on you. Might leave a mark on the roof, but i'll buff out.

 

[tokuzumi]

Quickjack
Rennstands

 

[CJJon]

Yep, had a friend years ago that had a jack collapse, swapping tires, not under the car, but the car dropped enough - and so suddenly - he fractured a wrist a broke a thumb.

Even for tire changes/swaps/etc., I use some extra backup stands.

Some people have to learn via scar tissue.

 

[Cobra Jet]

I’ve been getting away with it for years.

Same here.

I think the common conception is that by jacking up and IRS diff by the pumpkin will somehow break or screw up something.

It *could* if being careless with how the rear is being jacked up AND how the jacking plate is positioned under the pumpkin.

When I do it, I take precautions, but I also place a microfiber folded over a couple of times onto the jack plate. This puts a small padded zone between the bottom of the diff pumpkin and the plate - so it’s not metal to metal. I’m sure others will balk at that - but that’s what “I” do.... I am also certain to position the jack plate so that there is EQUAL surface area being supported where the plate touches the underside of the rear diff. pumpkin.

Just take precautions, that’s all.

Years ago, I used to jack my prior 1995 BMW M3 in the same manner and never had any issues... but if you went on the BMW forums it’s was blasphemy to do that.... LMFAO...

 

[Fly2High]

Same here.

I think the common conception is that by jacking up and IRS diff by the pumpkin will somehow break or screw up something.

It *could* if being careless with how the rear is being jacked up AND how the jacking plate is positioned under the pumpkin.

When I do it, I take precautions, but I also place a microfiber folded over a couple of times onto the jack plate. This puts a small padded zone between the bottom of the diff pumpkin and the plate - so it’s not metal to metal. I’m sure others will balk at that - but that’s what “I” do.... I am also certain to position the jack plate so that there is EQUAL surface area being supported where the plate touches the underside of the rear diff. pumpkin.

Just take precautions, that’s all.

Years ago, I used to jack my prior 1995 BMW M3 in the same manner and never had any issues... but if you went on the BMW forums it’s was blasphemy to do that.... LMFAO...

According to your M3 manual, as long as you did not lift it by the diff cover, it was ok or at least that is how I read it. I do not see in the Mustang manual anything like this.

BMW manual

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