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If it ever came necessary to change the tire on my F-250, that bottle jack doesn't give me such confidence to lifting, safely, such a huge truck.
Is a floor jack better? But will it work broken down along side the road? What are the thoughts of such?
I see someone is selling a scissor jack. Is that a good idea for an F-250?
Now, all the other thoughts such as a woman and an F-250 tire, "be better off with road side service", etc...........noted, but those aren't the cards on the table.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Regardless of the type, it's the weight rating that's important. For just changing a tire I wouldn't worry too much, but for actually going under I always use a good jack stand or two, in addition to the jack. I use floor jacks for working on our cars, and a bottle jack for the trailer. If I needed to change the tire on my F150 I would just use the scissors jack that came with it.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TamaraSavannah
If it ever came necessary to change the tire on my F-250, that bottle jack doesn't give me such confidence to lifting, safely, such a huge truck.
Is a floor jack better? But will it work broken down along side the road? What are the thoughts of such?
I see someone is selling a scissor jack. Is that a good idea for an F-250?
Now, all the other thoughts such as a woman and an F-250 tire, "be better off with road side service", etc...........noted, but those aren't the cards on the table.
If on the road shoulder, you may have difficulty stabilizing any jack. (That is important). A floor jack is usually used for repairs / service at home / in shop on level concrete floor. Pretty inconvenient to haul around.
I prefer a 3t bottle jack (Hydraulic), and make sure I have a stable base. (and never get under it to a position of being trapped if it fell.) Important for Texas Ranch roads where you may not see another person for a few days.
Throw your flat wheel and tire under the truck while working on the replacement, just in case it falls, it does not get too low to get a jack back under it.
Carry a few pieces of 2x6 under your seat. (for a stable base for jack.)
Find a level, safe spot
Chock the wheels and loosen lugs before jacking up.
My preference is on the 3-ton jacks made of either aluminum, or aluminum and steel. Also, I would carry a few short pieces of 2" x 6" wood boards, and maybe some short pieces of 2" x 4"s. You will have to figure how to store and secure the jack in your truck. The more expensive ones, such as the Power Zone 680061 3-Ton Aluminum, may be a good idea if you can afford it. But some cheaper ones are OK too. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=aluminum+...f=nb_sb_noss_1
For changing a tire the bottle jack is fine. I've used the one on my F350 several times. As suggested above, making sure the jack has a stable base is key.
At home, I use a floor jack to pick the truck up and then set it down on jack stands. I'll then give the truck a good shove to be sure it is stable before crawling under it.
I have used a compact floor jack to change a tire on a vehicle on the side of the road. The downside is carting the jack around with you. Something like this works well for a car and stores well, but may not work well with an F250
If it ever came necessary to change the tire on my F-250, that bottle jack doesn't give me such confidence to lifting, safely, such a huge truck.
Is a floor jack better? But will it work broken down along side the road? What are the thoughts of such?
I see someone is selling a scissor jack. Is that a good idea for an F-250?
Now, all the other thoughts such as a woman and an F-250 tire, "be better off with road side service", etc...........noted, but those aren't the cards on the table.
Lets start with the nuts......lugnuts.
Can you loosen 8 lug nuts torqued to 150 lbs? Can you remove a stock wheel that likely weighs 100 lbs?
If no to either question then the type of jack is irrelevant
I will always recommend getting a better lug wrench (frankly, a 1/2" or 3/4" ratchet handle and deep socket is better than any lug wrench) and a piece of pipe to get those overly-tightened and corroded lug nuts off. When you buy a new/used car, go out there and break each lug loose and retighten it, one by one.
If you have trouble handling the wheels due to weight, you can consider a wheel jack/trolley/whatever the correct term is.
Can you loosen 8 lug nuts torqued to 150 lbs? Can you remove a stock wheel that likely weighs 100 lbs?
If no to either question then the type of jack is irrelevant...
This is the whole thing in a nutshell.
If you're determined to step into the deep end, get a medium sized hydraulic bottle jack and jack stand from Harbor Freight. They're heavy but better, and safer, than setting up a trolley jack under a truck on the side of the road.
The Ford emergency jacks are a far cry from what they were years ago. I had one jump gears on me in the last few years. I wouldn't trust them.
People have been suggesting 2X4s. Is that to stabilize the jack (as some might say) or to block the opposite wheel?
What about using chocks, either modern or old flight line style? Thoughts on those?
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