Is it OK to jack up the rear of my truck by the rear diff, and then use 2 jackstands under the axle? It seems like this wouldn't harm anything. My Chilton's is worthless: "Raise you truck at approved lifting points". Great. Thanks.

Also, please feel free to have a big belly laugh at my expense. [sm=smiley24.gif]

 

Thats the best place to jack it up. Get the jack securely under the housing and make sure you set the jackstands up atleast one notch. If you are doing any work to the rear-end of the truck you will have to set the jackstands under the frame.

 

Thanks Silverram99, as usual, your help is appreciated.

 

I must disagree ... I'm trying to remember where I read it ... can't right now ... but the instruction was specific: You are NOT supposed to jack the rear via the differential housing. You risk bending the axle tubes.

... DAMMIT ... I wish I could remember where I read that ... [>:]

 

Eeeww...don't want that! I suppose the frame in the rear will be good enough.

 

I've got a large floor jack (with a pretty big pad) and jack the rear under the u-bolts that hold the axle to the spring pack. The jack stands then go just inside that (on the axle tube ... between the spring pack and the shock mount). You have to jack each side so it does take longer.

The only time I would jack at the frame is if I wanted to hang the axle for whatever reason.

 

There is no way in he11 you could bend the axle tubes by jacking it up from the diff housing. Not trying to bash you TMSBill, just the source you got that from lol I was in an ASE traning program a few years ago and thats where they told us to lift from. The axle tubes are amost 1/2" thick. In several ocasions (like when lifting the front where the diff is not centered) I have lifted from the axle tube itself with no damage of any sort.

I would have to agree lifting from the diff is the best bet. I've done it a hundred times on multiple vehicles. You could go off the frame, be more of a pain and take longer since you ahe to do one side at a time. I guess its up to you.

 

That's sort of my thought process Socha_62. I wanted to save time by jacking it up once from the diff, and putting both floor jacks under the frame (or axle tubes?) at the same time. I find it interesting that there is not consensus on how to do this. I would have thought this was somewhat fundamental knowledge, except for a noob like me of course. [sm=smiley5.gif]

 

Not to mention that the reason (in theory) it could even bend the tubes is due to the weight of the truck itself. The problem with that is that the weight of the truck always rests on the tubes (and shafts) since that's where the springs mount to.

 

I'm still not jacking from the center. Did more research and the jury is split on whether to do it or not. Just like using 4hi on wet pavement. Do what you like ... it's your truck. I'll take the 2 or 3 extra minutes and jack at the springs.

Socha_62: The tube walls on a D60 are a half inch thick. I couldn't find any info on the C9.25 ... the D44 is a little over a third inch.