1996 Cherokee front end jack points?
 

I've got a 1996 Cherokee that I need to jack the front end up on. My jack only goes to 14 5/8" and there's very few places on the jeep that are low enough. Two places I saw were the lower control arm mounts on the axle and the other one is the differential. I'm just not sure about the lower control arm mounts though cause that metal looks thin and I don't want to bend it. The differential comes with its own issues too. I don't know whether the housing is made of aluminum or not,and I know I can't lift the car there if it is. The second issue with that is its not centered under the car like a rear axle. What are your suggestions to overcome this?

Yeah, buy a jack.

Yes, you can use the LCA mounts.

I've already got the jack. Would you recommend putting like an inch or two of wood between the jack and the LCA mounts?

I wasn't being smart with you, you need a taller jack.

You have a jack for a car, not a Jeep.

It's about 8 1/2" from ground to LCA mounts for my jeep. That leaves 5 1/2" for the jack to lift it up. If I put wood on top of the jack and under it,I should be good. I just need to use some thick wood or even some metal if I can find some lying around.

I often jack from the frame behind the front wheel. This leaves the front axle hanging.

Never use cinder blocks!!! If blocks are an issue, Home Depot, (maybe Lows), will cut an 8' 2x6 into eight pieces free, for under the jack.

Unsteady stuff here. Whenever I can get it up I like to slide my ramps under something solid, (Lca mounts or frame), some x2 or 1" blocks there.

Chuck the rears, set the brake and shove it around a bit before going under...

Curious what you are doing. Just jacking up a Jeep isn't much fun. :yes:

I'll be replacing tie rod ends,drag link,track bar,and steering stabilizer. Everybody recommended I jack it up to make the work easier.

I'm a bit confused by your second paragraph. I don't understand how you'd put ramps under the LCA mounts or frame. I apologize for not being the brightest bulb in the pack lol.

Any ramp has a level place for the wheel. If you put a 4x6 or other blocks there you end up with a support much more stable on uneven ground than using jack stands. I just point the ramp part away from where I want to work.

Maybe go take a good look at it. IIrc I've done a bit without needing to jack it up. Tie rod and Pittman arm at least.

I'm sure others know better. No squishing yourself. :turned: :cry::naughty:

http://fe9add25d464607e7db1-c4939094...09_7214619.JPG


I have one of these.....very similar to this pic......


I also have a Craftsman floor jack with 20"+ of lift.
I also have a motorcycle jack for lifting axles into place.......works pretty well.


You'll need a better jack and jack stands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




It's your life, literally.


Spend the $200 on a good truck jack and some stands, your life depends on it.

I'll see if I could rent one maybe. The Advanced Auto by my should let me. I'll definitely be getting a new jack soon,but I literally don't have the money.

I guess I'll see how it goes. If it's just too sketchy I'll leave it on the ground.

What's the cost if you end up in the hospital?

Don't mess around with anything supporting the vehicle other than the right tools. Good Jack stands. A decent Jack with plenty of lift. It's probably not the last time you'll need to pick that thing up so invest in it now. Do not use cinderblocks, wood or any other material that "seems" like it will work.

I've seen sketchy lifts fail. Luckily, no one was injured. Do not put your life on the line to save a few bucks.

There is a lot of room for ingenuity when working on a Jeep, coming up with interesting ways to tackle a situation when you don't have exactly the right, or best, tool.

However, jacking a vehicle up is NOT one of those areas. Get the right tools for the job.

When I was first starting out, I thought I could get away with this/that when trying to get one of my cars off the ground. Got to watch the rear of my accord come down off the jack because of my nonsense (about 20" drop). Luckily the wheels were still on, and of course, I was not under it (I never go under with just the jack supporting). Also the intense forces shot my makeshift jack extension all over the garage. It would have destroyed whatever it hit (luckily it didn't hit anything, or me).

I'm just going to reiterate what the guys have been saying... DO NOT HALF-ASS THIS! Always be cautious when raising a vehicle. It only takes a split second for them to fall or roll off a jack or stands. Be aware of the surface you're working on as well. Black top gets soft in the summer when it's hot. Jack stands will sink. Put a piece of sheet metal under them to prevent this. And please get the proper jack to lift your jeep and some good stands. Never work on a vehicle supported by just a jack. Happy Jeepin!

Oh, you don't know the half of it! I have a gravel driveway and I use 3/4 PT plywood under my floor jack and pieces of 2x12 under my jack stands. Over the years I've accumulated a bunch of short pieces of 4x4 and 2x4 PT that are oil soaked but still solid that I use all the time.

Right now, I'm working on designing a lift fitting for the front diff that fits on a floor jack and lifts at the point of balance. I have yet to get the time to find that "sweet spot" but when I do, I'll post drawings of how to make one with dimensions.

I think that "sweet spot" you're looking for is direct to the right (passenger side) of the front diff. It seems to want to lift relatively level there.

Well you'll all be happy to know the car crushed my leg...


I'm just kidding. The neighbor of where I was doing the work lent me his big ass jack and jack stands. The jack weighed about 100 pounds itself and the stands 25 pounds each. Needless to say,it not only made it easier,but I don't think I could've done the work without all of it. I'll be getting it aligned tomorrow.

Good thing you had a spare. Make sure they give it a tad of toe-in, regardless of what the specs might say. Without a little bias, a wobble could happen.

You don't have a location listed, is there a Harbor Freight near you? A decent Jack at a reasonable price can be found.there.

I'm in Albuquerque,NM and I've got a Harbor Frieght. I found a nice jack there for around $90. I'd buy it now,but I literally have $22 in whole lol.

Ok,have you ever had Midas do an alignment? I've never had one done cause my cars won't last long enough,so I don't know they're any good.

Go in the store and get signed up for their monthly coupons, that Jack can usually be had cheaper.

I'm in Abq as well - holler if you ever need anything. I might just have the tools or parts.

The Harbor Freight 3 ton floor jack can be had here in town for about $70 using coupons.

The Brake Masters on Alameda near Ellison is a good place to go for alignments. I've used their $40 alignment coupons a few times...

I figured that part, but it's not a good idea to jack on a point. I've used a chunk of angle iron and it seems to balance there, but I'd like to make something that positions a floor jack on a least 2 points and spreads out the load. Sort of a "cradle" that locates in the same place every time. I just don't have the time to mess with it right now. When I do my oil changes, I just jack on the bottom of the diff, but that's just to get it high enough to get to the plug. The right tire is still on the ground at that point. BTW, someone has jacked on my oil pan before! Luckily, they stopped before it caved in too much.

"Back in the Day", we could have our toe-in set for $10. I've done it myself since they went to "4 wheel bend-over mode". Camber is not adjustable. Castor, Idk, if it's modified maybe shims could be moved. Castor DOES matter. Toe -in is just that, a little towed in to keep things from setting up a wobble. I've seen Zero tow in specs, and a zillion posts on "death wobble". Idk. Mine have at least 1/8 inch in, at the tread...


Being that your castor likely is fine, CASTOR IS THE ANGLE FRONT BACK THAT YOUR STEERING KNUCKLE PIVOTS ON, MODS MIGHT CHANGE THAT. and your camber is not adjustable, you might look at Youtube about toe-in. You DO want that right, will grind away the tires if it's not.

Camber CAN be changed with offset ball joints, should the need ever arise and you can grab up to 2* more caster the same way. With a high lift, that might be necessary. Most books state 7*+or- 0.5* for caster. I've set toe-in with a tape measure hooked into the tread at the axle centerline height and front and rear of the tire. My 89 Chevy truck was 3/8" difference, but I think Jeeps are less than that.

I was also going to mention this. I have their HD truck jack and a set of the bigger jack stands. I set the stands on pieces of 3/4" plywood and call it a day. Has worked well for a couple years now and I feel safe under it.

Definitely not a good spot to jack from lol. I'd say something that can reach from both control arms with a jacking spot to evenly lift the front end and two jack stand spots would be pretty killer. That would essentially be your "cradle".

Pff, who has to jack their jeep up to do an oil change :laughing:

A guy with a 54" waistline? Stock 2000 WJ. Don't judge me.

This is sitting in front of me while I'm eating breakfast

Attachment 292099

Get this while your at it too.

HAHA I meant it more that when your jeep is lifted, no need to raise it up for an oil change :rofl:

anybody have a picture of this 'sweet spot'? is it on the tube as close to the pumpkin as you can get?

It's great you asked.

Here's a story of how dumb I was at 17:
Needed to jack up one side of El Camino. Work had some cinder blocks. I placed a cinder block under one side, HOLES HORIZONTAL, rested the weight of the vehicle on the block and crawled under. An old timer from work pulled up next to me and said, "Those blocks are designed to hold the weight with the holes up." I thanked him and lifted the weight to find the block crumbled. Thanked my lucky stars.

Moral: Good jack and jack stands, always.

No pic needed. Just to the passenger side of the differential.

i have a good floor jack and stands, just want to double check the front jacking point. i've seen guys lift from the front pumpkin but have read threads that say to the left (center) of the pumpkin

so not on the pumpkin but on the tube just to the passenger side of the diff?

Yep.

and then stands right behind the control arms on the frame?