Placing a jack in Ford F150 requires some basic knowledge. Many people are confused about the exact and suitable location to put the jack in their F150 truck.
Where to Place Jack Stands on Ford F150? There are 4 recommended points according to the owner manual of the Ford F150 to place a jack and lift the front and rear side of the truck. It is essential to use a standard jack of 3 to 4 tons capacity with sufficient lift range.
Jack is an essential tool used for various repair and maintenance activities of your truck. Its usage becomes imperative when you go flat any of your tires on a highway or remote area.
You need to lift your vehicle to remove the faulty tire and install the spare one. Moreover, the use of jacks is frequent in workshops to lift the truck to work underneath it.
Where to Place Jack Stands on Ford F150?
Ford F150 comes with recommended reinforced points to place a jack and withstand the force of a few tons.
Therefore it is recommended to know the proper usage of jack because failing to do so can cause damage to the truck frame and result in personal injury.
Recommended Jack Types for Ford F150
It comes equipped with a compact scissor jack from the factory with an operating kit for emergency purposes.
However, there are other alternatives available in the market to have better performance and compact size. Here is a brief comparison from a safety and application point of view of 3 common types.
Scissor Jack
It has a compact design with four linkages in the shape of a rhombus with a horizontal screw to change the top bracket’s height.
It has all mechanical parts with no hydraulic fluids. Therefore, it is maintenance-free and easy to operate.
However, it is safe only for small jobs involving lifting one side of a truck while changing tires. It is not suitable for lifting the whole side or during repair and maintenance.
Bottle or Hydraulic Jack
It is another compact alternative for a scissor jack that uses oil or hydraulic fluid to apply the lifting force.
It is stable with a jack stand and has more lifting capacity than a bottle jack.
Furthermore, it has a smaller lift range and contact point with the vehicle causing a hotspot of weight at a much smaller area.
It can result in piercing or damage to that part of the vehicle frame.
Therefore it is also suitable for smaller operations involving tire change in emergencies. You also have to take care of it to avoid leakage of hydraulic fluid.
Floor Jack
It is a jack with wheels and a hydraulic mechanism to lift the truck. It has a larger size than scissor and bottle jacks and also more weight capacity.
Moreover, it has stable operation and a higher lift range. However, it is ideal for maintenance jobs at a garage or workshop to lift the truck. It also has more price range and maintenance costs to replace the hydraulic oil.
Recommended Jack points in Ford F150
There are 4 recommended points to lift the rear or front side during emergencies with the standard scissor jack.
To lift the Front end
The front lift point is on the frame of the pickup, slightly behind the front tires. You can also locate it quickly as there is an arrow mark on the chassis rails at the designated point.
Slide in the jack from the side, place it perpendicularly under the frame and activate it to lift the truck.
Using any jack at other locations can cause damage to the structure as they don’t have the strength to carry the whole side’s weight.
To lift the Rear end
There are 2 points right in line with the rear axle on either side to lift the truck’s backside. Slide in the jack from behind the pickup to access them.
Place the jack perpendicular to the axle and operate it with the handle to ensure your safety.
To lift the whole vehicle
There are other points available for lifting the entire front, back, or whole truck with heavy-duty jacks available at workshops under expert mechanics’ supervision.
Therefore you should not try them at home with a smaller bottle or scissor jacks.
One such location is the center of the front or back cross-member part located horizontally between its frame’s rails.
To lift its whole assembly, 2 recommended points of jack underneath the truck frame just in front of the transmission cross member on the truck and two on both sides of the rear axle.
In case of lifting both rear wheels by placing the jack in the center of the rear axle, take precautionary measures to avoid damaging the differential cover.
Spots to avoid when putting the jack
Ford has recommended in the owner’s manual to put jacks at designated front and rear spots.
It is unsafe and damaging for the truck to place it underneath the transmission system, suspension system, exhaust, or engine.
Things to Consider Using Jack with Ford F150
Follow the following steps to ensure the jack’s safe operation while changing the tires or during any repairing process.
Park the Truck on Plane Surface: You should try to park the pickup on the plane and level the surface before placing the jack.
Turn Off the Engine: Turn off the engine to stop vibration and resulting movement due to the engine.
Use Parking Brakes: Apply the parking brakes with pieces of wood or stone as a chock to block its tires.
Locate the Jack: Behind the passenger side rear seat, you will find the jack locked in its place by folding it. Remove the strap attached to its cover and slide it towards the left to make it come out.
Locate the Spare tire: Unscrew the spare tire by opening the lock and inserting the rod, and rotating it until the tire comes to the ground. Loosen the lug nuts of the faulty tire before lifting it.
Apply the Jack: Before placing the jack underneath the pickup, operate it up to the jacking point’s height by turning the screw on the side of the scissor jack available with it. Slide it right under that point.
Connect the long rods available with the jack with the hook connected on end. Lock it with the activator screw of the jack and rotate it sitting away from the truck.
This arrangement helps to lift the vehicle safely without going underneath it. Keep on turning the screw until the tire or side of the F150 you want to access has sufficient ground clearance to remove it.
Loosen the Jack: After completing the maintenance job, rotate the screw in the opposite direction to fold the jack, causing the pickup to come down. Keep on doing it until the tires touch the ground.
What is the Importance of placing Jack Properly?
Jack is a tool frequently used by truck owners and mechanics to lift the Ford F150 to replace its tire or make space to work underneath it.
It has to apply a significant force on the lifting point to carry that side of the truck. Therefore, its proper application is necessary to ensure the vehicle’s safety and the driver or mechanic.
If you don’t apply it at recommended points, it can damage the pickup frame because not all parts have enough strength to carry their whole weight.
Moreover, if the jack’s base is uneven or on a rough surface, it can cause it to slip, resulting in falling the pickp to the ground, damaging its suspension system or other parts.
There is also a chance of injury to the working personnel. Therefore, it is essential to use emergency or parking brakes and chock wheels with wooden or stone blocks to avoid unwanted movement.
What is Recommended Jack Capacity for F150?
Another important aspect is the lifting capacity and range of the jack. Therefore, use any jacks with a weight capacity of 3-4 tons to safely perform the repairing task.
Jacks of lower capacity have stability problems and can collapse, resulting in damage and injury to the working personnel.
Can the jack be placed under the differential of the Ford F150?
Besides the manufacturer’s recommended points in the owner’s manual of the truck, other parts have reinforced structures to carry its weight.
The trained mechanics know these spots. One of these spots is differential on the rear axle.
It has a design to carry its entire weight while the vehicle moves on rough and uneven terrains. Therefore, you can place the jack at that point to lift the rear side.
However, use another jack than a scissor one and put it with due care to avoid any differential cover damage.
Moreover, these points are suitable for large hydraulic jacks that mechanics use to lift the whole pickup to work underneath it.
Their large force and saddle enable them to effortlessly apply them at hardpoints without damaging it by going hard at a single point.
Moreover, it is mandatory to chock the wheels to avoid their movement due to lifting its rear side.
The company does not recommend lifting the Ford F150 entire backside as it can cause a side shift or its movement towards the front due to inclination.
Therefore, avoid trying it by yourself until any expert mechanic with an adequately sized jack perform it.
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