Tire Rotation: Pinch Weld Protectors, Jack Point Musings

[Steve Urquell]

I rotated my Nittos for the first time yesterday at 6,000 miles. Should have done it sooner but I could not do it with my jack and wanted pinch weld protectors.

My 2 ton jacks would not lift high enough so I bought this very close to new 3 ton off FB Marketplace for $40. Steal of a deal.

I bought this 5pc set of pinch weld protectors from Amazon for $20.

https://www.amazon.com/TONDA-Jack-Stand-Floor-Rubber/dp/B0CC57QG1Q

I initially jacked up the front and put the jackstand as close to the jack as possible.

I really didn't like how the subpan and plastic cladding got mashed up by the jackstand pinchweld protector so I moved my jack to the engine cradle/control arm mount.

That let me put the jackstand in the proper spot with minimal subpan and plastic cladding deflection and that spot is solid.

On the back it only took minimal pressure to lift so I put the stand in the spot with the arrow and jack fwd of that.

Overall not a bad rotation once I got the front jack point figured out. Not a fan of the 148ft/lb lugnut torque but I have a good Snap-on torque wrench back from my truckshop days.

I pretty much hit them medium hard with the 1/2" impact then they took a little bit to click the torque wrench.

Hope this helps.

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[Montana]

Unibodies definitely made me reconsider things and complicated the process lol. I still just jack next to the jack stand though. There is plenty of space there for me to squeeze in a jack and the stands.

But you torqued your lug nuts wrong, steve. I'd expect you to know better. Full send on the impact. Anything less is just asking for a wheel to fall off... If your impact isn't smoking you are not giving it enough juice.

 

[Steve Urquell]

Unibodies definitely made me reconsider things and complicated the process lol. I still just jack next to the jack stand though. There is plenty of space there for me to squeeze in a jack and the stands.

But you torqued your lug nuts wrong, steve. I'd expect you to know better. Full send on the impact. Anything less is just asking for a wheel to fall off... If your impact isn't smoking you are not giving it enough juice.

As I was doing it I was thinking about a few years down the road when the plastic cladding is brittle and snaps when you jack it up. I'm OK with jacking at that cradle since it supports the whole front end of the car.

One good thing about my Ryobi 1/2" battery impact is it won't break the studs so I let it rattle a bit before clicking the wrench. Prolly moved <1/4" to click.

 

[JP4AZ]

Steve, How are those Nitto's holding up on your nasty roads?

 

[Steve Urquell]

Steve, How are those Nitto's holding up on your nasty roads?

Perfect. No flats. At 6,100 miles they are down to from 12/32" new tread to 9/32" front and 10/32" rear. Follows suit for how the rocks wear tires out too fast.

 

[Montana]

As I was doing it I was thinking about a few years down the road when the plastic cladding is brittle and snaps when you jack it up. I'm OK with jacking at that cradle since it supports the whole front end of the car.

One good thing about my Ryobi 1/2" battery impact is it won't break the studs so I let it rattle a bit before clicking the wrench. Prolly moved <1/4" to click.

Yea the one I use only has a torque of "up to" 1500 inch pounds, or 125 ft pounds. So I use that to be safe. Dewalt DCF787B. I got all kinds of cool attachments for it. I rarely even break out the big stuff anymore since I got that.

 

[Steve Urquell]

Yea the one I use only has a torque of "up to" 1500 inch pounds, or 125 ft pounds. So I use that to be safe. Dewalt DCF787B. I got all kinds of cool attachments for it. I rarely even break out the big stuff anymore since I got that.

Ahh, got ya. My Snap-on will torque up to 250 ft/lbs. Split beam wrench.

 

[surfstar]

U-jack - lift and place stands from the same reinforced pinch weld.

This is a time-saver for new vehicle DIY tire rotations. Pretty sure my cheap a$$ bought it for less than 1/2 of what it costs now, though.

 

[Steve Urquell]

U-jack - lift and place stands from the same reinforced pinch weld.

This is a time-saver for new vehicle DIY tire rotations. Pretty sure my cheap a$$ bought it for less than 1/2 of what it costs now, though.

Great design if you are buying a new jack. I didn't have trouble with my conventional jack after figuring out where I wanted to lift from.

 

[dalola]

Food for thought....I use a ~3' long piece of oak, similar in dimension to a 2x4, put that on my jack pad, and jack from the center of the truck (on the pinch weld), so you can slide both jack stands in at once. Then move to the other side & repeat. Has worked well so far.

 

[RLmesc]

I bought a pair of these. They stick magnetically to the punch weld and you position the jack to it and lift the truck. Simple.
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai...svGNuP6DAxWMk4kEHfHcDzsQwg8oAHoECAMQIg&adurl=

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

Food for thought....I use a ~3' long piece of oak, similar in dimension to a 2x4, put that on my jack pad, and jack from the center of the truck (on the pinch weld), so you can slide both jack stands in at once. Then move to the other side & repeat. Has worked well so far.

I got one of these,,,,,

https://www.harborfreight.com/steel-floor-jack-cross-beam-64051.html

HRG

 

[Steve Urquell]

I bought a pair of these. They stick magnetically to the punch weld and you position the jack to it and lift the truck. Simple.
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai...svGNuP6DAxWMk4kEHfHcDzsQwg8oAHoECAMQIg&adurl=

That's awesome

 

[dalola]

I got one of these,,,,,

https://www.harborfreight.com/steel-floor-jack-cross-beam-64051.html

HRG

That design does not distribute the weight along the entire surface of the pinch weld, just where the pads are. Probably ok, but I prefer my free piece of wood.

 

[dalola]

I bought a pair of these. They stick magnetically to the punch weld and you position the jack to it and lift the truck. Simple.
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai...svGNuP6DAxWMk4kEHfHcDzsQwg8oAHoECAMQIg&adurl=

I would not recommend getting under a vehicle supported only by a jack. Since these need to go where the jack stand should go, I guess I don't see the point of them. Maybe if you're just changing a tire or something, but you could just jack directly on the pinch weld without these.

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