permamnent frame mounted jacks???

6333 Views 35 Replies 22 Participants Last post by rjr162, Jan 27, 2012

MechPatt587

Discussion Starter · Sep 6, 2011 (Edited)

Soooo as a few of you may have noticed I have lots of time to sit and think of crazy off the wall stuff to do to my X since i sit in an office for 12 hours a day with a job that takes about 2 to complete.

My latest idea is to try to find a way to permanently mount trailer jacks to the frame rails of the X. of course I don't have my X here with me to look to see if there is even space available to mount a jack to the frame. I've been searching to find the shortest possible jack that would lift high enough to get the tires off the ground.

I'm thinking something kinda like this http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jack/Shelby/6108SW.html Sidewind Drop Leg weld on trailer jack.

I know you would have to either modify the jack to have a swivel very close to the top of the jack to make clearance at the top when it was swiveled down or make a removable mounting location and storage site elsewhere...

Has anyone else thought of doing something like this? I kinda took the idea from Indy cars, but thought it would be an awesome mod for the X!

Please throw in your input or comments. Let me know any improvements you thing of, or if it just wont work at all...

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MechPatt587

Discussion Starter · #2 · Sep 7, 2011

So I had another idea come to me in the case that this is not actually possible. I was thinking you could get longer trailer jacks and weld brackets to them that would allow you to mount them to the shackle mounts on the truck, then just build a storage box to keep them inside the truck. Then you could actually have 4 and it would be much more stable when lifted up

xearth

· #3 · Sep 7, 2011

I'm glad you're being creative with this because I've been trying to come up with an idea with little (no) luck

BWXT

· #4 · Sep 7, 2011

What would be the point of this?

MechPatt587

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 7, 2011

I'm glad someone else had something like this in mind and I don't just look like the mad scientist hatching crazy plans in his lab....

I looked at tons of trailer jacks the other day, and it seems you can find them in all shapes and sizes... they even have automatic electric ones....

MechPatt587

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 7, 2011

BWXT
What would be the point of this?

being able to jack the truck up and not worry about jack stands... hi lift alternative.... something unique.

FauxFox

· #7 · Sep 7, 2011

I think I kinda see where this project is heading and I see the practicality of it.

If I'm not mistaken, you want to fabricate a mount for a trailer jockey wheel, but instead of a wheel, you want a jack. You would probably have to build a custom mount, although I'm sure you knew this, and then bolt/weld a similar swing mount to it. I'm all for the project because its sounds somewhat practical.

CMD

· #8 · Sep 7, 2011

Trophy trucks have been using these for years. They use hydraulic jacks that tie into the powersteering.. They are expensive (2-5k) but work very well.

zachbiz

· #9 · Sep 7, 2011

you look into the same kind of jacks that trophy trucks use. they run off the power steering pump.

MechPatt587

Discussion Starter · #10 · Sep 7, 2011

I kinda had budget in mind lol not lookin to spend 2-5K per jack lol

Casper

· #11 · Sep 7, 2011

If your serious then find a way to permently mount one of these

Kwik Jack by Baja Designs

or one of these

Race Jack by FOA

Otherwise, if you have to store it in the vehicle, and it's not something quick, I don't see a real benefit to it. Cool, yes, practicle, no. But then that's just an opinion.

Cheers,
JSP

Scorpaznatica

· #12 · Dec 22, 2011

I know this is an old thread, but I saw the link in your sig and it sparked my interest.

I had an idea the other day for something similar. What if you took a trailer hitch ball, an cut off the ball, so that you just have the square extension that mounts into the hitch. Then weld this extension (and perhaps reinforce it with bolts) to a crank-actuated trailer jack. You could store it in the hitch horizontally, and then pop it out and put it back in vertically when you need to jack the rear up.

This solution only works for the rear of the truck, but you could always install a hitch in the front bumper if you're feeling ambitious...

EDIT: Here is a quick Photoshop render of what I'm talking about:

If you decide to try it, let me know. (This will probably be my next project.)

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M3C.CA

· #13 · Dec 22, 2011

Wouldn't permanently mounted frame jacks seriously reduce clearance?

I like Scorp's idea but a Hi-lift can be used for the same task (and more)...

bac0nfat

· #14 · Dec 22, 2011

Scorpaznatica said:
I know this is an old thread, but I saw the link in your sig and it sparked my interest.

I had an idea the other day for something similar. What if you took a trailer hitch ball, an cut off the ball, so that you just have the square extension that mounts into the hitch. Then weld this extension (and perhaps reinforce it with bolts) to a crank-actuated trailer jack. You could store it in the hitch horizontally, and then pop it out and put it back in vertically when you need to jack the rear up.

This solution only works for the rear of the truck, but you could always install a hitch in the front bumper if you're feeling ambitious...

EDIT: Here is a quick Photoshop render of what I'm talking about:

If you decide to try it, let me know. (This will probably be my next project.)

I would delete that post and get a patent ASAP, you could sell millions of those.

blackx09

· #15 · Dec 22, 2011

bac0nfat said:
I would delete that post and get a patent ASAP, you could sell millions of those.

X2 and if you don't I will lol

Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

Scorpaznatica

· #16 · Dec 22, 2011

I've already been in talks with the U.S. Patent Office and I am working with a couple of manufacturers to source production.

I just made all of that up, but it sounds official, right?

In all seriousness, if I get enough people interested, I would be happy to do the legwork to have some produced. I have experience in dealing with product development and manufacturing and could probably work out a group buy if I have enough interest. I would imagine the price point would probably be somewhere around $100.

If anyone wants one, let me know and I'll start the ball rolling with some research. You can reach me via PM or via email at [email protected].

MechPatt587

Discussion Starter · #17 · Dec 22, 2011

M3C.CA said:
Wouldn't permanently mounted frame jacks seriously reduce clearance?

I like Scorp's idea but a Hi-lift can be used for the same task (and more)...

Not the way that I would want to try to do it, I'm thinking like mounted to the frame on a swivel, so that when they are not in use they can be swung up even, or above the bottom of the frame rail.

scottdeet

· #18 · Dec 22, 2011

Seems like a good idea there, I'm no engineer by any means but for
conversation sake I'd like to add a few thoughts in the design.

1. I'm thinking some bracing may be needed (added) where the jack
is connected to the part that goes into the hitch (marked in red).

2. Next thought is some type of rotating base or shoe, as when you jack
up the vehicle it wont be going straight up. When it's being jacked up I'm thinking the jack point will slowly move forward.
With it slowly moving forward this may put more pressure on the connection point to the jack (receiver point).
Thus the added bracing mentioned above & with rotating base or shoe this may also help alleviate that pressure.

3. Wondering how large or high of a jack would be needed to accomplish this task. It would need to be big enough to almost touch
the ground before any jacking starts, then add the height needed to stretch the suspension out and also have enough to get both
wheels off the ground.

Just some thoughts for conversation sake.

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porsche4786

· #19 · Dec 22, 2011

The porsche 914 has them. But that hitch mount jack looks cool. Although you'd be out if luck for the front.....

Sent from my Motorola using the AutoGuide app

assassin_works

· #20 · Dec 22, 2011

bac0nfat said:
I would delete that post and get a patent ASAP, you could sell millions of those.

bad idea cause you would be lifting the whole back end of the truck over just the corner that you need on top of making it unstable to change a tire

1 - 20 of 36 Posts

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