How To Change Tires On A Lifted Truck

Changing a tire on a truck that is lifted sounds like a challenge, although it’s really not that bad, as long as you do things the right way.

The right tool is everything

Considering the fact that a lifted pickup truck sits on a higher level, the jack now has to reach further in order to lift the vehicle off the ground just enough so you could work on the tire.

A regular bottle jack generally won’t be long enough to do that, especially if the pickup has a big lift kit installed.

What some people do in order to combat the issue is use some sort of wood to elevate the jack off the ground; the solution isn’t necessarily a dangerous one, as long as you’re going to be using wider pieces of wood, like 2×8’s, but as always, there’s a better way to go about it.

The safest way you can jack up a lifted truck is by buying a longer jack. It doesn’t have to be an expensive one either, the Powerbuilt 6000 lb Unijack will do the job just fine, as it can extend up to 21 inches in length, which should be more than enough for your case.

Try a farm jack

Bottle jacks are usually the main types of jacks used on pickups, but if you hit a lot of off-road, you should probably look into a “farm” one.

A farm jack can simply be used in conditions where the former one wouldn’t work, such as uneven, sandy or muddy ground, although it can only be used on trucks which have steel bumpers or running boards.

This is a great example – the Hi-Lift Jack (Amazon affiliate link).

Where to place the jack

The exact location where to position the jack for the actual tire change entirely depends on the truck you have, so the best thing you can do is look up the manual, as it can be anywhere from the frame itself, cross member and so on.