PSA A 2 ton jack wont lift a 3rd gen 4runner (mostly stock) & your cars curb weight is a lie

I got a 2 ton AC delco jack from an O'Reillys. I was skeptical about getting it considering the weight of the vehicle is only 70 pounds less than the rating of the jack. I should of gone with my gut and gone against the BS the employee said about the vehicle weighing less than the listed weight because its only lifting half the vehicle.

I don't know if all 2 ton jacks are like this or if AC Delco just fudges the numbers, but what I do know is that it doesn't lift the tires off the ground. I could only raise the vehicle enough to decompress the suspension a little bit.

Its important to remember that the manufactures weight might not include fluids like fuel and coolant. That can make a significant difference in the weight and should be considered if your in the process of buying jacks or jack stands. Or better, buy with a large margin for error that way defects or any neglect wont make a difference in whether it will support the vehicle.

This also means I was chilling under a vehicle propped up by jack stands that may or may not of been over loaded (this is false I bought 3 ton stands actually only the jack was 2 ton). So maybe coming to this realization through this experience was a lot better that it could of been.

Edit: There is a difference between curb weight and other terms you might hear. The curb weight does include everything necessary to operate the vehicle. So that means it should also include fuel. Unlike gross weight though, curb weight wont factor in any cargo you might have.

While its a better measurement there is no way of knowing how your vehicle compares to the actual curb weight. Mods might lead to an even heavier vehicle, and you should not be aiming to just barely have enough holding your car up. So my title is technically a bit misleading but oh well.

 

Could the jack reach far enough? I recently bought a floor jack for my 4 runner, and it just barely has enough reach to get the tires off the ground.

 

Well I mean common sense not to even come close to the max capacity.

I use a 3 Ton.

 

Same here. I bought a 3 ton.

My Jack stands are 6 ton.

Why cut it so close with a 2 ton?

 

I am pretty sure it was tall enough. Fully extended the jack was higher than what I could get it. Also I would crank the jack and I would see the arm push up a little but it would return back to where it was. The jack was just struggling to raise the vehicle after a certain point.

 

Revision: I did buy 3 ton stands, so they weren't close to being overloaded. Only the jack was 2 ton but I never planned on relying on that to hold the car up for a long period of time, just enough to put the stands in place.
I also planned putting concrete blocks under the elevated tires and chocking the back wheels to keep it in place so if it fell it would not fall completely. I was also going to keep the two ton jack under there as another backup. Its not like I wasn't going without any backup.

 

70lbs is no where near enough spare.

I know you are just lifting part of the vehicle but what if it failed mid lift before even getting the stands etc under there. Its just like towing would you really tow 4930lbs?

 

In hindsight is incredibly dumb. I had backups in place and I didn't consider factors that I should have. I know now that was a misguided assumption but then I just though all was fine. Take this as a cautionary tail of not being some combination of stupid, cheap, or gullible.

Correction: I originally put that the stands were 2 ton. They were not, they were actually 3 ton.

 

Were you trying to lift the entire car with it?

Divide the car weight by 2...you should only really need a 1 Ton jack to get one corner up on a 2 ton car. I'm blaming your jack.

https://www.protoolreviews.com/buying-guides/choosing-the-best-floor-jack-for-your-truck-car-or-suv/44477/#:~:text=Make sure the jack you,2-1/2 tons.

Edit: GVW of the 2002 4Runner = 5,250lbs

Half or close to ~2700lbs is well under 2 ton.

 

I was only lifting the front. The jack is a POS. I laughed when someone at the store said it was impressive that it could almost lift part of my car. Impressive is a 2 ton jack lifting a 3 ton load. Not a 2 ton jack failing to lift what its designed to do. It cost about $60 and came with a ratchet and a few sockets (which I wish it didn't), so you know that cheap price is being split with a socket set. If they hadn't been sold out of the next largest size, I would of never bought this one.

 

Right. I don't blame your decision to go with a 2Ton Jack. It should do the work. Be mad at the Jack and the vendor. You weren't stupid at all.

 

So our 4Rs are perfect or near 50/50 weight distribution but this method.

Yes prolly should on been able to jack one end in this case. But just dividing the total weight can get someone hurt if the # is a bit closer to the max.

 

Update: Returned the crappy 2 ton jack today. I picked up a 12 ton bottle jack that actually cost me less than the first jack. When I got home I immediately tested it to make sure it could lift my car, and it got the tires off the ground. Now I have at least 5 times as much lifting capacity as I need.

Now I have everything I need, tomorrow I start doing an undercoat in preparation for the snowy winter. Hopefully I'll have pics for you guys tomorrow.