Portable Jack Lift Height

[Q746]

I finally rotated the tires on my 2011 EX-L yesterday but had some problems...

The 2 1/2 ton Craftsman floor jack that I own didn't have enough lift to get the tires off the ground. I decided to try the jack in the Pilot and to my surprise, that didn't lift it enough either! I wonder if the fact that my tires are inflated to 38 PSI instead of 32 has anything to do with that?

I'm thinking that since when you have a flat, you don't need as much lift for the flat tire to clear the ground... And also the donut spare is smaller? That got me thinking since I have a full size spare that if I get a flat, I won't be able to lift the car enough to get the full size spare on? Has anyone experience this? Do I need to carry a block of wood or something for greater lift? Or is my jack defective

[whizmo]

The jack in the car, used as per the manual on firm/level ground, should be able to get any tire off the ground without problem. 32 vs. 38 psi isn't going to make that much difference in circumference so that's not a factor. I think I've used the jack a couple times on my 2006 while rotating tires and never had any problem.

Lift height is a key thing to look for in any floor jack - generally the cheaper jacks tend to be deficient in this regard. I've often used a block of wood to extend the lift height of a cheap floor jack.

- Mark

[NJGuy]

Originally Posted by Q746

I finally rotated the tires on my 2011 EX-L yesterday but had some problems...

The 2 1/2 ton Craftsman floor jack that I own didn't have enough lift to get the tires off the ground. I decided to try the jack in the Pilot and to my surprise, that didn't lift it enough either! I wonder if the fact that my tires are inflated to 38 PSI instead of 32 has anything to do with that?

Where are you lifting the Pilot from with the factory jack? As long as you're using the proper jacking points in each corner and you're on a hard and level surface, the jack should have no problem lifting the Pilot high enough to get one wheel off the ground.

When I lift my Pilot from the front or rear central jacking points, I use my Craftsman 3-ton "SUV" high lift jack. I believe it can lift a little over 21". I use a hockey puck as a buffer between the jack saddle and the vehicle lifting point up front, but not in the back. I've used the factory jack on the sides with no problem, but haven't tried my Craftsman jack there. I'm not sure with the 2nd gen Pilots, but I believe for the 1st gen you'll probably need at least 19" or so of lift.

[Q746]

Originally Posted by NJGuy

Where are you lifting the Pilot from with the factory jack? As long as you're using the proper jacking points in each corner and you're on a hard and level surface, the jack should have no problem lifting the Pilot high enough to get one wheel off the ground.

I was using the proper jacking point for the rear passenger side tire althought I was on a slight incline (rear of car higher)... Maybe that, plus the increase in air pressure was just enough to exceed the lift capability of the factory jack.

I wonder if the factory jack was designed for the first gen pilot and they figured that it would be sufficient for changing a flat for the donut. I guess I'll have to test the jack while on level ground to see if it works but theres no guarantee that you'll be on level ground when you get a flat... I would've hope that there's more tolerance than that

I've already started shopping for a new 3 ton high lift jack for home but that doesn't solve my problem if I get a flat on the road... Has anyone else with a 2nd gen Pilot tested their jack?

[rocky]

It's Matter of lift. Measure the current jacks lift and find more.
Fwiw I've used a sears unit on my off road truck which sits much higher than the Pilot. Don't know the rating but once you get the right unit you'll be happy