Where do you jack up your Expedition?

[wheelspeed]

So, my Hayne's manual made no comment about where to use a floor-jack to raise the rear end for a brake change, so I raised it from the rear pumpkin.

Now I checked the owner's manual and it says never to do that.

Seriously? That's the most convenient place to jack up the rear by 1000%. The owner's manual actually suggests to jack up a rear axle side. I'm surprised one rear axle tube is that strong to handle most of the weight of the back half of the truck! Plus, that seems like a safety concern to jack up one side, place a jack-stand, let down and then jack up the other side (with all the tilted weight on one jack-stand) until the other jack stand can be put under the new side.

What's the concern with the rear pumpkin? Would a piece of plywood between the jack and rear pumpkin resolve any concerns about jacking under the rear pumpkin? Or, is the pumpkin so weak that it really shouldn't support the weight of the rear of the truck?

 

[GAINMOB]

look on the frame...i have cut-out arrows that show where to lift..then place your stands

 

[FordandPolaris]

I lift by my diff, never have had a problem. I am guessing the manual says that simply for warranty purposes.

 

[tonydiv]

It's actually just a safety and liability issue. It is way more dangerous to have 2 wheels off the ground, than it is to just have 1 wheel off the ground.
Believe me, that sentence in the manual was written by the lawyers, not the engineers.

Jack up the rear by the pumpkin and set a jack stand on both ends of the axle tube for stability. You'll be fine.

 

[qcksnake]

It's actually just a safety and liability issue. It is way more dangerous to have 2 wheels off the ground, than it is to just have 1 wheel off the ground.
Believe me, that sentence in the manual was written by the lawyers, not the engineers.

Jack up the rear by the pumpkin and set a jack stand on both ends of the axle tube for stability. You'll be fine.

YEAP. been doing it like this for years. Just dont put jack on the cover, make sure you slide it up far enough so you dont cause a leak.

 

[Big White]

Just don't jack up a second gen by the punkin!

 

[Captain Morgan]

A picture paints a thousand words.


.

 

[alaskanexpy]

i use the front cross member and the rear pumpkin on the rear.

 

[and0r]

It's actually just a safety and liability issue. It is way more dangerous to have 2 wheels off the ground, than it is to just have 1 wheel off the ground.
Believe me, that sentence in the manual was written by the lawyers, not the engineers.

Jack up the rear by the pumpkin and set a jack stand on both ends of the axle tube for stability. You'll be fine.

Late replay, I know.
But your statement may very well be poor here.

The differential is a precision component, with extremely tight tolerances and is more difficult to rebuild than a Ford automatic transmission! Putting all the trucks weight on a very small area directly on the differential seems like a very bad idea. Many people do this and it's accepted practice for DIY mechanics. But I do believe you are flexing the steel by just a millimeter or two or three, and this definitely something you wish to avoid.

 

[and0r]

differentials with tube axles have their primary load placed 50% on each end where the tubes join with the diff.

placing a jack on the bottom of the differential is taking the entire weight of vehicles rear, and placing it on a very fine point directly on the flat bottom of the differential housing.

i dont think this is acceptable,
especially given the precise nature of the differential component