DIY Tire Lift

[70runner]

Recent new family member, 2021 RAM Rebel, arrived with Goodyear LT275/70R18/Es on 8x18 wheels. Removing, changing, rotating these monsters puts a serious strain on my aging back, so decided a mechanical assist was necessary to enable my DIY habits. Browsed the interweb, saw a couple ideas, but nothing I really liked. Put together a design concept using an old HF floor jack and mostly scrap metal.

Parts: 1.5" punched square tube, U channel, 4 roller end plates, 2 rollers, an "L" bracket bolted to the jack saddle using the saddle bolt plus 2 supporting bolts, and of course the floor jack. The assembly can be removed and the saddle plate/pad replaced to return the floor jack to conventional use. Here's the parts and a pic of the jack saddle with "L" bracket. Note the 45deg cuts on the tube. Project cost: $25 for the rollers.


Below is a mockup of the design. The square tube is welded to the floor jack "L" bracket. The two U channel arms are welded to the tube at a 45deg angle to support the rollers. The inside (closest to jack) roller plate is welded, the outside plate is bolted on so the rollers can be removed/replaced if necessary.


Below is finished assembly and maiden voyage. The arms/roller spacing is such that the tire can be lowered to the ground, freeing up the tire and/or the floor jack/tire lift. The rollers allow the wheel to be easily rotated to line up the wheel studs with lug nut openings. Very pleased with how this turned out and my back is happy

 

[flyt100]

Nice work, and great idea!

 

[Ohmthis]

Great idea! I don’t have that style jack (aluminum quick jack correct???), but wonder about storage. I made a lift for boat outdrives that I mounted to a floor jack. Mine was a standard metal one. Where the round lift pad was mounted, I made my mount slip in. I also drilled and tapped the area next to the mounting pad to hold the lift in place. Once done two bolts were removed and the original pad was replaced and voila back to a normal jack. It was very easy to store also.

 

[Copymutt]

Nice design, coincidentally came across this recently in an old Popular Science.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

Hey that's cool! I could have used that tonight. I'm switching out my Grom wheels. Good thing Grom wheel and tire assemblies are only 17 pounds or so. But it would be handy to hold the wheel while I'm lining up the axle, the spacers, and the brake caliper mount.

 

[70runner]

Yea, it's an older version of the HF alum 1.5ton rapid pump. Been a solid performer for me. Attached to the jack, it could be an ankle threat. Once detached, storage isn't a problem, lay against a wall or hook on a wall.

 

[Sumboodie]

I've always just rolled the tire up on my boot, or a wood block.
Have done that for 30.5x32 skidder tires even, though a forklift or log loader is easier for those.

We had a setup at my old work that was specifically built for semi trucks. It would lift both tires and the hub.

 

[bcschief]

I once had a tire lifter made from a metal frame creeper 1 inch square tubing look like a big fork and about 40 inches long you just layed it on the floor lined up with the hub and rolled the tire up on it grabbed the handle end and picked up the tire and pushed it up on the hub and the studs. It was sized for semi truck tires but would be easily adapted to car or light truck tires just looked like a metal Y.

 

[mercifiknow]

That’s awesome! I will try to make this. My strength loss is continuing and I think will help when I redo my brakes at my new shop.

Any idea of cost of this? I’m sure you had mostly spare parts…

 

[king nero]

can you pick up the tire when it's resting on the ground, from the jack/using the jack or do you have to pick up the tire by hand to place it on the jack?

I'm not sure the question is clear, another try: can you ride the jack with the tire lifting addition towards a tire and pick the tire up like that?

 

[Honest Bob]

I have seen someone wedge a shovel under a tire and stand on the handle to get larger tires in place.

 

[70runner]

can you pick up the tire when it's resting on the ground, from the jack/using the jack or do you have to pick up the tire by hand to place it on the jack?

I'm not sure the question is clear, another try: can you ride the jack with the tire lifting addition towards a tire and pick the tire up like that?

Yes, developed the design dimensions so I could lower the tire to the ground, then slide the assembly away from the tire. Thought about making the roller span adjustable by welding each arm to a larger telescoping punched tube section that I could pin to the existing tube. Decided instead to simply dimension it to my truck tires. Should work OK on smaller car tires. My Kubota R4s, well, those will require a larger jack/design.

As to the cost, assuming a suitable jack is already available, $25 for the rollers. Everything else was scrap.

Limitation to the boot/shovel/wood methods, in my case, is difficulty rotating a heavy tire while elevated to line up lugs.

 

[Vercingetorix]

1500 lb. Steel ATV/Motorcycle Lift

Amazing deals on this 1500Lb Steel Atv / Motorcycle Lift at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[king nero]

Thx for the clarification, looks very handy indeed!

 

[beemerphile]

A few years ago I popped a bicep tendon and the orthopedist who put me back together said that the two most common incidents that lead to that injury are "older" men operating a pole saw or lifting truck tires because of the high overhung load they present. It is a sudden injury and you won't know it's coming. Mine sounded like a guitar string breaking when it went.

This is a GOOD precaution to take! Without it, the closer you can keep the weight to your body, the better.

 

[htmdude57]

Is there any worry that the rollers are going to bend down due to the weight of the wheel?

That looks like the cheapest HF jack. I've always ignored that one, going to a more expensive HF jack because I didn't like the one wide front roller. But now I imagine that it might make steering the wheel onto your truck easier?

It seems like more than once I've skipped over the cheapest HF model of tool, to purchase a more expensive HF tool, because of some feature I thought was sketchy.

 

[70runner]

If you look at the last pic in the 1st post, that wheel is lifted a couple inches and there is very little deflection. The tire is riding on the center portion of the rollers and balanced on the lift. Doesn't show in the pix, but had to use a counterweight (class IV hitch ball mount) near jack handle to keep the jack from tipping under weight of wheel.

 

[gnpenning]

Great solution.

I have car jacks that adjust and go under the wheels. Your idea got me thinking about just using one of them. I've been using a large pry bar, while it works it can be a bit awkward at times.