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Best Jack For Lifted Trucks: How Much Height Do You Need?

A lifted truck is going to be at least 3 inches taller than a standard pickup.

You need a jack that can easily handle the extra height. What are the best jacks for lifted trucks that offer enough lift?

My frustration with most of the other sites (my competitors) is that most of them have a list of standard jacks that only provide 18 inches of lift. 

If you are adding a lift kit to your truck, you’ll want a jack that can go higher than 20 inches.  

See Related: Will A Tire Jack Work?

Go ahead and invest in the correct jack at the same time you buy your lift kit.

Even if you just need to change a tire, you will need a taller jack (or start paying a professional to do every little thing to your truck). 

You need a jack that can not only handle the added height, but that retains stability and strength when fully extended. 

As a kid, I was constantly frustrated by how ineffective my dad’s bottle jacks were. They were always too short for our uses and had to be stacked up on cinder blocks (and not always in the safest manner. 

When I started buying equipment for my own use, one of the first things I purchased was a rolling floor jack. I loved the stability and speed that it brought to my shade tree mechanic work. 

See Related: Avoid This #1 Injury When Working On Cars

image of lifted jeep with oversized tires

However, the first time I had to work on a pickup, I found myself pulling out the old bottle jack and cinder blocks (and that wasn’t a lifted truck)

I, for one, have no desire to die being crushed by an improperly jacked vehicle, so I immediately began researching a more stable option (truth is, sometimes you can’t beat the ole bottle jack!)

The available jacks constantly change, but typically you will want either a High-lift jack, a larger Bottle Jack, or a heavy-duty Floor Jack. (I did find one scissor jack with a 24-inch lift, but it only had a 2-ton capacity, so I left it off this list). 

See Related: Reach All Areas On Your Lifted Truck

Here is an updated list of what I think are the best jacks for a lifted truck.


Best Jacks For Lifted Truck Reviews

1. Cat 3 Ton Hydraulic Lift

caterpillar 3 ton jack product image

Maximum Lift Height: 30.5 inches.

This Cat 3-ton jack has taken the award as the floor jack with the highest amount of lift. unlike the Sunex below, you are not going to get that ultra-low profile, so it is not as versatile for working on sports cars or other cars that are low to the ground (has anyone tried working on a Prius lately?)

However, for the individual with a lifted truck, who wants a jack devoted to working on SUVs, Jeeps, and Lifted trucks, this is the best option with the greatest height..

The larger wheels make it easy to roll around on the shop floor. It also rolls nicely across a gravel driveway for when you need to work outside.

The skid plate on the bottom provides rigidity and protects the hydraulic pump when you are using it outside.

The handle is easily removed for storage, so you can load it in the back of the truck when you know you are headed out for a fun weekend.

The jack and extension lifts 29.25 inches, and then with the larger wheels, you get a total of 30.5 inches of lift.

Pros

  •  30.5 inches max lift
  • 3 Ton Capacity
  • Dual Pumps creates a fast lift

Cons

  • Will not fit under short vehicles

2. Sunex 6602LP 2-Ton Floor Jack

Sunex 6602LP product image

View On Home Depot

Maximum Lift Height: 24 inches.

I freaking love this Sunex. It is a low-profile jack that can also hit that amazing 24″ lift target.

As a bonus?

You don’t need to attach the little extender that the other jacks require.

The main reason folks go for this jack is the low-profile aspect. It can slip in spaces as short as 2.75 inches tall, which makes it ideal for working on street racers and other low-profile kits. It also is easier to get it underneath a car with a flat tire. 

However, this jack has the secret ability to reach 24 inches max lifting height. While that is too short for a truck with an aggressive after-market lift kit, it will be able to lift most SUVs and trucks with factory lift kits. 

Another cool feature of this jack is the fast lift feature. The rapid pump moves the jack at double speed until it contacts the vehicle. Then it moves at half speed (but still faster than most other jacks) to finish lifting the vehicle. The strong lift arms provide a fast, stable, vehicle lift. 

A lot of the sites recommend the Arcan ALJ3T aluminum floor jack.  While that is undoubtedly a stellar jack, it is lacking the height capacity of this model. 

When it comes to flexibility and versatility, the Sunex 6602LP might be one of the best floor jacks with an unlimited lift range. However, with only a 2-ton capacity, there may be situations where you need more oomph.

Pros

  •  24 inches max lift
  • as low as 2.75 inches to slide underneath a car
  • Fast pump-action saves time

Cons

  • only 2-ton capacity
image of dark purple GMC truck with lift and blacked out grill

3. COOKE Pro Eagle High Lift Floor Jack For Lifted Trucks

Maximum Lift Height: 26 inches.

I’m always amazed at how many of the bloggers will post a list of floor jacks that have an 18-inch maximum lift as being a good jack for lifted trucks. With the added 8-inch extension, this one can provide 26 inches of lift, exceeding the capacity of most floor jacks.

pro eagle jack product image

View On Pro Eagle

To my knowledge, this is one of the only floor jacks with over 24 inches of lift.

There are some other features on the Cooke Pro Eagle that make this one a winner. For one, it is an “off-road” model. The bigger, rubberized wheels make it great for rolling around on the gravel driveway or across the dusty field.

If you have ever tried dragging a “normal” shop floor jack across gravel, you’ll know that they basically sink into the gravel and try to suck as much gravel into their frame. With this jack, there is an extra plate on the bottom to help keep the gravel and sand out of the unit so that it actually rolls.

The smooth-rolling feature makes this carjack a real winner for those of us who sometimes perform repairs in the real world.

side view of pro eagle jack product image

The front wheels are about 6 inches tall, so this one is better suited for SUVs and truck repair. Whether you need the ability to quickly jack up your Jeep or dune buggy, or need a reliable way to jack your lifted truck, this unit floor jack can rise to the occasion.

With a 3 ton capacity, this one is going to be able to handle any repairs that your little shop needs.

There is a reason it won an award at the SEMA auto show in 2017.

Pros

  • 24 inch of lift
  • 3-ton capacity
  • easy-rolling 6-inch wheels

Cons

  • Does not work underneath very low cars

4. BAOSHISHAN Bottle Jack

baoshin bottle jack product image

View On Northern Tool

Maximum Lift Height: 24 inches.

Despite my hate on how slow they are to raise, you’ve got to acknowledge that the bottle jacks are super versatile. They almost never break, they always work when you want them to, and they lift cars, houses, and about any other item that you need to be lifted. In fact, I wrote an entire article with a list of my best bottle jacks for lifted trucks.

This new bottle jack crushes the competition with its 24 inches of lift. Where most bottle jacks only offer 18 inches of lift, this jack finally provides a convenient, compact option for my readers who like to go off-road.

In order to get more height, you will need to use cinder blocks or stacked pieces of 2″x6″ boards (always use at least 6 inches in width for the most stability). The trick is to calculate how much added lift you need and then cut a set of boards that you can carry with you. Some people invest in plastic stacking kits that can be carried in a bag in your vehicle. We use a set of these with our camper, and they save a lot of time in reducing the amount of time you need to spend pumping on the jack since you can instantly elevate it by sliding a bunch underneath.

The Baoshin with 4-ton lifting capacity is an excellent choice in that it has some of the best height (with a 24 inch maximum height), but isn’t their most expensive model. It is stable enough to provide excellent jacking and robust enough that it will probably outlive you. Meets all ASME standards.

Pros

  • Extends to 24 inches
  • Long=Lasting
  • Takes up very little space
  • With enough support, you could jack anything with it. 

Cons

  • Will require you to set it on support before jacking it up.
  •  Slower pump operation

5. Hi-Lift Jack HL484 Recovery Jack

image of highlift HL484 product

View On Northern Tools


Maximum Lift Height: 48 inches.


Anyone with a Jeep is familiar with these farm jacks. Originally used by farmers to lift their tractors, pull fence posts and hold their trailers in lieu of a trailer jack (or when a trailer jack fails), these hi-lift jacks offer an extreme height advantage with a 48-inch lift height.

The off-roading community has found them useful when trying to get a vehicle unstuck. Thanks to the extreme lifting capacity, these black cast steel jacks can be used in any terrain and for any vehicle — no matter how big the lift kit is.

image of man lifting jeep with hi lift jack


The challenge with the hl484 48″ jack is that the vertical bar is quite close to the body of the vehicle. With all of the rounded, aerodynamic body styles that we have these days, it is difficult to jack up your truck without scraping the side of the body.


The built-in one-piece handle provides extreme leverage for your most challenging lifting situations.


Accordingly, you find that you have to lift your truck from the bumpers with this style of jack. You’ll want to make sure that you have a bumper type that is not simply decorative and that is designed to support your vehicle.


I keep one of these in the back of my camper as it has saved my butt a time or two when the camper needed to be jacked up or the included trailer jack was giving me fits.

It’s an extremely versatile jack and an ideal choice for my readers who enjoy being the ones who “save the day”.


As a bonus, this jack can also be used with chains as a “come-along” winch to help pull a vehicle out of the mud or up onto a trailer. Very nifty.

Pros

  •  48 inches of lifting capacity
  • Also serves as a winch when paired with chains 

Cons

  • Lifts From The Side – Cannot lift a car from underneath

6. Powerbuilt 620471 Unijack

Powerbuilt 620471 product image

View on PepBoys

Maximum Lift Height: 21 inches.

The Unijacks are one of my favorite designs for the home garage. Most people don’t use jack stands. They’d rather trust their lives to the 22-cent hydraulic jack gasket (that was likely installed by a depressed Chinese factory worker) than go through the hassle of setting up jack stands.  

Jack stands save lives and I never go underneath a car without having them set up properly. the fact that this all-in-one unit combines a jack stand with the hydraulic lift, makes this a top choice for the home garage.

The Unijack is one of the few hydraulic bottle jacks that can extend to 21 inches. I’m pretty sure the only reason it goes that high is thanks to the added stability and safety that the jack stand provides. 

If you’ve worked with jack stands before, this one is going to work in a very similar fashion. You want to raise the stand up as high as you can under your vehicle and insert the locking pin. From there, you simply use the jack to continue to raise your vehicle. 

As you reach the desired height, make sure that the safety bar lever is locked into place. You may need to jack it a little bit more in order to get it fully locked into a safe, fully locked, position. 

Pros

  •  21 inches of lifting capacity
  • Added protection of a built-in jack stand

Cons

  • Slow pump action of a bottle jack
  • Likely too short for most lifted vehicles and does not stack well on cinder blocks like bottle jacks do. 

7. Sunex 1410 Jack Stands For Lifted Truck

Sunex 1410 product image

View On Acme Tools

Maximum Height: 28 inches.

If you aren’t going for the Unijack, then check out these jack stands. 

You’ll notice that these are noticeably beefier. They are not only designed to hold 10 tons of weight but also engineered for taller use than most. 

With a minimum height of 28 inches, you won’t be using these for small cars. This taller minimum height provides a better lifting range with the ability to extend to an amazing 46 inches high. 

Each of the legs is constructed from a heavy schedule pipe to provide added support and stability.  And, instead of relying on a latch that might not be fully inserted, these use a pin that you insert through a hole in the center for unwavering support. 

These are definitely going to take up space in your shop. However, if you don’t have a vehicle lift, then these jack stands might be the only ways to keep yourself safe when working under a truck with an extreme lift. 

Pros

  • Extends to 46 inches of height
  • Rated for 10 Tons

Cons

  • Minimum height of 28 inches

Lifted Jacks Buying Guide

Height: For lifted trucks, height is the most important limitation. Unless you have runner boards, there should be 4 visually distinct lift points on your vehicle. (For the Hi-lift farm-style jacks, you will be lifting from the bumper) Measure from those lift points down to the ground to get an idea of the minimum lift required. Additionally, most suspension systems will need an additional 3-4 inches of lift capacity before the wheels come off the ground. Look for a jack that can provide at least 4 inches of lift + the height between the jack insertion and the ground. 

Lift-Capacity: The standard recommendation is that your jack has a weight rating of at least 3/4 of the vehicle’s total weight. Most pickup trucks are around 4,000-5,500 pounds (or 2 to 2.75 tons), so the jacks on this list are more than adequate to lift your vehicle safely. Unless you have a unique scenario, you shouldn’t have to worry about your jack being too weak.

Speed: If you haven’t worked with jacks before, you are in for an agonizingly slow task. It’s so slow, that dad used to have me get the car jacked up for him. One of the advantages of going slow is that less weight is moved with each jacking action, requiring less engineering. In my opinion, it is worth the added money for a fast lift service jack like the Sunex 6602LP reviewed above. 

Materials: It is very common to find jacks made from steel or cast iron. These metals are heavy, cheap and strong. The downside is that these metals are prone to rust. The aluminum jacks are much lighter and rust-resistant. However, in your situation, it is important to prioritize height and lifting capacity. 

Conclusion

If you can jack it from the bumper, then the hi-lift jack is one of the best options, thanks to the 4 feet of jacking height that it offers. 

Otherwise, the Torin Bottle Jack is going to be your best pick. Go with one of these and either some interlocking pads to set it on, or some homemade precut 2″x6″ boards that you can stack up.

In my experience, most truck owners stick with a bottle jack and some cinder blocks. Maybe that is because they started with their dad’s jacks. 

Author:

Zachary Drumm

Hey! My name is Zachary Drumm! This site allows me to test new tools, piddle around in the garage, and share the insights I get from flipping cars and houses. When it comes to tools, home improvement, and being a “shade tree mechanic,” you’ve come to the right spot. If I’m not in the garage creating content, you’ll find me outside, running, canoeing, and traveling. My goal is to empower more people to be self-sufficient.

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