Is it Safe to Jack Under the Differential?

Millions of people jack up their trucks annually for maintenance or repairs, using various jacks and support stands to ensure safe operations. Failure to use proper support could result in serious casualties or damages to both driver and vehicle.

Many mechanics will tell you that using the differential pumpkin as a jack point is safe, since it can support the weight of the vehicle; however, this is not necessarily accurate.

Early Life and Education

Jack Carr was born at Birds Hill Farm, East Heddon in Northumberland, England to parents involved with farming activities. Jack assisted with these tasks at Birds Hill farm while attending school at Ryton and Newcastle-upon-Tyne college for further studies.

He earned his Bachelor’s in Engineering. Soon after graduating, he started work for National Grid before transitioning over to BP Oil Company for almost twenty years, holding various managerial roles and being appointed to its board of directors. Now retired in Florida with three children of his own and an immense passion for golf as well as reading and playing the piano, he lives a contented life!

Professional Career

Many people ask, “Is it safe to jack under the differential?” and the answer is yes. Always follow manufacturer’s recommendations and use a high-quality floor jack with ample lifting capacity; in doing so, your vehicle should be lifted safely without risk of damaging its suspension system or other parts.

The differential pumpkin (or housing, depending on your vehicle) is an integral component that supports and can carry the weight of lifting off from the ground and supporting a car on jack stands.

Lift your car using either the front jack point on the subframe, rear pinch welds with small notches cutouts or by placing your jack stands near the differential.

Personal Life

Though your vehicle manufacturer may recommend only jacking from certain points, there may be exceptions. Expert mechanics might argue it’s safe to jack the differential pumpkin (the part that looks like a pumpkin at the back of your truck) with a floor jack; such experts argue they have the necessary equipment and experience needed to lift vehicles without damaging or uprooting them from this part of their truck’s rear suspension system without incurring damages themselves. They use strong enough floor jacks that will support all weight of their vehicle once lifted in the air; saving both time and likely breaking axle tubes!