A
high lift jack is one of the items that you should carry with you when
go off-roading. It may not be used often, but when you need it,
there is nothing else that can take its place. Because it
is a large item, storing it can be a problem. On my double
cab, the bed is shorter than normal and so stroage space is at a premium,
so I had to find a place that was out of the way.
Along
the drivers side of the bed, there were some holes in the lip that were
there from the factory. I decided to take advantage of these
holes and use them to mount my jack. I drilled two additional
holes at each end for the two mounting brackets that I made.
The
mounting brackets are just two plates with holes on one end to mount to
the rail, and one hole on the other end with the nut welded in place to
secure the jack.
Once
bolted in, they are quite secure.
I
then welded a small piece of rod onto the heads of the two bolts to act
as a wing nut of sorts. Here you can see the rear mount.
The
bolt for the front mount is slightly smaller and longer. The
base of the jack goes into the front corner of the bed tightly to also
help with keeping it secure.
Here
is what it looks like mounted. It is quite secure and does
not move around or rattle.
This
is what the bed area looks like currently.