The OEM Jack: Good Enough or Risky?

[electruck4x4]

We’ll say something mildly controversial.

The factory jack technically works.

But “technically” isn’t the same as “confidence-inspiring.”

With a vehicle this heavy, stability under load matters more than most people realize.

We’ve had customers say:

“It worked fine… but I didn’t love how it felt.”

When you’re rotating tires or dealing with a roadside situation, the margin for error is small.

Do you trust the factory setup, or did you upgrade your lifting solution?

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[Mr. Ham]

To be fair, the bar for an oem jack is very low. I’ve watched a scissor jack fold into its self after lifting up my 2,300lb ford escort. I’ve never trusted them since.
So. If it lifts the truck. It’s done the job IMO.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Ditto. It's good enough if it's all you have. But there are better, easier to use and longer lasting alternatives. And the alternatives aren't all expensive. And most OEM scissor jacks are not made/meant to be used often. Some are strictly emergency-use only.

 

[Proxy]

OEM jack is good for normal emergency where you can find a level hard surface in my opinion. I have a Jack puck and I ordered a 3T scissor jack recommend by OP in another thread. I plan on adding some angle iron to the base to increase the stability.
Hint: Tekton sells one way torque wrenches that can be used as a regular ratchet for reverse and torque wrench in forward.

 

[ElGuano]

My truck didn't have an OEM jack (no spare tire).

I built up a spare and wheel changing kit including a Big Red 10Ton bottle jack, as well as the CAT 4Ton locking bottle jack, with jack pucks.

And I'll say yeah, jacking the car up is absolutely nerve wracking. I've changed a lot of tires in my day and have never been worried, but when the truck is lifted up, I seriously considered calling it and just bringing it into a tire shop. And that wasn't using the OEM jack, either.

I returned the CAT and I'm going to get a 4-5Ton floor jack instead.

 

[Eeyore]

IF I had an OEM scissor jack, I'd only use it in an emergency. I bought a Mercedes Sprinter bottle jack for road use and a 4 ton floor jack and a couple of jack stands for work at home. I also have a set of pucks, but I don't need them now because I left off the plastic panels when I installed the running boards. Now I can jack all along either side.

 

[cqsota]

The OEM jack does work and I do trust it…but probably the most scared I’ve been in my life was trying to get the tire back on as the R1S slid down the hill on said jack…it just kept leaning to the point that I had to dig out underneath the tire to have enough clearance to get it back on..so yeah always lift on a flat surface. Yes all wheels were blocked.

And before you make too many assumptions about my intelligence - the issue I faced was that I had run over a log lengthwise that wedged itself under the front tire and into the rear suspension such that the vehicle literally wouldn’t move. Thirty plus miles out a forest service road… Removed the rear wheel and cut the log away with a chainsaw, left part of it in the suspension arm as it was too wedged to remove safely and then slapped that tire back on before she slid off…talk about anxiety.

 

[skyguyscott]

I have debated elsewhere on the forums about getting a spare tire, as my R1T did not come with the kit. On the one hand, I would like to be prepared, but on the other hand, you have the cost, the weight penalty, the fact that I have not had to change a flat tire on any vehicle in decades, the fact that the R1T is 7000 pounds, and if I get a flat on the road, then I'm going to have to find someplace level enough and stable enough off the shoulder safely away from traffic to change the tire, all by myself at my age.

Then again, even though I have AAA, do I trust them to tow the R1T, I do carry the pucks, but is some local guy going to be able to change it if I did get the spare?

So I just don't know what I'm gonna do yet. BTW, I asked the local Firestone store, which is literally within walking distance of my home, if they had any experience with or would be interested in rotating my tires or replacing the tires on my Rivian. As soon as I said "Rivian" the guy immediately shook his head and said "no, we don't work on electric vehicles at all, it's company policy." They don't want to even look at it .

 

[cqsota]

I’ve had good luck with Les Schwab. Firestone is going to have to update that company policy if they want to stay in business over the long haul.
I was same as you - but one episode of having to get hauled down the side of a mountain on a off-road vehicle flatbed towed by a small blazer to get to where a larger flatbed truck that RIVIAN provided made me never want to do that again. So I got the kit…

 

[CBRacerX]

If I am going off road, I put this in the gear tunnel or bed. And most of the time it is strapped into the front of the bed with the tonneau cover closed. I do have the OEM jack but hope to never need it. Would only trust it with very firm and flat footing for the vehicle.

 

[sdemeester]

I'm always uneasy whether it is the plastic OEM jack or a 8000 lb bottle jack that I also use. When truck is lifted it is angled a bit and always seems that success vs disaster is separated by a fine line, although perhaps perception is scarier than reality.

 

[impulsoren]

I recently reviewed all the stuff I think I need in the Rivian: charger and all the adapters, recovery ropes and shackles, towing and hauling stuff, tire change stuff (floor jack, jack pucks, breaker bar). It’s a lot.
I guess with respect to this thread, the floor jack is what I am comfortable with but is also the single largest item to carry around. I have never had a scissor jack disaster but it’s always sketchy. Maybe the bottle jack others use is an ok compromise? I’d bring a length of 2x8 to set it on. Maybe a portable flat surface is all that is needed to make the scissor jack reasonable.

 

[Singletracker]

The jack type to use is certainly up for debate. For me, the real issue is the whole jack puck system that Rivian employs. It’s just darn scary. If the jack moves much, at all, it can wrench the jack puck right out of its hole, causing the truck to crash down onto the jack, as the puck goes flying. Don’t ask me how I know this. I can’t even imagine using those taller jack pucks. Because of this system, changing a tire on uneven, loose terrain can be very treacherous. It’s just a crappy design. There should be designated, on frame jack points that allow the jack to have direct contact with the frame, just like jacking almost any other vehicle. It’s a good argument for having good rock sliders capable of handling the weight of this truck.

 

[Miggs]

I have debated elsewhere on the forums about getting a spare tire, as my R1T did not come with the kit. On the one hand, I would like to be prepared, but on the other hand, you have the cost, the weight penalty, the fact that I have not had to change a flat tire on any vehicle in decades, the fact that the R1T is 7000 pounds, and if I get a flat on the road, then I'm going to have to find someplace level enough and stable enough off the shoulder safely away from traffic to change the tire, all by myself at my age.

Then again, even though I have AAA, do I trust them to tow the R1T, I do carry the pucks, but is some local guy going to be able to change it if I did get the spare?

So I just don't know what I'm gonna do yet. BTW, I asked the local Firestone store, which is literally within walking distance of my home, if they had any experience with or would be interested in rotating my tires or replacing the tires on my Rivian. As soon as I said "Rivian" the guy immediately shook his head and said "no, we don't work on electric vehicles at all, it's company policy." They don't want to even look at it .

My local Firestone rotated and replaced my tires back in 2024 on my 2023 R1T. That was before I switched to doing it my self so maybe the company policy changed after that.

 

[usulio]

The jack type to use is certainly up for debate. For me, the real issue is the whole jack puck system that Rivian employs. It’s just darn scary. If the jack moves much, at all, it can wrench the jack puck right out of its hole, causing the truck to crash down onto the jack, as the puck goes flying. Don’t ask me how I know this. I can’t even imagine using those taller jack pucks. Because of this system, changing a tire on uneven, loose terrain can be very treacherous. It’s just a crappy design. There should be designated, on frame jack points that allow the jack to have direct contact with the frame, just like jacking almost any other vehicle. It’s a good argument for having good rock sliders capable of handling the weight of this truck.

True about sliders but you can also take off the plastic and jack on the frame rails. See p25 https://rivian.com/support/article/r1-tire-service-guide

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