Gen 3 Factory Jack Relocation Project

[goalieThreeOne]

I'm in the early stages of installing a new audio package for my Gen 3. Part of that package is a full length behind-the-seat subwoofer enclosure for two 10" woofers. I'll detail that in future posts. But that enclosure requires me to remove the factory jack mount behind the rear passenger side seat. What I didn't want to do was stuff in in the under seat tray and take up storage room that I need to store my PPE, FAK, Straps, etc. Plus I didn't want it rattling around. I had considered the swing case, but was unsure if the jack would even fit, plus it blocks the bed light. I did not want to invest in a Hi-Lift jack and none of the bottle jacks on the market had enough stroke for a flat tire with a 9inch sidewall. So figured I'd take a stab at my own solution while re-using the factory jack.

For this project, I started with a BuiltRight Industries Passenger Rear Molle Panel. To attach the jack, I used their QuickFist Long Arm Riser Mount. I also bought a set of their MOLLE hardware, but did not end up using that for this project. After some careful placement, I came up with this:



Now this is really nothing new, since the Long Arm clamps are meant for Hi-Lift jacks. But they also work well for the factory jack package. If I decide to invest in a Hi-Lift down the road, it's as simple as adding a small Molle panel to the front BoxLink mount and clamping it across the two panels. The second half of this project will be to establish a way to mount the factory jack extension in a way that doesn't require tools. Right now I'm thinking I'll use the extra MOLLE hardware I got, along with a long 1/4-20 thumb screw and mount it to the MOLLE panel exactly like how it mounts to the factory jack location. I will also try to find a waterproof nylon bag or pouch to put the jack in to protect it from the water that leaks past my Revolver tonneau cover.

The panel does block some light, but it's still far better than a Swing Case. I might end up mounting a light with a flexible arm to this panel, or one on the driver side plugged into the 12V jack, so I can have some light I can position around the bed and tailgate for range trips.

 

[goalieThreeOne]

Part 2!

The last thing I wanted to hang from this is the jack extension, rather than rattle around in the console or storage box.

What I wanted to do was create a captive stud to go through the holes and have a knob to cinch it down so fi I ever take it off, I don't have 6 pieces of hardware to keep up with.

I started with a 1/4-20 bolt, fully threaded, 2 3/4 inch long. If I were to do it again, I'd get a 3 or 3 1/2 inch bolt instead just to get more threads on the knob. I simply threaded it from the back side of the MOLLE panel (which meant unmounting it) and then cinch it down with a nylon anti vibration nut and a washer.





Now, you can stop here and just use the knob I'll show you in a bit and it's done. But I didn't want the extension banging around and rattling, so I ended up getting some rubber tubing from McMaster-Carr. The diameter is important. It needs to be 1/4" inner diameter, 7/16" outer diameter. This allows it to pass snugly through the holes you'll see in a bit. If your bed is uncovered, you'll want the UV resistant stuff but other than that it really doesn't matter what material, color, or style of tubing you use. Unfortunately MC only sells the tubing I got in 25 foot roles, so now I have 24 2/4 feet of useless tubing leftover. push it over the stud, hang the extension, and then make a mark to cut with a utility knife. You want the tubing to end exactly at the same point on the stud as the extension.

Next you're gonna need a knob. I used a nylon 4 wing through-hole knob in red. You can use any knob you want, but you need to make sure the shoulder of the knob is larger than 1/2", but much larger is preferred. I chose a through-hole knob so I didn't have to worry about how much stud was sticking out and not having enough thread. If I did it again, I'd get a through-hole knob with nylon insert for anti-vibration. All available from McMaster-Carr. I used a 7921K61. When everything's in place it will look like this:





With the extension mounted:





Complete setup:





Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

 

[Kings4thecup]

good idea! I need to do this