I use a Craftsman ATV / Motorcycle jack that looks very similar to pull / install transmissions and T-cases.
I usually use a few 2x6 cut about 10 inches long to level things out and block it up enough.
Working on my lifted crew on 37 inch tires, I need to stack a few extra pieces of wood under there.
Sometimes I will screw all the blocks together so the "Jenga" blocks don't shift when pulling the trans.

 

Sounds like a good way to do it.

 

I just found this picture hiding in my first gen collection.

This the the right front side of my 52 GMC frame In the foreground is where the GMC frame meets the 75 Camaro in the back is the motor mount I made for the 250 six that will go into the truck. these are the first parts that I took the time to drill holes just for looks.
I used poly spring bushings for the mounts..

 

I got lucky and found a trans jack on CL for $60. It has a nice wide plate with sides for the trans to sit on. My cousin brought his boss's trans jack with him when he helped me do the trans swap. Pretty durned nice having 2 of them!

 

Our jack is a monster. My dad built it 30 or more years ago
it lifts a 700 pound Roadranger 18 speed with no problem.
What I called a lift kit is really more of an adapter. the jack will lift up to about 30" high without it. It just makes it easer to work with higher on the jack.

 

My cousin and I ended up lifting my truck about a foot of the floor and putting it on jack stands to give us more clearance to swap the trans. Even with that we had to roll the trans on the jack out behind the cab where the frame is raised up. His jack sat pretty low but mine is pretty high. it worked out tho.

 

How did you use two jacks? one under the transmission and the other under the transfercase?


I think the 5speed will go ok but I may have to slide the automatic off the jack and drag it out on a piece of hardboard. or something like that.

 

I have had to jack up one side of the truck to sneak out transmissions before on NON lifted trucks.
I jack up the front drivers side and rest it on a jack stand , then do the same with the drivers rear axle.
This usually give me enough room to keep the trans. and T-case combo on the rolling ATV jack.

 

it's really interesting to hear the ways we as "car people" get around the various problems we come up against.
I can see where the ATV jack would work well. for a trans/transfercase.

 

We pulled the t/c out with my taller jack then took the crossmember out with my cousin's jack under the trans. We dropped the G360 off the jack and put the NV4500 on it and into the truck. Then we put the crossmember and t/c back in. We jacked the truck up to make things easier for us.

 

Talk to some old timers about fixing cars in the old days and you will hear about ingenuity. You'll also hear about a lot of guys with nicknames like Lefty, Stumpy, 3 Fingers, Gimpy, etc. I used to love talking to my grand father about how he worked on cars in the depression. You wouldn't believe what you could fix with a tree and a come-along.

 

That's kind of like listening to the truck drivers of the past.

 

Sounds like it worked pretty slick.

 

Took us all day but went better than I thought it would. The biggest snag we hit was that the AA bell housing was not machined correctly to accommodate the barring tool. The hole was correct but the pocket behind it didn't have enough clearance. we spent a couple hours messing with that. I finally put a 1/4" end mill into a drill and went to town chewing out aluminum. Finally got it tho.

 

an end mill in a drill. I've never done that , thought about it though.
Man I miss having access to a mill and lathe.