Placing Jackstands
- Thread starter Red Bull 78
- Start date
carl
True Classic
It gets even more hinky when you have the jackstands on wheel dollys. I don't like to do that but as in the case of having one or both rear trailing arms removed, the wheels are not mounted and can't sit in the dollys. I still need to move the car so the jackstands go on the curved seat of the dolly. I always check to make sure the top of the jackstand is still in a proper position on the car before I crawl under it.
Everything seems safe when you are old enough to remember bumper jacks for American cars.
Everything seems safe when you are old enough to remember bumper jacks for American cars.
dragonsgate
True Classic
Man, I fear for you.
Stick a stack of tires or something underneath that will hold the car in case that rickety set up slips while you are under it.
carl
True Classic
I get a kick out of guys that want to put their expensive alloy wheels under their car "just in case". The rim repair shop won't charge much to straighten them.
I did have a car fall off a jack back in the 60s (1960, Civil War era 60s). Jacked up the back of my 850 coupe with my dad's bottle jack...then like the idiot I was back then I was leaning on the car while looking at the shop manual and off course put enough side load on the car to have the jack sway and the car fell off. Had a hard time figuring out how to get any jack under it to lift the car back up off the drums.
When I have the car jacked up and on stands I usually wiggle the car to make sure it's stable.
I did have a car fall off a jack back in the 60s (1960, Civil War era 60s). Jacked up the back of my 850 coupe with my dad's bottle jack...then like the idiot I was back then I was leaning on the car while looking at the shop manual and off course put enough side load on the car to have the jack sway and the car fell off. Had a hard time figuring out how to get any jack under it to lift the car back up off the drums.
When I have the car jacked up and on stands I usually wiggle the car to make sure it's stable.
dragonsgate
True Classic
You don't have to use good rims to put under your car although the price of a rim doesn't come close to the value of my head or any other part of me for that matter.
I for one always side something thicker and more solid than me, sometimes tires, under the car with the stands sitting on good solid cement.
Never trust a hydraulic jack or any thing hydraulic for that matter.
Back in the early 90's, after the civil war, there was a guy I knew that used a fork lift to lift a car so he could work under it.
He weight close to 300 pounds...I will let you imagine the rest.
I knew another guy from Virginia so if you are any where as nice as he was I hate to think of you getting hurt Carl
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
There was an old thread about home made service ramps to get the X high enough to work under it. In that thread were some funny pictures of stupid contraptions people had come up with to put their vehicle up in the air while working under it. The best ones seemed to be from third world countries, where I'm sure necessity is the driving force behind the creativity...and I suppose a much lower value on life?
These were a couple of my favorites:
These were a couple of my favorites:
AKimball92
True Classic
I have my car on 4 stands currently to redo the suspension joints. The stands are the OEM jacking points just behind the seats. I then put one in the front rearward of the radiator to level it out. However the doors had issues opening and closing so I put one on the rear cross member point under a bit of load to even out the chassis flex. I like to call this set up jacking from the 4 flats (vs a stand at each corner).
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
I thought about making some long rails to put under each side, either using the stock jack mount and/or the pinch weld. Then each side could be lifted on the rails to support it along the length, with a jack stand at each end of each rail. But it really wouldn't be any easier.
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lookforjoe
True Classic
I use the same points. Jack the rear first using the provided crossmember jacking support , position the stand channel head fore/aft of the provided (foreword of the wheel arch) side reinforcements so it can’t walk, then lift the front from one side at a time. Can’t use the center point , mine is too low to get anywhere near that. I also put a block of wood between the front jackstands and the floor pan / drain corner.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
That's why I lift the front first.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
Thought I'd follow-up my prior comment with an illustration of what I was thinking. Something sort like this, but much longer so it supports both ends of the car; by locating one along each rocker (e.g. use the pinch weld seam), and having the "stands" at the ends of it.
But as I said, it does not seem to offer a lot of advantage over just jacking up each end and using tall jack stands.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
I have considered a couple alternatives for this issue. Mine is too low at the front and rear to get it up in one lift. I have to raise the front some first (going in at an angle around the spoiler), and support it. Then raise the rear some, and support it. Then go back to the front for the final 'high' lift and extend the jack stands. Finally back to the rear for the same. I hate having to do this two-step process.
So a couple options I've considered are as follows:
1) Use the stock side jacking mount to first get it up enough to be able to get the jack fully under each end, using a jack adapter as the lift point like this...
This works but it is still an extra step.
2) A version of the side rail supports (as I just described in my last post), with this type of jack attachment lift point built into it (green arrow, in pic below). The lift point (jack adapter) could be offset upward to increase the distance between it and the ground (more jack clearance) if needed on lowered cars. With a high lift jack, the built-in stands (blue lines) could raise it in one shot per side. Then no need to go under the nose or rear end of the car at all. Just not sure it is worth all the effort to make it (although it is quite simple).
Back to the original post in this thread, one statement was to be able to get the car high enough up to be able to comfortably work under it. I accomplish that with the use of four tall jack stands and a high lift jack:
The camera angle might be a little deceiving, but this is high enough for me to comfortably use a creeper and work under the carriage with plenty of room.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
As unusual as it looks, I've seen other examples of the same thing pictured online. I assume there must have been a lot of rust/rot to allow that to happen.
Chad C.
True Classic
I should probably ask in the X1/20 section, but tips for getting my car safely on stands is a current need for a better height for paint preparation. Its rear jacking points are pretty far forward, and with the front wheels already on ramps, jack stands under the rear jacking points presents the "expensive sea saw" scenario.
This thread is making me put my shoes & coat on for a trip out to the garage to see if my a Scorpion has holes similar to the pictured car on a hoist. Thanks in advance if you can help!
This thread is making me put my shoes & coat on for a trip out to the garage to see if my a Scorpion has holes similar to the pictured car on a hoist. Thanks in advance if you can help!