EvilBLK02TA

iTrader: (28)

Title speaks for itself... Could be but whatever.
I've heard countless stories gone bad about people lifting up their cars (both mechanic shops and in their own garage) with fenders bending or breaking things. My question to everyone is.....
When using a hand jack (not the factory jack), where is the best spot to lift up your car? I want to take the wheels off and clean/polish them, I can either do one at a time or both front, then back.
Now before you jump down my throat, I know where to position the factory jack under the car to change a flat (where the undercarrige dents in a little bit), but that jack is garbage (shows you in the owners manual).
Plus the Craftman Jack I have is the aluminum racing jack and the part that touches the car is about the size of a big coffee mug. Therefore, without doing any damage (car is my baby ) where would be the best spot, floor boards, axel, what?

Any help and PICS would be great!!! Im trying to do this today!!!

SVT WUT 7

Just inside the pinch weld is a plastic pad. I use it to lift the car with the lifts at work. You can use those with a hand jack as well. If you can get the jack all the way under the front, you can also jack it up by the cross member and get both sides up at once. For the rear, you cna place the jack where the LCA bolts to the body. You can also jack it up by the hoghead of your rearend.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

On my 'vert I can do a "racing lift" with the floor jack,
the sheet metal "strap" under there is right about the
50% weight point. But the sedans don't have the
added bracing underneath and expecially T-top cars
might bend a little.

Gary Z

I always use a floor jack and a hockey puck and I only lift in the center - under the crossmember or the differential.

Silverback

The plastic jack pads behind the front wheels are probably the safest place up there. Under the front crossmember, front control arms or rear axle (NOT under the sway bar or bushings on the axle) or any solid part of the subframe, like the flat part in front of the torque boxes are all fair game.

DO NOT jack it by the pinch seams like the factory jack does. Without the little pocket the factor jack uses the pinch seams get smashed and will misalign fenders…

Also, aluminum race jacks weren’t really built for just normal use like this… they’re fine for quick tire changes at the track but unless they’re the really high quality $$$ ones they’re not that sturdy or controllable, if you try doing it with a real shop jack and then compare it you’ll not want to suffer through that again…

78LT383

+1.

Speed Density

iTrader: (38)

Well then were are good places to put jackstands to keep get the car off all 4s?

Steve in Seattle

I use the 2 plastic jacking points up front, and the rear axle tubes in the rear.

Also use the rear plastic jacking points if I need the axle at full droop... but the rear is alot easier.

When jacking the rear I use the pumpkin (right between the girdle-cover and the thirdmember). Now that I have a Moser 12-bolt the entire bottom of the center section is perfect for jacking (the 10-bolt was too rounded for that).

When jacking up front I use the Sub-Frame connectors I welded in... or the jacking points.

If all-4 need to go up I drive her up on 2x4's initially, then jack the rear pumkin to get the rear on jack stands... then it's to the front to jack up the front.

Jacking the front is touchy IMO... I know jacking the "cross-beam" the radiator and air deflector attaches to is a huge no-no (defintely will bend)... so I use either the K-member or the tranny-brace. Yes, this requires sliding under the car, hense the need to drive it up on 2x4's to start with.... you'll never get under there otherwise once the rear has been jacked up.

3-point jacking is NOT acceptable... I won't say anymore about that.

ccusum

Can I get pics of the JACK Points. I need to do my first oil change, and I do not want to use the shitty factory jack. Please asap. Thanks.

Super Speed

iTrader: (8)

I use ramps but I would like to know as well

DOUBT IT

iTrader: (13)

Two words... Subframe Connectors. I can lift one whole side of the car at once without breaking a sweat.

Loadre

iTrader: (5)

I use the crossmember to get both fronts off the ground, then under the diff to get the rears off the ground. Save yourself some trouble and get some Rhino Ramps so you don't have to jack the front.

BackinBlack02SS

iTrader: (7)

Where are these plastic jacking points? I have always used the front crossmember, rear pumpkin, or subframes.

2fast97Z

iTrader: (20)

EXACTLY..i love having my sfc's and on the back i just jack it up by the bottom of the bolts on my torque arm w/ a piece of wood on them

Somebody09

It says, "DO NOT JACK HERE" on the car... why would anyone ever consider jacking there in the first place?

Oh, and I had a place jack my car up there. Now they get to pay $1600+ to fix/replace both fenders. ********.

Jpr5690

iTrader: (13)

yea mine are long gone thanks to some dumbass shop thinking you can jack there even though it clearly says DO NOT JACK HERE....... i use the contack points for my sfcs and it works great

Jason482

iTrader: (1)

Another vote for crossmember in front and diff in rear. I use ramps to initially get the front off the ground, however, since my car is lowered. Then if I need to put it on jackstands I just put them where the A arms connect to the crossmember, right under that joint.