my noob question about jacking up the car

[Leitnin]

Alright, Its time for me to ask a big fat noob questions. (which makes me feel really stupid)

I have been working on my car for a long time, and have pulled the engine and changed the sway bars etc etc etc.

but heres my question:

how are you guys jacking up and working on your cars without detroying the crap out of the rails on the sides.

I can jack the back up by the differential and then rest the rails in large jackstands with cuttouts for the rails.

but the front...the only thing i can jack it up by seems to be something that is already bent from that exact process.

what do you guys jack the car up by, and with what (i use a large jack with a hockey puck with a splice out of the middle)

and what do you put it on without wrecking the car.

 

[jumpman]

I usually grab the knuckle on the Double Wishbone suspension. You may have a problem with the skirt (I popped my passenger side skirt twice already...) but just a couple of plastic pop rivets will fix that in a jiffy.

But then again I am not lowered even a tiny bit. So if you are then everything goes right out the window.

Hope that helps,
CMF

 

[yoshimitsuspeed]

I usually use the jack points right behind the front tires. The metal is strong for 6 or 8 inches back from the fender, farther back than that and it will bend.
I also use the crossmember that runs front to back under the engine but you have to be careful it is secure so it won't slide off as you jack up.

 

[dave99gst]

i use the cross member that runs under the center of the engine

 

[onepimpclipse]

i use the cross member that runs under the center of the engine

Same here. I also wedge a brick under the rear tires to keep it from rolling.

 

[Leitnin]

using the crossmember seems like a good idea..

any idea why in the chiltons it says to use it on a FWD but for AWD they indicate the metal under the radiator (which is definately not strong enough)

as far as a problem with the crossmember being secured, the jack is on wheels so as long as im decently not an idiot it should be alright.


i guess thats what i'll do (hopefully i wont bend the crossmember :thumbdown

 

[99gst_racer]

Same here. I also wedge a brick under the rear tires to keep it from rolling.

Yeah me too. I also use the crossmember and block off the rear.

 

[dave99gst]

any idea why in the chiltons it says to use it on a FWD but for AWD they indicate the metal under the radiator (which is definately not strong enough)

no clue - i use the x-mbr on my AWD also.

 

[Leitnin]

alight, i guess my last real question here is:

where on the crossmember do you usually place the jack.

and do you do anything with your jackstands other than stick them under the 6" "strong" part of the rails. (i used the compression lower control arm round connections to the frame when i pulled my engine but that only works if you don't need to remove them or move the control arms i guess)

 

[yoshimitsuspeed]

I always put them there right behind the front tires. I have done it probably a hundred times now and it has not effected the metal where you are supposed to jack it up. I have jacked it up a little farther back and that metal has bent pretty bad.

On the front of the crossmember where it bolts to the frame it has a bit of a cup in it, I usually try to get the jack in that to prevent it from sliding out as the angle increases.

 

[psychlow]

I use the crossmember if I'm working on the suspension, otherwise I'll use the A-Arms. they've never bent as many times as I've jacked it up.

If you have issues with sheetmetal bending because you have to jack the body up, put a piece of flat wood between your jack and the car. As long as it's not rusted, it won't bend.