Jacking Up the Car questions

[d4vech3n]

I searched the old threads and found lots of interesting information on what jacks you used and a little info on how some people jack up their lowered cars but they didn't specifically answer my question.

I got the aluminum craftsman 1.5 ton race jack. It's just low enough to get under the tow hook but when I jack up the car to it's max height. I still cant fit the jack stands under the frame rails.

I use to always put stands under those two big frame rails running through the car but this was with my friends 3 ton race style jack from craftsman. Looking at the search, I noticed jack stands shouldn't be on there and that it should go where the trunk jack is meant to be used.

How exactly should the jackstand be placed under those little skinny lined frame and if anybody has the 1.5 aluminum craftsman jack, did it lift high enough to get jack stands under there?

[RSP13-Sideways]

I bought a Skunk2 jack, it's perfect for lowered vehicles.......

[ZK]

How low is your car? I usually put jack stands on the factory scissor jack points in front. In the rear I put them where the subframe mounts to the car.

[SoCalSilvia]

I bought a Skunk2 jack, it's perfect for lowered vehicles.......

hmm... where did you buy it from? link?

[007jpang]

don't put jack stands on the frame rail
or jack up the car from the frame rail

cause today i found out the hard way the frame rail just bent inwards.

best place to jack the car is the diff. and the front subframe.

john

[DaPCWiz]

don't put jack stands on the frame rail
or jack up the car from the frame rail

cause today i found out the hard way the frame rail just bent inwards.

best place to jack the car is the diff. and the front subframe.

john

really? I usualy jack up the car at the factory jack points and then put the jack stands under the frame rails. and support the car that way. I've been doing that for a while with no problems..... the frame rails can bend if I do that?

[d4vech3n]

So it'd be fine to put jack stands on the factory jack points and not the frame rails, right?

[RSP13-Sideways]

Yes be careful when putting pressure on the frame rails because those things bend. If you bend it, you're going to have to bend them back because the fender's lower two holes will not lineup on the rail.

I got the Skunk2 jack from Skunk2 awhile ago when they were still here in Hayward, or Group-A I guess. I knew Dave from SVP and I got hooked up haha. I don't think they sell jack's, I just happened to have a come up during their big move.

[rancid240]

NEVER NEVER NEVER even touch the frame rails.

They WILL bend/crush/mangle etc.

[DaPCWiz]

okay so let me get this straight. There are the two things running along the sides of the car, where the 4 factory jack points are. Then there are the frame rails, which I've heard time and again are good jack points. I always jack from the factory jack points. Once I've done that and lets say I want to put in jack stands... where is the best place to put them?

[NZO]

The factory jack points include the seam where the factory jack goes as well as the frame rails which, in my opinion, should only be used when the car is on a lift so that the force on the rails can be more widely distributed to prevent bending of the rails. Supposedly bending the frame rails does nothing to the structural integrity of the car but personally I would rather not risk it and have a ton of bent and mangled metal all under the car so I use the seam jack points or diff or x-member exclusively. Your mileage may vary.

[d4vech3n]

http://www.brian-chen.com/dave/s14_jack.jpg

Ok, I made that image to clarify where Jacks and Jackstands could be used. I didn't include the crossmemeber or diff because it's pretty tough getting a jack under there.

Spots 2 and 3 would be okay to jack the car. The rest wouldn't work. The large frame rail would work only because It isn't the hollow part but they are generally known to bend because of being suspended from there.

I have a little problem with getting jack stands under there. The ones i have are large and If i jacked the car up from one side and placed one under. I dont know how I would get the right placement under the other side of the car to jack up the car, or even if there is enough room to slide a jack under the car when it's sitting like this / When doing stuff that involves removing the tires, I have to loosen the lug nuts up front so I don't know how that plays out when the car is breifly sitting like this /

[s13irdie2]

is it alright to jack the car from the front radiator support? cause thats where i always jack up the front from.

[nightwalker]

I've jacked the car up from the radiator support before. Was fine. Actually done it many times. In the picture there, the only really right place to jack the car up is circle number 3. You can see the reinforced spot. If you jack the car up on circle 2, you'll give yourself a custom wide front fender. The other spots aren't good either, because they're too weak.

Jack the car up on circle 3, then put stands under the front part of the frame rail. (you'll see reinforcement) That's what the dealer uses, and I've always used that part as well.

btw, 2x4s are your friend if you have a low car (like 99.9% of us)

[d4vech3n]

I use to do that but everybody tells me I'm a dumbass for doing so, so I do it from the tow hook now but it still doesn't get it high enough to get the jack stands under the right jacking points.

Okay so It's safe to have them under the frame rails but only on the right part?

And these 2x4's, like the block of wood or some special jacking thing?

[projectRDM]

Diff for the rear, crossmember for the front. OE jack points for the sides. Anywhere else is a risk. If the jack won't make it under the car, drive up on a pair of 2x4s, double stacked to form a ramp. If the jack won't get the car high enough to clear stands, you've got a shitty jack.

[kuruptR]

all those circles you cant really jack from, they usually will get crused with a hydrolic jack.
the frame is what i jack it with at first.. but it has to be placed very carfully if the (flat) plate is not placed properly, it will crush it. Really low, Jack it up with a scissor jack then use the hydrolic, place jackstands under cross member.
Really Low with side skirts(usually required 2 hydrolic jacks), drive on 2 by 4s. jack up from rear two hook and get a jack under the diff... it should raise most of the car up so you can fit a jack in the side of the car.
or you can just remove the front bumper and jack it up with the 2 tow hooks on the front of the car.

[skatanic28]

i only jack by the diff and crossmember, and my stands go where the scissor jack points are.

i made some wood blocks with slots in them for the seams, but im looking for the factory adapter. anyone ever seen one?

http://people.clarkson.edu/~petrykmf/lift%20points.bmp

[Equinox]

It might be worth mentioning that the jack and safety stand positions mentioned in the FSM are DIFFERENT for s13s and s14s. I'm too lazy to search for the s13 picture. However, according to the s13 FSM, you CAN place safety stands on the framerail towards the front of the car.

[projectRDM]

i only jack by the diff and crossmember, and my stands go where the scissor jack points are.

i made some wood blocks with slots in them for the seams, but im looking for the factory adapter. anyone ever seen one?

http://people.clarkson.edu/~petrykmf/lift%20points.bmp


If you read the FSM more thoroughly, you'll see that's not an OE adapter. All the part numbers listed are for Kent Tools IIRC. They can sell you a set I bet.

[w1ngzer0]

i mounted my stinking jack there and the panel bent in. >:/

Talking about the side points

[skatanic28]

i mounted my stinking jack there and the panel bent in. >:/

Talking about the side points

did you put a flat jack up against that seam? thats what that adapter is for....

thanks r240na, ill have to check that out.

[AutoRnD]

aaah
screw that...
best places...
#1 rear diff
#2 front subframe
#3 front towhook.. (for me its easy to pop off front bumper and jack up the car
#4 rear towhook if you have stock bumper...

[TurDz]

There's another great picture of the jack STAND points and the jack LIFT points.

If you look on some of the above picitures, there are ovals on the frame rails in the shape of "0" and those are where the jack stands should be placed according to the the FSM-type pic that I remember seeing and using (anyone have it? it's in color).

There are four "0" type shapes, two on the front frame rails, and 2 on the rear, right by or actually on the subframe.

The best lift points are definately the crossmember and the rear diff, but if you needed to lift only one side, the factory scissor jack point is the best (ideally with one of those nice rubber adapters).

[s13irdie2]

so is it safe to jack the front up from the radiator support? who else does it? i kno its not only me and nightwalker.

[TurDz]

so is it safe to jack the front up from the radiator support? who else does it? i kno its not only me and nightwalker.

not saying it's safe, but here's a pic of JAAE86's S13 @ buttonwillow 01/17/05:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v607/turdz/IMG_2712.jpg

[S14DB]

I drive up on ramps.
Then take the jack and jack up at the front subframe or the Diff.
Then take the ramps out and put jackstands at the seam points.

I just use the ramps if I can keep the suspension loaded.