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Jacking a car in a dirt paddock

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Old 05-09-2016, 05:22 PM
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BrianCunningham
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Default Jacking a car in a dirt paddock

Yes, best advice is not to, but sometimes you don't have a choice

Not wanting the jack to dig in and the car fall off,
what's the best advice?

Carry a chunk of plywood? Which is rather cumbersome

Thanks in advance.
Old 05-09-2016, 07:11 PM
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ErnieN85
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Originally Posted by BrianCunningham
Yes, best advice is not to, but sometimes you don't have a choice

Not wanting the jack to dig in and the car fall off,
what's the best advice?

Carry a chunk of plywood? Which is rather cumbersome

Thanks in advance.
Yes, that is the safest and cheapest
Old 05-09-2016, 07:36 PM
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Bill Dearborn
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I wouldn't go smaller than a 3/4 inch thick piece. If you are using a floor jack you could use two pieces. One for the rear wheels and the other for the front. That would make it easier to pack. Probably would want something about 8 inches by 8 inches.

Bill
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Old 05-09-2016, 09:46 PM
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mikehimself
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I have a 10 inch wide piece of aluminum sheet that I carry for just that reason.
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Old 05-09-2016, 10:18 PM
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RDnomorecobra
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I carry a few squares of plywood anyway for jack stands on paved paddock so they don't dig into hot asphalt. Part of my travel kit. I'd cut a few and throw them in a box.
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Old 05-09-2016, 11:42 PM
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C5 Hardtop
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What you need depends on the hardness of the ground. For harder dirt, you need less wood width, length and thickness.
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Old 05-10-2016, 08:59 AM
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mr.beachcomber
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Just as a safety precaution, plywood or 2x4's under the jack should do the job for any surface other than concrete. The flat plywood spreads the load on soft surfaces like dirt or asphalt while the 2x4 seems to work best on gravel. Same procedure for jack stands too.

Hope this helps!
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Old 05-10-2016, 10:53 AM
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klodkrawler05
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offroad and rally cars both utilize a "jack skidplate"google images will turn up gobs of different designs as well as premade ones for sale but heres one to get you started:


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Old 05-10-2016, 02:33 PM
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0Anthony @ LGMotorsports
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Probably are not going to have to have room to bring it with you, but soemtimes we got stuck in the grass at Mid-Ohio, Lime Rock, or Road America we brought 6 to 8 sheets of 3/4" plywood to put under the cars. We welded full plates on the bottom of each jack stand so they had a full 'skid' plate under them so they wouldn't punch through the wood. The jack worked ok but you still need to be really careful.

Still remember changing the clutch in the C6 challenge car in the grass at Mid-Ohio....nightmare.
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