bluestreak63

I know this should be KISS, but safety is a main concern.

I know where the jack points are on the mid year, but want to lift one side up, place Jack stands, then lift other side up, place Jack stands.

So I'm thinking of using a 2x4 down the length of the frame rail and jacking up in the center right under the door, basically halfway in between the jacking points. Nothing detrimental with that right?

Right now, if I Jack up the rear at the rear diff housing and then place Jack stands on both sides at the rear Jack points, I won't be able to get the Jack in the front to lift up the front because of the way I have it situated in the garage.

Powershift

If you are concerned about frame damage/marring from the jack saddle, I would use a towel or small block of good/solid 2x4 in the jacket saddle. Less chance of something slipping. The frame is plenty sturdy without the added full length 2x4 running along the frame rail.

I eliminated this issue years ago by buying a second floor jack and jacking both sides of the car at the same time: front first and put on stands and then rear and put on stands. Plus there is additional safety using two jacks.

The cost of a decent, second floor jack is small..............especially considering the cost of these cars. FWIW.

Larry

bluestreak63

Yes, I have two floor jacks, I just won't be able to get at the front. If I roll the car back, I lose the space I have for the snowblower stored behind the vette. So I'm attacking from the sides.

So nothing wrong with jacking up on the frame under the center of the door? There is the cross brace for the exhaust that runs through. So I guess if I place the Jack at the point. I was just worried if there was too much flex or something putting the floor Jack there, which is why I was thinking using a 5or 6 foot 2x4 down the length of the side frame rail.

Workin On 59

I would not place the jack under the center of the door......2x4 or not. A 2x4 laying flat would not spread the load much. I would only jack in the factory recommended jacking points.

Doug

MOXIE62

I was told it was hard on the positraction disks to let it hang. But not only that, I just do not like all that weight hanging in the air. I always put a block under where the bottom of the shock attaches.

Frankie the Fink

The issue is if you run the engine in gear with the rear in the air and wheels floating...that stresses the half-shaft U-joints; otherwise its fine but I wouldn't do that long...

I also use two floor jacks on one side at the jack points to lift the car....you don't want to get the frame in a twist...

IMO - do NOT jack up the car at the middle of the door...sounds like you have more car than garage... There is a reason the factory jack points are near the door hinge pillar and rear kickups...

biggd

I leave my 67 Coupe on a regular lift with the wheels hanging all winter long so I can put another car under it. I've never had any issues going on 5 years now.

MikeM

I'm not telling you what to do or what not to do. I have jacked my coupe on the frame rail, just behind that cross member. It balances well there. Put jack stands under one side and went to the other and set the jack stands a little higher. Then went back to the first side and evened out the height.

You need to be cautious. As your jack goes up or down, it will try to push/pull the car one way or the other, even if the wheels on the jack roll.

If you suspect frame rot, don't even think about doing this.

This scenario was motivation for me to buy my first two post lift. Then a second lift.

GTOguy

What these gents said. Don't lift with one jack in the center. Use two jacks at the correct jacking points. Prioritize: move the snow blower outside and throw a tarp over it. Get it out of your way. More injuries occur to vehicles and their owners due to trying to work around obstacles than you can imagine. Happens ALL the time. Clear the area and use the proper equipment. But you knew that already.........

bluestreak63

thanks guys, just want to make sure I don't twist or put any unwanted stress on the fiberglass. I'm probably making harder than it seems. Hopefully someone to the c2 may reference this in the future.

What about this? Is there any stress that I could do damage if I Jack up at the rear Jack point high enough to place a Jack stand under the front Jack point on the same side, then repeat on the other side and then Jack up under the read diff to place Jack stands under both rear Jack points.

GTOguy

Probably not, but I wouldn't do it personally. Too easy for something to slip. If you have two jacks, do it that way, one side at a time. Or front end and then rear end. Either way won't put any twist on your car and frame. What you are suggesting, I wouldn't even do with one of my all steel cars.

bluestreak63

So there is enough area/margin at the jacking point on the frame to have a jacking pad from the Jack and the jack stand both occupying the space at the same time.

In the manual it looks like there is about a 3 inch section where you can place a Jack pad or a Jack stand, not both. Maybe that's where I'm struggling.

MikeM

If you jack it up where I told you, you won't twist anything and have room for jack stands where they belong on the ends.

You just have to be careful.

If you're looking for perfectly safe advice, ignore what I said and everyone else.

It won't hurt to put the car in a little twist. If it did, you'd never change a flat tire on a coupe, let alone a convertible.

Frankie the Fink

Amen...

I have used one of these in a pinch, it spreads the load a bit:

bluestreak63

Interesting tool. Might have to pick one up with a 20% coupon...

MikeM

That brings up another good point. Steel on steel can easily slip. Rubber/wood on steel, not so easily.

Frankie the Fink

If you pick up that cross bar....make sure you have a LARGE allen wrench to install it in the jack saddle. IIRC its 10MM.

DUB

I have mentioned this before so I will do it again. For whatever it may be worth.

I place my jack stands under the wide portion of the brake rotor when the lug nuts have been put back on in reverse....IF the rivets have been drilled out. I do it on all four rotors the same way. That way the car is still supported by the suspension.

If service work requires them to be removed...then I move them and put them back if it still needs to be up in the air.

There reason I do this is due to I get Corvettes in that have been all over the country and may have rusted frames....and IF the car is a convertible..I do not want the rear clip to sag and the gap at the door and quarter panel to get so wide you can put a cigar in there and it would fall out....because I have seen it. The same goes for the front clip sagging and the gap at the door and upper fender gets wider....and puts stress on the bonding panel that is bonded and pop riveted to your cowl area (1968-1982). But knowing we are discussing a 1963-1967...I still follow the same practice.

I am not going to to get into what I had to fix when a shop left a 1967 convertible up on the lift over the weekend because some people here just feel that it is a bunch of crap and can not grasp/understand that metal fatigues and can actually bend if left in a position where weight and forces applied in areas can actually allow the metal to slowly move and distort..and this has everything to do with the integrity of the metal frame itself.


So if people say that their car has been in the air for years and years and not one problem...YES...I do not doubt it. It can happen. But can that practice being a STANDARD for everybody to follow... HELL NO!....because I work on Corvettes that that philosophy would not work at all....therefore....be careful when you support YOUR car. because it is NOT the same car as the person who said that theirs was up in the air for years and years.

DUB

rtruman

I took a short cut and left the exhaust hooked up having it jacked up
for a couple days it bent the exhaust and was touching frame not good. Jack lost pressure

DUB

Thank you for posting your experience....in the previous thread that I replied to that is much like this one...some members just had to dispute what I was trying to pass along.

DUB