proper technique for jacking up car on stands
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: FLorence KY
proper technique for jacking up car on stands
In preperation for the tear down, I've been thinking about possible concerns with putting the car up on stands.
Obviously a lift is best, but are there any precautions to take with jack stands?
Leave the doors, hood and T-tops unlatched for example? Jack up to the lowest part on the stand, then raise again gradually instead of taking all the way up on each corner?
Avoid jacking up in cold weather?
I guess i'm just looking for any precautions or advice on getting her up off the ground safely to avoid flex and protect the paint finish.
Thanks
Obviously a lift is best, but are there any precautions to take with jack stands?
Leave the doors, hood and T-tops unlatched for example? Jack up to the lowest part on the stand, then raise again gradually instead of taking all the way up on each corner?
Avoid jacking up in cold weather?
I guess i'm just looking for any precautions or advice on getting her up off the ground safely to avoid flex and protect the paint finish.
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,665
Likes: 194
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
I wouldn't worry about the doors or t-tops if the frame is solid. One thing about jacking my Vette up, seems no matter where I jack it up on the side frame rail the whole side of the car goes up, both wheels off the ground.
So I just put the jack in the middle and jack it up and then quickly put the jack stands on the front and rear of the side rail. If I do both sides I put a scissor jack under the front crossmember to support the front of the car.
There are probably hundreds of other opinions but I have been doing it this way with my Vette for 15 years with no problems
So I just put the jack in the middle and jack it up and then quickly put the jack stands on the front and rear of the side rail. If I do both sides I put a scissor jack under the front crossmember to support the front of the car.
There are probably hundreds of other opinions but I have been doing it this way with my Vette for 15 years with no problems
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,900
Likes: 2
From: Nixa Missouri
Like motorhead said the whole side of the car goes up and the wheels will come off the ground. I took it nice and slow (PITA) and went from side to side and front to back which I felt was the safe way as well.
My main concern was, I had read here on the forum that the front window glass "could" crack from jacking up and I wasnt going to let that happen so that's why I used my floor jack and a hydraulic jack to get the stands under the car then went from side to side and front to back till the car was at the height I needed.
I also had to support the front end of the car with another jack stand cause the doors on the car were hard to open and when I put a very small amount of lift to the front of the car the doors opened and closed just fine. In fact after I finish my TA today I'm going to have to jack the car down move it back 3 feet and jack it back up again cause I need to make more room at the front, so make sure you think you have it spotted in the best place possible in your garage.
My main concern was, I had read here on the forum that the front window glass "could" crack from jacking up and I wasnt going to let that happen so that's why I used my floor jack and a hydraulic jack to get the stands under the car then went from side to side and front to back till the car was at the height I needed.
I also had to support the front end of the car with another jack stand cause the doors on the car were hard to open and when I put a very small amount of lift to the front of the car the doors opened and closed just fine. In fact after I finish my TA today I'm going to have to jack the car down move it back 3 feet and jack it back up again cause I need to make more room at the front, so make sure you think you have it spotted in the best place possible in your garage.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,159
Likes: 4,236
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi 69TC,
Lots of good advice so far.
I have never heard of jack stands failing but I still put some blocks of railroad ties (cut into 6x6 squares) under the car too. I really don't won't it to fall on me.
Good luck with getting started!
Regards,
Alan
Lots of good advice so far.
I have never heard of jack stands failing but I still put some blocks of railroad ties (cut into 6x6 squares) under the car too. I really don't won't it to fall on me.
Good luck with getting started!
Regards,
Alan
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,665
Likes: 194
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Yes I forgot to mention, if I am going to be crawling way under the car while it on the jackstands I will use other things for safety just in case, railway ties as mentioned are good, my own tires on rims ( anything higher than your head 
) and I will even put in floor jacks around where I am working
) and I will even put in floor jacks around where I am working
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: FLorence KY
Thanks guys,
By the way GPGG70, nice garage, see attached.
http://s418.photobucket.com/albums/p...IMG_0815_3.jpg
Similar tastes in cars and flooring.
By the way GPGG70, nice garage, see attached.
http://s418.photobucket.com/albums/p...IMG_0815_3.jpg
Similar tastes in cars and flooring.
Last edited by 69tuxedocoupe; Nov 8, 2008 at 09:21 AM.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,480
Likes: 2
From: Circleville Ohio
Vader Vette
I do not raise my car with out the doors being AJAR .Ive been doing it that way on both my Vetts And once there up on stand jacks then I close em .The Skuttle but is that it puts to much pressure on the door at some point .I just do it.
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
From: Navarre Florida
I am doing a frame up resto on my 77. I had to move the stands a few times as I was going. Put them where you think best and if you have to move them no big deal. Just put them under the frame itself.
Grant
Grant
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 3,570
Likes: 0
From: bottom of the sea
I wouldn't worry about the doors or t-tops if the frame is solid. One thing about jacking my Vette up, seems no matter where I jack it up on the side frame rail the whole side of the car goes up, both wheels off the ground.
So I just put the jack in the middle and jack it up and then quickly put the jack stands on the front and rear of the side rail. If I do both sides I put a scissor jack under the front crossmember to support the front of the car.
There are probably hundreds of other opinions but I have been doing it this way with my Vette for 15 years with no problems
So I just put the jack in the middle and jack it up and then quickly put the jack stands on the front and rear of the side rail. If I do both sides I put a scissor jack under the front crossmember to support the front of the car.
There are probably hundreds of other opinions but I have been doing it this way with my Vette for 15 years with no problems
never had any problems with the doors or the tops. as a matter of fact the tops help hold the roof together. dont take them out!
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,900
Likes: 2
From: Nixa Missouri
Thanks guys,
By the way GPGG70, nice garage, see attached.
http://s418.photobucket.com/albums/p...IMG_0815_3.jpg
Similar tastes in cars and flooring.
By the way GPGG70, nice garage, see attached.
http://s418.photobucket.com/albums/p...IMG_0815_3.jpg
Similar tastes in cars and flooring.
Thanks for the compliment but you Win.
I like my floor. I've spelt everything on it and it still look like new.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 74
From: Palatine, Peoples Republic of Illinois
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18
NCM Sinkhole Donor
The only problem I ever ran into with the car on jack stands was when I decided to start it and the fan contacted the shroud. Lots of noise but no damage.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,102
Likes: 7
From: Fair Oaks, OK
I always cringe when people unlatch their tops but leave them on the car. Too easy to hop in and forget to re-latch them. Anytime I unlatch them, I remove them. In my case, the M1131's are getting so hard to find, it pays to be too careful with them.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,429
Likes: 0
From: Tucson AZ
I've jacked mine up so many times now, I just jack it up on one side, jackstand it, go to the other side and do the same. I have had it want to rotate down in the front, but I get the wifey to stand at the rear bumper if it starts to. I put mine up in 3 mins., seems like.
I bought the cheapy jackstands from Harbor Freight, I think $39 a pair. Worked great for over 2 years now, heck, it was on those jackstands for 11 months right after I bought it.
I bought the cheapy jackstands from Harbor Freight, I think $39 a pair. Worked great for over 2 years now, heck, it was on those jackstands for 11 months right after I bought it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,145
Likes: 5
From: South of London, Engerland
Hmm.. I always jack my car up front-back. Never side to side.
Seems like I can jack in the centre of the frame at the front (while spreading the load on the crossmember with a stout piece of wood) and under the diff at the back. That way I'm always jacking the car where its weight is supported normally by the wheels.
I don't like the idea of jacking in the middle of the side rails. Those areas don't support any weight normally.
Seems like I can jack in the centre of the frame at the front (while spreading the load on the crossmember with a stout piece of wood) and under the diff at the back. That way I'm always jacking the car where its weight is supported normally by the wheels.
I don't like the idea of jacking in the middle of the side rails. Those areas don't support any weight normally.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,652
Likes: 80
From: Lakeland Florida
I am currently replaing the trailing arms and half shaft u-joints on my 75. With the amount of work being done under the car I have 2 sets of jack stand at each side of the rear end for safety.
I started by jacking up the car at the rear quarters a little at a time from both sides until I could place 2 sets of jackstands under the car.
The t-tops are off, but not because of the jacking up of the car, but they have not been on in over 1 year.
kdf
I started by jacking up the car at the rear quarters a little at a time from both sides until I could place 2 sets of jackstands under the car.
The t-tops are off, but not because of the jacking up of the car, but they have not been on in over 1 year.
kdf
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,687
Likes: 832
From: WI
I've got a scary picture where I had a jack stand break the first time I jacked up my vette. These were 5-6 year old jackstands that were under numerous full-sized trucks, SUVs and cars. It broke right in the middle of the cogged shaft. Suprisingly the car didn't fall off the stand, the break was enough of a 90 degree angle that the shaft was ****-eyed but still held weight. I'd post it, but that's a lot of work for one picture.
What happened is in the process of jacking it up, I think I took too much of a 'bite' at a time jacking one side up too much. Nowadays I put one side up on the lowest setting, then jack the other side. Then raise the first side again. I double-check that there isn't too much tension on them as well. I don't put anything under the front primarily because I've got mine part and don't have any door latches installed. But if I did I would support the front cause you can see the gaps widen. Good luck,
Mark
What happened is in the process of jacking it up, I think I took too much of a 'bite' at a time jacking one side up too much. Nowadays I put one side up on the lowest setting, then jack the other side. Then raise the first side again. I double-check that there isn't too much tension on them as well. I don't put anything under the front primarily because I've got mine part and don't have any door latches installed. But if I did I would support the front cause you can see the gaps widen. Good luck,
Mark
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,665
Likes: 194
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
That's what I do, jack it up to the lowest setting on the jack stands, go to the other side and jack that up to the highest then go back to the first side and jack that up to the highest.
I know not many use or even have their original scissor jacks but please do not use these, they are an accident waiting to happen. When I first got my Vette I used the OEM scissor jack that was in the rear compartment, I had the car up a bit and the jack let go and car fell to the ground, lucky the wheels were still on or I wasn't under it. The threaded part in the middle stripped I guess
I know not many use or even have their original scissor jacks but please do not use these, they are an accident waiting to happen. When I first got my Vette I used the OEM scissor jack that was in the rear compartment, I had the car up a bit and the jack let go and car fell to the ground, lucky the wheels were still on or I wasn't under it. The threaded part in the middle stripped I guess
Pro
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 688
Likes: 1
From: Stevens Point WI
All depends on what you are doing but for convertibles we found you need to (if possible) to place your stands on the suspension of the car or when the car is on the stands it loads your suspension like it would if the tires were on the ground.
Reason being when we shimmed the rear body mounts on my 69 conv. according to the door gaps (car on the jack stands it looked great) but when we let it down the door gap tightned up and almost bound at the top
Now that was placing the stands before the dogleg area on the frame, we then placed the rear stands on the suspension at the bottom of each rear shock and it sat correct after that.
Reason being when we shimmed the rear body mounts on my 69 conv. according to the door gaps (car on the jack stands it looked great) but when we let it down the door gap tightned up and almost bound at the top
Now that was placing the stands before the dogleg area on the frame, we then placed the rear stands on the suspension at the bottom of each rear shock and it sat correct after that.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,425
Likes: 0
From: Seattle Wash.
Hmm.. I always jack my car up front-back. Never side to side.
Seems like I can jack in the centre of the frame at the front (while spreading the load on the crossmember with a stout piece of wood) and under the diff at the back. That way I'm always jacking the car where its weight is supported normally by the wheels.
I don't like the idea of jacking in the middle of the side rails. Those areas don't support any weight normally.
Seems like I can jack in the centre of the frame at the front (while spreading the load on the crossmember with a stout piece of wood) and under the diff at the back. That way I'm always jacking the car where its weight is supported normally by the wheels.
I don't like the idea of jacking in the middle of the side rails. Those areas don't support any weight normally.
That is how I raise my car too. I don't keep the doors ajar or T-tops unlatched. Never had any problems.