vetteguy75

Like the title states...what is the proper way to jack up a C3 and put jack stands underneath? I have a Craftsman hydraulic floor jack and 4 jack stands. Do I need to get another floor jack and use them at the same time? Once you get the car high enough, I know you let the car down SLOWLY but how slowly? Etc etc etc....

mds3013

Car must be on a LEVEL concrete surface. To put the car on four stands I do the rear first. I do use two jacks. Raise both sides equally until high enough for my 6T stands in their lowest position. I jack just far enough foreward of the rear wheel so my stand will clear the jack when the stand is placed into position. I put the rear stand at the rear of the side of the frame in front of the wheel in the area just foreward of where the gusset plate is welded. I place a 6in. square piece of old carpet to pad the frame to the stand. Lower car onto stands slowly as you said. This takes some practice to release the twist handle so as not to drop car too hard. Use two hands for better control. Ck. that all four "feet" of the stand are in contact with the concrete. Moving to the front. I remove the front rubber bump stops from the lower control arms. Then having my 3T stands ready I put a piece of 2X6 slightly larger then the jack pad and raise the front of the car from the center of the front crossmember. Place the stands into the recess in the control arm. My stands will just fit in here, slightly angled to the centerline of the car. Slowly lower car and make sure stands fit level on floor and into recess. Remove jacks, shake car to ck. for stability. I will put my 3T Craftsman jack back under the crossmember, just barley touching if I am going to be pulling hard on any fasteners just for some insurance. I also have two other sets of stands that I will move around under the car but not holding anything again just barley or just short of touching. mike...

tonak

I put mine in park, chock the back wheels, jack up the front end with jack placed under front crossmemeber. I lift to the point I can get 3T jackstands under the frame behind the front wheels and let the car rest on those. I then lower the jack and place a 4x4 on the jack pad and lift it up to where I can place 12 ton stands under the frame where I had the 3 tonners originally. Reason for this is the 12 tonners are like 22 inch or so at their lowest and the 4x4 gives the heighth needed for jack's lift. I then go to the rear and basically repeat the sequence, jacking under the differential area, and placing stands under the frame just ahead of the rear wheels. I go for the big stands because they are very very stable and also give enough lift to the car that you can do almost anything you would want to.

vetteguy75

Thanks!! for the info!

SteveG75

I would disagree with jacking the car using the front crossmember. That crossmember dents very easily and if you bend it, you have all kinds of alignment issues. Mine already has a small dent in it.

I just goin from the side. I jack the car right at the transmission crossmember. Big (3-1/2ton) jackstand goes on the frame forward by the engine (usually right at the steering linkage unless I am working on steeering). Small (3 ton) jack stand goes back by the frame kickup. Then repeat on the other side.

My frame is very solid and I have never had an issue with door gaps or anything else doing it this way. I always check the jackstands before getting under as well. My jack and stands all have plastic pads and that seems to help the solidity of the connection as well. Car has been on the stands for weeks at a time like this.

super-bee_ski

Question:
When jacking the C3 up, are "WE" supposed to open the doors and the hood?

super-bee_ski

Borrowed from another thread:

Vendor: Van Steel
"We always open everything, doors, hood, t-tops. Vettes weight ratio is 51% front 49% rear.When you lift the car in the air, the front sags and so does the rear. If the doors are close your putting a lot of tension on the door strickers. When you close your door but not all the way you will notice that it clicks once an if you push harder the door will shut all the way. Put it on that 1st click and you'll be OK. Just pop the hood. You don't need to raise it all the way up. For the t-tops we just release the latch and let the sit there. Becareful that they are in place when you relatch them. On th C1's you should leave the doors closed but spread the lift legs out as far as possible. On the C3's, they sag and you can actuall see the car flex as it lifts. Just look at the door jams and you can see it. I would recommend opening everything. "

ParisTNDude

Not sure if this is the right way or not, but I use the lifting locations front and rear to raise the car for jack stands. I use two jacks and try to lift equally on both sides until the jack stands will fit under the car. Then go to the rear jacking point and do the same. I use hockey pucks under both the jack stands and the jack to prevent scarring the underbody. The hockey pucks come out stressed but they do save the pieces under the car. If you jack one side at the lifting locations, it lifts the front and the rear anyway.

fake

Do not jack on carpeting (squares) what ever. i had a 3 ton jack slide and drop using my quick lift at the rear jacking point. Carpet, wood blocks etc are a accident waiting to happen!