Where would be A good central jacking point for my floor jack in the rear end of my "72". I want to raise my vette and put ramps under the rear tires. I need to be able to reach my bleeders on the brakes. Thank You


Gary

 

put the jack on the frame just below the rear side of the door, 8 to 10 inches in front of where the frame kick-ups are and behind the trans cross member.

hth,

Sully

 

With the wheels on the vehicle, I don't think you can get to the outside bleeder. I have a 4 post lift in my garage and I still remove the rear wheels to bleed the brakes.

You may want to check into it before going through the effort.

 

Well maybe I will jack up one side at A time using sully1882's method and pull the wheel and tire to bleed

 

Yes, you could do that, but if you don't get a hard pedal the first time around, you'll have to go through the effort of jacking the car and pulling the wheel again.

Even though it's a pain in the you know what, I jack up the rear on each side and support with a jack stand on either side. Then I remove the wheels and I have the ability to easily bleed the brakes and then go back around the car uninterrupted until I get a good pedal. Then I can lower it down.

If you think about it, it really just is a little more time to use jack stands and it's safer, and it may ultimately save you time if you have to go back around the car a second time.

 

Contrary to logic, there is no central jacking point, front or rear on our cars. You aren't supposed to jack it up by the differential, nor is it a good idea to jack it up via the oil pan. Some have been able to use a steel bar that reaches both sides of the car and can take a floor jack in the middle of the bar to effectively produce a central jacking point. Most of us just use the jacking points on the side of the frame as shown in the shop manual. I often lift one side, then the other (lifting both right side wheels, then both left side wheels).

 

 

I bought a second floor jack and lift both sides at the same time...

 

I always have put the jack under the rear spring mount at the diff.
If it's good enough for the spring a jack won't hurt it.

 

I personally would not use the leaf spring mounting bracket as a jacking point. I know people do it and some haven't had issues, but lifting a heavy vehicle by what is essentially the bolted on rear end cover I do not feel is a good idea.

It seems to me that the forces being exerted on that bracket and the rear end cover mounting pad are different when the car is being driven (basically holding the spring in place) than supporting the weight of the back end of the entire vehicle. Just my .02.

This could result in a cracked rear end cover. Not too uncommon for our vehicles.

 

But for some reason I usually jack up the front first then the back....dunno why...

 

More than one way to skin a cat, then? (relax, it's just a colloquialism)

I'm with Noonie; have lifted the rear for many years using the same method, without issue.

I see BB68Vett's point too, though I would consider a shock to that component (ex.: hammer blow) would be more of a cause for a crack, as opposed to the steady and even pressure of a typical floor jack. A cover without cracks is a very strong piece.

Having disassembled, inspected, and reassembled each component of the supporting structure for the pumpkin, I'm not sensitive to its ability to handle the load.

I wonder if the duration has influence? I only lift high and long enough to get my chosen jack stands in place before relaxing the jack point. I wouldn't lift and then let hang there; too unstable and a clear safety hazard.

I don't discount the AIM's instructions by any means but not all of us are equipped with lifts to service the vehicle.

I like mn_leaf_fan's idea of two jacks. I'll try that next time I have a need and check it out but if you only have one floorjack, I don't see any lasting problems either.

 

i'm with noonie. i use a short piece of 2x4 between the jack and the diffy to reduce any point stress. those bolts leave deep indentations.