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I want to go completely over my C3-77 Vette. More like a restoration. Can someone tell me how to put my vette up on four, six ton jack stands. All I have in my garage is a floor jack and four stands. I want to get the car up high enough to lay on a very low creeper to look at what may need replaced. I'm retired and this is my first Corvette, so I'll probably have more questions. I've hear a lot of horror stories about open the doors first or keep the doors closed while jacking it up.
you would have to have a really bad rusted frame in order to do any damage on jacking it up. do you have a owners manual or GM service manual? they show the proper jacking points.
Remember that as the floor jack reaches full height the jack,or the car, will tend to "walk" across the floor. After the car is partially supported by stands, this movement could cause the car to fall off the stands unless the wheels of the jack are positioned properly.
Whenever I had to raise the car totally off the floor, I used wooden platforms. Went to Home Depot and looked in their junk bin of twisted and cracked lumber that was 80% discounted. Found some 6x6s and 2X12s that were unusable for normal construction. They cut the 6x6 into 12" lengths and the 2x12 into 24" lengths. Screwed them together with 2x4 on the ends for bumpers. Use on all four corners, or 2 jacks and 2 platforms.
I shamelessly plagiarized the lift-stacks designed by Richard454. I feel much safer being underneath my '70 big block with these lifts than any number of stands and jacks. There is no "wobble" movement what so ever. Thank you Richard, I owe you a cold long neck and plate full of brisket next time your in the hood.
Copy Cat in Texas
Last edited by radiotexas; Mar 12, 2016 at 08:14 AM.
Reason: reducing Glenfiddich induced sentence structer errors.
6 ton stands look like tinker toys next to the 12 ton and the 12 ton stands are VERY stable. It's your life that's at stake and the 12 tons get the car up high enough that you really can do just about anything, including pulling the tranny. I suppose you can raise 6 ton stands up quite a distance but the higher they go, the less stable they are and I wouldn't go under a car that way on a bet.
Note the grey 6ton stand next to the 12 ton and ask yourself which you would prefer
The most important question I had I forgot to include. Where do I put the floor jack at to raise the rear and the front. I know there are pads for jacking it up but then you can't put the stand there. So do you jack it up under the motor cross member and jack the rear up under the rear end pumpkin? Also thank you for all your previous answers.
I shamelessly plagiarized the lift-stacks designed by Richard454. I feel much safer being underneath my '70 big block with these lifts than any number of stands and jacks. There is no "wobble" movement what so ever. Thank you Richard, I owe you a cold long neck and plate full of brisket next time your in the hood.
Copy Cat in Texas
NOPE- I can't take credit for it- just a messenger. I saw it on the web and just made a few modifications on it.
GLAD it worked for you!!!
BTW- I'm hoping to be passing through Texas the first of June in my 71 on the Hodrod Power tour. AND I 'm getting married on the Hotrod Power Tour the first day in Louisana!!
June 12 – Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas
June 13 – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
June 14 – Traders Village, Grand Prairie, Texas
There are 6 points to support a Corvette, the front of the frame, behind the front wheels, in front of the rear wheels. Our local corvette guru told me for a extended period of repair use the frame front and in front of the rear wheels as it supports the engine weight better. If you are leaving the wheels on I would use the wood block method, or buy cheap car ramps.
Last edited by hotrodnick; Mar 12, 2016 at 11:07 AM.
When I had mine up for several months, I use six stands and have built two wooden crib blocks from 2x10's for additional support in the middle of the frame under the doors. After working all my life, I'm not dying in retirement under a car.
BTW- I'm hoping to be passing through Texas the first of June in my 71 on the Hodrod Power tour. AND I 'm getting married on the Hotrod Power Tour the first day in Louisana!!
Congrats Richard....Good luck with the marriage and tour.
NOPE- I can't take credit for it- just a messenger. I saw it on the web and just made a few modifications on it.
GLAD it worked for you!!!
BTW- I'm hoping to be passing through Texas the first of June in my 71 on the Hodrod Power tour. AND I 'm getting married on the Hotrod Power Tour the first day in Louisana!!
June 12 – Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas
June 13 – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
June 14 – Traders Village, Grand Prairie, Texas
Where do I place the floor jack to jack it up and place the jack stands on the pads? I'm lost on all the reply's, no one answered my question.
jim
I used the front cross member, but you need to place a 2x4 or 2x6 to span
across the weak metal in the middle of the member. I placed the jack
on the rear spring block on the rear.
Just remember that you can't place the jack where it puts pressure on the
center of the front cross member.
Front:
Rear:
Donnie
Last edited by DonnieP73; Mar 13, 2016 at 04:11 PM.
Where do I place the floor jack to jack it up and place the jack stands on the pads? I'm lost on all the reply's, no one answered my question.
jim
I use the side frame rails, one tire at a time. Front and rear on one side and front/rear on the other. I like to get both fronts up before I put the last rear up. I fear the front tires can roll, causing the car to fall off the rear jacks. I don't like jacking by the diff in the rear, nor the cross member in the front. That's how the crossmember gets dented up.
Putting Vette on Stands
DSCN4811 by Richard Hayes, on Flickr
DSCN4814 by Richard Hayes, on Flickr
