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If I use the jack point 5" from the front wheel, will I be able to lift the back at the same time? Changing wheels, no jack stands, just a floor jack with a large disk.
I'd use two jacks for that. Alternatively, if you are very careful, you can lift the front, or rear, of the car as a whole via the front crossmember (susceptible to crushing) or the rear differential (likely blocked by exhaust).
It is best not to twist these cars, or tip them over sideways.
Last edited by Bikespace; Aug 28, 2020 at 08:36 AM.
This is really a bad idea. Frames will stress / twist and make noises that would scare Freddy Kruger. When you need to lift the front or rear, go in steps or increments of several inches at a time. In other words, moving your floor jack back & worth several times is the forgiving way to do this.
If you jack from the front cross member as Bikespace suggests, us a large board to prevent the cross member from crushing. You want the outside seams to support the load not the center which will most likely collapse/crush.
I've read the manual carefully. This vagueness is crazy, they should put a mark on the frame from factory on cars where the jack point is! How hard is that!
Plates, pucks, 5" from the door edge...
I put a single floor jack lifting from the side just in front of the trans cross member. Lifts front and rear tires about the same time, then a jack stand under the lower control arm in front and just in front of the rear wheel in the back. If I am just changing tires I don't even use jack stands, Have been doing it this way for years and never had a problem.
My '73 has a stiff enough frame that I can put the jack anywhere between the two tires and lift one side easily with both tires off the ground. However, when I do that I prefer to put the jack closer to the middle between the two tires and keep it away from the transmission cross member.
Drives me crazy when I see people using a jack, with the metal dish just up against the frame. It will not only chip paint, but will also most likely dent the frame. Use a wood block, rubber pad, or one of those hockey pucks made for this and you can keep from damaging the frame. I powdercoated my frame on the rebuild, and the dumbasses at the alignment shop just scratched and dented the crap out of it. Every time I allow some one to touch my car, they screw it up somehow. Today there is a difference between a car mechanic and a true craftsman.
Last edited by Shovels and Vettes; Aug 28, 2020 at 05:00 PM.
What some forgot to mention is that in rare cases the door gaps / fitment can change due to the stress on the improper jacked frame. They usually will return to normal spacing, once back on the ground. But, never know.
There is certainly no shortage of opinions on this site.
If you work on your car, you may find a second floor jack, a set of jackstands, and ramps helpful. Here's my 79, halfway onto jackstands. Note the 2x8s under the rear wheels for clearance. From this position, I can lift the rear to get onto jackstands, then lift by the front crossmember to get the whole car elevated. No twisting, rocking, or side-lifting required.
Driving these cars is more enjoyable than working on them, but I do enjoy both!
They did that today at the tire shop. Then they asked me to pat my head and rub my belly in opposite directions, and walk around my car counter-clockwise!
If I use the jack point 5" from the front wheel, will I be able to lift the back at the same time? Changing wheels, no jack stands, just a floor jack with a large disk.
Even though you solved this at the tire store, pick up a pair of jack stands. They'll come in handy some day and you will be safer for whatever you do, whatever vehicle you are working on. (If I were purchasing now, I'd opt for the stands with the pin through the central shaft.)
They did that today at the tire shop. Then they asked me to pat my head and rub my belly in opposite directions, and walk around my car counter-clockwise!
All while chewing gum, no doubt. If the cops did that when they pulled you over, nobody would pass and we would all be at the station!
Jacking C3 one side
