Jacking 1971
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,404
Likes: 1
From: Ansonia/NYC CT
Well, first, you wanna make sure the owner is not around, and there are no cops around...then, if you get a coat hanger, a flat head screw driver, and a pair of wire strippers......oh, wait.....
This is actually a good question. I CRACKED the fiberglass of mine as a result of jacking it up wrong, or more to the point, having the jack stands in the wrong spot. The cradle for the engine is a separate part from the rest of the frame, so mine cracked right on the front of the passenger side door jamb. I'm no expert, but I have found that my procedure has prevented the crack (now a bonafide chip) from getting worse...could simply be because the damage is already done? Who knows. Anyway.
Jack up the front first...and to it in increments. In other words, if you are looking to put all four corners on stilts, and have them high enough to logistically do some work under there...which is to say, you want the car at least 1.5 feet of the ground...get it high enough to remove the wheels, set the stands in the front. Get the rear a little higher, but not a LOT higher, don't want to overload the front stands...sets the stands. Now back to the front. Go up another 2-4 inches, give or take. Then back. Repeat till the car is high enough for you to work under it. Rear jack stands can go on the frame right before the rear wheels. Front jack stands should a little ways up the frame. It's hard to explain without a pic...but, if you look under the car, the frame starts to curve in right around the front wheels. You want to put those stands just inside that curve. THEN. MOST IMPORTANT. Use the jack itself to support the beam that goes across the nose, behind the headlights. This keeps the cradle supported. This is what caused the bulk of my damage, IMO.
Oh, and if this is on black top, in the summer, cut out some square pieces of wood to put UNDER the jack stands. Your driveway will thank you.
This is actually a good question. I CRACKED the fiberglass of mine as a result of jacking it up wrong, or more to the point, having the jack stands in the wrong spot. The cradle for the engine is a separate part from the rest of the frame, so mine cracked right on the front of the passenger side door jamb. I'm no expert, but I have found that my procedure has prevented the crack (now a bonafide chip) from getting worse...could simply be because the damage is already done? Who knows. Anyway.
Jack up the front first...and to it in increments. In other words, if you are looking to put all four corners on stilts, and have them high enough to logistically do some work under there...which is to say, you want the car at least 1.5 feet of the ground...get it high enough to remove the wheels, set the stands in the front. Get the rear a little higher, but not a LOT higher, don't want to overload the front stands...sets the stands. Now back to the front. Go up another 2-4 inches, give or take. Then back. Repeat till the car is high enough for you to work under it. Rear jack stands can go on the frame right before the rear wheels. Front jack stands should a little ways up the frame. It's hard to explain without a pic...but, if you look under the car, the frame starts to curve in right around the front wheels. You want to put those stands just inside that curve. THEN. MOST IMPORTANT. Use the jack itself to support the beam that goes across the nose, behind the headlights. This keeps the cradle supported. This is what caused the bulk of my damage, IMO.
Oh, and if this is on black top, in the summer, cut out some square pieces of wood to put UNDER the jack stands. Your driveway will thank you.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,753
From: Charlotte NC
I PERSONALLY/PROFESSIONALLY would 'say' this.
NEED to know if you are a convertible or not...BECAUSE IF you place the jack stand in the WRONG area...you can begin to cause stress on the body or damage it further IF it has been supported incorrectly.
KNOWING what type of work you plan on doing ALSO dictates where the place the jack stands.
Because....if the jack stands are placed at or near the door hinge post area and the area of the frame in front of the rear wheel. STOP and think about HOW MUCH weight is out further from where these jack stands are placed and how the frame and car can bow....thus...causing damage to the body.
AT all costs....I always try to place the jack stand under the front control arms...and under teh rear suspension so the car will be supported much in the same way that if the tires were on it....so...no frame bow.
AND hopefully you are using REALLY GOOD jack stand that have FOUR legs to them and NOT the three leg design.
DUB
NEED to know if you are a convertible or not...BECAUSE IF you place the jack stand in the WRONG area...you can begin to cause stress on the body or damage it further IF it has been supported incorrectly.
KNOWING what type of work you plan on doing ALSO dictates where the place the jack stands.
Because....if the jack stands are placed at or near the door hinge post area and the area of the frame in front of the rear wheel. STOP and think about HOW MUCH weight is out further from where these jack stands are placed and how the frame and car can bow....thus...causing damage to the body.
AT all costs....I always try to place the jack stand under the front control arms...and under teh rear suspension so the car will be supported much in the same way that if the tires were on it....so...no frame bow.
AND hopefully you are using REALLY GOOD jack stand that have FOUR legs to them and NOT the three leg design.
DUB
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 161
Likes: 17
From: Georgia
I purchased scissor jacks at Home Depot , Husky $19.xx, they have a large base and lift easily. You can get about 18" of lift if you place a 1x6 under the base. I placed at the specified lift points along with a jack under the cradle and lifted the car evenly. Once I lifted the car I placed jackstands at various places then backed of the scissor jacks a bit so that everything was supporting weight. I like stability when I push or pull on things.
Jim
Jim
