Chicago Bob

Any of you fellas know of a vendor that makes good quality, handy attachments? Without having to fab something up it sure would be nice to have a piece that could be used to turn an ordinary floor jack into an under lift jack, telescoping tranny jack, etc.

I need something to help out with the ole rear spring release maneuver.

Are the harbor freight under lift Jacks a suicide mission or do they hold up for lighter duty?

lionelhutz

What does an under lift jack look like?

MelWff

whats wrong with a standard floor jack to use when replacing the spring, that is what is typically done and there are a number of threads with pictures.

DUB

I release them by having the car supported by my floor jack...and I either use a jack stand and have it grab onto the banding strap that many springs have on them that keep the leaves from rotating. I lower the car down onto the jack stand and it compresses the spring so I can get it uncaged. Then...I raise it back up and to the other side. I have done it countless times like that. the closer you can get the saddle of your jack stand to the end of the spring....the better.

Now if the spring does not have the banding strap. I made a plate with two bolts that I can bolt to the spring so it does not move and have it be the point where the jack stand can not slide past it.

Not knowing what years you have due to you did not mention it. IF it is a composite spring...then I make sure that the jack stand can grab onto the metal plate at the end of the composite spring and lower it.

And yes...the car will twist due to the side you are not compressing is going down further than the side with the jack stand under the spring. Obviously you want to make sure your jack stand is high enough so you can get in and get the nut off.

And YES. I have jack stands up around the #3 body mount there so in case anything goes wrong....which I have NEVER had a problem...they are there... BUT they are not inhibiting me having the body go down far enough to compress the spring.

DUB

Chicago Bob

Like you see at the muffler shop Peter. They come from pretty basic(under $100)like the pic I posted.....up to fancy Dan hydraulic 12ton+ monsters on wheels.

Chicago Bob

Using DUB's method...probably nothing at all. I jus like to complicate things Mel!

Seriously....I'm going to rip everything out back there for some nice detailing and want to do that on my lift('bout time I got some use outta that thing). Trying to steady a long wood 4x4 under the slippery mess jus don't sound right. DUB probably has a better back than me so his close to the floor rigging sounds proper.

Chicago Bob

Thank you sir...as always, you are detail oriented.

Appreciate that!

Chicago Bob

Found a floor peda lpump hyd. telescoping tranny jack for around $200 that I believe I'll try....looks like you can change out the head(where trans. fastens)and make it multi-purpose jack. Been needing something like this anyway......

Thanks everyone!

lionelhutz

Ya, taking the top off a transmission jack and making a new head is as good as anything.

The picture you posted is just an axle stand.

DUB

"Chicago Bob'

QUESTION:

Is your Corvette on a lift or on the ground???

The reason is....IF it is on a lift...there IS a way to uncage the spring quite easily and NOT ahve to sue a floor jack. I do it often when I have a car on my lift.

On another note.....I like that you posted that photo of an under car jack stand in POST #5. I use mine when the car is all the way up in the air on the lift to support the front and rear of the car. So many people do not want to get these safety stands...but that are worth their weight in gold.

And if the owner has a convertible...they are even more important to provide added support to the rear of the car due to it can flex down quite a bit and put strain on those areas that should not be put under a strain.

DUB

Metalhead140

I use my gearbox jack for everything under my hoist, I take the arms off the ends if they're in the way but that's rarely an issue. I used a C clamp to clamp a piece of timber to the spring to provide a stable spot to jack against, and I think from memory just placed another piece of timber on the gearbox jack to push up with.

Chicago Bob

Yes sir....I have a lift. This should be interesting.....