Correct jacking points on a C3?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Semper ubi, sub ubi
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (WA 2 FST)
Wes,
According to the owners manual the only recommended places to jack up the C-3, is on the main frame, 3 inches in front of the rear wheel well for the rear wheel and 5 inches in front of the bottom of the front door opening for the front.
Don't use the front crossmember, the metal on the bottom of the crossmember is fairly thin and is bent very easily (mine is smushed in from some moron jacking it there.)
If you are going to put it up on stands, use the jacking locations for the stands. Make sure that your stands are equal in height and on a fairly level surface.
According to the owners manual the only recommended places to jack up the C-3, is on the main frame, 3 inches in front of the rear wheel well for the rear wheel and 5 inches in front of the bottom of the front door opening for the front.
Don't use the front crossmember, the metal on the bottom of the crossmember is fairly thin and is bent very easily (mine is smushed in from some moron jacking it there.)
If you are going to put it up on stands, use the jacking locations for the stands. Make sure that your stands are equal in height and on a fairly level surface.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,281
Likes: 6
From: NC USA
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (WA 2 FST)
If you didn't get one with the car, get you a repro 69 owners manual from ebay or any of the corvette vendors for the basic info like this. The 4 jackstand points are just behind the front wheels on the frame rails before they curve inward and on the frame rails just in front of the rear wheels. The jacking points I use are the front lip of the front crossmember using a scrap piece of 2x4 for cushioning between the jack and crossmember and under the rear diff. Hope this helps! :cheers:
[Modified by Marks69BB, 10:17 PM 11/24/2002]
[Modified by Marks69BB, 10:17 PM 11/24/2002]
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
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From: Huntersville NC
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (Marks69BB)
Most of us hate to jack up the car from 4 seperate spots for two reasons, 1. We are lazy and would rather only jack the car up twice, rather than 4 times, and #2. You feel like you are really twisting the frame and stressing the car by jacking it up one corner at a time. What I do more and more these days is place the jack on the side frame, but in the middle. This will lift both the front and rear wheel off the ground at the same time. Put 2 jackstands in place on that side, or 2 wheel dolleys or whatever I am using. Then I go to the other side and lift it from the middle as well. MJ
and once again, http://www.corvettefaq.com is your source for links to all kinds of C3 related info, like jacking points:
http://users.erols.com/jerryp58/corvette/jackpts.jpg
[Modified by MNJack, 1:06 AM 11/25/2002]
and once again, http://www.corvettefaq.com is your source for links to all kinds of C3 related info, like jacking points:
http://users.erols.com/jerryp58/corvette/jackpts.jpg
[Modified by MNJack, 1:06 AM 11/25/2002]
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Virginia USA
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (MNJack)
Also, while on the jack stands, try to avoid opening the doors (especially convertibles) because if there is any frame flex you could chip your doors or fenders if the fender and door fiberglass come in contact with each other. I use a 4X4 that I cut to fit between the exhaust pipes and jack the rear at the springs center attachment point and jack the front (using the same 4X4) at the front crossmember (mine is also dented a bit that is why I use the wood and since it is already dented...who cares). When jacking any car, use extreame caution and be safe.
John
John
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From: Lenoir City Tennessee
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St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (WA 2 FST)
I have two hockey pucks, stacked one on top of the other, that I set inside the cupped part of my hydraulic jack. This keeps from scratching anything new and will also keep you from pinching a fuel line or whatever that is running down the frame rail.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 620
Likes: 2
From: San Antonio TX
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (WA 2 FST)
Had not considered this until the other day when I brought mine to a shop for some brake work. Before they put it on the lift, the owner of the place asked me to remove the T-tops in case of any frame or body flex. Simple precaution for a potentially very expensive accident.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 792
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From: Louisiana, It's Always Party Time!
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (cchristo)
I think I need to second your idea on removing the t-tops. I recently jacked my front end up (one side at a time) and placed it on jack stands to do some minor engine work. I left my t-tops in while doing the work. The other day I discovered a second crack in my drivers side t-top that wasn't there before I did the work. The only explanation that I can come up with is body flex cracked it while I was jacking up one side. No way to prove this but I'm just glad that it was on the t-top that was already cracked.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,183
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From: Des Moines Iowa
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (LABulldog)
Yep, always a good idea to loosen the latch on glass t-tops.........no need really to remove, just pull the latch down so they'll have some give if the body goes through some twisting motion during jacking.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,664
Likes: 1
From: Boston MA
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (MNJack)
...What I do more and more these days is place the jack on the side frame, but in the middle. This will lift both the front and rear wheel off the ground at the same time. Put 2 jackstands in place on that side, or 2 wheel dolleys or whatever I am using. Then I go to the other side and lift it from the middle as well...
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,148
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From: Roxbury NJ
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (Swamp Thang)
I use the same system as Marks69BB, with a block of wood under the front crossmember to distribute the load. As long as you don't concentrate the load in the soft sheetmetal center of the crossmember, you won't damage anything. In the back, I jack under the differential (if the spare is still installed, you'll need a low profile jack).
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,971
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From: The reason time exists is so everything doesn't happen at once
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (Flareside)
If I could, I'd like to add a question here... I have four 3 ton jack stands with a maximum height of 21", and a floor jack with a 19" max. If I wanted to jack the car up to the max of the floor jack is it ok to do it in one move, or should I raise each corner in increments?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,281
Likes: 6
From: NC USA
Re: Correct jacking points on a C3? (6t9l4t6)
If I could, I'd like to add a question here... I have four 3 ton jack stands with a maximum height of 21", and a floor jack with a 19" max. If I wanted to jack the car up to the max of the floor jack is it ok to do it in one move, or should I raise each corner in increments?
