Jacking an '88
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,795
Likes: 62
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Jacking an '88
I'm sure that this has been asnwered many times before, so I'm sorry for the repeat.
I know that to jack my '88, I need to position the floor jack between the arrows marked on the body ahead of and behind the door.
My question is: Do I actually jack on the edge of the body or do I have to catch a piece of the frame with the edge of the jack in behind the body and ensure that there is no weight on the edge of the body??
I know that to jack my '88, I need to position the floor jack between the arrows marked on the body ahead of and behind the door.
My question is: Do I actually jack on the edge of the body or do I have to catch a piece of the frame with the edge of the jack in behind the body and ensure that there is no weight on the edge of the body??
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,488
Likes: 4
From: Frostburg MD
Make sure you catch some of the metal behind the rockers, it is what holds the weight of the car. The rockers may flex some, that's ok. Also watch out you not lifting on the fuel or brake lines while your jacking.
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
All depends on your purpose for jacking. I jack the front up by first driving up on some 2 x 8's and sliding the floor jack under and jacking by the crashbar or K frame, then place floor jacks where the swaybar mounts to the frame.
For the rear I use a jack-a-vette to lift the car by the diff, or if that is not available, place a 4 x 4 on your floor jack and jack it up by the spare tire(as close to the diff as possible).
For jobs that don't require removal of the wheels, I use ramps(not Rhino Ramps which don't get you high enough). Use 2 x 8's on the ramps to decrease the angle and you'll be fine.
For the rear I use a jack-a-vette to lift the car by the diff, or if that is not available, place a 4 x 4 on your floor jack and jack it up by the spare tire(as close to the diff as possible).
For jobs that don't require removal of the wheels, I use ramps(not Rhino Ramps which don't get you high enough). Use 2 x 8's on the ramps to decrease the angle and you'll be fine.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,146
Likes: 1,730
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Be sure the jack catches a piece of the frame between its indentions when you use floorjacks.
Some people say to pop the hood, open all doors and the rear hatch when you jack the car. Do that if you want.
Some people say to pop the hood, open all doors and the rear hatch when you jack the car. Do that if you want.
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 57,805
Likes: 23
From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by vader86
Some people say to pop the hood, open all doors and the rear hatch when you jack the car. Do that if you want.
I leave everything closed. Never had a problem yet, but if you remember the other jacking post, one guy complained he cracked his top and he had the hood and doors open, and that was on a two post lift I think.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,018
Likes: 1
From: OR
These look like pretty good instructions.
QUESTION: What is the best way to jack up a ZR-1?
ANS: Do not jack a C4 at the center of its side frames. If you do, the biggest risk is cracking the front glass.
There are only two places to properly lift a C4 with a floor jack.
At the front, you lift on the crossmember just ahead of the engine. It is best to use a block of wood (4x6x1.5 works best) on the jack pad. Many C4s will have to have their front wheels driven up on blocks (12x2x2 works good) to get the jack under the car. Once you're up on the blocks, turn the wheels to full lock and come in with the floor jack behind whichever tire is turned in. Only floor jacks with long, low frames typical of 2-ton jacks will be able to do this. It works very well if you have the right floor jack and a block of wood.
You also can come in from the front with the floor jack but then the blocks you drive the front up on must be much higher.
At the rear, you need the "Jack-a-Vette" tool. It bolts to the jack pad and its vertical leg goes between the exhaust pipes and lifts on the rear axle housing. This method is not documented in the factory service manual but had been used in the service trade for many years and, according to the makers of Jack-a-Vette, was used at Bowling Green during the C4 era. On cars that are lower than stock, the rear may have to be driven up on blocks to allow enough room to get the floor jack and Jack-a-Vette underneath.
To support a C4 on jack stands, place the stands on either side at the front right where the frame turns inward behind the front wheels. At the rear support the areas of the frame just ahead of the rear wheels. In all cases, I use small blocks on the jack stand pads. Take extreme care to avoid crushing fuel or brake lines.
Thanks to Hib Halverson for this info.
corvette questions
QUESTION: What is the best way to jack up a ZR-1?
ANS: Do not jack a C4 at the center of its side frames. If you do, the biggest risk is cracking the front glass.
There are only two places to properly lift a C4 with a floor jack.
At the front, you lift on the crossmember just ahead of the engine. It is best to use a block of wood (4x6x1.5 works best) on the jack pad. Many C4s will have to have their front wheels driven up on blocks (12x2x2 works good) to get the jack under the car. Once you're up on the blocks, turn the wheels to full lock and come in with the floor jack behind whichever tire is turned in. Only floor jacks with long, low frames typical of 2-ton jacks will be able to do this. It works very well if you have the right floor jack and a block of wood.
You also can come in from the front with the floor jack but then the blocks you drive the front up on must be much higher.
At the rear, you need the "Jack-a-Vette" tool. It bolts to the jack pad and its vertical leg goes between the exhaust pipes and lifts on the rear axle housing. This method is not documented in the factory service manual but had been used in the service trade for many years and, according to the makers of Jack-a-Vette, was used at Bowling Green during the C4 era. On cars that are lower than stock, the rear may have to be driven up on blocks to allow enough room to get the floor jack and Jack-a-Vette underneath.
To support a C4 on jack stands, place the stands on either side at the front right where the frame turns inward behind the front wheels. At the rear support the areas of the frame just ahead of the rear wheels. In all cases, I use small blocks on the jack stand pads. Take extreme care to avoid crushing fuel or brake lines.
Thanks to Hib Halverson for this info.
corvette questions
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,625
Likes: 4
From: Director of Bands
St. Jude Donor '08
Originally Posted by Mr Mojo
All depends on your purpose for jacking. I jack the front up by first driving up on some 2 x 8's and sliding the floor jack under and jacking by the crashbar or K frame, then place floor jacks where the swaybar mounts to the frame.
For the rear I use a jack-a-vette to lift the car by the diff, or if that is not available, place a 4 x 4 on your floor jack and jack it up by the spare tire(as close to the diff as possible).
For jobs that don't require removal of the wheels, I use ramps(not Rhino Ramps which don't get you high enough). Use 2 x 8's on the ramps to decrease the angle and you'll be fine.
For the rear I use a jack-a-vette to lift the car by the diff, or if that is not available, place a 4 x 4 on your floor jack and jack it up by the spare tire(as close to the diff as possible).
For jobs that don't require removal of the wheels, I use ramps(not Rhino Ramps which don't get you high enough). Use 2 x 8's on the ramps to decrease the angle and you'll be fine.
PS... what is the crashbar/k-frame? Is it the obvious piece between the front tires?
