How I handle my jacking issues.

This is the device I created to jack up my 2002 Torch red convertible.

This photo shows the 4 components that make up the “hockey puck” spacer and the bracket that holds it in place. (Figure 1)


This photo shows the “T” screw inserted into the oval bracket that fits into the hole in the rocker panel. (Figure 2)


This photo shows the assembly in the “open” position that allows it to be inserted into the hole in the rocker panel. (Figure 3)


This photo shows the assembly in the “closed” position. The “T” is rotated 90 degrees, which lock the bracket into the hole. (Figure 4)


This photo shows two of the brackets assembled on the steel bar. (Figure 5)


This photo shows the completed bar lying alongside the vette. (Figure 6)


This photo shows the completed bar attached to the car and the jack and a load spreading bar in front. (Figure 7)


This photo shows the jack and load spreading bar in position ready to raise the car. (Figure 8)


This photo shows the car lifted and ready to position the jack stands under the “hockey pucks”. (Figure 9)


This photo shows the car lowered onto the jack stands with the jack still in position. The longer bolts go into holes in the top of the jack stands to keep them in alignment. (Figure 10)


These 3 photos show the car lifted and safely on the jack stands. (Figure 11, 12, 13)





The jack stands are shown at their lowest setting, but I can raise it to the full height, raising the rocker panels 16” high. If the spirit ever moves me, improvement I would like to make are: 1) Using an electric scissor jack with the load spreader bar integrated. 2) Replace the plastic disks with aluminum disks. 3) Replace the brass bolts with stainless bolts.

 

Pretty ingenious for sure. Hard to tell from the pic but it looks like the plate could still be flexing and putting pressure in the middle where the jack is.

 

Good to see you figured out how to put photos up!

Why not jack up from the crossmembers? I think the 2 proper jack stand points are on the ends of the crossmember. But then I haven't heard of anyone really damaging their cars from lifting on the sides. I guess either way works.

 

That scissor jack is not a safe way to lift a car. It's meant to be cheap and small to fit a the trunk of a car for emergency use only.

Also, those jack stands are pretty, but the base on them is fairly small and with the car high enough I would be hesitant to get under it and wrench on stuff.

My advice would be to get some better tools. Some 4 or 6 ton stands and a proper hydraulic floor jack. Get multiple jacking pads for the floor jack. One rubber pad, one metal dish.




With something like this, you just stick a hockey puck on the jack, slide it into place and lift. Stick your 6 ton jack stands under the crossmembers. That way you know it's not going anywhere - ever.

 

Don't forget the 2x4 block of wood between crossmember and jackstands!

And I just use rhino ramps on the front

 

Ok now you can make me some. Nice work

 

I like it!

 

How far is your car lowered? Mine is alll the way on stock bolts and I cannot get a scissors jack in place using pucks...I have to eyeball the jacking locations to avoid crushing the fiberglass. Nice work, but will it work on lowered cars?

 

It is not lowered at all. The jack has about 3/4 inch clearence when it is down, so this will probably not work on a lowered car. Unless you had a very low profile jack to bring it up the couple of inches needed to get the jack under it.

 

And this rig is small enough to take along. I took it on the Hot Rod Power Tour in 2008 and put the car on jack stands during the showing. It only takes about 5 minutes to lift or drop and the whole things takes very little space in the trunk.

I do understand about the jack stand stability, but these are too cute, and the larger one are just too ugly!

 

Haha. I don't think the stands will be a big problem. Our cars are relatively light. As long as they were built properly.

Yeah but I understand if you go to a show, you don't want the standard ugly stands.

 

For jacking up the car where the wheels don't need removed, I drive up on front Rhino Ramps (12,000 lb capacity). I then use a small floor jack and one puck to raise up one side of the back until I can get a treated 2X6 piece of wood under the rear crossmember and us another floor jack to jack up the rear and place it on another pair of Rhino Ramps. I call it a "poor man's lift". It keeps car level for checking and adding fluids and working under car SAFELY.

 

My car is lowered also. My solution was to install these underguards from midamerica which also acts as lifting pucks. Works great.

 

Where'd you pick up those stands?

 

very cool

 

Good Info.

 

I see a marketable kit with some improvements! I've had a similar idea in my head for quite some time but couldn't get the "double puck" idea figured out. I'd rather use my low profile aluminum racing jack as well.

Keep workin' on it!

 

Wow $300 for a set!

 

I have a set very close to these, Took about 20 mins to install, They also save the underneth from speed bumps and such,

 

I got the jack stands from Nothern Tool, part number 144441.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...3386_200313386