I know there's lots of threads on it!

when I raise my car I usually put all 4 wheels on ramps, most of the time that has been high enough. I drive the car up on ramps in the front then raise it with my hydraulic jack by the center of the rear cross member with a piece of wood which helps to distribute the weight. its supported that way just long enough to get the rear high enough for the ramps to go under then I lower it back on the suspension. the piece of wood I use is about 9-10" long maybe, it doesn't quite reach the stock lifting points, and most of the lifting force would be concentrated in the center anyway. it spans the rear cossmember front/back

1) I know the manual doesn't list that point as a safe lifting point. I've seen plenty of pics of C5's lifted there. I don't leave the weight on that point, I just use it to get the car up. is it safe to do so or am I just lucky that it hasn't failed or been damaged so far?

2) the factory safe lifting points in the rear are not along the center line of the car; would it be safe to use a single jack on one side or the other to lift the car or would it tilt too much in the process?

3) is the weight distribution of the car such that I could use two jacks with pucks on the rear frame rail lift points without taking too much weight off the front suspension while doing so? those points look kind of far forward, or would a safe way be to use two jacks side by side on the rear frame rail where the manual says to?

I'm considering buying a second hydraulic jack just so I can feel like I'm being completely safe by doing everything the way the manual tells me to. am I being paranoid/overly safe or is it a wise investment?

 

I am kind of in the same dillema. I have an easy answer, I am going to spend $89 for a second low profile jack from Harbor Freight, I may end up with four before I am done. I do always set it on sturdy blocks, or ramps for safety and keep jacks in place. I had jack stands tip over once with my truck. Jacks or jack stands alone is dangerous, period. It is OK to be paranoid and afraid to die under a car, we may need a support group, but it's better than dead!

 

A friend of mine gave me four steel rims from a jeep and if I want to work under mine and not take the wheels off I just set the tires down on the face of the rims. The tires will not roll out because of the lip. The rims are high enough that I can work comfortably under a car and not worry. I will use jack stands if i want to remove the wheels.
Why can't the jack stands be placed under the lower control arms.