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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 02:40 PM
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Default Jacking question

Is it true that both doors, hatch, and hood need to be ajar when you jack up/lift a C5 Corvette?
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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 02:52 PM
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Never heard of that. It be pretty hard if on a lift to do that.

Last edited by bravo29; Jun 23, 2017 at 02:52 PM.
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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 03:09 PM
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Seems reverse-logic to me....
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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 03:23 PM
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You're lifting the frame, not the body.
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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 03:50 PM
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Not to worry with a C5. It has an extremely stiff frame. Some people did recommend opening doors, hood and trunk on the early Corvettes. Never did it with my C3 and never had a problem.
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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 04:01 PM
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Found a wheel weight in my driveway, so I took my car to a tire shop to check the balance on my tires. I notice my passenger door ajar while they are jacking it up, so I go in and shut it - then the tech opens it back up and says that the doors, hatch and hood need to be ajar when jacking a Corvette. Told him I never heard of that and that I have jacked my car numerous times with everything shut. Didn't make sense to me so I thought I'd ask the veterans.

Thanks.
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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 04:14 PM
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As long as the car is being raised properly, there is no need to open any door or hatch. Some shops want to open the doors but using a hoist (2-post or 4-post) and setting the arms properly will not cause any issues.

Even with the C4 a jack was included to raise one wheel and there is nothing in the Owner's Manual about opening doors or the hatch before jacking the car up.

Think of parking the car on a hill or going up a steep and curved driveway. That can introduce some chassis/body flex but the car designers/engineers built flex into the frame and body.
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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 04:57 PM
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Nope, never heard that. Jacked mine up countless times and never opened doors or hood unless I needed to get in there.
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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 05:07 PM
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Originally Posted by AE Guy
Found a wheel weight in my driveway, so I took my car to a tire shop to check the balance on my tires. I notice my passenger door ajar while they are jacking it up, so I go in and shut it - then the tech opens it back up and says that the doors, hatch and hood need to be ajar when jacking a Corvette. Told him I never heard of that and that I have jacked my car numerous times with everything shut. Didn't make sense to me so I thought I'd ask the veterans.

Thanks.
Discount Tire has the same practice here to be on the safe side. That "was" a recommended method on older Corvettes, but not necessary on the C5.
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Old Jun 23, 2017 | 07:59 PM
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Originally Posted by AE Guy
Is it true that both doors, hatch, and hood need to be ajar when you jack up/lift a C5 Corvette?
Short answer: NO.

In the old days of C2s and C3s, there was a fair amount of body flex so we opened the doors when jacking up a corner so they wouldn't get "pinched".

Not an issue on anything newer.
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Old Jun 24, 2017 | 12:33 AM
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Originally Posted by AE Guy
Found a wheel weight in my driveway, so I took my car to a tire shop to check the balance on my tires. I notice my passenger door ajar while they are jacking it up, so I go in and shut it - then the tech opens it back up and says that the doors, hatch and hood need to be ajar when jacking a Corvette. Told him I never heard of that and that I have jacked my car numerous times with everything shut. Didn't make sense to me so I thought I'd ask the veterans.

Thanks.
The guy at that tire shop is living in the past. With the C5, there is not a need to open doors, hatch, etc. - the body does not flex that much.
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Old Jun 24, 2017 | 12:53 AM
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Default good grief - having I been doing it wrong?

Originally Posted by AE Guy
Is it true that both doors, hatch, and hood need to be ajar when you jack up/lift a C5 Corvette?
It's true


but only on April 1st and February 29th ..........
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Old Jun 24, 2017 | 03:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Choreo
Discount Tire has the same practice here to be on the safe side. That "was" a recommended method on older Corvettes, but not necessary on the C5.
Yep. Can confirm. Discount does this with all Corvettes. I pointed out it was not necessary and was told it's corporate policy. He said they'd rather be safe than sorry.
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Old Jun 24, 2017 | 10:04 PM
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Discount did it on my car too.

They wouldn't even use their regular lift on my car because it was a corvette. Had to use 4 individual jacks.
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Old Jun 25, 2017 | 05:45 PM
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Default Tire Kingdom

Tire Kingdom did not open the doors on the coupe, but they took the roof hatch off/out...
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