FX VETTE

Is it true that both doors, hatch, and hood need to be ajar when you jack up/lift a C5 Corvette?

bravo29

Never heard of that. It be pretty hard if on a lift to do that.

'Shifter

Seems reverse-logic to me....

The Rabbi

You're lifting the frame, not the body.

JR-01

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.

FX VETTE

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.

c4cruiser

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.

UM Rebel

Nope, never heard that. Jacked mine up countless times and never opened doors or hood unless I needed to get in there.

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.

CQRT

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.

Vetteman Jack

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.

Sam Handwich

It's true


but only on April 1st and February 29th ..........

Nyt_Muves

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.

dbgoodwin

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.

MS04Cpe

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