Is It Recommended?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 101
Likes: 17
From: Las Vegas, Nevada
Is It Recommended?
I went to Discount Tire yesterday to have new front tires put on the Vette. Before jacking the car, the technician unlatched the doors, and popped the hood and trunk. I asked him why, and he said there is a possibility of cracking a body panel if you jack it with the doors, hood and trunk closed.
He did not raise the whole car, only the front, using the pucks on each side.
Myth, or truth?
He did not raise the whole car, only the front, using the pucks on each side.
Myth, or truth?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
I went to Discount Tire yesterday to have new front tires put on the Vette. Before jacking the car, the technician unlatched the doors, and popped the hood and trunk. I asked him why, and he said there is a possibility of cracking a body panel if you jack it with the doors, hood and trunk closed.
He did not raise the whole car, only the front, using the pucks on each side.
Myth, or truth?
He did not raise the whole car, only the front, using the pucks on each side.
Myth, or truth?
Just a shop with old school practices taking unnecessary precautionary measures.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 7,815
Likes: 2,266
From: Brighton MI
This was a reccomended practice on early model Corvettes and some seemed to do as a precautionary measure with C4's as well. However not needed or reccomended with C5 and up due to how rigid the frames are and the body panels being individual panels. It's also not in the C5 owners manual so no...it's no required/ needed.
Just a shop with old school practices taking unnecessary precautionary measures.
Just a shop with old school practices taking unnecessary precautionary measures.
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 14,137
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From: Iowa
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
This was a reccomended practice on early model Corvettes and some seemed to do as a precautionary measure with C4's as well. However not needed or reccomended with C5 and up due to how rigid the frames are and the body panels being individual panels. It's also not in the C5 owners manual so no...it's no required/ needed.
Just a shop with old school practices taking unnecessary precautionary measures.
Just a shop with old school practices taking unnecessary precautionary measures.
Even though I tell my mechanic that he doesn't have to unlatch the targa top, he does it any way stating that it is standard practice. When I jack my C5 up, I don't unlatch anything.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
As others have said, not necessary on C5's and later Vettes. Earlier models were not exactly endowed with stiff frames, that's why they used to call the Corvette the "flexible flier". Equally one of the plus points on fiberglass (or SMC) panels is that they flex as against bending or cracking. Having owned some vintage vehicles many years ago, I always made sure the doors were closed and locked before jacking up a corner - otherwise you could see the whole car flex. At least with the doors in place, the movement was minimized.
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For the C5, having to do all that is a myth. The structure is rigid enough that lifting the car does not involve having to open the hood/hatch/doors to prevent any body panel damage.
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Wives tale going back to the 70’s when glass roof panels were breaking. Our frames are super stiff and not subject to those problems. But TO THIS DAY shops hang onto this story from 40+ years ago.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2021
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From: Florida
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Evidently the C3 frames were not as stiff, so when jacked up from the ends it could put pressure on the side windows and t-tops from the flex. According to the stories, the glass t-top panels could break. That’s the tale anyway…
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Bonita Springs, Florida
Myth.
The C5/C6 chassis was a completely new design from the ground up from prior Corvettes using one piece hydroformed frame rails. The C5 was designed and built right from the beginning as a convertible, although the first convertibles were not produced until late 1997 as 1998 models.
The C5/C6 chassis was a completely new design from the ground up from prior Corvettes using one piece hydroformed frame rails. The C5 was designed and built right from the beginning as a convertible, although the first convertibles were not produced until late 1997 as 1998 models.