Jacking up from the side?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 8,502
Likes: 925
From: Alaska
Jacking up from the side?
Ok, Another stupid question from a new owner. I know the owners manual says where to place the jack when lifting a C5. But, if I am using the proper round fixture on the jack (or the hockey pucks) can I jack up the car from the side?
Drifting
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,681
Likes: 23
From: Newark CA
Re: Jacking up from the side? (snowwolfe)
Yes, you can raise the car from the sides. Just be sure the jack pad (or puck) fits into the cutout (one toward the front and one toward the rear) in the rocker panel. There should be no contact with fiberglass parts.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,055
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Re: Jacking up from the side? (snowwolfe)
I have been jacking my car from the side to change back and forth from my street tires to my race tires for close to 5 years and haven't hurt it yet. The frame is stiffer than hell. A word of warning the Kent Moore jacking pucks are a little small in diameter and if you let the car sit on them for too long they will cause the frame to dent since the surface area for the amount of weight they are carrying is a little to small. That is the only damage that I have seen jacking the car this way. Before I bought the Kent Moore tools I was using a 2 x 4 that was about 6 inches long and never had any damage. To jack from the side it really helps if you have a jack with a removable saddle. Even without lowering I have difficulty getting a jack under the car when I have racing tires on. The removable saddle means I don't have to drive up on wood blocks. I only jack from the front shipping port location. That way I can get both wheels on one side of the car off the ground at one time and be able to change tires like a NASCAR stocker.
Bill
[Modified by Bill Dearborn, 9:31 PM 3/14/2002]
Bill
[Modified by Bill Dearborn, 9:31 PM 3/14/2002]
Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,976
Likes: 0
From: Herndon Va
Re: Jacking up from the side? (snowwolfe)
There are two jacking points on each side of the C5 .
The pucks/adapters are to keep the jack from contacting the body and possibly cracking it.
The body of the C5 wraps down around the frame with an indentation set
around the two side jacking points. These are the two places where the frame has kind of an elongated oval hole punched in it. The front one is almost directly under where the front door starts (at least on my coupe). The rear one is about 18 inches in (towards the middle ) from where the body ends in front of the rear wheel.
So yes the C5 can be jacked from the side but you need to position the jack properly.
I hope this helps.
The pucks/adapters are to keep the jack from contacting the body and possibly cracking it.
The body of the C5 wraps down around the frame with an indentation set
around the two side jacking points. These are the two places where the frame has kind of an elongated oval hole punched in it. The front one is almost directly under where the front door starts (at least on my coupe). The rear one is about 18 inches in (towards the middle ) from where the body ends in front of the rear wheel.
So yes the C5 can be jacked from the side but you need to position the jack properly.
I hope this helps.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,055
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Re: Jacking up from the side? (ghost.rider)
GM doesn't call them jacking points. They are lift points for the use a 4 point lift. That is why the Kent Moore tools by themseoves are too small a diameter. They are meant to protect the body work at the rear locations and the weight is distributed across 4 points and not one. The Service Manual clearly shows the jacking points as the front and rear crossmembers. However, jacks that can get under the front without the car being on boards are very expensive and require a lot of screwing around to get them in place. That is why I do mine from the side.
Bill
Bill
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,055
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Re: Jacking up from the side? (Jim Finke)
A hockey puck is larger in diameter than the Kent Moore pads so probably is better. However, jacking at both points you probably don't need the extra diameter. I just don't want to bother monkeying around with two jacks. Even when I work under the car I jack from one side place my jack stands under the cross members and then jack from the other side to get the jack stands under the other side of the cross members. Its fast. Sort of wish I had one of those one pump race jacks like the NASCAR teams use but I can really do without spending $800 for one.
Bill
Bill
Pro
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 611
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From: Brookfield Wisconsin
Re: Jacking up from the side? (snowwolfe)
We have a link on our site that shows how to lift the C5 using our JP's (Jacking Pucks). Check it out.
jim Booth / Corvette Accessories Unlimited http://www.CAU-LLC.com
jim Booth / Corvette Accessories Unlimited http://www.CAU-LLC.com
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
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From: Taylor TX
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Re: Jacking up from the side? (Bill Dearborn)
GM doesn't call them jacking points. They are lift points for the use a 4 point lift. ....The Service Manual clearly shows the jacking points as the front and rear crossmembers.
