Dumb Jacking Question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles CA
Dumb Jacking Question
Do you hesitate to jack your vette up on one side only, to change a wheel or brakes or what have you? I can imagine that over time, that twisting of the entire body and frame would loosen things up structurally, but maybe I'm letting my imagination run wild. I have more common sense than car knowledge. I would like to be able to carry around a compact jack and stand, but I am worried about the effect of uneven jacking over time. Any insight from the auto-tech inclined appreciated. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 877
Likes: 6
From: Cherry Hill NJ
Goto the track sometime, everyone does it, constantly. If you jack from the rear puck it will lift the whole side, then just put a jackstand under the front and level it out. I also saw a guy jack the whole side from the center of the car, right where the seat mounting strap goes across. He just threw a piece of wood under there right where the strap meets the frame and jacked the whole side up.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles CA
This will be my main method of working on the car, so pretty often. I don't have a garage, driveway, or even level ground near my house (gotta love city living), so I am basically looking for a jacking solution that is VERY portable, which I can carry in the trunk of my civic, or in the vette if I absolutely have to. Then I can just find a quiet spot in a parking lot anywhere.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles CA
Goto the track sometime, everyone does it, constantly. If you jack from the rear puck it will lift the whole side, then just put a jackstand under the front and level it out. I also saw a guy jack the whole side from the center of the car, right where the seat mounting strap goes across. He just threw a piece of wood under there right where the strap meets the frame and jacked the whole side up.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 941
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids MI
Jacking from the side only won't hurt the car, but in my experience, it is simply easier to jack straight from the rear or from the front. This may not be true for all C5's but mine is low enough that a jack won't fit under the rocker panel anymore, so ANY jacking requires multiple 2x6s to drive up first.
Having broken a scissor jack and dropping my old volkswagen on my head, I am a strong advocate AGAINST scissor jacks. Use a real jack, multiple jackstands, wheel chocks, and check the stability before touching the car with a tool. You can never be too careful, and cutting corners for convenience while lifting your car is just asking for trouble. I should have died once, and I'll never skimp in this area again! 
Jack
Jack
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Safety Car
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 4,812
Likes: 46
From: Taylorsville North Carolina
I use the center support when switching out pads and rotors for track days. Steel plate is big enough for my jack to fit into it. I also don't have to worry about forgetting to remove my jacking pucks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,479
Likes: 36
This is a non-issue as far as I'm concerned. I have never heard of a car frame damaged by jacking one corner at a time. If there were a frame that delicate, it would literally fall apart driving on the road. However, I have heard that very early Lotus Elans could literally fall apart since the fiberglass body was an integral part of the structure.
Race Director
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 15,731
Likes: 3,254
From: Phoenix area, AZ
Get yourself a set of the leave-in jacking pucks from Southern Car Parts, and make sure to use jack stands when possible to prevent possible injury and/or damage to your car. Other than this, don't worry about jacking one corner only. For the most part the suspension parts on the other three corners will react as if the car were driving over an uneven surface.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 24,160
Likes: 78
Race Director
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 15,731
Likes: 3,254
From: Phoenix area, AZ
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 24,160
Likes: 78
The pucks cost a quarter of what those would run, and can be installed in seconds. Those rails are nice, but they'd require lifting the car to install, which, for the OP, would be counterproductive as he'd require something to support the jacking point to jack it up. Something just like the jacking pucks.....
Furthermore, those rails also protect you from high side damage. Mine have kissed a speed bump or two.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles CA
Point taken and I have zero interest in putting myself or the the car in danger. If I can't work out a portable enough solution, then I will have to sacrifice convenience etc and just depend on a local mechanic. I think I will just go down to harbor freight when I can and see what the options are.
Having broken a scissor jack and dropping my old volkswagen on my head, I am a strong advocate AGAINST scissor jacks. Use a real jack, multiple jackstands, wheel chocks, and check the stability before touching the car with a tool. You can never be too careful, and cutting corners for convenience while lifting your car is just asking for trouble. I should have died once, and I'll never skimp in this area again!
Jack
Jack
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,332
Likes: 31
From: Silver Spring MD
