Important Info...Please Read !!!
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6
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Important Info...Please Read !!!
I've been around Corvettes pretty much all my life. Over 60 years. Please listen to me when I say...When Ever you LIFT your Corvette, make sure the people know what they are DOING !! 
I have "several" friends that have had their fender tips (right at drivers and passengers foot area) (right before rocker panel) BROKEN OFF by some idiot not lifting the vette properly! Please, Please make sure they use a One Piece Rail Lift! Don't let ANYONE lift your corvette using a floor jack... or 4 point lift... or front / rear lift. You may be very sorry.
CARMAX...yes, CARMAX broke the rocker panel on a 2006 Red Convertible last week! OF COURSE they denied they did it, BUT they did!!
This is the THIRD such damage I've heard of that CARMAX has done!!!!
I don't care how careful they are...I don't care how many times they've done it...I don't care how many corvettes they own...DON'T let them life your vette on anything buy a ONE PIECE RAIL LIFT !!
I'm sure someone is going to say "I've had my vette lifted hundreds of times and never had a problem!" If so, you are one lucky dude!
Just Wait! Sooner or Later...you are going to hear the dreaded POP!
And the DOPE that does it probably is NOT going to tell you about his mistake.
I have "several" friends that have had their fender tips (right at drivers and passengers foot area) (right before rocker panel) BROKEN OFF by some idiot not lifting the vette properly! Please, Please make sure they use a One Piece Rail Lift! Don't let ANYONE lift your corvette using a floor jack... or 4 point lift... or front / rear lift. You may be very sorry.
CARMAX...yes, CARMAX broke the rocker panel on a 2006 Red Convertible last week! OF COURSE they denied they did it, BUT they did!!
This is the THIRD such damage I've heard of that CARMAX has done!!!!
I don't care how careful they are...I don't care how many times they've done it...I don't care how many corvettes they own...DON'T let them life your vette on anything buy a ONE PIECE RAIL LIFT !!
I'm sure someone is going to say "I've had my vette lifted hundreds of times and never had a problem!" If so, you are one lucky dude!
Just Wait! Sooner or Later...you are going to hear the dreaded POP!
And the DOPE that does it probably is NOT going to tell you about his mistake.
Pro
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 723
Likes: 52
From: Colorado Springs
Do you not know how to lift the Covette properly? Did you not try to impart that knowledge to the mechanic working on your car?
Personally, I would not trust ANYONE (including the dealer) to work on my car unless absolutely necessary. And if someone does have to work on my car, I'm gonnna make damn sure they have the right equipment and know how to properly lift a C6 Corvette. And lastly, I'm gonna inspect those rocker panels before and after said maintenance and I'm going to make sure they know that I've inspected those rockers.
With today's half-*** mechanics and maintenance shops, you have to know how to protect yourself and your property, leaving little to chance and minimizing your risk by any means possible. It's a sad reality, but a true one.
Personally, I would not trust ANYONE (including the dealer) to work on my car unless absolutely necessary. And if someone does have to work on my car, I'm gonnna make damn sure they have the right equipment and know how to properly lift a C6 Corvette. And lastly, I'm gonna inspect those rocker panels before and after said maintenance and I'm going to make sure they know that I've inspected those rockers.
With today's half-*** mechanics and maintenance shops, you have to know how to protect yourself and your property, leaving little to chance and minimizing your risk by any means possible. It's a sad reality, but a true one.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
I don't doubt that you've had a bad experience(s), but if you look at where and how the C6 should be lifted, it might change your mind.
There are a lot of incompetent or incapable people who service cars, but as you describe wasn't the only way the car was necessarily designed to be lifted.
Altho this is an old thread, it's by a friend. Take a look at the main and alternative jacking points in the thread.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...c-dk13hlq.html
There are a lot of incompetent or incapable people who service cars, but as you describe wasn't the only way the car was necessarily designed to be lifted.
Altho this is an old thread, it's by a friend. Take a look at the main and alternative jacking points in the thread.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...c-dk13hlq.html
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 43,151
Likes: 45
From: Gaithersburg Maryland
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude's Donor '06-'10-'11, '15
I break my vette every time I go to the track I guess. Lifted mine many times changing wheels, brakes etc... with my trusty old low rise racing floor jack.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,500
Likes: 0
From: Lower, Slower Delaware, formerly from Mobtown, MD (Baltimore)
When accompanying the car to be worked on and it has to go on a lift, of course, if you can be there, don't stand there and instruct the tech on lifting procedures, most will not appreciate your input and will get a case of the azz.
Just ask the technician politely, "could you show me how you lift the car?" If it's obvious he doesn't know how, then inform. If he still gets a case of the azz, I wouldn't let him work on it anymore, if you have that option.
Of course, you have to have that "I'm the customer and I'm king" type of relationship with your service people, and that's hard to find.
Just ask the technician politely, "could you show me how you lift the car?" If it's obvious he doesn't know how, then inform. If he still gets a case of the azz, I wouldn't let him work on it anymore, if you have that option.
Of course, you have to have that "I'm the customer and I'm king" type of relationship with your service people, and that's hard to find.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,709
Likes: 1
From: Pacific Northwest
St. Jude Donor '06
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 30,699
Likes: 11
From: Ocala FL
I was wondering the same thing, but I'm not so sure he was talking driving up on ramps. My first thought was he was talking about those rocker panel rails a few vendors around here sell, but I'm not even sure about that. I think we need the OP back to clarify what he is talking about.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,141
Likes: 4
From: Surrey B.C.
From now on, the car stays home, and the wheels/tires go in the SUV, to go to the tire shop by themselves.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,454
Likes: 3
From: Hells Sister City Phoenix AZ
St. Jude Donor '03
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 488
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From: Indiana
Now I gotta get all product promoty....
Race Ramps Portable Pit Stop Ramp (http://www.raceramps.com/portablepitstopramp.html.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,288
Likes: 6
From: St. Clairsville OH
You are right...there are alot of idiots out there who don't know how to lift it correctly. Evedn if you tell them to be sure to use the jacking pucks, they probably won't. I once took mine to what was supposed to be the top Corvette shop in the area. I asked and they told me they are experts...they know how to do it. They started to lift it on the rocker panels. I had them take it down and left......
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,367
Likes: 211
From: Edgewood Washington
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Obviously it's possible to use a floor jack, but you still have to be competent enough to lift the car at the correct points and/or the jacking pucks.
Many tire shops, and clearly CARMAX, lack technicians skilled enough to perform the task.
You have to question the manager to get a sense of the general competency of the shop, and if the man-in-charge is unsure, find a better shop.
I installed Elite Engineering's Frame Protectors to make the process a little easier, but I still find it necessary to apply a little intimidation to the management to make the point clear, that if they damage anything do to incompetence, they will have one raging, pissed off, boisterous customer letting everyone in the vicinity know what I think of their facility/personnel and what it's going to cost them to make things right.
Of course, being a fairly large person helps. So far I've been lucky.
Many tire shops, and clearly CARMAX, lack technicians skilled enough to perform the task.
You have to question the manager to get a sense of the general competency of the shop, and if the man-in-charge is unsure, find a better shop.
I installed Elite Engineering's Frame Protectors to make the process a little easier, but I still find it necessary to apply a little intimidation to the management to make the point clear, that if they damage anything do to incompetence, they will have one raging, pissed off, boisterous customer letting everyone in the vicinity know what I think of their facility/personnel and what it's going to cost them to make things right.
Of course, being a fairly large person helps. So far I've been lucky.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
Likes: 9,821
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
I have been lifting Corvettes since 1972 with floor jacks and 4 point lifts and have never had a problem. I have been lifting C5 and C6 Corvettes with these tools since early 97. During the track season my cars are on and off jacks and lifts multiple times per week as I change wheels/tires, brake components and check various items under the car for safety. My personal lift is a 4 point Eagle Mid Rise Scissors lift that the Vette is sitting on right now.
Bill
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: San Clemente CA