Jacking from the side HELP
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 115
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Jacking from the side HELP
I need to jack my car up tomorrow to put up on stands, and I have done searches on here, but I am not finding what I need. I have one of the spanner attachments on my floor jack and would like to jack up one complete side, place jackstands under the jack pucks, then go to the other side and jack it up and place on stands.
Will this work? I know its not the optimal process, but I cant get my jack under the front of the car and dont have ramps or boards to drive it up on. I guess what I am asking is if after I get one side on stands will it be stable and safe enough to jack the other side up?
Will this work? I know its not the optimal process, but I cant get my jack under the front of the car and dont have ramps or boards to drive it up on. I guess what I am asking is if after I get one side on stands will it be stable and safe enough to jack the other side up?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 10,954
Likes: 261
From: Greensboro NC
2015 C6 of the Year Finalist
I need to jack my car up tomorrow to put up on stands, and I have done searches on here, but I am not finding what I need. I have one of the spanner attachments on my floor jack and would like to jack up one complete side, place jackstands under the jack pucks, then go to the other side and jack it up and place on stands.
Will this work? I know its not the optimal process, but I cant get my jack under the front of the car and dont have ramps or boards to drive it up on. I guess what I am asking is if after I get one side on stands will it be stable and safe enough to jack the other side up?
Will this work? I know its not the optimal process, but I cant get my jack under the front of the car and dont have ramps or boards to drive it up on. I guess what I am asking is if after I get one side on stands will it be stable and safe enough to jack the other side up?
I suggest at least getting a couple of 2x8 (or 2x10) boards cut to about 2 feet and drive up on them to get your car a little higher. Then you can jack up each end of the car to get the jack stands under the car.
Before I got ramps, I actually put 2x10 boards under all 4 tires (2 at a time) until I got it up high enough to get jack stands under all four of the jacking pucks at the same time. It felt much safer that way.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 5,463
Likes: 1,138
From: Chino CA
Just my opinion but that does not sound safe. I would worry about the stands sliding off of the smooth pucks while you are jacking up the other side. I never put stands under the pucks because they are smooth and there is nothing for the stands to grab on to. I use the pucks for my floor jack only and put my stands under the car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 5,463
Likes: 1,138
From: Chino CA
You only have to drive on something just long enough to get your jack under there. How about something else around the house? Do you have any weights? A couple of 25# plates would work. How about some bricks? Just a couple of ideas to get your mind thinking of alternatives. You are only raising the car a few inches for a minute or two. There may be something around your place that you can drive up on for a minute.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 10,954
Likes: 261
From: Greensboro NC
2015 C6 of the Year Finalist
You might be able to jack up one side, just getting the tires off of the floor just enough to get the wheels off, then place a jack stand under the front and back cross members (not where the jacking pucks go) keeping the jacks at there shortest height and lower the car onto them, making sure that they are where the car will not slip off the jack stands.
The more level you can keep the car, the better.
Then you could do the other side in a similar fashion.
Use common sense and be careful. Don't get under the car.
A better but more costly option, buy new tires with the new wheels and just change one wheel at a time.
The more level you can keep the car, the better.
Then you could do the other side in a similar fashion.
Use common sense and be careful. Don't get under the car.
A better but more costly option, buy new tires with the new wheels and just change one wheel at a time.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 16,860
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From: T-Town WA
2016 C6 of Year Finalist
Done.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 5,401
Likes: 52
From: Norman OK
I would not do it, Jack one wheel put a block under the tire then do another wheel till you have all four on the blocks then Jack the front put on stands then do the rear. Lots of work but much safer. The good thing about boards is you can just drive up on them then Jack the car. When you are getting the wheels and tires get four two foot long 2x10s and keep them in gargare for next time. I got the edges got at 45% just to make it easier to drive up on.
Also I would not attempt to drive up on the landscape blocks because they could slip and really damage the underside of car.
Also I would not attempt to drive up on the landscape blocks because they could slip and really damage the underside of car.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 14,108
Likes: 26
From: 4th on the list of top 100 in USA Ga.
I jack mine up all the time,I have a low profile jack and put it under the jacking point to the rear and it lifts the whole side enough to put small stands under it,no problem,if you don't like that use two jacks per side ,I do that too.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 8,514
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From: Currently somewhere in IL,IN,KY,TN,MO,AR,MS,AL, or FL
First, I would never try to jack one side and then the other. Raising the front to get your jack under is the way to do it. But if you have NOTHING that you can drive up on then here is an outside the box solution. Carefully place the jack on the frame near a front jacking puck slot. Jack until the front puck location on that side is high enough to get your jack stand under it. Lower the jack. Now the car should still be high enough in the front to get the jack under. If you still can't get under, repeat on the other side. You will never be balancing on 2 stands at a steep angle. You will always have the two rear wheels on the ground to maintain some stability.
