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Proper jacking question

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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 01:04 PM
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Default Proper jacking question

I've read the owners Manual and seen several post here on the proper locations to jack the car, but I'm still not certain the best location to jack if I want to raise the entire front end of the car?

Side front frame rails, on both sides, or cradle in the middle front behind front wheels? It wouldn't seem safe to me to jack one side, place a jack stand and then go to the other side and so the same thing. Help is appreciated.

I have jacking pucks, floor jack and jack stands. Want to get the front end up off the ground 6 or more inches to install front splitter.

Thank you.....
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Feb 5, 2016, 03:29 PM
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A forum member made this more specific diagram for the c7:


Old Feb 5, 2016 | 01:15 PM
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I just jack one side at a time and place stands. I'm not sure how else you would do it with a floor jack. I've never had an uneasy feeling about having it up on one stand, or moving around it to jack the other side up if I wanted it up on two.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 01:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Rooster OG
I just jack one side at a time and place stands. I'm not sure how else you would do it with a floor jack. I've never had an uneasy feeling about having it up on one stand, or moving around it to jack the other side up if I wanted it up on two.
Rooster, thanks..... I guess I felt it would not be safe to jack one side, then go do the other as the weigh would shift and I was concerned that the first jack stand might move.

Where do you place the jack stands if lifting the front and jacking from the side rails?
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 01:33 PM
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This is how I do it.

Lift the Vette from front or rear, and place jack stands on the rail locations. The Z06 is low and will prevent for the jack to slide under it. I build a low cost ramp with two planks, and that give me enough clearance to slide the jack under the front end.


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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 02:04 PM
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Originally Posted by PLRX





This is how I do it.

Lift the Vette from front or rear, and place jack stands on the rail locations. The Z06 is low and will prevent for the jack to slide under it. I build a low cost ramp with two planks, and that give me enough clearance to slide the jack under the front end.


Thank you..... When you lift the car from the front, do you put the floor jack in the center of the front cross member, or to you put the jack on the highlighted spots (blue circles) shown on the sketch above?

Last edited by Strake; Feb 5, 2016 at 02:06 PM.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 02:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Rooster OG
I just jack one side at a time and place stands. I'm not sure how else you would do it with a floor jack. I've never had an uneasy feeling about having it up on one stand, or moving around it to jack the other side up if I wanted it up on two.


It won't be any different than the C5 or C6. Jack on one side using the slots in the front part of the frame and get the wheel off the ground. Place your jackstand under the cradle where the front of the lower control arm is mounted. Lower the jack and move over to the other side and repeat. Easily done and meets all of GM's requirements without all the BS others have invented or implemented. Changing tires is easy. Just jack using the slots at the front of the frame and lift the car until both wheels are off the ground on that side and change them out. Not quite as quick as NASCAR since you don't have the fancy lug studs or nuts but not too bad.

If you want to put the whole car on jackstands then jack on the side, get both wheels off the ground place jackstands in front and rear under the LCA mounting points on the cradles and move to the other side. The car frame is strong enough you can jack the car on one corner and get three wheels off the ground, stick one jack stand in the correct place and height and have the car sitting on only one jackstand with 3 wheels off the ground. I wouldn't recommend getting underneath it that way but sometimes that lets you make a quick check to see if you need to go further.

Bill
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Strake
Thank you..... When you lift the car from the front, do you put the floor jack in the center of the front cross member, or to you put the jack on the highlighted spots (blue circles) shown on the sketch above?
Originally Posted by Bill Dearborn


It won't be any different than the C5 or C6.
Bill
Big difference in the C7 from the C6!! The C7 has "hollow aluminum casting front and rear cradles (to save weight over the C6)" and GM warns only to lift where they say! I made the pic with the colors from the 2014 Service Manual. You can lift where you wish but risk cracking the hollow castings.
I repeated the picture below. Those dimensions are for the Cross Brace I fabricated. You are only supposed to lift from the center of the rear most front cross member-not my words, GM's!
First, no need to jack up very far for a splitter install. Since you have only one jack (I use 2) and you're concerned about jacking the other side after putting in one jack stand on an appropriate GM spot, then do it in two steps! Jack up from one side 1/2 way putting a jack pad in a shipping slots (blue circles,) install the jack stand then do the other side lifting fully, install that jack stand. Then go back to the first side and lift it so both jack stands are even. Depends how safe you want to be, I favor max safety!




GM Suggested Lifting Locations from 2104 Service Manual, I Colored for Clarity.

Last edited by JerryU; Feb 5, 2016 at 03:24 PM.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 03:29 PM
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A forum member made this more specific diagram for the c7:


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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 03:42 PM
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Thank you everyone for the replies, and great detail. Just want I was hoping to hear. I should be all set going forward.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 03:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Rooster OG
A forum member made this more specific diagram for the c7:


Yep, he had contacted me. Pic is better just needs Symbols and Colors defined, which I believe he did!

Last edited by JerryU; Feb 5, 2016 at 03:52 PM.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 03:51 PM
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You need more jacks...
I jack up both sides evenly, then put a third jack in the correct spot on the cradle in the center (front or rear)

You can install a splitter without getting the car off the ground if you have a drill that will go under the car...
The main problem is being able to drill the extra holes.

Mine was a little more difficult since I used factory bumper cover screws instead of the rivets that come with most splitters.
Which splitter are you trying to install?

GM Stage 1, or aftermarket?

Last edited by TEXHAWK0; Feb 5, 2016 at 03:52 PM.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 04:20 PM
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One of the vendors at Barrett Jackson had a C7 on it's side that exposed the jack points. At both the right side front and rear #3 frame jacking locations seen above (which is where the factory also carries the cars through the build process), the fiberglass rocker panels were broken around that point because someone used a floor jack which has a larger pad area. I just ordered the jacking pucks that pop into the factory frame jack points that stay on the car. I'll use them when lifting it on my two post Bendpak lift.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted by TEXHAWK0
You need more jacks...
I jack up both sides evenly, then put a third jack in the correct spot on the cradle in the center (front or rear)

You can install a splitter without getting the car off the ground if you have a drill that will go under the car...
The main problem is being able to drill the extra holes.

Mine was a little more difficult since I used factory bumper cover screws instead of the rivets that come with most splitters.
Which splitter are you trying to install?

GM Stage 1, or aftermarket?
I find a jack on either side is the easiest as well! In this case two jack stands on the GM preferred or optional locations are sufficient.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 07:48 PM
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Another option for you is to get a set of race ramps. They would give you plenty of room to put on a splitter. No guess work, just drive up on them and park.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 09:38 PM
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Originally Posted by TEXHAWK0
You need more jacks...
I jack up both sides evenly, then put a third jack in the correct spot on the cradle in the center (front or rear)

You can install a splitter without getting the car off the ground if you have a drill that will go under the car...
The main problem is being able to drill the extra holes.

Mine was a little more difficult since I used factory bumper cover screws instead of the rivets that come with most splitters.
Which splitter are you trying to install?

GM Stage 1, or aftermarket?
It's a C7 Carbon front splitter and side skirts.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 09:41 PM
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Originally Posted by -HAIRBALL-
Another option for you is to get a set of race ramps. They would give you plenty of room to put on a splitter. No guess work, just drive up on them and park.
Thanks...... I was also figuring I would use it for other things too. Would like to pull the wheels occasionally to clean the barrels of the wheels.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 10:21 PM
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Not sure how much you want to spend or what your space requirements are but here is another option. I just park over it so its not really in the way and when I need to lift the car, put on the pucks and hit the button.

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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 10:30 PM
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I just recently put on the z06 grille and stg 1 spoiler without jacking it up. Rolled up on a 2x6 under each front wheel. Coulda used maybe a inch or so more to be more comfortable but it worked

Last edited by 16LBCOUPE; Feb 5, 2016 at 10:31 PM.
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 10:31 PM
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Originally Posted by -HAIRBALL-
Not sure how much you want to spend or what your space requirements are but here is another option. I just park over it so its not really in the way and when I need to lift the car, put on the pucks and hit the button.

What lift is that?
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Old Feb 5, 2016 | 10:34 PM
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LR-60P

http://www.bendpak.com/car-lifts/spe...ts/lr-60p.aspx
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