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I have used a low profile aluminum racing jack made by Pitttsburgh Automotive that I bought from Harbor Freight on my C5s and now my C7. It has worked very well and I can't see why it wouldn't work on a C8. I do supplement the floor jack with some good jack stands just for the added safety margin.
Yep, have 4 Harbor Freight jacks from a small light weight racing jack to a 90 lb long reach low profile jack. They work fine for the C8 using a GM specified max 2 1/2 inch OD jack pads in the oval slots on the frame.
The issue is where my prior Vettes (2 C4s, C6, 2 C7s ) had visible ridged frames where the jack stands can be used. The C8 frame members are all covered with aero panels bolted to the underside. The issue is how do you safely remove the many bolts holding the aero panels?
My method is to first jack the car and use wheel stanchions to remove the aero panel bolts (without getting under the car with just jack support.) Then can jack the car and slip jack stands under the frame sections specified by GM where aluminum plates have been welded to the thin cast aluminum Bedford frame castings.
See Pics and comparison to what I used for my C7 to say change oil. Note if just jacking to change C8 oil, wheel stands can be used under the rear ties as the drain plug is in the front of the engine so not need to have level. BUT to change the DCT filter, aero panels must be removed 1st!
To safely remove aero panel bolts can first use jack and jack pads to place front wheels on stanchions. I made mine for ~$10 but can buy an 8" high pair from Race Ramps for ~$150 or make from 2X8 lumber and plywood similar to what I did.
After removing aero panels you can lift car higher and slip jack stands under the GM specified frame members where aluminum plates have been welded to the thin cast aluminum Bedford Frame members That compares with what I could do with prior Vettes where the frame was exposed and jack stands could be placed on suitable frame members. Note I would never get under a car with jack stands supporting both ends of the car (in fact one pair of jack stands i have warns to ONLY use on one end) so I used my wheel stanchions on one end and jack stands on the other.
Thank you all for the info and pictures on the 5000TLX. Did you guys just buy the 5000TLX by itself or did you need to get any of the extra items? Also, Nextone, your C8 looks great with the body color upgrade. I like the clean look of the body color boomerangs.
You will need hydraulic fluid, which they do not provide and you'll want an air pump or air compressor. There's a canister on each one that is pressurized, to help bring the lifts back down when there's no weight on them anymore.
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Good question! Since I have recommended that product (although I use less expensive options) I checked their website. No help -so called! Not a lot of help but the young lady said they have only one for the Corvette 18M-P18. As you said they only show one pic and when I put in the # she gave me, got the pic below. Has part number and UPC and good pic. The oval slot on the C8 is the same as my C7s and C6. GM recommends a max diameter of 2.5 inches (which this fits.) The top Pin diameter is 0.5 inches which will fit in the slot and there is room for the 3/4-inch height. IF I wanted to use that appraoch I would buy that pin as it will fit and work fine. Perhaps someone who has bought can validate.
Of the many pics on jacking I have posted on this Thread here is one more re jack selection!
FWIW, I have 4 jacks. The lightest, small one is good for just removing a tire which I have done twice to have flats fixed. Where I normally always use a jack stand and could have fit my 10-inch low one under the "A" arm as I was not getting under the car and have never had my jacks (all from Harbor freight) fail in the 20 years I have had some, I didn't bother. BUT that very light jack has too small a lift to place the stanchions I fabricated in 2014 under the wheels. (I use stanchions often as I will not get under a car supported by jack stands on both ends.)
I had purchased the long arm low profile 95 lb jack from Harbor freight a few years ago. It's so heavy it DOES NOT move into the car as you lift! That is essential to keep the Jack Saddle under the jack pad or it can slip off. That is on my tiled floor in the garage so would never move on my rough cement driveway where I was often changed oil! To quote a very low Minimum height the jack saddle is almost fat! so I welded a rim on the saddle to get it ~5/8 inches high. That is a 1-inch-high jack pad in the pic below. The rim will help pull the jack into the car as you lift. Bottom Line: My 15-inch-long jack arm jack is lighter, cheaper and lifts high enough to put 8+" high stanchions under the wheels if needed!
My other questions now with these 2 jacks ordered, what is the safest way to lift the car. I need to be able to work with 2 wheels off, in other words should I place the jacks 2 on one side - left and then move to the right once I am done (If so does it matter if I raise the front or rear based on the weight ratio of the car) or should I do 2 jacks in the front then when I'm done 2 jacks in the rear.
Sorry for all the questions, I hear a lot of nightmare stories so I want to make sure I do this in a safe way.
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As long as you use the Reenstands you bought, either will work fine. Here is a pic of now I added side skits jacking up one side at a time and splitter where I jacked up the front only. Note in both cases I used my home made, wood wheel stanchions.
As long as you are using the Reenstand jack pads in the GM lift slots you'll be fine.
Yep, even a drive on lift is not the answer to getting the wheels off! Have to spend another ~$1000 for QuickJack or whatever this cross bace costs that uses the GM side lift slots. But for some tasks, my ~$15 home made wheel stanchions provided the room needed along the rocker panel sides to drill holes for side skirts. The weight ~10 lbs and store stacked on a shelf. Yep one 12 foot long 2X8 and some plywood is all that's needed to fabricate.
Even used them when changing to low dust brake pads by placing under the lower "A" arms! There is a safe way!
Just some other lower cost options! Too Each Their Own!
On page 9 & 10 are pics/long captions on how I built them. You can use a 12-foot long 2X8 and plywood to make even higher than mine.
The is a 4-page Appendix that shows the calculated safety factor! Made that after several folks expressed concern about the strength. Thought I would have to go back to basic structural design, but the Net has all the data needed including flexure data for wood (BTW, flexure is often the criteria for beam size in a steel bridge not just strength. One reason high strength steel is not used for some bridges.) Also found the holding force of 4-inch screws in pine! You'll see the safety factor is over 4;1! That is more that the bridge you go over every day! Yep, wood is darn strong!
Race Ramps sells stanchions for >$150 a pair and their safety factor is probably less! I have fiberglass 12-inch-high stanchions I used when building my street rod as spent >1000 hrs constructing and many on my creeper fabricating exhaust, running fuel and electrical lines, etc etc. However, they are so high it took a two-step jacking process to use them. Higher isn't always better. Mine have worked find to get my C7's level for changing oil.
Anyone using a good floor jack on their C8 that also has some kind of locking mechanism to eliminate the need for jack stands? I am just looking for something to occasionally take the rims off my C8 one at a time to clean the inside and ceramic coat them yearly. Also, just got my Trident 5 spokes put on by the dealer and they torqued them to 100 lb /ft. My understanding is it should be 140 correct?
... it's just a prototype - but we're building one with 4" more chassis length to accommodate the locking mechanism behind the lifting arm ... so, you don't have to put your hand through the lifting arm :
Never use a floor jack without some kind of additional support-- a jack stand.
I use the Harbor Freight double piston low profile floor jacks.
The aluminum ones are much lighter but more expensive. The steel one work well.
I use hockey pucks with an eye bolt as lifting pucks.
I use the Jack Point jack stands because of the limited number of lifting hard points on a C8.
They work well.
