Decode the C7 Owners Manual - The Lift
 

GM has done a less than mediocre job on the Corvette Users Manual for 2014,15 & 16. To add to the confusion in one specific area (Lifting or Jacking the vehicle).

To add to the puzzle of "where the lift points are" when raising your C7 vehicle to i.e. change tires, repair tires, change oil etc., GM has three sources of information: 1) The C7 Owners Manual, 2) The 2014 Maintenance Manual (4 volume set, thousands of pages, about 20 lbs) available for about $300 USD, and has not been updated since 2014. and 3) The Online version of the C7 Maintenance Manuals (constantly updated and free for the use of GM Dealer Service Staff only.

In the 2016 owners manual the lift information is on pages 214 - 216. It is produced in Black and White and this is what you get:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...452022b9bd.png
Note, there is no legend or key as to the lifting locations.

Thanks to JerryU, this is an example of what if available from the 2014 maintenance manual: JerryU has added color to the key to make it more understandable, (and I flipped his diagram, so that all the diagrams have the same orientation (Front is on the Right)

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...18490f99a2.jpg

Even with the color added to the diagram taken from the 2014 maintenance manual, I felt that it was not a clear depiction of what one would see if they flipped over there C7. So having the illustrative background, I created this:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...6175449834.png

This locates the 4 potential cross-member lift locations and the 4 puck locations (tiny) below the Driver and Passenger doors. This in my opinion is the level of graphic or diagram that GM should attain if they want to communicate with there customers.

Exact lifting locations to follow, with thanks to JerryU for his input.

Nicely done. Thanks. I saved a copy of this and will print one for the garage.

That's awesome, as a relative noob to this sort of stuff I've been having fun doing it, but it'll be nice to have a clear set of drawings that illustrate this. Excellent work! :thumbs:

I'm going to guess you have not purchased a BMW before. :D

I used to think the Corvette manuals were bad, then I got a 2016 BMW. There are no aftermarket manuals for my BMW, and the factory owners manual doesn't even list oil capacity or anything else with regards to fluid changes. The idea apparently is to just take it in and never worry about these minor details. As for lifting the BMW they provide only a B&W profile image that shows the lifting points (and don't even mention that you should use pucks, or you will destroy the puck receptacles on the car).

These days, I think technical writers are overwhelmed and under-staffed to get more than what they are told added to the manuals, then many manufacturers start stripping things out that we, the consumer do not need, in their opinion.

I'm just glad we have the option to be able to buy real service manuals for the Corvettes, and that many helpful members that are part of the community are willing to share detailed information from their experiences. :cheers:

Excellent, thanks for posting. I have both of these printed and in my garage... I've not had a chance or need to get under it yet, I only just got my permanent plates today.

I have a question... are you saying that anywhere on these cross members is acceptable for the jack lift point or do we need to use a spreader to hit the areas near the ends as I read in another thread?

I am still planning my strategy and tool buys. I know my Rhino ramps won't work, nor will my ancient Craftsman floor jack that sits high. And I have access to only one side of the car in my "car closet" so the puck locations won't be that useful. Interesting tho, I had no idea before I bought the car and read the forum (maybe should have done that the other way around!). Looks like Race Ramps and a low lift floor jack are in my future.

If you can see under your C7 you must have a very narrow head. I found that more space was required to see generally, and to locate the final jack location.

So the second way to raise the vehicle is with ramps. Some work for one end of the vehicle (up) at a time. While other lower profile ramps (DIY variety) that raise the vehicle approximately 3” allow you to see under the C7, and to position the floor jack, or floor jack + Cross Beam Adapters with precision. 3/4” plywood, or MDF cut in varying lengths, 12” to 14” wide, with a chock or stop at the end is a safe option. On a level floor, with parking break on, Automatic in Park, or Standard in gear.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...6c86534e99.png

I have removed a good deal of detail from the C7 underside drawing to focus on the cross-members. The underside is mostly gray and black so use the four straps (and where they end) to locate yourself initially.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f8add265b0.png

I asked JerryU once I had finished the C7 underside drawing to locate the lift points, as he has invested a great deal of time and energy on this topic. The following are his locations:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f7a7f8a0de.png

The following are his notes to these locations:
1) the cross-member shown in yellow is the only one that can be lifted from its center.

My Note: the puck locations are for a 4 point lift (the pucks protecting the fibreglass) or for single use, to take one tire off (not to lift 3 wheels of the ground which is possible if you go high enough)

Yeah, looks like the most practical way to lift is to drive up on ramps to get visulaization and clearance for the jack. The problem will come if you want both ends up at the same time. How to lift the rear once the front is on the wheel cradles?? Oh well, I have a while to figure this one out. I stil lhave my dealer 500 mile oil change to come and it's winter so won't be ready for another until the fall earliest.

Gotta say, coming from a lowered Camaro I didn't expect this to be so much of a PITA, but it is going to be for sure.

I jack at the puck location, then put jack stands under the crossmember locations. Once you jack it up from the sides it's easy to see the crossmembers. I do use two jacks to jack up both sides at once (having a helper is handy), but you could probably do one side at a time.

Glad I got the lo pro version Bendpack.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...c807c56e99.jpg

See Martha ........... I told you Corvettes can rust ........... :willy:

I was advised by the vendor (RPI) of the leave-in plastic pucks NOT to use them for floor jacking to any significant height. They are intended for a 4 point lift where the car stays flat. The danger of the plastic pucks for a floor jack is two-fold. One is that they could split/crack if the jack face is not rubberized, but the second far worse is that the plastic clip that locks in the frame slot could shear off and fall off the jack as the puck wants to 'slide' along the frame surface when at a high lift angle...

So for my floor jack I use a billet aluminum puck with a metal T-stem that locks in the frame slot. This is plenty secure to raise one side high enough for oil changes and wheel swaps.

I keep the plastic snap in pucks in a bag in the rear compartment in case I need a dealer visit. But based on the vendors advise I won't use them for floor jacking.

^^^ That's just lovely. What the heck do they think most of us bought them for ? Be nice if they'd mention that in their listing.

I use Reverse Logic pucks. I have no concerns about them splitting.

But I'm not sure that using a floor jack puts any more load on the plastic pucks than does a 4 point lift.

Thanks for the clarification. This should help a lot of owners.

I use standard black hockey pucks (Made in Canada) If they were good enough for Number 4, Bobby Orr, there good enough for my C7.

Split and shatter proof for my life, and then some!

3" works fine
 

I can easily get four, 3" high plywood ramps (made from 4 stacked and glued sheets of 3/4" plywood, 12 to 14" wide and approximately 2 feet in length (and shorter to develop the ramp).

The Stop Chocks are on the front two mini ramps that sit in front of the front tires, and the other two ramps slip easily in front of the rear two tires... Then drive on and add the parking break and put transmission in park or in gear.

And Now you can get your head under the vehicle and see what you must be under, and line up with... there should even be enough room for a "cross beam adapter" so you can lift from the two points on either side of yours Cross Member, lift from the middle of your cross beam adapter, up and up until you are able to place the two jack stands on and under the two raised puck locations (lower and let the jack stands take the weight.

Then go to the front end of the vehicle and do the same procedure that you just completed on the rear. And lift and pivot off the back two pucks and stands while lifting the front. Note that the jack will want to travel away from the existing rear jack stands as it goes through its lifting arc. Make sure the cement is free of stones and the jack wheels are free to travel. Once at height insert the last two jack stands in position, lower to carry the weight... and your done

The Jack Stands I use:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...c97cba59b7.jpg

Forgive me, as I'm kinda new to all of this... but I'll be taking delivery of my first vette within the next coupe months. It will be a 2016 C7 Z51 coupe. I will not be performing my own oil changes or lifting/jacking up my car myself for any reason whatsoever. I've seen lots of forum conversation in regards to lifting and using jacking pucks, however I am still a bit confused on a few points.

What exactly do jacking pucks do and why are they necessary? Also, why do customers have to learn about the significance of them on our own if they are indeed necessary, rather than GM or the dealership advising us to purchase/use them? From what I am led to believe so far, if I do not have jacking pucks on my C7 and I decide to take it to the dealership for my 500 mile oil change or any other type of service, will damage potentially occur?

Not sure if it makes any difference, but I plan on fully lowering my C7 on stock bolts and installing the Z06 stage 1 front splitter as well as side skirts...

Would I need to consider purchasing these jacking pucks?

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...cde604973.jpeg

This is the underside of a c7. Although the lifts in this picture are in weird positions, you can see how the blue rocker panel wraps under the car. A jack puck installs in the holes you see on the right side in the picture and prevents a standard lift from contacting the rocker and potentially cracking it. Some lifts have a pin that goes into the hole on the frame, some just have pads, like a lot of two post lifts you'd find at any servicer, or a home low profile jack.

Buying jack pucks is cheap insurance in case you bring it somewhere that doesn't have them, you can provide them, or buy the leave in pucks. I bought the aluminum type you install and forget about them. You can just get the less expensive ones that work well too. If your dealership is competent you shouldn't have to worry about it, but like I said, it's cheap insurance.

Thanks Pelicans... yeah I used the old wood stack idea for my 4th gen Camaro before I got Rhino Ramps that worked on the front (barely). But on that car the rear was so simple, just put the floor jack cradle on the pumpkin and go.

Another part of my problem is my tiny one car garage doesn't afford access to both sides at the same time to jack at the pucks. So I am liking the idea of Race Ramps in front and some wood stacks in back to get the car up high enough on both ends to jack, then once raised I can get to all the puck positions for stands. But for an oil change no need for rear stands, just use the jack to level the rear for better drainage.

The lowness I can deal with easier than the fact that our Vettes are apparently such delicate flowers.

Yes they can you just don't see it:rofl: