Alex Annapolis

hello! Thanks for taking the time, so when I bought the car at 29,000 miles it was rattle free and like brand-new
now (38k) pulling out of the driveway and driving up my pot hole riddled old street the dashboard makes a ton of noise creaking and possibly the hatch as well.
could this shift from tight to loose be from lifting the car using pucks instead of the method recommended in the manual?
Thanks

User Omega

Simple answer is no.

The pucks are more to protect the fenders and rockers than anything. They also help keep the jack from sliding where you don't want it.

ErnieN85

yes, but my frame is dimpled even with the pucks

ruxvette

Wow. Steel frame. Puck dimpled? Hmmm, better check the suspension mounts for dimpling, the motor mounts for sagging, etc.

Ok, c'mon, the puck contact area is a very small opening in the rockers. And you can see dimpling of the frame?

brimee

Think it might be from;

Kenny94945

FWIW I too have seen the puck insert areas of the steel frames dented/ "dimpled".

I surmise the weight of the car on the "head" of the jack point dents this area even if pucks are used, if the pucks are of a certain diameter.

HOXXOH

Mine are "dimpled" too, and it's why I made my own pucks. They got that way between a couple dealers doing warranty work, a couple of oil changes during road trips and some tire changes. I suspected that when places are looking for the lift locations, they just grab any chunk of material or use an extender of a small diameter.

My pucks are machined from 3" diameter 6061-T6 aluminum bar 3/4" thick with a recess for a smaller jack and a slot for jackstands.

CadVette

On one pair of jackstands I use the U shaped part of the jackstand goes around the outside of the puck and almost touches the frame. I wonder if that what happened to you. I use a different jackstand now. Up front my pucks won't clear rocker skids I had installed. I made pucks out of 2X4's for upfront. They ended up being the shape of a Chevy bowtie by accident.

Alex Annapolis

So my concern is the location of the jacking points - GM recommends picking up the car from a spot closer to the center of the car / transmission area- theres no mention of lifting the car by the rocker arms- the slots are there for when they transport the cars from what I understand
its just much easier to use the pucks but i wonder if its possible lifting the car that way could bend something- resulting in doors that dont close as nicely or making the dash shift etc.

CadVette

The puck locations are the recommended jacking points as well as specific jacking location near the suspension cradles. I think the points are noted in your owners manual. Where the pucks go can also be used to attack a hook to secure the car for transport. The wishbone suspension A arms should never be used for lifting as they are forged aluminum pieces and can cause the car to slip on stands because they are not level to the bottom of the car. The jacking points are closer to the center of the car so they are ideal locations to lift at. Don't worry about these jacking points causing issues with the doors or the dash. Yes it can be a problem in older C3's but the frame is so stiff on the C6 you don't need to worry about it.

ErnieN85

you won't change the frame (bend it) jacking there
I even cut a slot at the front seat cross over and jack one side there (both wheels then place jack stands under the pucks. just don't try to extend the stands all the way on one side. First go low then the other side. then the first side higher & so on

irok

are you using the GM jacking pucks?you would think the GM pucks would have been designed to prevent damage

cmonkey713

I have been using hockey pucks with eye screws for ten years with no damage. I wonder if the OP is using a small diameter solid puck with no cushion against the frame?

buckmeister2

I had an '04 2500HD 4x4 that was meant for seriously hard use, and it developed rattles after a few years on unpaved roads.

If you subject any vehicles with wheels to a lot of rough-road driving, it will develop rattles....

buckmeister2

the pucks are IN the slots...that is the recommended location.

Corvette_Ed

Your "pot hole riddled old street" is what is causing your problems, not jacking pucks. And no, the pucks aren't damaging the frame or the car in any way. I've been using pucks on my Vettes for over four years with no issue.

Alex Annapolis

OK I regret mentioning the street given I drive 15 miles an hour ... what I meant to say was at slow speed's I would hear things rattling from (minor) bumps that I didn't before
also the pucks did not dimple the rocker I was strictly concerned about the overall frame - trying to keep the structure as rigid as possible - I just wasn't sure if picking up the car in different ways would possibly allow something to flex and/ or bend
as far as the car goes- the rattle isnt too bad, I will just turn the radio up a bit
thanks for the help! I will continue using the pucks and not sweat the details on this one!

buckmeister2

Thank you for the clarifications, Alex. You may well be experiencing various noises which are documented on the FAQ pages, and which are easily fixed.

A rattle in the rear, particularly the right rear, can be an axle nut that is loose. Or, it can be items you put into the small storage compartments, which have started to rattle. Or, it could be loose shock absorbers, or worn end links. My car was plagued with such noises in the rear, which turned out to be the axle nuts and end links. Very easy, and cheap, fixes.

Other noises could be your targa top, which can rattle in several different places, and the sound can appear to have several origination points. Loose front shocks or worn front end links are also common noise causes. There are a few more common ones, and they can all be found by doing specific searches, and viewing the FAQ pages.

Your road has most certainly contributed to some noises, no matter how slowly you drive over it.

Good luck!

Jim