Trolley jack points

[fla 9]

Chaps,

 

Just jacked the car up from the normal front jacking point only to find that the long channel wanted to bend outwards slightly. Brought the car down and used a piece of wood on top of the jack seat, but this wanted to press in underside of the floor. Whats the best best to use for placing on top of the trolley jack before lifting? Ideally something with the same slot-type profile as the scissor jack supplied.

 

Thanks and hope everyone is enjoying the slightly cooler weather.

[biggerbigneil 0]

I wouldn't use the trolley jack on the same area as the jack in the boot if I were you!!!

You need to use it on either the rear axle area or closer to the inside at the front - I don't know how to describe it but you can see what is strong if you look under the car.

 

If you wack it anywhere it'll go through the chassis

 

The front cross member is strong place put you probably have to take off your front splitter

[Chris VR6nos 0]

Don't take the splitter off, just drive onto a piece of wood under each front wheel.

 

biggerbigneil, if you look at me could you tell if i was strong? :lol:

 

 

 

Chris

[fla 9]

just drive onto a piece of wood under each front wheel.

 

Now why didnt I think of that. Thanks chaps. Will have a go this weekend - somewhere below the front engine mount should be tough enough i guess? Plus it will keep the weight nicely balanced so i can get the axle stands under it more easily.

[daves16v 1]

I wouldn't use the trolley jack on the same area as the jack in the boot if I were you!!!

 

Take your car to a garage and they will lift it using the jacking points

[RW1 0]

Jack up on the back half of the either of the two rear engine subframe mounting points where they meet the body, not the half that hangs forward away from the body. Axle stand and a 2 inch block of wood outside of the lip at the car's jacking point dimple for safety.

[Chris VR6nos 0]

For god's sake don't jack it up on the skinny box section that supports the front engine mount, i just think it'll bend man!

 

 

Chris

[fla 9]

RW1, not quite sure where you're referring too, maybe thats just me. Any pics for reference? I've got a basic trolley jack from Argos so its not too long to go right up to the middle of the chassis. Basically, any pointers for lifting either the front or rear of the car, as well as each side. Currently using thick chipboard planks to give some ground clearance before fiddling under the car, but of course not ideal when you need more space!

 

Many thanks

[RW1 0]

OK, two photos, front subframe rear mounting point, axle stand on the rear half under the body.

 

Second is the rear axle beam near the outside behinf the wheel. On the rear nearside behind the wheel make sure you avoid the brake compensator tucked inside the forword part of the axle beam.

[fla 9]

RW1, perfect as usual.

Just one step back, where would you suggest teh trolley jack goes to raise the car in teh first place, again for each of front, back and side lifting?

Thanks.

[RW1 0]

At the front I use a trolley jack with a small block of good solid wood which is deeper than the body lip at the jacking point. About 1 inch width and 3 inches long, ie 1inch x 1 inch by 3 inches long . The wood is raised to the inside of the lip on the sill before jacking up.

 

At the rear, there is an flat area inboard of the jacking dimple, in front of the mounting point for the rear axle bushes. Use this flat area with a block of wood 3 or 4 inches square.

 

Know your trolley jack is short but the best points to lift are those shown in the pictures where the axle stands are. And axle stands for safety go at the points described above for the jack. The axle stands don't need to take the full weight in the body sill area, just needs to be in contact just in case the jack does funnies.

[fla 9]

At the front I use a trolley jack with a small block of good solid wood which is deeper than the body lip at the jacking point. About 1 inch width and 3 inches long, ie 1inch x 1 inch by 3 inches long . The wood is raised to the inside of the lip on the sill before jacking up.

 

Wouldnt this run the risk of the block going through the floor? Sorry to make a meal of this, i'm sure its very simple. I havent got round to making any ramp extensions so i can simply drive the car up them, so i make do with some planks I can drive onto for clearance, which doesnt give a lot of room. Just bought a bottle jack from Lidl for a fiver so this will get some use too - as long as i know where to site it. RW1, what do you think of the suggestion to jack the front up from the cross-member (ref biggerbigneil, )?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Those axle stand points are wrong in the pics.

 

For a start you don't want to be jacking on the rear axle! Use the ear shaped brackets where the bushes bolt through instead. They're rigidly attached to the thickest part of the floor at the rear, as opposed to squashing the bushes in an unnatural way.

 

At the front, the jack points are large flat areas with holes in the middle, which is just in front of the ARB curve in that pic.

 

I agree with the wood though, but firm rubber blocks are better, which is how they jack em up in the dealer.....a rubber block on the sills (where the pointers are) and up she goes...... quick and easy...

[Madjackal 0]

Did anyone else have trouble following all that "back half of the rear front end" stuff. This is something I could use some clarification on as I too have a trolley jack and bent my jack points. Ooo er

[RW1 0]

Hi,

 

Take a look at the two photos in relation to your C. Where the axle stands are is the points being refered to for the trolley jack lift point. The front is a plate with two bolts, jack over the rear bolt area where the axle stand is contacting.

At the rear axle, keep it tucked in where the rear torsion arm meets the cross beam but watch where to put it on the passenger side as the brake compensator is tucked in there (easily visible).

Kev indicated equally good lift points in his note.

[Madjackal 0]

Cheers!

[lukeage 0]

At the front, the jack points are large flat areas with holes in the middle, which is just in front of the ARB curve in that pic..

 

Kev & all - do you mean the area which i have highlighted with the yellow circle.

 

And jack the car up with a rubber block running parallel to the sill.

[billinjah 0]

no i think they mean to the right og the stand,

im glad i found this i hate jacking the c up and i can see on mine where there is damage from previous owners ineptitude! i use wooden blocks atm but i like the rubber idea ill try and get some good thick rubber today.

[lukeage 0]

I am with you there i have cut out some wooden blocks to fit the cup of the trolley jack and my axel stands - and i think i have found some sturdy points but still heard a creak which was enought for me to bail out and bring it back down again.

 

I am sure i am being a bit of pussy about this - but i just don't want to do any damage to myself or the car.

 

I would love a drive over pit - thats another one for my lottery list.

[bix 0]

lottery list? get digging!

[RW1 0]

do you mean the area which i have highlighted with the yellow circle.

 

The problem that arises with the yellow circled area is that the under body is covered in a rubbery thick layer of sealing compund with sprayed paint on top of that. It will get damaged by lifting it there due to the weight of the car. If stressed, the rubbery seal just tears and water gets in behind and the unprotected metal rusts immediately.

 

That's why the axle stand is where it is on the metal plate but still under the body. The other end of this plate has air above it (forward end) so the load transfers backwards to the body and causes a turning moment in the plate to transfer the load, ie. distorts the plate upwards. In practice the plate is thick enough but it's better to directly transfer the load into the body.

 

.

[lukeage 0]

think i am getting somewhere now - so i should jack onto the area with the two blots as in your original pic (position tolley jack crown around the bolt nearest to the rear of the car) - where would then be the best place to mount the car onto an axle after that?

[RW1 0]

Ahh, to do that I use the hydaulic jack at the jacking point on the sill just behind the body lip with a soft wood block (there's a flat small area 5cm x 5cm and then put the axle stand where shown. It's not ideal there but it keeps the jack out of the way of putting the axle stand as shown onto the plate.

 

Point is anywhere on the underbody is covered in the rubbery seal (like a skin) and the engine subframe at the front of the car is not ideal for lifting as you are jacking the car through its subframe bushes onto the body.

 

.

[lukeage 0]

Ahh, to do that I use the hydaulic jack at the jacking point on the sill just behind the body lip with a soft wood block (there's a flat small area 5cm x 5cm and then put the axle stand where shown. It's not ideal there but it keeps the jack out of the way of putting the axle stand as shown onto the plate.

.

 

Same as the area in the pic?

 

I used this point but as was posted earlier it left an indentation even when using both a rubber block or wood (i heard a loud creak which was enough to put me off)

[RW1 0]

Flip the yellow square over the body lip towards the exhaust and further towards the back of the car so that the dimple in the photo is central to the yellow square. I use a bit of 1.5 ins by 1 ins by 2 inches long. The area isn't exactly mirror flat but the block sits reasonably.

 

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