Serial 0 Posted November 28, 2007 Hi all, I'm gonna have a bash at fixing my coolant leak at the weekend, so I just popped to Halfords and bought a bottle jack and a pair of axle stands. Just a couple of questions: the axle stands say you can't jack up one side of the car, stick the stand under, then jack up the other side and stick the other stand under... is that just over cautious safety advice or is there a real risk of the car sliding off the stands sideways? It suggests jacking the car up in the middle of the axle -- what's the best place to do this on a Corrado? ('93 VR6) I want to jack the front up, obviously... Also my coolant leak is slow, I can drive around for quite a few miles before having to top up the header tank -- I take it the temperature gauge is a pretty reliable indicator of the temperature of the block, so if I see it shoot up suddenly, obviously I'll stop.. but I've heard of some cars where the temp gauge actually measures the coolant temperature rather a long way from the block, so when you run out of coolant the indicated temperature actually drops (because there's no hot coolant near it)... I take it the Corrado is better designed than this? :) It's just I have to use my car for short journeys and don't really wanna seize the engine (duh) Thanks! Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted November 28, 2007 If i need both front sides jacked up i always jack one side up, stick an axle stand under it then do the other side. When jacking up the other side you can have the car tilting more on the axle stand side and car should be fine, as long as its not ridiculously tilted - though you wouldnt really want it any higher then the side youve already done. As for the jacking it up in the centre id imagine that also should be fine as long as youre on a flat surface and its jacked dead centre. Though personally id go for the side at a time option. (oh and that was with a trolley jack, dont the bottle jacks have a smaller support surface, if they then id def go with the a side at a time option) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted November 28, 2007 i was thinking about this lastnight, if we could get a corrado floorplan and highlight the safe places to put jacks/axle stands. had mine fall over not long ago Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted November 28, 2007 There's a cross member (correct name?) that goes the width of the car the wish bones on either side are connected to. I put stand it on that. Did it fall over with the wheels still on? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted November 28, 2007 I'm afraid i think you might struggle to get a bottle jack under the Corrado dude! Might be worth taking it back and swapping for the 2 tonne they do - the one in the box is useful! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Serial 0 Posted November 28, 2007 I'm afraid i think you might struggle to get a bottle jack under the Corrado dude! Might be worth taking it back and swapping for the 2 tonne they do - the one in the box is useful! Hmm you have a good point there, mine's lowered as well... I'll see if it fits tomorrow and take it back if it doesn't. Which one do you recommend, just a standard scissor/screw jack? Not sure I can stretch to a trolley jack... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtytorque 0 Posted November 28, 2007 I'm afraid i think you might struggle to get a bottle jack under the Corrado dude! Might be worth taking it back and swapping for the 2 tonne they do - the one in the box is useful! Hmm you have a good point there, mine's lowered as well... I'll see if it fits tomorrow and take it back if it doesn't. Which one do you recommend, just a standard scissor/screw jack? Not sure I can stretch to a trolley jack... they're a good investment if you plan to start doing stuff on your car. Might be worth the pain of the initial outlay.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanVW 0 Posted November 28, 2007 Give Machine Mart a try they where doing a trolly jack and stands (2 tonne) for about £20 :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted November 29, 2007 There's a cross member (correct name?) that goes the width of the car the wish bones on either side are connected to. I put stand it on that. Did it fall over with the wheels still on? mine fell side ways off a stand as i jacked the other side up (with the jack from boot of car) ooops, learnt my lesson :lol: i had put an axle stand next to rear bumper to slide under car and it fell on that, so the side of rear bumper was holding car up :! bumper crumpled up to less than half the height it should be, but luckily just pinged back and the only paint missing is underneath on bottom edge Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted November 29, 2007 Trolley jacks are cheap from Argos too, they're doing one for £18 now .. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Serial 0 Posted November 29, 2007 This one looks good to me: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/ctj2l-2-tonne-long-diy-trolley-jack Minimum height of 125mm as opposed to 14cm for the Halfords equivalent... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanVW 0 Posted November 29, 2007 Nope :D this is the one you want: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... ack-stands They also do a very low one for getting under lowered cars although its £70 I am going to get one at some point as I would love to be able to jack on the suspension rather than the sill both sides now have flat spots and I dont like it :-( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted November 29, 2007 why did you jack on the sill? :! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted November 29, 2007 i use the scissor jack just to get the car up high enough to get the trolley jack under the car. Though one of those low trolley jacks seem like a good idea Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted November 29, 2007 Thats ok but really the scissor jacks are really 'emergency only' and not really built to be used very often at all... Never ever get anywhere near underneath a car with one as they can explode / fall over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gogsboy 0 Posted November 30, 2007 Seen a professional looking trolley jack in Costo the other night for what seemed to be a good price for those whith cards Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanVW 0 Posted November 30, 2007 why did you jack on the sill? :! Because my car is too low to jack anywhere else :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fla 9 Posted November 30, 2007 why did you jack on the sill? :! Because my car is too low to jack anywhere else :( If the car is heavily lowered, drive onto some thick planks to raise the height sufficiently to get the trolley jack underneath. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted November 30, 2007 Machine mart have a specal light weight alloy slimline trolley jack, think it's about £70. Should get under most coilovered cars. Don't use the Scissor jack. I've learned that repeated use of that not only warps and wears out the jack, it also starts folding the sill lip over too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
plateletboy 0 Posted November 30, 2007 Yeah i've seen that nice low entry aluminium jack from machine mart...... However, its only rated to 1 1/4 ton, so would really be on the edge with the fat ol' VR6 front end. pb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davidwort 0 Posted November 30, 2007 Don't forget to chock the rear wheels if lifting the whole front of the car off the ground, even when supported on two axle stands, the handbrake might hold it parked on a slight incline but it's not worth the risk if the front is lifted off the ground Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
