Refurbishing alloys - jacking car

[andrewdj]

Managed to quite badly scrape an alloy on one of these infernal European underground carparks (the ones that twirl down with unnecessary high kerbs). I have them insured for repair but I’ve read some horror stories about incorrectly jacking up the car - obviously the insurers don’t use AM or independent to do the work. The place they use did a good job on my BMW wheel and have a professional looking workshop. Any thoughts on this?

[ARH]

andrewdj said:

Managed to quite badly scrape an alloy on one of these infernal European underground carparks (the ones that twirl down with unnecessary high kerbs). I have them insured for repair but I ve read some horror stories about incorrectly jacking up the car - obviously the insurers don t use AM or independent to do the work. The place they use did a good job on my BMW wheel and have a professional looking workshop. Any thoughts on this?

You are very much overthinking this, anyone working on cars will be able to jack a car up without damaging it. Only idiot DIY'ers will jack a car up badly.

[Dungman]

Personally I remove the wheels myself and hand them in. If you are leaving the whole car I would just make sure they are aware of the correct method. If you have the jack pad adapters that makes it much easier

[LTP]

ARH said:

You are very much overthinking this, anyone working on cars will be able to jack a car up without damaging it. Only idiot DIY'ers will jack a car up badly.

I read this, checked the cars in the "garage" in the profile, then thought "Yep. Thought so. Doesn't own an Aston"

[andrewdj]

So I didn’t fill in the garage profile, so what?? My car is a DB11 Volante and I’ve posted about it a number of times, admittedly a small number of times.

If I’m overthinking it that’s good: the only time I’ve ever heard of a car being written off from incorrect jacking is on this forum and of course these things are ripe for posting about.

[InitialDave]

ARH said:

You are very much overthinking this, anyone working on cars will be able to jack a car up without damaging it. Only idiot DIY'ers will jack a car up badly.

I'm afraid you've possibly been very fortunate in your past experience, then, there's no shortage of people who work on cars for a living who think they know more than they do, especially when it comes to odd or very make/model specific stuff.

I think the OP isn't wrong to be cautious if it bothers them.

Dungman said:

Personally I remove the wheels myself and hand them in. If you are leaving the whole car I would just make sure they are aware of the correct method. If you have the jack pad adapters that makes it much easier

I would do this. I have zero qualms about it being impolite or condescending to do such a thing if it's a scenario where both the outcome is important to me, and I know my stuff. They can think I'm a prick for doing so, but I'd rather have that than damage on a part used as an inappropriate jacking point.

[TarquinMX5]

andrewdj said:

So I didn t fill in the garage profile, so what?? My car is a DB11 Volante and I ve posted about it a number of times, admittedly a small number of times.

If I m overthinking it that s good: the only time I ve ever heard of a car being written off from incorrect jacking is on this forum and of course these things are ripe for posting about.

I don't think the comment was directed at you but at the poster ARH. If I had any concerns I'd take the wheels off myself and then deliver them. Of course, it can be a slight problem if you only have one car

[LTP]

TarquinMX5 said:

I don't think the comment was directed at you but at the poster ARH.

Quite correct. I'll be more specific in future.

I would not use any of the usual volume tyre fitters for my V8V out of concern they'd jack the car on the sills but miss the jacking point

Edited to fix the missed apostrophes and a space that posting on my iPad generated. I know my post has now been quoted so the original is preserved for posterity but I just couldn't stand to leave it alone.

Edited by LTP on Friday 3rd July 10:00

[andrewdj]

LTP said:

TarquinMX5 said:

I don't think the comment was directed at you but at the poster ARH.

Quite correct. I ll be more specific in future.

I would not use any of the usual volume tyre fitters for my V8Vout of concern they d jack the car on the sills but miss the jacking point

I apologise for the misunderstanding. It would seem then it is not unreasonable to take precaution. I can’t jack it at home and leave it in such a position for any length of time unfortunately. I’ll have to do some digging with the company that does the repair or see if the insurance will use a specialist and make up any cost difference myself, or just bite the bullet and pay it myself.

Only one more twisty car park to extract it from now before home!

[Jon39]

ARH said:

You are very much overthinking this, anyone working on cars will be able to jack a car up without damaging it. Only idiot DIY'ers will jack a car up badly.

'Only idiot DIY'ers will jack a car up badly.'
Really?

What is remembered on here, was a topic from a long time ago.
Think it happened in USA.
Not an idiot DIY'er, but a supposedly 'professional' tyre shop.

The correct jacking points on Aston Martins with alloy 'tubs', are in four specific locations.
You can buy rubber jacking pads, which fit into the jacking point holes.
At the tyre shop, a careless employee placed the jack in the wrong position, not thinking that aluminium is not a very strong metal.
The main beam ( a crash safety critical component) was consequently bent.
The only correct repair procedure is apparently a new 'tub', so that was the end of that car.

[andrewdj]

I presume this would be a requirement for a DB11?

[InitialDave]

andrewdj said:

I presume this would be a requirement for a DB11?

I think there are some slight differences across different models, but the broad principle is the same on all modern Astons.

The imaginatively named astonmartinjackpads.co.uk have the various types.

[camel_landy]

Jon39 said:

'Only idiot DIY'ers will jack a car up badly.'
Really?

What is remembered on here, was a topic from a long time ago.
Think it happened in USA.
Not an idiot DIY'er, but a supposedly 'professional' tyre shop.

The correct jacking points on Aston Martins with alloy 'tubs', are in four specific locations.
You can buy rubber jacking pads, which fit into the jacking point holes.
At the tyre shop, a careless employee placed the jack in the wrong position, not thinking that aluminium is not a very strong metal.
The main beam ( a crash safety critical component) was consequently bent.
The only correct repair procedure is apparently a new 'tub', so that was the end of that car.

The other mistake you can make on a DB9 (and I'm guessing Vantage of the same era) is that incorrect placement can lift the front wing.

M