is it safe to lift a car up from 3 points?

[TheTurbonator]

I need to swap my rear offside wheel with my front nearside one. Would it be safe to rest the front of the car on two axle stands (one either side) and then the rear offside with a hydraulic jack to swap the wheels? Or will the car just rock forward and crash down onto the floor. The ground is level.

[R12HCO]

It will be fine. #Manup

[Robb F]

I'm sure it would work.

I would never do it though, cars are heavy and expensive, you are squishy and hard to fix.

[karona]

I had all my tyres swapped for winter's with two jacks. One left rear, one right front. I sat in the boot while he did the fronts, and sat on the bonnet while the backs were swapped.

[Jakg]

karona said:

I had all my tyres swapped for winter's with two jacks. One left rear, one right front. I sat in the boot while he did the fronts, and sat on the bonnet while the backs were swapped.

I really hope your joking o.O

[williredale]

Is there no central jacking point at the rear? Or go to Lidl and get a pair of their cheap axle stands!

[mini me]

TheTurbonator said:

I need to swap my rear offside wheel with my front nearside one. Would it be safe to rest the front of the car on two axle stands (one either side) and then the rear offside with a hydraulic jack to swap the wheels? Or will the car just rock forward and crash down onto the floor. The ground is level.

For swapping wheels over, you will be fine. Just wouldnt "work" on a car like that.

[mrmr96]

TheTurbonator said:

I need to swap my rear offside wheel with my front nearside one. Would it be safe to rest the front of the car on two axle stands (one either side) and then the rear offside with a hydraulic jack to swap the wheels? Or will the car just rock forward and crash down onto the floor. The ground is level.

TBH for something like swapping wheels diagonally you probably only need one jack and one stand. Jack the front corner and put it on a stand. The remove the jack and lift the opposite corner. It's not like you need to get the car very high to get the wheels off, so the suspension travel on the other two corners should be sufficient that they stay on the ground. This might not work if you've got very stiff suspension with limited travel, in which case you plan of putting both front corners on stands will be fine.

Caveats are: Don't go under it. Don't lift it higher than you need to. Don't jolt the thing whilst it's up (so "break" the tension on your bolts before lifting, and do the final torque setting with them back on the ground.) I can't see your car or equipment, so please allow for a "common sense override" if things look like this isn't going to work!

[Ozzie Osmond]

Robb F said:

cars are heavy, you are squishy and hard to fix.

^^^ Sound advice.

[TheTurbonator]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Robb F said:

cars are heavy, you are squishy and hard to fix.

^^^ Sound advice.

I'm not squishy, I'm a well built, company director with a goatee.

Edited by TheTurbonator on Friday 18th January 15:51

[Disco You]

If you have a spare, just use a single jack.

1. Swap first wheel off for spare
2. Swap second wheel off for first wheel
3. Swap spare off for second wheel

Job jobbed.

[P Nuts]

TheTurbonator said:

I'm not squishy I'm a well built, company director with a goatee.

you wouldnt be when a car lands on you lol

[supraboy]

Tyres will then be going opposite to there direction pattern remember....

[mrmr96]

supraboy said:

Tyres will then be going opposite to there direction pattern remember....

Unless they're asymetrics. But yeah, a good thing to consider.

[TheTurbonator]

mrmr96 said:

supraboy said:

Tyres will then be going opposite to there direction pattern remember....

Unless they're asymetrics. But yeah, a good thing to consider.

Yeah I thought of that after I posted, I don't think they're directional but I'll have to have a look when home to make sure.

[Robb F]

TheTurbonator said:

I'm not squishy, I'm a well built, company director with a goatee.

Edited by TheTurbonator on Friday 18th January 15:51