Fiesta Mk5 - Jacking Up At Rear
Fiesta Mk5 - Jacking Up At Rear
Author
Discussion

MagneticMeerkat

Original Poster:

1,763 posts

228 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
I need to do this at the weekend, well in fact I need to lift the back of the car up to change the fuel filter.

Anyhow it's a normal 2001 reg Fiesta, but the manual doesn't list a central rear jacking point. On most cars this would be in the middle of the rear axle, as was the case on my Orion, but the Fiesta doesn't appear to have one. I wouldn't stick the jack under the rear beam as I gather this is a bad idea.

The manual gives a central jacking point at the front, however the rear points are on each side, at the ends of the sills. Which doesn't help lift the rear off the ground. Can anyone shed any light? I'd rather not have it lifted sideways!!!

GOG440

9,296 posts

213 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
Why is it a bad idea to jack under the beam?

That would be where I would jack, then get some axle stands under it

Fleckers

2,878 posts

224 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
MagneticMeerkat said:
On most cars this would be in the middle of the rear axle, as was the case on my Orion,
really your Orion had a rear axle ? wow mine was a FWD...

Viperz888

560 posts

181 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
Jacking it on the beam will compress the suspension before actually lifting the car.
I'd use a chassis leg or solid area where the beam joins the shell.

Leptons

5,480 posts

199 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
Viperz888 said:
Jacking it on the beam will compress the suspension before actually lifting the car.
I'd use a chassis leg or solid area where the beam joins the shell.
So? Jack it on the beam and axle stands on jacking points. Done it hundreds of times.

lel

399 posts

146 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
suspension will only compress when jacking one end of the rear beam, jacking from the center will be perfectly fine.

DanTvts

12 posts

160 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
Fleckers said:
really your Orion had a rear axle ? wow mine was a FWD...
Not really sure if this is serious....



Barryboyni

179 posts

148 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
Fleckers said:
really your Orion had a rear axle ? wow mine was a FWD...

FWD car with no back axle? What did you do with the rear wheels? Drill holes in the quarter panel and hang them off with cable ties?

davepoth

29,395 posts

222 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
Viperz888 said:
Jacking it on the beam will compress the suspension before actually lifting the car.
I'd use a chassis leg or solid area where the beam joins the shell.
A solid area on a 13 year old Fiesta. Good luck with that. wink

Seriously though, if you need to get the back in the air with the wheels hanging down, use one axle stand under the back of each sill, but spread the load as much as you can, possibly with some bits of wood. I have some manky pine planks I use for this.

CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

221 months

Wednesday 2nd April 2014
quotequote all
Beam'd be fine I'd have thought. Or jack up one side, axle stand under, then do the other. If you need it a long way up, do each side a bit at a time, extending the stand by one hole on one side, then the other.

Turbofocus

435 posts

180 months

Thursday 3rd April 2014
quotequote all
DanTvts said:
Fleckers said:
really your Orion had a rear axle ? wow mine was a FWD...
Not really sure if this is serious....



Barryboyni said:
FWD car with no back axle? What did you do with the rear wheels? Drill holes in the quarter panel and hang them off with cable ties?
I think the point being made was,its not called an axle technically.
It's called a rear beam,sometimes refered to as rear axle beam etc.


Edited by Turbofocus on Thursday 3rd April 03:34

MagneticMeerkat

Original Poster:

1,763 posts

228 months

Thursday 3rd April 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice, rear axle it is!

Plus I hope the Orion had one, otherwise the wheels would have fallen off...

andy-xr

13,204 posts

227 months

Thursday 3rd April 2014
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How comes you cant jack on a suspension part or the sill for the fuel filter, it's just next to the tank isnt it? Should be able to get to it by shuffling under from the exhaust.

I did mine by parking it 2 wheels on, 2 off on a high kerb hehe

over_the_hill

3,281 posts

269 months

Friday 4th April 2014
quotequote all
As above.

It's located on the near side just in front of the rear wheel and can be changed without jacking.
Although you will have to lie on the floor, so if outside do it on a dry day !

Using the beam as a jacking point is fine and it will lift quickly enough. I would jack in the center of the beam then put the stands under the beam - it is a shaped like this /--\ so the stand should fit in nicely.