Supporting a car.

[Petrolsmasher]

Hi guys,

So ive done a couple of jobs on my partners car lately and want to do a couple on my own.

Only thing is, im not as confident in jacking and supporting my car as i am hers.

Hers has specific reinforced jacking bars to jack up on - seperate from the sill and VERY sturdy. In order to do work on the front or back of hers i can jack up the opposite end and get an axle stand under one of the jack points on the other end.

However with mine, i basically have a sill all the way, some bits are slightly folded from past abuse im guessing. I could maybe jack up the front and put a stand under the rear but will a sill be okay to use an axle stand on?

At the front i previously used the engine subframe bolts. I wasent 100% confident with that though as it felt like i was balancing the axle stand on the bolt almost. Its FWD and there doesent appear to be anywhere on the rear to support the car apart from the sill?

All it shows in the manual is jacking points to be used with the emergency jack only.

Any ideas??

Also what sort of wood do i get to use with a jack to gain extra height when jacking up? And spread the load on the sill slightly?

[paintman]

And the car in question is a ?

[Petrolsmasher]

paintman said:

And the car in question is a ?

Mark 7 fiesta st

[RLK500]

Defo wouldn't be jacking up anywhere near the sills. There must be suspension pick up points, or chassis rails. These are the places to head for.

[MatrixXXx]

I normally put the axel stands under any part of the subframe that the suspension is bolted to, where you can see big bolts into the subframe, never on the sills, idealy it should be there as back up if the main jack fails.

[sgtBerbatov]

Always always always use jack stands, regardless of how long the car is up in the air for.

I had a jack fail on me the other year, I didn't realise and when I turned around I wondered why the car was so low to the ground! I had been under it 5 minutes earlier, so I was lucky. Ever since I stick a jack stand under it.

[Sheepshanks]

Petrolsmasher said:

Also what sort of wood do i get to use with a jack to gain extra height when jacking up? And spread the load on the sill slightly?

It's dodgy using wood as it can split. You can get things like grooved hockey pucks to locate better on the sill seam.

One tip is that when you take a wheel off put that under the car under the sill seam - it'll make a mess if the car falls but it won't crush you (much).

[Petrolsmasher]

RLK500 said:

Defo wouldn't be jacking up anywhere near the sills. There must be suspension pick up points, or chassis rails. These are the places to head for.

Why wouldent you jack up on the sill? It has reinforced sections where to jack. Its just once the jacks there i have nowhere i feel is secure enough to put a jack stand.

[Chris32345]

Because the sills on many cars aren't designed for jacking up on with anything but the factory jack
And definitely sent designed for lifting with A2 post lift
Seen many sills been damaged be incorrectly placed trolly jacks

[V8RX7]

As mentioned on a late car you are likely to damage (or at least mark) the sills.

I find a decent size subframe point myself

If I have to jack on the sills I've made some slots in a 6" section of 3x2 timber I use to spread the weight

I don't trust axle stands - you can easily pull / push a car off them - I have some offcuts of sleeper I stack up

I've seen jacks fail, stands fall, cars catch fire and have the scars where I thought "it'll be ok" - trust me it pays to be paranoid !

[littleredrooster]

V8RX7 said:

If I have to jack on the sills I've made some slots in a 6" section of 3x2 timber I use to spread the weight

I did that, the timber split and the car dropped 2" back on to the pad of the jack with a 'thud', just leaving enough space for my head under the sump.

I also thought it was a good idea to use a brick endways-on as an axle stand. That split after a few moments of pressure just as I was about to stick my legs under the car. It's a difficult job to get a car back onto its wheels when it gets beached like that!

[GreenV8S]

littleredrooster said:

I also thought it was a good idea to use a brick endways-on as an axle stand.

[V8RX7]

littleredrooster said:

V8RX7 said:

If I have to jack on the sills I've made some slots in a 6" section of 3x2 timber I use to spread the weight

I did that, the timber split and the car dropped 2" back on to the pad of the jack with a 'thud', just leaving enough space for my head under the sump.

You have to do it right !

Also see the next sentence, I never rely on one item.

I tend to throw the wheels under too

[littleredrooster]

GreenV8S said:

littleredrooster said:

I also thought it was a good idea to use a brick endways-on as an axle stand.

In my defence, it was about 1970 and I was a spotty teenager with very limited resources.