Jack & jackstand height Q

[Benzadmiral]

Hey, all,

For various reasons, space being foremost, I'm planning to use jackstands this spring when I change my oil on the Buick. I have two jacks, a scissors jack (a pain in the patoot to use) that came with the car, and a hydraulic scissors jack that I bought some years ago. It says it will lift the car 14", but when its red line came into view, the stop indicator, the car was only about 12" off the ground. That is to say, there's about 12" of clearance from the level ground to the nearest point of the car frame. (Has anybody used a stock GM scissors jack? How high can it get the car?)

Are there jackstands that will fit under there? The Sears Craftsman 3-ton pair I was looking at says its minimum height is 13", but the Torin Double-Lock Jackstands from Northern Tool have a minimum height of just under 11".

Back when I crawled under my cars to change oil, I would just put the front wheel up on a wide curb, but I don't have that luxury now. Any ideas?

 

[hate2work]

I have never liked crawling under a car held up by jack stands, it always gave me the creeps.

I've been using ramps for many years now, and they have some pretty tall ones out there. Would ramps work for you? Much safer, IMO, than jackstands.

 

[eljefino]

How much clearance does the hydraulic jack have at its lowest point? Maybe you could put it on a 2x8.

Also, what surface do you plan to jack under? I like the big bolt at the rear of the subframe; this leaves the pinch weld under the door hinge wide open for stands.

 

[Nyquist]

I have these that work very well: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=94338-33680-T-9360&lpage=none

My normaly set-up is the car goes up on 8,000 lb ramps with these under the sub frame and rocker panel on each side. I feel safe that way.

 

[PandaBear]

You have to remember most car riding on springs are about 2" compressed, so if you are off ground by 12", that's very good.

One of my car has jack points that stick out too much, if I put it on a stand or a jack it would crush some weld spot (stupid design). I decided to save the money from buying a slope and having to store it for 363 days a year, and use a stack of brick tiles instead. I've took some brick tiles out of the yard and set them up as a stair slope, and ride a car up to get 6" higher.

Do you really need it that high up to change oil?

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
How much clearance does the hydraulic jack have at its lowest point? Maybe you could put it on a 2x8.

Also, what surface do you plan to jack under? I like the big bolt at the rear of the subframe; this leaves the pinch weld under the door hinge wide open for stands.


The front jack point for the car (it's actually labeled "JACK," in case I might miss it) is a notch or narrow spot along the flange below the doors, located just below the leading edge of the front door. I planned to slide the jackstand in under that to a spot on the frame rail, just inboard of the flange.

The frame rail is about half an inch higher than the flange. If I could get the Sears jackstand in there, it might fit. Of course then I have to make sure I can get it back out again! Maybe a thick bit of plank will work. Two inches thick?

I don't think ramps will work in my situation; no place to store 'em. Also, I'd need the equivalent of two parking spaces at the curb at my apartment complex, one to set the ramps and one to start the car from. Two spaces are rarely available. And suppose, while I have the car up on the ramps, somebody pulls into the slot behind me? I need room to roll the car back down.

 

[eljefino]

The pinch weld jacking points as shown in the owners manual are mainly intended for the cheezy mechanical scissor jack that hides next to the donut spare in your trunk.

You could jack there but where would you put your jackstands while the jack is in place? 6 inches further to the rear? That's a lot of motor hanging way in front of the fulcrum you've created. Also some rocker panels are reinforced only at the notch you're supposed to put the jack (stand.)

Myself, I'd look around for a different temporary spot I could use my jack so I can set my stands in the known safe pinch weld position... eg the rear engine subframe mounting pads, with the huge bolts holding them to the firewall.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Well, no, I planned to put the stand in *closer* to the front of the car, not farther back. But if I'm taking a chance on putting the stands somewhere that's not reinforced enough . . .

I'll squirm under tomorrow (no jack this time), and look for those bolts near the firewall. It can't be too far in, or I won't be able to lever the jack -- the handle's not very long. (I know, I know, maybe it's time to buy a new hydraulic jack!)

 

[eljefino]

If you're lucky you'll have room to move the lever between the rear of the tire and the fender. The geometry sometimes gives you more room once the car starts rising into the air.

 

[labman]

I find getting jackstands under my 02 Cavalier a pain. The only thing I can get under it is my floor jack, and nothing on the under side is big enough for it and a jackstand too. Ramps don't work well either, the air dam hits them.

The upside is that with the up top cartridge filter, I can change the oil with it flat on the floor. So far, it hasn't had to have much at all done to it except brakes, and that didn't require getting under it. Now I do have struts all around waiting a warm weekend.

 

[calvin1]

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[sciphi]

I've jacked on the subframe mounting points before. And the frame rail that the lower control arms attaches to makes a great spot for jackstands.

Forget the pinch welds. I had one cave in on me when jacking it. They're good for emergencies, not for regular use.

 

[Junior]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Well, no, I planned to put the stand in *closer* to the front of the car, not farther back. But if I'm taking a chance on putting the stands somewhere that's not reinforced enough . . .

I'll squirm under tomorrow (no jack this time), and look for those bolts near the firewall. It can't be too far in, or I won't be able to lever the jack -- the handle's not very long. (I know, I know, maybe it's time to buy a new hydraulic jack!)


Yeah, once you buy a good floor jack, and a good garage to work in, you will wonder how you ever got by without one. I just love the 3.5 ton 2 speed one I have (two pumps from down to full up with no load). It's low enough to get under the Accord and lifts high enough to lift up the f150.

 

[[RT] ProjUltraZ]

if buy good jack stands rated 4,000 lbs each, i think that's safer than ramps, or esp bricks which can crumble. really, don't use bricks and get a good floor jack.

i always have the floor jack under the cross member or something as insurance when i go under there, even if the car is on 4 jack stands. those scissors jacks that come w/ the car are a pain and not nearly as strong

 

[oilyriser]

Brick/cinder blocks make interesting jack stands... kind of like when you look at a steel jack stand, and see the words Made in Chi... on the side, and imagine the hammer and sickle coming down on you one day. Layered plywood sheets glued and screwed together should make a safe stand.