Jacking Up your Car

[wirelessliquid]

It might just be me, and I might just be a massive tit (or all of my cars live for the salt life) but I think I've damaged all of my cars jacking them up. Like all cars have jacking points on the sills but when I seem to use them they usually end up folding over like flat bread. I've tried using rubber inserts in the jack, jacking off other points under sub frames but what is the proper way to jack up your nissan without fucking it.

Picture if you have any.

[silviaks2nr]

On a lift I use frame rails in front and subframe mounts in back.

[jedi03]

i use the frame rail, making sure i cover the entire rail...the jacking points are designed to have something go around them...iirc phase2motortrend has some good products for that...if the frame rail is inaccessible for whatever reason i also jack from the lower control arm body side of the bolts, and only from those pointing down

[SupaDoopa]

I reinforced the front and rear ends of the frame [they weren't rotted, but I boxed them up as the car is on and off the lift after events] for this reason. Jacking it up from those commonly rotted spots will result in you destroying it and eventually going through it.

[PoorMans180SX]

Front tow hooks on S13's are perfect for this, and the only reasonably accessible point if your car is low.

Rear tow hook, rear diff, or subframe mounts in the rear work well too.

[nick_d_240sx]

^Yep, tow hooks and diff.

Make sure you have wheel chocks on the front if lifting the entire rear. Sometimes If I'm pulling off a tire I'll throw that under the car incase it were to fall or jack stands. I read about a guy locally that died when his car fell on him in his garage. Be careful.

[brndck]

Originally Posted by nick_d_240sx

^Yep, tow hooks and diff.

Make sure you have wheel chocks on the front if lifting the entire rear. Sometimes If I'm pulling off a tire I'll throw that under the car incase it were to fall or jack stands. I read about a guy locally that died when his car fell on him in his garage. Be careful.

a fairly well known dude recently (in the last 2 months or so) had his bmw fall on him while he was under the car. From what I understand, the front was jacked up, the trans was in gear, and he somehow made contact with something that caused the starter to engage, which caused the rear wheels to push the car forward, and tipped the jack stands over. Last I saw he was in the hospital, not sure what his condition is currently.

wheel chocks are the correct tool. leaving the car in gear is not a wise substitution.

[KA24DESOneThree]

In SoCal, it's always a good idea to have a failsafe. Never know when The Big One might hit.

I always jacked the car up with one of the tow hooks, inserted blocks of wood under the front tires, then relocated the jack to the front subframe, jacked the car up, and put stands under the frame rails.

In the rear, it was the same process- tow hook, blocks of wood, then from the diff. Stands on the rear subframe mounts or, if using something like ESCO stands with a flat rubber top, you can use the factory hoist points.

[wirelessliquid]

Can anyone show me what the front tow hooks look like?

[burnsauto]

Best I could find without wasting a bunch of time. Underneath the car you'll find some round stock welded to the outside of the front frame rail.

Just be careful. I try not to use these as jacking points, I try to stick to the front subframe or the rear diff. If the car is stupid low, look into building small wooden ramps to bring the car up a few inches so you can get a jack under.

Also, if you haven't already, invest in the best jack you can afford. I'm not going to say what kind, but just do what you can. A jack and jack stands aren't something you want to cheap out on, and you'll have them for a really long time.

[SupaDoopa]

If you aren't sure how to jack up your car safely this late in the game, maybe pottery is safer for you.

[Whitey13]

Originally Posted by SupaDoopa

If you aren't sure how to jack up your car safely this late in the game, maybe pottery is safer for you.

Relax man he?s trying to learn.

[burnsauto]

Originally Posted by Whitey13

Relax man he?s trying to learn.

Exactly. I'd rather answer a person's questions rather than read someone's criticism.

[SupaDoopa]

I'm not criticizing the question - I'm criticizing the 200 people who keep posting the same shit over and over. If someone has already said exactly what you've said, why say it again in different words.

For using a lift = frame rails front and rear. It is smart to do what I did which is reinforce this area.
For using a jack = subframes/diff. Jackstands go to frame rail sections and ensure the car is stable and isn't weight heavy and easily tilted. Possibly place a 5th and 6th jackstand in the front and rear in the middle of the front subframe and by the rear diff as a safety net.

[CrimsonRockett]

Originally Posted by burnsauto

Best I could find without wasting a bunch of time. Underneath the car you'll find some round stock welded to the outside of the front frame rail.

Just be careful. I try not to use these as jacking points, I try to stick to the front subframe or the rear diff. If the car is stupid low, look into building small wooden ramps to bring the car up a few inches so you can get a jack under.

Also, if you haven't already, invest in the best jack you can afford. I'm not going to say what kind, but just do what you can. A jack and jack stands aren't something you want to cheap out on, and you'll have them for a really long time.

Ramps and jacking up the car from the correct locations would be best.

I've personally encountered several S-chassis with the front tow hook area split away from the frame rail either from bottoming out or being jacked up from that location regularly.

[cured13]

This thread should include pictures of the damaged underbodies from using incorrect spots and tools to lift s-chassis and then be stickied with "platinum" ribbon!

[wirelessliquid]

Thank you guys, I will now hopefully never hurt my S chassis ever again.

Just a thought, what if you need to jack up and take off say the front subframe, where would you put your stands if you can't use the front subframe?

[Whitey13]

Originally Posted by wirelessliquid

Thank you guys, I will now hopefully never hurt my S chassis ever again.

Just a thought, what if you need to jack up and take off say the front subframe, where would you put your stands if you can't use the front subframe?

Your jack stands go on the pinch welds, at the far ends.

[wirelessliquid]

Originally Posted by Whitey13

Your jack stands go on the pinch welds, at the far ends.

I guess I need new sills because my pinch welds are pancakes.

[Whitey13]

Originally Posted by wirelessliquid

I guess I need new sills because my pinch welds are pancakes.

This isn't something you can replace. Just try to bend them back.

[SupaDoopa]

Originally Posted by Whitey13

This isn't something you can replace. Just try to bend them back.

Well, that's not necessarily true - it's just a mother fucker. However, if you remove your subframe, you use the frame itself.

[Whitey13]

Originally Posted by SupaDoopa

Well, that's not necessarily true - it's just a mother fucker. However, if you remove your subframe, you use the frame itself.

I promise you, the guy asking how to jack up his car isn't going to be welding in new door sills.

[wirelessliquid]

I can promise you now, I'm an electrical engineer, not a welder, I will not be the one welding my sills xD

[silviaks2nr]

Originally Posted by wirelessliquid

Thank you guys, I will now hopefully never hurt my S chassis ever again.

Just a thought, what if you need to jack up and take off say the front subframe, where would you put your stands if you can't use the front subframe?

the front of the frame rails a few inches back from the curve at the front.

[Hoffman5982]

Originally Posted by CrimsonRockett

Ramps and jacking up the car from the correct locations would be best.

I've personally encountered several S-chassis with the front tow hook area split away from the frame rail either from bottoming out or being jacked up from that location regularly.

This happened to mine on both sides. I've had it straightened and welded back and now I don't use them.

Between slamming down on rumble strips at the track and trying to jack from the pinch welds over the years, mine are completely flattened and the passenger side has started separating. Not looking forward to dealing with that, but it's coming. I've now raised the car some and with gktech ramps I can just barely get my low profile jack to the front sub frame. With the ramps I can easily get under the diff with the jack

[leftfootbrake]

Hello, what about putting the jackstands under the front and rear subframes themselves? And of course wheels and tires under thr frame rails for safety.

[Thursday7]

Originally Posted by leftfootbrake

Hello, what about putting the jackstands under the front and rear subframes themselves? And of course wheels and tires under thr frame rails for safety.

That should work ok. I always use the rear subframe mounts (the ones with the long, braced busing cups) for my jackstands.

[AKADriver]

Just inboard of the pinch weld at each corner there's a small reinforced metal piece that looks kinda like a nutsack. When the cars were new there were notches on the pinch weld to guide you. Of course 30 year old smashed pinch welds won't tell you.



This is where the factory scissor jack is actually lifting from, not the pinch itself.

When I jack up my car I put the jackstands there. Instead of the jackstand saddle facing left to right straddling (eventually smashing) the pinch, it cradles those things facing front to back, butted up against the pinch.

[jr_ss]

I’ve used the lower radiator support structure for lifting my car. I always use a load distributing bar (2x4) the width of the space between tension rod brackets upfront. Out back, it’s always the diff.

[Kingtal0n]

IMO don't use the pinch


If need to use the pinch, use a soft block


My favorite method is soft block of wood to frame rail (for jack and stands)
never directly put jack to rail without a soft intermediate



Its really hard to find these mint pinch welds, cosmetic ofc but still I Like to see it



Now iirc the FSM says do not jack up by the frame rail. But I am not comfortable doing any other way. The tow hook is scary because of the distance (force*length) of the lever involved (lever arm very long = lots of torque on the chassis) especially if you have a heavy V8 engine instead of the usual. The center engine holder thing "subframe support"? Whatever its called actually bent a little bit when I tried using that so forget it. I still use the frame rails. Just make sure a nice block of wood soft to protect it I guess.