Jacking up the car to work underneath

[Caterham Kid]

Caterham Kid - It is not advisable to jack up the car even a short height utilising any of the thinner gauge bars on the chassis rear corners. Could result in distortion. Buy a low entry jack.

I remember on here many, many years ago a member moaning that the rear lateral chassis bar of his car was bent upwards. It turns out that the centre of this was the go to point for jacking up..........

 

I used the point on the frame where it is shown to place axle stands in the guide linked by brianjhall31 above, although I had to fit the jack and and axle stand in very close proximity. 

You are right though and when I have to do this again I will purchase a low entry jack.

 

[DJ.]

Or you can cut some planks to drive onto and lift the car enough to use your current jack.

[Geoff Brown]

The instructions are just the opinion of the manufacturer who has obviously put up the umbrella to shield themselves from any fall out resulting from ignoring the instructions. Written by a non mechanical, risk averse health & safety advisor.

Even simple service actions such as an oil + filter change, gearbox & diff oil level check & top up require all four corners in the air whether utilising three or four axle stands. 

[Caterham Kid]

The instructions are just the opinion of the manufacturer who has obviously put up the umbrella to shield themselves from any fall out resulting from ignoring the instructions. Written by a non mechanical, risk averse health & safety advisor.

Even simple service actions such as an oil + filter change, gearbox & diff oil level check & top up require all four corners in the air whether utilising three or four axle stands. 

 

I agree. I wouldn't ever use 3 axle stands, but I had never before considered that using 4 was a problem, and have done so in the past for, as you say, oil changes etc.

 

 

[elie boone]

On a rally service it's all you have to do some work underneath the car including a g.box swap.

[ScottR400D]

I can understand the recommendations only to lift and support one end, it's less likely, as long as the other end is restrained, that the car would fall, clearly.

Having said that, on 3 or 4 stands, on a level floor, with the stands checked to make sure all the feet are on the ground, all the stands are taking some load, they're in good condition and located securely on the chassis, it seems safe enough to me.

I always place the front stands closer to each other than the rears, so there's more stability sideways, though that's probably academic.

With 4 sometimes you can find one stand isn't loaded; I would pack it on the floor if so. only a few mm needed usually, I have some carbon sheets.

When you lower the car, the chassis rail can pivot forward, make sure it's central on the stand.

When you raise one end or the other, the opposite stands can tilt; push the car as necessary to make the jack roll and settle the stands properly.

 

 

 

 

[Englishmaninwales]

#31

+1

[Wrightpayne]

I never understand how these things keep upright?!

[ScottR400D]

They do look a little fragile!

Presumably the load is taken straight down the extending leg, The other two thinner legs and base are just to make it stable when you're positioning it, or don’t have any load on it.