johnh

My 89' Firebird has a bit of rust underneath the pass side fender...the jacking point for the stock jack...well it appears the previous owners tried to use a floor jack there and crushed the area..

My question is where can I jack up that side of the car...the exhaust pipe is too low to get my floor jack under to the crossmember....my only solution is to drive up on something so the jack has clearance..I have ramps and those are good for stuff that doesn't require the tire off..

My other (bigger) question how do I fix this...I'd hate to get stuck with a flat there and no way to jack the car up....

Dewey316

you should be able to get your floor jack under the srping perch on the a-arm.

StealthElephant

They make lowrider jacks to clear low cars...I've found that a good way is to use a scissor jack under the front subframe (whatever you call the piece that runs left/right that the motor mounts on are), use the scissor jack to get the car up a few more inches, then put the jack on the same piece but on a different side (I would put the scissor on the left, then jack up on the right)

jack the car up until you can get jackstands on the swaybar, take the scissor out, center the jack since the scissor is out of the way, and you can pretty much go as high as the jack will let you. With wheels off you can just jack off the subframe as I mentioned and then put jackstands on the sway bar.

There's probably a dozen other ways to do it, and better ways then I do....but whatever works. It's just a paint because my way requires a standard jack, scissor jack, and jackstands....which isn't a problem because I have them....but not something you carry in your hatch all the time.

v8unleashed

iTrader: (3)

you be sure and let us know how that turns out for you, bud .....








anyway, in the rear, use the pumpkin, in the front, use the a-arm like dewey said; put your jackstands under the axle housing in the rear and under the other side of the a-arm in the front

StealthElephant

I did it for the cam swap months ago, and my car sat on the jackstands for 3 weeks..I put the jackstands under the bushing or whatever...on the sides.....why would that cause a problem? it's connected to the front subframe thats holding the weight of the car anyways....something you want to share



The gold clamps that are holding the wonder bar on, thats where i put the jacks...is that a problem? The subframe the motor mounts are on is a lot lower....it connects to the beefy front subframe....didn't look like it would be a problem....does it cause the subframe to shift?

RJR99SS

they're even hard to lift of proffesional automotive lifts. You usually have to have someone lift up on the front fender so you can get the lift arm under there on the passanger side.

On my own, i just drive it up on ramps, then lift the front end up with a jack on the crossmember.

KagA152

iTrader: (5)

i drive up on some 2x4s, then jack on the cross member. i dont want to think what im going to do when i lower the car

v8unleashed

iTrader: (3)

is that your car? if it is, you're telling me you put jackstands supporting a more than 3k lb car on the NIPPLES of your sway bar bushings and they're still intact????

i guess i didnt understand exactly where you put the jackstands, but it's basically putting them on the frame with the sway bar sandwiched in between. Anyway, go try putting your jackstands anywhere else on the sway bar and see what happens.

maybe it WORKS, but that spot is not something i'd want to chance. you could mush your bushings, or worse, mush your noggin. that's probably the last place i personally would ever use to support a car. even if you werent under it, if something slipped or moved you'd have more problems than one, including a car impaled on a pair of jackstands......there are much stronger, more stable places than that to support your car!

StealthElephant

Yea, those sway bar bushings held them for 3 straight weeks when I was doing the motor swap and my wheels were off. When I did my cam swap months ago I used those same bushings. Didn't break....no groaning noises from the chassis....I would never put a jackstand in the center, of course not, that woould put ALL the load on the center, probably rip the two clamps off...but 2 jackstands, 1 under each bushing (which are almost directly under the front subframe which they attach to)

It seems to work....and the car doesn't seem to mind it....I'll stop doing it if someone has screwed their frame up doing this...but it has seemed to work so far....again....anyone want sto tell me for sure it's not good...ill stop...

MrDude_1

ive done it that way for a few years..... doesnt really hurt anything....

athough when i can, i usually do the A arm thing since it lifts the car quicker......

FruityOne

When I have to jack the car up I put the jack under the center of the K-member.

Jack it up, then place Jack stands under the A-arms, or under the front sub-frames. Depending on what I am working on.

StealthElephant

thats what i figured, i never have had any problems.

yankeecarman

iTrader: (9)

I have Competition Engineering SFCS(bolt in) installed on my car. I have a small sizzor jack instead of the large stock one. I eliminated the large one to be replaced by one that is much easier to operate. I can lift my car on either side without a worry about where on the SFC I put the jack. It will lift the entire side of the car if needed. It also gives me much more space in the hatch area. I could now change a tire in the dark. Another benefit of a good SFC.