Hey guys, I'm kinda new to this stuff. I was wonder where would be the best places to put a hydraulic jack under to jack up my 91 trans am convertible and where to put jack stands to safely keep it up. Any pointers? Thanks!

 

There was an excellent thread on this somewhere... try a search, it had a cool diagram.

But basically there are several places that are safe to jack:

1. K-member
2. Subframe "torque boxes", these are the big frame rail looking things on either side of the transmission
3. rear end pumpkin.

And there are several places safe to put stands:

1. A-arms... I like to put them in the spring perches.
2. subframe rails
3. right in front of the rear LCA mounts
4. under the sway bar mounts on the rear axle. I prefer the LCA mounts though.
I say generally I jack up the car by front subframe rails and the pumpkin, and put jackstands under the A-arms and the rear lower control arm mounts. It's better to jack it up by the k-member, it's just a stronger chunk of metal than the subframe rails, but I've seen too many incidents where a car will slide off the pad on the jack and destroy and oil pan. I just dont like doing it. It makes me nervous. Anyway, where you put the stands is going to depend on whether you need the suspension loaded or not.




Those are the front subframe rails on either side of my header collecters there. You can see mine are a little worn out from being used all the time to support the weight of the car.

 

Thanks! I'll really have to find that diagram since I didn't find anything using the search.
And the K-member is that beefy bar that passes underneath the engine perpendicular to the rest of the car right?

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...ng-points.html

There ya go... few posts in.

 

if you have ramps, you can do like i do if you need more space...
back the car up the ramps, then jack the front up at the k-member and put jack stands under it.
now you have lots of room to work with

 

Those diagrams are great... thanks vortex.
And Red Dragon, I have backed the car onto ramps before (to fix a leaky fuel line) and I trust em a lot so I'll do that again and I'll jack the front end up. Too bad I can't put the front end on ramps (we all know why :P).
Hmmm, now that I think of it, I'll jack the front up and just slide the ramps under the wheels when necessary. My friend is gonna give me a $40 coupon for a 3 ton US General jack so it all works out great.

 

Because you have the store bought ramps?

Make your own, stronger & cheaper!

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...282-post8.html

 

Or if you wanna get REALLY CRAZY....

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabr...car-ramps.html

 

Whoa... that's freakin' brilliant!

 

I would love to build that ramp the mustang is on but would have no where or room to put it.

 

pffft.... if I had the room, I'd just get a professional lift.

 

awesome!