How to jack up one side of a vehicle?

mikebai1990 · 01-27-07, 08:24

I've been doing tire rotations, and every time I can't find a good way to jack up the car safely in order to put in the jack stands.

So here's my situation: I have a 2.25 ton floor jack that I can use to jack up the car. However, the reinforced area where the emergency jack is supposed to go is quite small. I can jack up the side using the floor jack safely, but then I don't have space to fit my jack stand into that reinforced area. Thus, I have to move a bit to the right and put the jack stand on un-reinforced metal. I have a feeling this isn't the safest way to jack the car up. Wondering whether you guys have any other tips?

velobard · 01-27-07, 09:00

What kind of car?

mikebai1990 · 01-27-07, 09:04

It's a Mazda MPV. Basically it has 6 jacking points, 2 on each side (left and right), and it has 1 in the front middle (between the two wheels), and 1 in the rear middle (between the rear two wheels).

BlackElantraGT · 01-27-07, 09:10

what are your jack stands rated for? I had a similar problem where the jack stands were way too big/tall and when I tried to jack it too high, my jack slipped and it punctured the bottom of my car. Luckily I wasn't hurt. I ended up getting way smaller jack stands that were sturdy enough to hold up my car.

mikebai1990 · 01-27-07, 09:14

My jack stands are rated 3 tons. I don't think the jack stands should be a problem. I guess my main problem is how to safely deposit the jack stand under the car when the floor jack is taking up the reinforced area.

Setec Astronomy · 01-27-07, 09:50

You need to look at the vehicle lifting points (not the points where you put the spare tire jack, although some of them may coincide). These are sometimes in the owner's manual, but more frequently in the factory service manual. Some FSM's show different points for floor jack, frame contact lift, and suspension contact lift.

superstring · 01-27-07, 10:14

I think you need to use the jack to raise the front and then rear of your vehicle, not the sides. You say there are lifting points between the wheels, front and rear. Raise the vehicle at one end, place your jack stands at the lifting points on each side closest to the front and repeat the procedure at the rear. You should be able to raise your Mazda high enough this way to safely position the stands in the reinforced areas.

paul34 · 01-27-07, 10:14

Hmm, yea, I've had the same question. I personally still have yet to buy all my own tools, but I recently had a friend teach/help me change my oil... but, he had a fully functional hydralic floor jack in his garage (the kind where you just drive on top of it, and it jacks up four points on the car all at once. Not quite a "lift" like at the shops, but it works just like one).

Basically, we couldn't use those points you're talking about, because the contact "pads" you slip over the arms don't fit there. Eventually my friend just put it under the "frame" rails that go down each side of the car, kind of between the center of the underbody and edge of the car. I know that my car is a unibody, but I think it was ok because nothing adverse happened and it supported the car just fine.

It also had no problems when I had to climb into my car so I could start it up (no other way to push in the clutch).

So yea, I have a feeling there must be a different jack or jackstand point for it.

mikebai1990 · 01-27-07, 10:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by superstring

I think you need to use the jack to raise the front and then rear of your vehicle, not the sides. You say there are lifting points between the wheels, front and rear. Raise the vehicle at one end, place your jack stands at the lifting points on each side closest to the front and repeat the procedure at the rear. You should be able to raise your Mazda high enough this way to safely position the stands in the reinforced areas.

When I do my rotation, I'm looking to deposit jack stands are one side of the car. I only have 2 jack stands, so I'm not sure how I would safely let the van down if I only put one jack stand on one side before taking the floor jack out.

Setec Astronomy · 01-27-07, 10:34

If you are doing a normal radial, all wheels the same size, non-directional rotation, you can jack up in the middle under the front, and put your two jack stands at the outboard frame locations. Then remove one front wheel, take the jack to the back of the car on that side, and jack up that wheel, take it off, put the one from the front there, let the jack down. Then go to the opposite front, take that wheel off, put the one on from the other corner. Roll that front wheel to the back, jack it up take the wheel off, swap, let the jack down, take that rear wheel to the front corner, put it on. Now jack the front back up and take out the jack stands. I've done this a few (cough) times, with one floor jack and two jack stands. Much easier when you have a set of winter wheels....only need to jack up one wheel at a time.

mikebai1990 · 01-27-07, 10:47

Just to clarify, Setec: So the two jack stands stay in front the whole time?

Accumulator · 01-27-07, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul34

... Eventually my friend just put it under the "frame" rails that go down each side of the car, kind of between the center of the underbody and edge of the car. I know that my car is a unibody, but I think it was ok because nothing adverse happened and it supported the car just fine..

Those are where I put the jack on my MPV. There are reinforced areas where the front suspension bolts on that you can use for the jackstands, or you can just put them beside the jacking point. In the rear, I jack it up by putting the jack (and the stands) under the rear axle beam.

Here's how I'd probably do it with just the floorjack and two stands: jack up the rear axle a bit off-center so the side you're working on comes up and the other side doesn't. Stick the jackstand under it to hold it there and make sure it's good and secure when you lower the jack. Then jack up the front of that side using the subframe rail. Put the other stand somewhere for a safety net but leave it up on the jack. Switch the wheels, remove the front stand, lower the jack, then jack up the rear so you can remove that jackstand.

I *would* consider just getting another pair of jackstands though, if only so you can just jack up the rear axle and put them under that (that way the rear of the MPV is up in the air, secure and easy, and you can then work on each of the front corners. But then I'm spoiled..I got myself a second floorjack too