pinch welds/lifting points

[CharBaby]

This is in regards to the lifting points on a vehicle.

I have had this happen all too many times on vehicles where neither a floor jack nor a garage(repair shop) lift can raise the vehicle in these areas any longer and have to resort to another point under the vehicle to lift. However the rest of the vehicle's in each case was fine & strong(floorboards, rockers etc.). And there are a couple of other strong mounting spots under the chassis to lift the vehicle.

When the area has become so corroded to the point that the vehicle can no longer be lifted in this area, is there a proper repair for these jacking points. Is welding new steel in their place a doable repair and has anyone here done this?

These days, I try never to use these lifting points on a vehicle and to use another part of the structure. However, when bringing our vehicles to a shop, even for our State Inspection, these lifting points are used and often destroyed over time(by the shop) usually without care!

I also think that these lifting points are a terrible design and wish that the Mfg's would come up with something else for proper lifting of any vehicle be it in your own driveway(floor jack) or at a shop/dealer(LIFT). Just a rant!

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Quickjack sells hard rubber blocks to use with pinch welds. Perhaps modify one to use with a floor jack. Some OE's sell jack pads for their cars as well.

 

[R18Civic]

If you’re near a d dictated sporting goods store galvanized rubber hockey pucks work great. I use a sawzall to cut two grooves about 1/4 apart in the center then use a flathead and hammer to remove the center portion. Unfortunately I didn’t come across this jack hack until I had ruined all my pinch welds. Good thing there’s no more than a week or two of salt around here.

 

[john_pifer]

Recently had to lift my WRX, one end at a time, to do a brake job. The points they show in the manual as lifting points are terrible. Designed only for the emergency scissor jack. The lifting head of my rolling service jack wouldn't work. Didn't really know where else would be safe (when I was 18, I jacked a hole in the floorboard of my mom's Avalon when it got a flat), so I went to Harbor Freight and bought another scissor jack. Even then, the head wouldn't properly fit the jack point Subaru specifies (the gap on the head on the HF jack was too narrow to fit over the "pinch weld" area). I made do, but the head on the HF jack ended up getting bent.

I read a couple of posts on a Subaru forum where people said they used the rear diff as a jack point, but that seemed risky to me.

 

[thescreensavers]

^My 13 WRX had a center jack point in the front and I used the rear diff as the center jacking point, the rear diff is very common center jacking point through all makes and models. But remember this is only to lift the car initially still need jack stands.

On my Camaro there is no front center jack point so I have to use an adapter to get my jack to the pinch weld but then the jack stand kinda mess with the pinch welds...C'est La Vie

 

[RooflessVW]

Fortunately most of the cars I have owned have dedicated lift pads designed into the car - only my old Datsun had pinch welds identified as jack points. Even on that car, it made more sense to use the front and rear suspension and differential to lift the car.

Dedicated lifting points (sometimes they're even rubber!) are one of those things done by ze Germans that just make sense.

 

[khittner]

A slotted "hockey puck" pad is what you need for your floor jack, if you're going to be lifting along a pinch weld. They're pretty cheap, and they keep this bit of visible metal from being folded over/damaged.

 

[supton]

Last couple of cars I've taken to using the pinch welds for lifting, but simply cribbed under the large U channel that makes the unibody. I figure it's a high stress area and I spread the weight out over a large area. I have some 2x6's that I cut to 8" or so lengths. I wonder if lifting can be done in the same manner--large board under the U channel.

 

[andyd]

I use a 2 foot length of 2"X 5/4 on either side of the the pinch weld with the floor jack in the middle. Distributes the weight better.

 

[Donald]

I would use the alternate lifting point with a floor jack.

 

[SirTanon]

The 'hockey puck' that is being discussed is the way to go. They're actually called "jack pads", and they work great.

I got one of these from Amazon for less than $7. I don't like lifting my Fusion at the pinch welds due to potential damage. The jack pad makes a world of difference.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: SirTanon
The 'hockey puck' that is being discussed is the way to go. They're actually called "jack pads", and they work great.

I got one of these from Amazon for less than $7. I don't like lifting my Fusion at the pinch welds due to potential damage. The jack pad makes a world of difference.


Good to know. Thanks.

 

[CharBaby]

This is in regards to the lifting points on a vehicle.

When the area has become so corroded to the point that the vehicle can no longer be lifted in this area, is there a proper repair for these jacking points. Is welding new steel in their place a doable repair and has anyone here done this?
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Guys, I'm not looking for alternatives of how to lift my own vehicles, it also has to do with shop lifts have also destroyed the jacking points. I am looking for way to fix the crushed jacking points that shops/garages have destroyed. Is there a way to weld them as a fix?

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby

This is in regards to the lifting points on a vehicle.

When the area has become so corroded to the point that the vehicle can no longer be lifted in this area, is there a proper repair for these jacking points. Is welding new steel in their place a doable repair and has anyone here done this?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Guys, I'm not looking for alternatives of how to lift my own vehicles, it also has to do with shop lifts have also destroyed the jacking points. I am looking for way to fix the crushed jacking points that shops/garages have destroyed. Is there a way to weld them as a fix?


First, stop taking the car anywhere where they will jack it up there, because it's just going to happen again.

Then; Weld in a new rocker panel and floor board, then spot weld the two together.

DIY. Fold them back over, and shoot some paint on it.

 

[bdcardinal]

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O72Y2CE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use those and they work fantastic.

 

[maxdustington]

I think the pinch welds are for the emergency jack = roadside use only. Cars have gotten too low to slide a normal floor jack under. They just get abused because the layman did not own low profile jack to get under them, and pros had lifts.

The problem is using them a lot:
1. Distorts them overtime, making them useless. I assume an old car that has had a few owners is going to have the reinforced pinch weld jack area pretty distorted. I know mine is and was when I got the car. You have to start using areas that can still take a pinch weld jack further and further back, which distorts them even more. The reinforced area behind the wheel is also a corrosion magnet, making those front pinch weld jacking points dicey on a rust bucket. I am sure many of us have experienced that.
2. Scrapes the paint/undercoating off. I use the factory spare jack to get my car high enough to use my normal height jack to lift it higher. The jack cuts into the undercoating every time.

They do allow you to jack the car up, put jack stands under the subframe mounts or wherever you like to put them. Even if you can jack from a different location, the floor jack seems to always be in the way of jack stand placement.

 

[eljefino]

When I worked at a tire shop I was careful, based on my own experience with my own car. Didn't make anything worse. In fact I was surprised by how far along rust could be.

On your typical FWD unibody car, the pads that lift under the firewall area probably get 75-80% of the weight. They also grab first, an inch or so before the rear pads, and the front springs "help" lift the car or help the weight shift around by the time the rear pads grab what's left.

The front arms are also longer and I'd stick them on the "frame rail" part of the unibody that's in practically every car now. I read this is designed so when you're in a wreck, the powertrain drops out and gets stuck in between these rails. Regardless, they are happy rigidity.

In my own garage, I lift from a central lifting point-- these mentioned frame rails or a center "dingus" Toyota thoughtfully leaves. This gets two wheels up simultaneously-- convenient, and leaves the entire pinch weld free for jack stands without being "crowded" by an adjacent jack head.

When an individual lifts the pinch weld with the emergency jack, they are lifting 1/2 the car, not 1/4. You'll note it teetering on the adjacent wheels and the opposite corner wheel's suspension actually compressing. This is not a recipe for success.

Finally, your mechanic usually has a choice in lift pad-- throw the whole flat thing under the car, spreading the force over 8 inches or so. Or flip up a "frame adapter" that concentrates on 3/4 inch or so of metal. He knows what he's doing for his safety (hopefully) but you could try pointing out ahead of time your concerns.

I only visit a shop for state inspections, and rocker rot is something they have to look for, so I stay mum. They only bust me if it's legitimately bad.

The rear trailing arm mounts are usually a decent lift point. There are usually large bolts in front that hold the subframe to the firewall, ditto.

 

[Number_35]

Agreed, this is a problem on newer FWD cars. I also find that on some vehicles, if I don't want to use the scissors jack and the pinch-weld jack point, there's only one good place to use to raise the front of the car. If I use that for my hydraulic jack, there's nowhere to place a jack stand. GRRR!

If I were designing cars, there would be a solid jacking point for the scissors jack, a flat point for a hydraulic jack, and well-defined points for at least one jack stand. (But no doubt I'd be overruled by the bean-counters; how many new car buyers would be willing to pay extra for these features?)

 

[tig1]

I have posted this before, and it works very well with my hyd floor jack. I just lay a heavy rag over it and that prevents scratching.