Proper Vehicle Lifting w/Floor Jack

[The Critic]

So, I have always wondered if the method I use to lift my cars is correct.

Whenever I use a floor jack and jack stands to raise the car, I usually jack the car using part of the subframe and then place the jack stands on the unibody "pinch rails." I have never had any close calls, nor have I damaged any cars by following this procedure. However, these questions still linger in my mind:

1) Is it safe to raise the front-end of a car by jacking from any point on the subframe? On vehicles lacking a central lift point for the front end, is it okay to lift from the center of the subframe? Right now, for the front end, I jack up the RF and LF ends of the car separately. However, if it is okay to jack up the entire front end up at once by lifting from the center of the subframe, I will.

2) My auto shop instructor told me that it is OK to put the jack stands on a vehicle's lower control arms. I instead, have always used the "pinch rails." Who is correct?

3) Is it ever okay to jack up a vehicle using the lower control arms?

Thanks.

 

[The Critic]

Here's an example. Is it OK to jack up a vehicle from where I have the red arrow pointed?

 

[mareakin]

Yes, I would be interested to know as well.

So far, I have only used Ramps to do oil changes and have not had to jack up the car.

This topic needs a complete fleshing out

 

[oilboy123]

I have read in many manuals that say not to use the control arms or the subframe's. That being said a lot of the older trucks and cars it was OK to jack on the arms.

I try to use the frame rails about a foot inside the pinch weld. I sometimes use a jack using hardwood blocks under the pinch weld or under the frame reinforcment.

Unless you read something that says you can jack on the subframe I wouldn't. JMO I would use the pinch weld with a good block of wood or on the sheet metal frame piece farther in. Sometimes I put stands on the pinchweld with a piece of hardwood. I jack on the sheet metal frame inside of the pinchweld. Or I jack with wood on the pinchweld and put the stands on the sheet metal frame inside of that.

Problem is when you are jacking on the subframe whats supporting the front end of the car, the fenders and inner fender reinforcement, and the reinforcement around the radiator.

In other words once you get away from the main body structure it's not as strong. That's what I think is the reason.

 

[eljefino]

I jacked on the LCAs of my old mazda 323 doing a summer/winter tire changeover when I was young and dumb. My idea was it was fewer strokes since the suspension didn't have to decompress. I heard a "crick" and when driving on the mass pike it felt like my lugnuts were loose. Next oil change my mechanic pointed out my ball joint was shot.

You can probably jack the LCAs on an old school RWD double wishbone setup with load bearing ball joints.

I had a junk cavalier with a label saying not to jack on the oil pan. I suspect (but don't take as gospel) that your altima point looks good enough they'd stick a big warning label on it if it were too weak. My concern though is are those shock mounts on all four corners? That bracket 54342 looks like it could bend sideways. I know our saturns don't have that fancy stuff.

I have yet to bust anything jacking on the huge bolt head from "whatever" to the firewall on a FWD unibody car.

RWD full frame trucks usually have a giant frame crossmember under the motor midpoint that makes a perfect lift spot.

 

[Drew99GT]

I use parts of the front subframe where it bolts to the unibody frame parts, such as where eljefino described. On my Corolla for instant, the part of the subframe that bolts to the front portion of the unibody. I spread the load out with a large block of wood and quickly get jack stands under the pinch welds behind the front tires.

Haven't bent anything yet!

 

[oilboy123]

If I had to choose a spot on the subframe it would be near the very rear near the firewall.

 

[sciphi]

I jack on the rear of my Buick's subframe where the load is distributed by two attachment points to the unibody. Nothing broken yet. Same thing for the Fit. I find a suspension attachment point or frame rail to jack on.

Jacking on the pinch welds is a good way to bend/break them for those times you're stuck changing your flat tire. Those of us in the Rust Belt also know those pinch welds are not to be trusted on an older car.

FWIW, the $10 polyurethane jackstand cushions from Harbor Freight are totally worth the money for preventing scuffing/marring and cradling pinch welds.

 

[rationull]

My Civic has a clearly marked jacking point in the center of the front subframe at the front of the vehicle near the radiator support. Very nice and accessible. My wife's Mazda3 has subframe that only covers further back, near the firewall -- doesn't wrap all the way around the engine like the Honda one and like the one in the diagram for the Altima. The jacking point on that car is slightly off center near the firewall, on the cross member. Similar to where you've marked with the red arrow I think. Much more of a pain to get at.

That looks pretty sturdy and I would probably be willing to jack there, close to a mounting bolt. But if it were me, I'd try to find out what jacking points the factory service manual recommends first.

 

[oilboy123]

Yes something to be said for finding out where the factory jack points are. I know sometimes they say it's OK to jack on the subframe. Other times no.

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Yes something to be said for finding out where the factory jack points are. I know sometimes they say it's OK to jack on the subframe. Other times no.


+1. If I hadn't checked the factory recommended points on my Civic, I never, ever would've thought to jack the rear by the tow hook rather than the welded on suspension "subframe".

 

[PeteTheFarmer]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Jacking on the pinch welds is a good way to bend/break them for those times you're stuck changing your flat tire. Those of us in the Rust Belt also know those pinch welds are not to be trusted on an older car.


I've had this problem so I avoid using a floor jack there.

 

[Stu_Rock]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Yes something to be said for finding out where the factory jack points are. I know sometimes they say it's OK to jack on the subframe. Other times no.

Good advice.

I have had cars for which the manual points out different points for jacks and lifts. I have found that a floor jack with a block of wood will work on lift points just fine.

Also, I have dented subframes on cars that say it's OK to lift there. Now I use an 8" piece of 2x3 whenever I jack on a subframe.

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Jacking on the pinch welds is a good way to bend/break them for those times you're stuck changing your flat tire. Those of us in the Rust Belt also know those pinch welds are not to be trusted on an older car.

Old habits die hard. I've been out in Calif. for 4 yr, and I still don't trust pinch welds on older cars.

Not only that, but I try to avoid damaging newer pinch welds so that they stay resistant to corrosion. I use rubber or wood on jacks or stands, and I keep wood blocks in the car for roadside jacking.

Much like how it never rains when I carry an umbrella, I haven't needed to do a roadside tire change since I started being prepared.

 

[The Critic]

Bumping this thread from the dead.

I learned a tip from the ericthecarguy video to use the point where the lower control arm and the subframe meets, as a location to jack up the car.

Since that area is reinforced, is that safe? I've been using it lately and have found it to be quite effective at lifting the car much higher than with the factory lift points.