Karl_W944

I've read multiple threads, seen few pics, and apologize for potentially beating dead horse, but I've got a 2 ton hydraulic jack and two 3 ton jack stands I'm borrowing from a friend for a week.

I need to lift the passenger side up to determine where my coolant leak is coming from(hose vs. WP).

I think I've got an idea of where to place the stands, but where the hell do I actually place the jack under my car to lift one side without ruining my floorpan/frame??

And does anyone have an actual picture of a jack under a 944 I can use as reference please?

bonus12

There is a pic that is only somewhat good.
You need to find the large round nipples under the car. They protrude from the undercarriage like small domes, and each have a hole that is made to accept the factory jack face.

Kerry Chadderton

Karl,

There should be a triangular indention, bottom center of your rocker panels. Midway between the front and rear tires on each side. Look or feel under there. There is a hard, square, open area under there. Position the jack there. NOT on the rocker panel itself. This will lift up the whole side of the car without damaging the floor pan or crushing anything.

I put my jack stands under the rear mount of the front control arms and the rear outer torsion bar tube in front of the rear tires. I shake the car to make sure it's secure before getting under it. I might get flamed for this but I have done it this way for years.

The little round bosses on my car will push in after multiple jackings so I quit using them.

V2Rocket

the most reposted picture in all of 944 history

although as far as the "do not use" and "prone to collapse" points i think those depend if you live in a winter-salted area where you might have corroded panels.
i use the front points almost exclusively since my jack cant get under the front bumper to the crossmember.
if you have an early 944 you *can* lift the rear by jacking on the differential case but go carefully. when i re-did my rear suspension a few weeks ago i supported the rear of the car by the "prone to collapse" points about 20" off the ground and it was solid!

my recommendation is to ditch your jackstands and build wooden blocks - buy a 4x6 and cut into 12" sections, lay two parallel and put two perpendicular on top so the corners meet and glue/nail together. way stronger and safer than ****ty $20 jackstands.

Karl_W944

Okay, this picture is throwing me off. That point where it says to "raise the car with jack from these points", is that not on the rocker? Because it looks like it is, and isn't that where I shouldn't raise the car??

Is there seriously not a better or much closer-up picture that isn't a diagram?

V2Rocket

look at the side of the car, you will see a little diamond on the rocker.
if you look just under the car, just inboard of the outer edge of the rocker under the diamond you will see a square-shaped metal box section. that is a lift point.

the round cup shaped holes that stick down behind the front wheels and behind the back wheels are safe to lift the car by as well.

Karl_W944

I saw the diamond indentation, but I didn't see a square area that looked big enough. This cup-like indentation here is a safe point to jack the car up?

Karl_W944

More pictures for reference: Are any of these spots correct??

V2Rocket

No.
The "square box section" is right at the very bottom edge of the rocker panel maybe 1.5" x 3" or something like that.

Lay down with your forehead under the diamond on the rocker. When your nose touches the rocker panel the square lifting point will be at eye level.

The round cup sections you cannot miss under the car, they stick down from the body 1.5" or so and have a hole in the middle also about 1.5" diameter. If you look at the front fender of the car from the side of the car...halfway between the rear edge of the fender panel (the vertical line between the fender and the rocker) and the wheel well, is the cup shaped lift point.

You really can't miss these things if you just look.

Karl_W944

That labeling was exactly what I needed! Thanks so much!



Now I can find the coolant leak!

gtroth

This one is not good. It's labeled do not use in Sandor's classic picture because a lot of 944s get bent floors from using it. As I recall, it's only used in the factory to move the body through the paint process.

Put a jack stand on the frame rails, inboard from there, like Sandor says. In the rear, you can put a jack stand with an axle cradle under the torsion bar ends if you like.

For Jacking, you just plain have to find the feature on the rocker that's aligned with the diamond.

V2Rocket

I feel that the failure related to those points may be a regional issue - places where they use salt in the winter that corrodes the metal nearby.
I always use that point to lift my car and those of my customers and have never had any issue.

I did have to correct a bent floorpan on my car once because someone tried to place their lift pad in the middle of the pan.

Karl_W944

Good thing I'm not using that point!

thomasmryan

Jacking up the front, i placed the jack stands behind the castor block with a nice soft square of redwood.

Later, when you bleed the coolant, you will want the front higher.

gtroth

I'd say you've been lucky. Recommend you start using the factory designed lift points, especially on customer cars.