Shark Attack

this sounds like a simple question but I have bad dreams abot being under a car. Its about like being on a ladder for me. I can do it, I can get the job done but im not very comfortable in that space and I start to breath again after my feet are back in the ground.

I know the jack point locations, but if i have to use those points to lift the car to put the jack stands under the car, where should I put my stands?

Any tips to make sure im not going to get crushed under the car would be most thankful...

Thanks

Kyle

Mark

On the front - use the skid pads. You can lift the rear by the cross member and use the lift points for the stands, or vice versa.

Donald

... or, get the lift bars from PorKen. They are great and save a ton of time.

Shark Attack

skid plates, are these the same plates that have the "hook holes"?

Shark Attack

I dont plan on being under enough to justify this expense. I did see those they do look nice...

Mark

Yep...just aft of the those tow hooks. Use the lifts on the skid plates between the 2 big bolts on the forward control mount.

Shark Attack

got it, thanks!

anyone ever knock a car off the stands?

Kyle

Mark

If you have the stands set where they go - it is VERY hard to do. I discovered an interesting phenom when I was transferring my car from stands to my scissor lift (My lift arrived in the middle of my MM job!).

The car will balance on just 2 stands! (Front Left/Right Rear, or Front Right/Left Rear). It is so balanced this way, that you can rock it on the 2 stands with pressure on the fender from 2 fingers!

YMMV!!!! Make SURE you don't use cheap-*** stands! Be Safe....When using stands (or even when I use my lift!) - I still keep a floor jack under something substantial in the general area of the car that I am working on.

marton

What Mark said
plus look around for something to slide under the car that is solid and fairly high for added security; like the wheels or reserve wheels or the spare wheel or large wood blocks.

I have the same angst but I diminish it by piling thimgs up under the car.

2 floor jacks are a good idea to lift it up but DO NOT rely on these to keep it up. just find big solid things to lie inder the car

Marton

daveo90s4

The workshop manual for the S4 (and I therefore presume for other models) shows that near each of the rear jacking points there is also a place to lift the vehicle when using a hoist. In other words, there are two factory recommended weight-bearing points at each side at the rear. This means that if you use the rear jacking points to jack the rear of vehicle (as most would do) you can then use the other two 'hoist' points to support the rear of the vehicle with the jack(s) removed.

If you jack the rear enough, the front will also lift. With the whole side raised by jacking the rear only you can then put a support under the front jacking point. Then when you lower the rear jack so the rear sits on a support under the rear hoist point, the front will rise further as it pivots around the front jacking point. That way with one jack, you can raise one side and have it supported and level with the jack removed.

If you use this method to then raise the other side of the car, it is in my view essential that you then rejack and relower the side you 1st raised so as to relieve any non-vertically acting forces. And give the vehicle some gentle sideways shoves to satisfy yourself that it is not rocking / unstable.

As others have said, even with the vehicle properly supported, put something solid under the vehicle in case of a failure - an extra pair of axle stands for example. With good quality axle stands - with a decent triangulated braced base - it is very difficult to push a car off the stands, since to do so means the car has to lift as the axle stands tilt on their wide bases. Hence the need for axle stand bases to be properly engineered and braced.

Cheers

Shark Attack

I got 6 ton stands today... they have a nice wide base.

fraggle

I usually give my stands a wack or two with a rubber mallet to make sure they are seated square on the ground. When you do really high lifts they can move around a little.

Shark Attack

yep this happened,, weird!

the car is 15" off the gound. this is the lowest settings of my stands