This morning I was raising front of car in garage preparatory to coolant change.

My habit has been to jack right side first, then put stand in place before repeating on other side.

Changed habit today and started on left hand side. It's more awkward on that side because I'm near wall of double garage, so jack handle is not square to body.

Anyway as I started to raise car on that side (right side still on ground remember) the front left wheel started to turn to left, and kept turning as I raised car. It was only then that I realised glancing in car that the steering wheel had rotated a half turn (doh)!.

I then raised right side, and with both wheels in air opened door to straighten the steering wheel. In fact steering lock had cut in, so I had to turn key to run position and the lock was released. With key out the steering lock still operates correctly

So...

- I've never seen this happen when first jacking from right (steering wheel on rhs on my car). Why not, and why would it happen from other side? I can see that putting extra weight on the unraised side will exert a force on that wheel which is on the ground, but why have I not seen wheels turn when jacking from right side first?

- Why isn't the steering lock bust from turning wheel with key out? Does the lock only work from steering wheel end, but has joint which allows wheel to be turned from wheel end?

- I suppose the most important question is will I have caused any damage to steering mechanism? In future I'll always jack first from right!

btw the garage floor isn't very grippy as it's been painted, but have jacked cars many times on that floor since it was painted.

Wonder if it makes a difference that I wasn't taking wheels off so hadn't loosened the lug nuts at all? In past I've only raised this car for work requiring me to remove wheels.

Thanks for advice.

 

Whew, from the title I was a little worried to click on this.

 

I don’t know if this is true, but I’ve learned I really need the jack perpendicular to the car or it will pull the car slightly. Maybe my jack wheels don’t roll quite right, but one time when I was jacking closed to the wall, I got lazy and instead of taking a section out of the handle, I placed the jack at an angle… nearly pulled the other side off the Porken bars and stands. The whole car starting moving/falling towards me and the wall. I lowered the jack down and the car moved back and amazingly stayed on the stands.

 

oops. Rennlist may get a lot more hits now via Google!

 

Ah that makes perfect sense. When the right side is raised first then there's no wheel contact to create turning force. If the jack is square to car then as it rolls inward as car is raised, it pulls perpendicular to other wheel which is not then rotated about vertical axis. Also I don't know if this is cause or effect but afterwards I discovered one of the bolts securing front roller of jack had come out, so I suspect roller was not smoothly pulling jack in and instead all the pulling force acted on car.

Many thanks. Any gurus know why the steering lock didn't break?

 

just curious where are you jacking up the car??
I usually jack the car up in the front with the tow hook where its connected to the front lower control arm, if the front end is to low, then jack the car up from the jack pad and place a 2x4 under the front tire, lower the car and then try the tow hook, only caveat is to make sure the jack is centered on the tow hook.
Jack the car up to fit a jack stand under the front lack pad behind the front wheel. then go to the other side and lift that side.
For the rear place a 2x4 piece of wood about 8 in. long on the jack and then lift the rear upi with the jack placed under the rear cross member

 

Hi Mr Merlin,

I'm jacking at the jack pads, then placing stands under the 'skids' (presumably same as tow hook?).

At the rear I do follow your method of jacking under rear cross member with wood block.