When wanting to put the car on stands (placed under the normal rear jacking points), I've been jacking the car up underneath the engine (after removing the undertray). With my current jack this only allows me to get the car just high enough to get the stands in.

Is it safe to jack the car up, briefly, by placing it under the gearbox or on the cross member that protects the front of the gear box (just forward of the rear wheels)? This would allow me to jack the car up a little higher so that I can set the stands a little taller.

Thanks

Steve

 

Steve,

Why not use a small wood block on top of your jack? I keep a stack of various sizes of blocks in my garage for when I need to either protect what I'm jacking on or when I need some extra height. Just be careful that the car is safely chocked so that it won't shift and fall off the jack.

 

Yeah - Rob has the idea. Use wood blocks to give you more height; even use a plank under your jack if you're really hurting for height.

The front transmission mount is not nearly as solid as using the middle of the engine. I would not do it that way since you could break that mount - plus to reach it, you're placing yourself under the car while jacking, which if you break the mount while jacking, that would be ugly.

 

Thanks for the suggestions but I can't see the wood block trick working as I'd hoped because with the car being so low there's no clearance to put wood between the jack and the engine. I guess I'll have to jack up, lower onto the stands, lower the jack, add wood and then jack again. A longer process than I'd hoped but it should still achieve my aim.

 

What I do is park the car on wood planks to give it the high to get the jack under the car with a wood block if nessesary

 

Steve,

One other thought. Have you considered using a floor jack with a higher reach? About a year ago, I purchased a new jack that can lift the car really high. Its a AC Hydraulics DK13HLQ (no affiliation).

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...Hydraulic1.htm

Note: I still occasionally use my wood blocks as explained above.

 

I bought one of those jacks as well. It is great!!!

Jim C.