My car is lowered and I have trouble getting the jack and the protective item (I use a hockey puck) under the rear jacking point and the engine. It barely fits without the puck, but I prefer to make that work.

How can I raise the car enough to make this clearance? Do I back it up onto ramps (it looks like the ramp blocks the jacking point and jack stand positioning). Do I drive it up onto some thick wooden planks and then jack? Yeah, I know, "Get this really great lift for $1200 plus shipping." I'm looking for a simpler fix. Help!

 

Just get a low profile aluminum jack. I think mine was around $100 on sale.

 

I just purchased and received mine (alum low profile floor jack) (from Damon @ Tire Rack). $190 delivered in three days.

 

2" x 6" plank about 12" long is handy to have around for things like this.

However, I usually jack under the engine if I'm going to put the car on jack stands.

LOTS of threads on this topic...

 

+1 if no lift is available

 

I did pieces of 2x8 boards until I bought the low profile jack: under $200 at Sears Hardware.

If you use the boards be careful as you pull onto them - sometimes they scoot, or worse: shoot out from under the tire!!

 

My car isn't lowered and there is at least 2" between the pad on my hydraulic jack and my 1" thick jack pads shown below. How tall is your jack in the lowest position; how low is your car?

 

I asked on another post and didn't get a response, so I'll ask a pertinent question here: If one jacks the car up by the engine, what happens at the front end? Wheel chocks, lumber etc. A noobie needs to know

 

I personally just use a couple of wood chocks under the front wheels. As for getting under the rear just get a good jack so you never have to worry about it again. Also, when you are shopping for the jack, keep in mind what the minimum height of your jack stands are.

And of course if you need to send your wife the wish list, just send her this: http://www.acjacks.com/acjacks_003.htm

 

I jack the rear under the engine and place jack stands under the factory rear jack points. When you lower the rear on the stands, the front comes up a bit due to the weight of the engine. Then I go under the front with a 3' long 1x6 board and lift under the front pan just behind the the point where the bumper cover attaches. Continue lifting until you can get the front jack stands under the factory jack points. Because of the heavy engine in the rear, it takes surprisingly little effort to lift the front due to the cantilever effect at the rear jack points.

 

Move-for-move what I do.


Andreas

 

I jack the rear up on the "engine jacking block" from Robin.
http://p-car.com/diy/jacktowpoint/

And you "MUST" have ESCO jackstands from Steve.
http://www.ultimategarage.com/shop/p...oducts_id=2420

Slippery slope, good luck!

 

A lazy man's solution to a really "slammed" car is to use GoJacks (or reasonable facsimile) on the rear and/or the front to raise the car sufficiently to get a jack under it. Best to get the 12" wide ones so that they'll clear fat tires. Just remember that, when lowering, you've got to remember to put them back into the same position. They're really useful in moving the car around, too.

 

+1 on the ESCO stands

 

OK, this has been great--just what I expected from this crowd.

Thanks so much--really. I'm on it.