Stupid question - Jacking points?

[NitroDemon]

Where are the safest jacking points on our spiders to get one up on jack stands? I dont have the original owners manual and my shop manual I have says it has them in listed the index but they are no where to be found on the page indicated. Someones obviously already jacked it up before in dumb spots because on the divers side under where the drivers seat would be theres a beam thats all crushed from someone lifting the car there. So, Wheres the best lifting points? Thanks guys xD

[azygoustoyou]

Along the sides where the metal points toward the ground.

[NitroDemon]

your not talking about the thin lil metal ridge are you?

[kmead]

The front cross member, center of the rear axle pumpkin (using a rubber pad to protect the drain bolt) under the spring attachment points on the rear axle or front A arms.

If you look carefully under the car (and the car is in good shape ie minimal rust) you will see there are 4 rectangular reinforcements with downward facing flanges. These are where the factory jack is intended to be placed.

Unlike many modern cars you are not intended to jack the car using the flanges that run along the bottom of the sills, especially since the Spider has decorative sill covers which won't take any load at all.

Never jack on a tubular suspension arm of any kind. You can jack on the mounts at the ends of the longitudinal tubes but never on the tube itself. Never use a jack on any part of the Panhard rod mounting or the tube itself Never on any part of the engine or transmission (to lift the car) as the mounts can easily tear apart.

I use a rubber block or old hockey pucks on top of my jack or a soft piece of pine to distribute the load and in effect lock the position of the jack to the body.I lift the car using the rear axle or the crossmember and then place the jack stands under the other hard points with a couple of layers of cardboard on top of the jack stand to minimize paint damage and movement. I keep the jack under the car but not taking the load, its just there to take the load in case.

[wachuko]

Not a stupid question as you thought, huh?

Here is a link to the User Manual... you can also download a pdf version of it:

Pages 23-24 documents the process for jacking the car.

http://openpdf.com/viewer?url=http://ww ... Manual.pdf

[mbouse]

hockey puck? i read that and thought of Don Rickles.

intelligent question, especially considering what little common sense soooo many previous owners have had.

[Foster48x]

Very good question. I wish the PO of my car would have asked before he (or the mechanic) bent my passenger side Panhard Rod trying to jack the car up.

Rick

[NebraskaSpider]

Both of my rear long trailing arms were bent from the PO on my car. I can only assume he tried to jack it up on them. I had to get new ones obviously, but man do I love PO's.

[amsiegel]

Very good question. I wish the PO of my car would have asked before he (or the mechanic) bent my passenger side Panhard Rod trying to jack the car up.

Rick

Rick
I think I know who your talking about my car has the same problem.

[BartusCompater]

I think that in retrospect, we can all agree that this is actually a very smart question.

Obviously not enough people have been asking it (I have a bent trailing arm from a PO). What's more stupid: Jacking it up without knowing whether or not the point is strong enough, or asking to make sure?

[Fiat88]

Good question, I was wondering about this also. Does anyone have pics of their cars on jack stands, so I can get a visual idea of where they are placed? Thx.

[NitroDemon]

Thanks guys, I felt stupid asking it because it seemed like such a simple question but I'm glad I did ask! Seems like theres alot to possibly mess up with a poorly decided upon lifting point! And i agree, if ayone has any pics handy that would be nice to see. My car has a very black underbelly from the factory undercoat, its loose where the PO had jacked it on the drivers side of the car and crushed some metal. Chipped some off for a look see and its nice and shiny under there only thing really rusty looking under there is the exhaust. I'll see if i can get a picture and show you guys what the damage is. Thanks again!

[Foster48x]

I think we all have pics of our cars on jack stands. Mine lived on them for a couple of months . If someone doesn't beat me to it I'll post some pics later today.

Rick

[Foster48x]

Here's the car on 4 jack stands last summer.

[Fiat88]

Here's the car on 4 jack stands last summer.

Thanks but how bout a pic from underneath the car? .