Need help on putting ES on jack stands.
06-20-18, 07:35 AM
#1
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Need help on putting ES on jack stands.
Hi everyone. Can anyone post some pictures of how to properly jack up and support their ES with jack stands and at which points of the car? I've read the how-to article on this site labeled for this issue but found it a bit lacking... Points to use a floor jack are pretty well explained in the manual, its where to place the jack stands that I'm having issues with. Here are my questions:
1) I usually put jack stands where the pinch welds are located for the scissor jack (bent welds be damned!). However, it seems on the ES the pinch welds are really short, and since most jack stands have the U or crescent shape to them I'm afraid the weld won't even make contact with the center of the stands since the cusp of the stands will make contact first with what to me looks like plastic . Have anyone had an issue with this point?
2) Its suggested on the how-to page to use the jack stands on the frame rails running down the sides from front to rear wheel. However, I've heard stories of this frame crumpling under heavy loads with a jack, and I think it a bad ideas. Our cars are unibody (aluminum?) constructs and these are not heavy duty steel frames like older cars or full-body-on-frame vehicles. I know repair shops use lifts that use these points, but their lifts run the lengths of the entire car and distribute the weight evenly across the length of the vehicle (I think).
3) I have heard that the point where the lower control arm connects to the frame is a good point, but I have never used it there and am unsure where that is exactly.
I know that this is seems like common knowledge to most experienced DIYers here; so common it seems that most how-to videos and instructions just breeze over it. To me, and probably a lot of other people, are wondering the safes way to do it as our lives very well depend on it.
Can anybody give me advice on what you use, how you do it, where you place it, and whether or not you died because of it?
Oh, and pics definitely encouraged.
1) I usually put jack stands where the pinch welds are located for the scissor jack (bent welds be damned!). However, it seems on the ES the pinch welds are really short, and since most jack stands have the U or crescent shape to them I'm afraid the weld won't even make contact with the center of the stands since the cusp of the stands will make contact first with what to me looks like plastic . Have anyone had an issue with this point?
2) Its suggested on the how-to page to use the jack stands on the frame rails running down the sides from front to rear wheel. However, I've heard stories of this frame crumpling under heavy loads with a jack, and I think it a bad ideas. Our cars are unibody (aluminum?) constructs and these are not heavy duty steel frames like older cars or full-body-on-frame vehicles. I know repair shops use lifts that use these points, but their lifts run the lengths of the entire car and distribute the weight evenly across the length of the vehicle (I think).
3) I have heard that the point where the lower control arm connects to the frame is a good point, but I have never used it there and am unsure where that is exactly.
I know that this is seems like common knowledge to most experienced DIYers here; so common it seems that most how-to videos and instructions just breeze over it. To me, and probably a lot of other people, are wondering the safes way to do it as our lives very well depend on it.
Can anybody give me advice on what you use, how you do it, where you place it, and whether or not you died because of it?
Oh, and pics definitely encouraged.
06-20-18, 07:10 PM
#2
If you are lifting your car in the front, place your stands at the points in which the H-frame (Black frame that mates to the body) bolts to the body just behind the front wheels, past the firewall. You can also place them on the H-frame itself. If lifting the whole car, having minimal fuel, you are fine to use the underbody rails you referenced in your post just like the lifts in service centers. The unibody is made of steel, not aluminum, at least not yet. If you are planning on lifting and leaving it for a prolonged period it best to lift the entire vehicle. Hope this helps you out and apologize in advance that I have no pictures for you.
06-20-18, 07:18 PM
#3
If you are lifting your car in the front, place your stands at the points in which the H-frame (Black frame that mates to the body) bolts to the body just behind the front wheels, past the firewall. You can also place them on the H-frame itself. If lifting the whole car, having minimal fuel, you are fine to use the underbody rails you referenced in your post just like the lifts in service centers. The unibody is made of steel, not aluminum, at least not yet. If you are planning on lifting and leaving it for a prolonged period it best to lift the entire vehicle. Hope this helps you out and apologize in advance that I have no pictures for you.
06-21-18, 05:54 AM
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If you are lifting your car in the front, place your stands at the points in which the H-frame (Black frame that mates to the body) bolts to the body just behind the front wheels, past the firewall. You can also place them on the H-frame itself. If lifting the whole car, having minimal fuel, you are fine to use the underbody rails you referenced in your post just like the lifts in service centers. The unibody is made of steel, not aluminum, at least not yet. If you are planning on lifting and leaving it for a prolonged period it best to lift the entire vehicle. Hope this helps you out and apologize in advance that I have no pictures for you.
I also took a look in the back of the car didn't see any obvious jack stand points. That's the muffler on the top of the pic.
06-21-18, 07:46 AM
#5
06-21-18, 07:49 AM
#6
The yellow circle there should be a large bolt head attaching the frame to the body in which you can place a stand lifting the front up. The red is the H-frame itself, it will support the weight as well, but like stated earlier if you’re lifting the whole car up for a period of time, use the rails in the mentioned areas.
06-21-18, 07:53 AM
#7
Your third pic, do not used any of those areas to lift, they will likely bend and cause rear suspension damage and or alignment issue with the rear end. Hope all this helps. Be safe.
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06-26-18, 02:00 PM
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I don't see any logical place to put the car on jacks in the back of the car. Nearest place I could find would be the frame rails but that's closer to the middle of the car than the rear and again, hesitant because of the plastic feel to it. Perhaps I'll go under it again later tonight and post some pics of the rear for you guys to show me.
thanks everyone for all your advice so far! I'm putting it all into practice the minute my gaskets, plugs and software arrives.
thanks everyone for all your advice so far! I'm putting it all into practice the minute my gaskets, plugs and software arrives.
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