hey all, what's the best way to get our cars up on four jack stands? as you all know, this would make bleeding brakes, brake jobs, tire changes, etc. so much faster/easier. any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. i have a G, but it should be very similar if not the same. thanks in advance!

 

just jack up one side at a time to put jack stands under.

 

I roll my Z up onto some small ramps I made so I can jet a floor jack all the way under the front to reach the center lift point. From there I jack the front up and put two stands on each side behind the front wheels. Then I take the jack around the back and lift the rear by the pumpkin and put two stands in front of the rear wheels.

 

i need ramps for the front lift point. however, when i lift it and the rear dips down, i can't get a jack under the diff. sounds like i may need to purchase another set of ramps.

my biggest concern was lifting up the other end of the vehicle while jackstands are on the other side. i didn't want the car to "slide off" as you were jack the other side up.

 

it's not goign to slide off. When your car is on a jackstand, it's stable as if the wheels are on the ground.

 

IMO, the easiest & safest way is to lift one side at a time. This is how I change both front & rear tires at the same time. Just place the jack below the frame, in the area just at the midpoint of your door. This will lift the entire side, and both wheels will be off the ground. Place the jack stands in the appropriate front & rear areas. Make sure you have choke blocks on the other side while lifting one side. After placing the jack stands, then go to the other side, and repeat procedure.

 

Whether you're lifting the Z from side-to-side or front-to-back, I think it's reasonable to check on the jack stands as you lift. If the car is not properly centered on the stands, they could tip. This can happen when you're jacking on one side of the car and the surface you're on is not level.

If I'm doing this alone, I'll go to the other side of the car to check that the jack stands are not tipping as the car is halfway up. Safey is an important prerequisite for this seemingly simple task.

 

in order to do this, do you place the jack on the seam? do you use some sort of adapter like the eastwood, or do you just use a couple of 2x2's to distribute the weight?

 

I don't use the seam. I use the flat area just inside the seam. Just a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. If your Z is lowered, not all jacks can get underneath the frame. I found one at Wal-Mart that has a minimum 3 1/2" clearance.

2. Make sure you have solid jack stands. Don't buy the flimsy ones that are made in China.

 

two words: LEVEL GROUND

 

z-u-later, what brand is the jack?
my car is lowered and has a kit .. pita to lift ..
1. jack one side (front) using the stock jack until it's high enough to put a jack under the front.
2. jack the front.
3. jack one side (rear) using the stock jack until it's high enough to put a jack under the rear.
4. jack the rear.

 

Here's how I do mine:

1-place blocks in front of the front wheels
2-Jack the rear using the diff (I use a hockey puck on the jack to protect the car)
3-Place jack stands (2) just inside of the rear jack positions (inside the flange, see picture)
4-lower slowly
5-jack the front on one side. Using the inner big suspension mounting point. The whole car will lift.
6-place the stands (2) inside the jack position

voila

 

for lowered cars with kits (like mine), i recommend (and use) tomioka ramps (or any other kind of ramp), and use a low profile jack. i have the AFF (American Forge and Foundry) model 200T and it's one of the most awesome tools i have!

 

kolia, why do you place the jack stands that way (step 3) instead of perpendicular to the seam? and which inner big suspension mounting point are you referring to? are you talking about where the hsock assembly meets the lower control arm?

 

If you place the stand perpendicular to the seam, you will crush the flange. Eventually, the emergency jack might not fit anymore. There exist an adapter for the stands that will straddle the flange. But I haven't been able to get them.

The front bolt I'm referencing to is the large on on the subframe, close to the suspension. Not on the suspension itself (sorry for the confusion).

 

oh, crush the flange...right...i already did that

 

I too looked for that block that straddles the flange...to no avail. They don't appear to be avaialble.

You can easily make one with a 4x4. Cut it to length and then make a groove down the center. The groove is made just deep enough and wide enough to fit over the flange. I also wrapped my in duct tape to keep it from splintering.
It eventually bites the dust, but wood is cheap.

Marc

 

Oh I missed that one!

The jack points front and rear on the flange are reinforced with an extra, pretty thick, steel plate to take the load of the car.

In the middle where you're lifting, there is nothing to prevent the side sill to buckle and "implode". That section is hollow and only a thin sheet of metal is holding the car. On the short term, the car should be fine. But the structural integrity will suffer eventually. Personnaly, I wouldn't lift the car in that location.

 

I'm not using the flange area . . . the area I'm talking about is part of the frame.

 

after looking and looking for a great place to support the car from, this is what i came up with:

rear (right same...same on the left as well)


front (it's dark, but it's the front cross-member)








what do you guys think? it was very stable and actually pretty easy after following some of your tips. i picked these spots because of their thickness and, from the looks of it, these points support a lot of the weight while the car is on the ground. thoughts?