Stronger jack points in the Unibody
 

Has anybody made reinforcing device/pieces to strengthen the standard Unibody jack points on the car so they will not get so mangeled when using a floor jack?
(mainly in the dirt/limited pavement in the race track paddock when a floor jack doesn't roll very well)

I have looked at a couple of ways to do it, but just wondering if somebody has a better idea....

BTW: I can't use the standard Unibody jack attachment since my car is lowered and sitting on 17"...The only way to do that is run the car up on boards/ramps...and that is a pain at the track. I use a very low jack and grab the car at the stock jack points either in the front or rear as needed.

I just use other "better" hard points to jack my car. Rear control arms under the spring bucket, the outer front cross brace mounts etc etc.

terrasmak, do you have pics of your better jack up points? I am not familiar with all the parts you listed.

Also, sorry to hi-jack the thread, but what kind of jack stands are you guys using? I have the ones thatl ook like a "Y", and b/c I have aftermarket sideskirts, I'm afraid it's going to smash it.

yep, tried those and they work..but hard to get at on my car...and that don't lift the entire side of the car evenly

But I am thinkin of something similar to what real race cars have..like a little hocky puck mounted over the unibody jack point...that is permanatly mounted to the car over the std points...just slide the very low floor jack under it...and lift the entire side of the car up...

or use a standard jack "unibody" cradle and cut/remove the spindle thing off and mount that to the car...basically bolt that over the pinch weld area.

During track days, I rotate my tires and check the pads once or twice a day. It is so nice to just lift one entire side up and do the work quickly.

I use Aluminum stands that are flat/round on the bottom so that they don't sink up in the sand/dirt/hot asphalt, and flat with little lips on the top..yo can get them at Pep Boys, Northern Tool, most auto parts places

FWIW, I use 1' piece of 2x4 yellow pine. The wood gives enough to not crush the metal, dense enough and it's pretty cost effective. I jack at the front point and lift both wheels at the same time. Carry a couple and they can be used as blocks to keep a trailer from rolling. If the car is too low, carry some 2x6 or 2x8 pieces to drive up on before jacking.

I bought a set of Trak Jax race ramps without stops for the front of the car. After driving up on the ramps it's easy to get a low profile jack under the front to use the center jack point under the engine and use the rear diff to jack the rear. The ramps are very light. They are made out of foam and easy to transport.

Trak Jax

Yep, done that...but not meeting my needs....looking for a better way to do it

Yep, done that...but not meeting my needs....looking for a better way to do it

Man, this site has some good stuff...now I want to buy a set of everything they have. :icon21:

^^^ The ad for the Trak Jax is pretty funny. Autocrosser did not want to buy a $100 low-profile jack so he makes a ramp that everyone buys for $90!


Trak-Jax were inspired by an auto crosser that didn’t want to buy a new, high-priced, low-profile jack just to change his tires at the track. These lightweight, durable ramps get low cars up high enough to fit a standard floor jack under the car. At less than 5 pounds each and only 30.1” long, you caneven fit them in the trunk of a C5 or C6 Corvette. Trak-Jax are available with or without a 1.5” stop.

http://www.raceramps.com/images/trakjax_3.jpg

Weld a 1" x 18" x .125" wall square tube to the rocker panel on the inside of the pinch weld extending forward from the rear edge of the door.

Yep, thinkin about that... in the front and rear, possibly on both sides of the pinch welded material...or maybe bolted...

good idea!

The other thing you can do if your car isn't too low is put a peice of 1/8 inch plate welded on either side of the pinch weld with a small peice of tube sticking down, positioned at the centre of gravity give or take (just forward of the middle of the wheelbase), to jack the side of the car.

I'll take a picture of how our Koni cars are done when I have a chance!

please, do. I liked how the Koni car I crewed for (NoHotWire / Car & Driver) had reinforcements, been debating this as a winter project on mine.

Question: In a stock Z car (no roll cage) is the unibody strong enough in the middle of the car (under the doors) to lift it there?

I would assume that it is..but I hate to ass-u-me anything :icon9:

Heck, maybe u can just run a this the entire length of the car and jack anywbere...and not loose any ground clearance.

BTW: I think this will become an issue primarily when loading/unloading on a regular open trailer....that middle is a common "draging-point"

thnx..look forward to the pics

Yes.

subscribing for pics?!??!? do you have any?

-j