1) I don't rep anything, gangsta boy.
2) Yes, I am a total tool for pointing out that someone else is an actual tool that didn't even read the original concern in the first place, or the rest of the thread, and began calling me a tool... sounds kinda like you actually
3) I have <300 posts. You fail at math and reading.

 

Sorry dude quoted the wrong person. ShanesG is the tool.

 

Hhaha.. it's all good.. for a minute there I was confused why I am not allowed to ask people about jacking advice since I've never done it and kind of afraid of crawling under the car at the moment.

But ya, that guy wasn't coo.

 

Don't skimp on a jack. Look for:

• High lift height. Around 20" is good
• Attached, long handle. Don't get a jack where you need to remove the handle to lower it. This includes most $30 and under jacks.
• Wide stance so it won't tip sideways. Mainly the wheels at the front under the cradle, that's where the load will be.
• Large cradle (the part that contacts the car)
• 2+ ton capacity (some aluminum jacks are 1.5 and should be OK also)
• Good, but not extra large, jack stands with ratcheting handles. Don't get the ones with removable pins to change the height because the pins tend to get misplaced. And, don't get the "super heavy duty" ones, because these are usually much taller and can't be used easily on low-profile cars unless they are really high in the air.

Don't be too worried about things like low-profile jacks. The lift point on the front cross member on our cars is so far under the car that a low profile jack won't really help you there. I think it would only help if you were lifting at the side jacking points, but you don't usually want to lift there anyhow.

So, how do you use a normal height jack to lift a car under the front cross-member?

1. 
   First, drive the front wheels up onto some 2x boards like 2x6 (for stability). I actually use some small ramps used for leveling RVs. They're not high enough to lift the car for service so they fit under the bumper just fine.
2. Place chocks (just some pieces of wood will do) around the rear wheels and set the parking brake.
3. Now, with the car just a bit in the air you can get your "large" floor jack all the way under the front. Here's where that long attached handle comes in handy.
4. Position the cradle under the front cross-member. It's the black heavy metal part between the wheels (the part that is NOT the oil pan!)
5. Lift as far as the jack will go.
6. Place your sturdy jack stands under the factory body jack points behind the front wheels.
7. Slowly lower the jack to set the car on the jack stands
8. Lock the jack in position once the body is resting mostly on the jack stands but the cradle is still touching the cross member.
9. Make sure everyone is standing clear and give the car a firm push to test the stands.
10. If the stands seem good, remove the jack and again test the stands by giving the car a firm push side to side. Remember, you are going to be under there in just a little while so make sure the car will stay up.
11. If everything seems good, go to work. Or, if you want the car higher then use a strong wood block as a spacer between the saddle and the cross member and then repeat the steps from 5 on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VQdriver

i want to fabricate my own jackstand mounting points so i can use the stock body jack points safely without bending the rails on the body. this would be ideal when all 4 corners have to be as high off the ground as possible for suspension and brake work. does anyone know of a place that sells these?

Check out these simple blocks I made.

https://g35driver.com/forums/showpos...46&postcount=5

 

Wow! Great write-up, man! I've been using the jack points to get the car up. One side first, stand, then other side up, stand. But I think lifting at the center is definitely better, guess I'll have to go out and get those ramps after all to give me some more room before I jack it up.

What do you do for the rear? How do you secure the front wheels so the car doesn't roll? I got these heavy duty rubber chocks. They look like they would be great for not slipping on concrete or driveways, but there's still nothing else to stop the car from rolling forward.

 

It makes a difference if you plan to lift the whole car or just the rear. If you're lifting just the rear then make sure the front of the car is toward the high side of the driveway (I know it might sound obvious, but just throwing it out there). Then, chock the hell out of the front wheels because you will lose all traction when you raise the rear. Finally, follow this procedure:

https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-coupe-v35-2003-07/205930-alternative-jack-stand-placement.html
It's different if you need to lift both front and rear. Personally, I don't recommend doing this on a driveway with any slope at all. But, if you have a safe place, just jack the front first, place your jack stands, and then follow the procedure in the link above to jack the back also. You won't slide because the jack stands on the front will hold it. Be really careful when raising both ends of the car a long way. Those jack stands get more unstable the higher they are holding the car.

 

Gotcha. Good technique. I have a pretty much flat driveway and flat garage floor so I think I'll have to get the front up first to get the back up. One last thing, how hard do you "push" to test the car? Do you push front to back or side to side or both?

 

Easy answer is "harder than anything will push against the car while you're under it". Let's see, I guess it's a bit more than the effort to close your car door. Shake it in several directions. What you're trying to do is verify that nothing you or someone else does to the car while you're under it will cause the jack stands to slip. Those wooden blocks I made really help by keeping the jack stands from sliding on the thin metal jack points.

Oh, another rule is nobody is allowed to get in the car while someone is under it. The door opening and a body weight shifting in there could be enough to cause an accident.

 

Thanks a lot man. All that info is very helpful. I just exchanged my jack for a better one (wider front wheel base, bigger cradle, longer handle and it's a 4 ton instead of a 2.25 ton, and a 20" lift height instead of 16.5'). Also exchanged the stands from 2.25 ton to 4. Now I just need the ramps to be able to get the jack under to use the center points instead of the sides.

 

Im not sure if this has been posted here yet but here is a video of the coupe bieng jacked up: Sorry I dont know how to embedd videos.

 

lift the front from here


jackstand placement for the front.


alternate jackstand placement for the front



lift the rear from here


jackstand placement for rear


this is how i've lifted the car for two years to switch the winter and summer tires.

 

Nice walkthrough! Going to try and see if I get some time to grease up my sway bar bushings this weekend. Thanks for all the info.

 

I just did my sways yesterday with 2 jackstands and 1 jack . im lowered on Z springs . Me and my brother did it and the back wasnt a problem to get the back up but the front I had to lift up on the front of the car up. I borrowed some heavy duty truck chocks from work to put in front to the opposet wheels that where being jacked up. Then placed jack stands on the side jack points and it worked fine nothing moved a bit. I was a little sketchy about going under to but I just walked around looked at the stands tryed to wiggle them a little and tryed to wiglle the car a little as well and nothing moved so I went under. After a few minutes i forgot all about my fears and was going to town. I also left the jack under the car with the stands just in case you will be fine with the weight on the stands and the jack just kinda touching the jack point just in case.