Question About Jacking Car

SON240sx Automotive
1

I am trying to jack my car but everytime I do so it damages the car a bit. I have already tried the lip that runs paralel to the rocker panel and it got dented a bit as I lifted the car. Second place I tried was on the frame rail and that left a dent there too. Could it be that my jack is a piece of shit or am I doing it from the wrong places. I used all the places where it said in the FSM.

This is the jack I am using: http://canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT<>prd_id=845524441888707&FOLDER<>folder_id=1408474396672442&bmUID=1170709983814

Would the jack that came with the car be better?

Thanks!

2

try the tow hooks on the car they solid, there under the front bumper and on the back u can see em without goin under

3

Your link dont work but I’m assuming you are using a floor jack.

If you are going to jack it up along the side lip where Nissan tells you to then you need to use the scissor type jack that fits around that lip thingy. If you want to use a floor jack just put a piece of wood with a groove cut out between the jack and that lip…otherwise you’ll bend it.

Or just jack the car up from the front or the rear diff.

4

dont do it on the lip with the floor jack - it will bend

i use the floor jack + block of wood on the frame and it works perfectly … or u can try the jack points nissan reccomend - rectangles just after the lip towards the front of the car.

5

biggest problem…front is always too low and i scrape my front bumper to get he jack under

solution= airride

6

hmm weird i jack my car up perfectly on my frame…my old S13 i couldnt because it was a weak frame…this frames just solid though so i guess im lucky

7

Solution, drive up on wooden planks, a couple 2X6’s work great to get another (almost) 2" ground clearence.

I typically use concrete patio stones (at my mothers) as thats all thats usually lying around…

In a jam I have driven 1 set of wheels up on the curb and then crawled under teh car from there.

8

yep thats what I do if the car is being anal when i’m trying to jack it up. ur neighbours will look at you weird though, but just litter the outside of your cars with tools and they’ll think you’re cool :smiley:

9

get a hockey puck. cut a nice line in threw it about an inch deep or so (whatever the lip is that runs along the rockers)

then just put that on the floor jack so it wont bend the rockers.

when it comes to the rear end of the car, just jack it from the differential and get the entire rear end up at the same time.

as for 240sx’s frames. I have never put my frame on a jack unless there was a 2x4 inbetween the 2 to keep the frame straight.

10

driving up on wooden 2x4’s and jacking from the frame w/ 2x4x6 wood in between the frame and floor jack always work for the front and jacking up from the diff always work for the rear :smiley:

*dont forget to use jack stands once the car is up when going under the car . never trust just the floor jack

11

get someone else to do it and if they do it wrong then charge them for the damage and then you know that u cant jack from the point they did, repeat till u find a good place, if you don’t want to do this they sell those jacks you just drive up on i find those to work rather well, in the way all the time but still work, and i usually jack from the rear diff or from the front i use the suspension mainly so there’s not really to much load on parts that are not meant to bear load lol

12

When you are supporting the car with jack stands do you guys put a block of wood between the car’s frame and the stand?

13

personally, i try never to jack from the frame if its possible. if i have to ill usually throw a 2/4 under there or if its on the hoist ill use some blocks. im in the process of welding some pads on there so i can use the frame without fear of crushing it. still don’t like to though

14

the diff is THE place to jack it up in the back, don’t bother with anywhere else. if you need to put the rear on jack stands there are two “U” shaped bends in the rear subframe on each side of the diff, use those as they’re always solid.

as for the front, use the rad support. if this damages your car then you shouldn’t be driving it on the road, my frame isn’t very good and it is fine with the rad support. then there are two round ends of a rod that connects from the subframe to the lower control arms, i use either these for the jack stands or the engine cross member.

used both of these several times and never had a problem.

15

I’ve always just jacked the car up using the front cross member… is there a reason no one else is suggesting this?

16

doesn’t work when you’re slammed (w/ a lip).

17

i’ve actually done that. i drove up on 2 2x4’s on top of each other . which makes it 4" inches above the ground :smiley:

18

I was going to ask the same question… fastback240 I think he means using jack STANDs placing something between the STANDs and the frame assuming the car is already jacked up. Anyone have any input on this one? You guys actually place something between the stands and frame?

19

haha sorry, i never put the stands on the frame i usually go for the suspension and if i cant then maybe put something between but its not safe to do it like that i always use a 2/4 or something between the jack and the frame tho. increased surface area means less chance of my frame bending or getting pushed in… but yeah, jack from the frame if i must with wood, jack stands never on frame. unless im working on the suspension then ill put blocks in there, at work I just put everything on the bare frame, nothing rots out like a 240 so I don’t worry.

20

hey…what do u guys find the best way to jack the car up on the front when the car is lowered n has a lip? the back i guess the tow hook is favourable, but how about the front?