amaNIN

Is it possible to jack the car up at a centerpoint on the front end?
Without having the car tip. And after the rear end is already on (2)jackstands. Like maybe one of the crossmembers underneath, or the sway bar(I don't even have one)? or the oil pan(NO WAY)? or what is the safest BEST place to jack the car on the front end in the center? Is it possible without damaging anything?

PS I need a lift.

JimC

You can jack it up by the K-member. But get some jack stands properly placed so you have one at all 4 corners. Don't rely upon a jack to support the car in a tri-pod set up. Not only is the jack itself inherently unsafe, but the tri-pod arrangement will be unstable.


DO NOT try to lift the car by a sway bar or the oil pan!

amaNIN

okay thanks, I need to get two more jackstands. I did raise it up under the K-member. I wanted to work on the rear of the car and wanted it level(without four jackstands), thought it would be okay as a tripod because I am only under the rear !*GASP*!
Took it to a shop with a lift and they opened up the filler plug from the pumpkin and said gear oil was spewing slowly out so I didn't need to put anymore in. I was going to put more in because after my gear install the shop didn't use any locktight or Teflon or torque that filler plug at all, it was loose and leaking oil. Funny though because I raised the car up in January when it was like 15 degrees F (took the filler plug off with no leaking oil) and used Teflon tape and tightened the **** out of it to stop the seep. But it was spewing today. Maybe because its nearly 80 degrees F in Michigan?

Derf00

Never work under a car with only a jack supporting the car even if you working on the opposite end of the vehicle. That much weight dropping from only a few inches will fully compress the suspension and bounce the car possibly off of the jack stands. Not to mention if your hand is somewhere tight, the movement could break it if it's lodged in somewhere tight when it drops.

amaNIN

I WILL TAKE YOUR ADVICE and its dumb of me to think that I could get away with it. BUT! If two jack stands are securely supporting the rear end at the corners, and ONE at the center of the K member, You would have to put a lot of force to get the car to come off its supports while working on the rear. In the front it would be a lot easier. Not that I will ever try hahahahah
thanx for the advice

cruisin5268d

A friend of mine growing up had his dad squished under their Oldsmobile when he was underneath the car. It was not properly secured. He was a rather large man, to put it lightly, and his stomach destabilized the car when he was moving.

The car popped him like a pimple.

Later on in my life, during my public safety career, I've encountered a number of other cases of fatalities / near fatalities from people working under the car.


"Honey, make sure you put the parking break on...."

amaNIN

@cruisin5268d
Really?!
OMG I am so sorry to hear that. Makes me feel like a Doofus for hahahahaing. Safety is ALWAYS important to me and others, but ....NO BUTS! I just got a new lift from harbor freight and didn't even think about the jack stands (!) I will get two more. Oh can you put a jack on both sides of the K-member?

tradosaurus

Is you life worth the cost on one jack stand?

For $40 you can buy two 3 ton jack stands at Harbor Freight.

Another option that I use is to drive the car on ramps and then jack the car in the back and support it with jack stands.

However I found that to jack the rear of the Mustang I have to use the jack that came with the car and do one side at a time. It was really stupid for Ford not to put a jack point in the rear center.

Stangbass

Always use 4 points of contact when working under a vehicle. A jack IS NOT a suitable point of contact. Anytime the vehicle's wheels are being used a points of contact ei. two front wheels on the ground rear of vehicle on jack stands, the tires need to be chocked front and back. What many people don't realize is even if a vehicle is stable vertically it may not be horizontally. It doesn't take much force to jostle a car sideways. This was the case in the following incident. Two jacks and two jack stands. Trying to free a piece of hardware on the rear suspension...... and down goes Frazier.

I don't believe anyone was hurt during this incident. I couldn't imagine being on my back and having an S197 coming down at me. YIKES. Personally when I'm working with all wheels off the ground I use 4 stands on each corner and a jack snugged up against the frame near where I'm working. If the wheels are off I slide them under the frame.

amaNIN

What a doozie, How'd you get the car back up? And How'd you get the bumper cover back on?

I myself am a victim of an accident. I forgot to pump my brakes after a pad swap. My Dodge rolled past the road and into the ditch across the street :/ I was LUCKY not to have hit a pedestrian or a neighbors car going by.