kevsgt

I'm trying to understand what spots are okay for my floor jack and for the stands. My new jack has four little tabs on a circular piece. Is the pinch weld supposed to go between those tabs? Am I okay jacking from the area directly behind the pinch weld, as shown in my picture? Is the K-frame the part where I have (the base of) the jack stand shown in my picture? I think I've seen the "rails" and the "cross-member" mentioned as a possible jack stand spot, but I'm not sure what those terms refer to.

Please excuse all the ugly salt from the snowy roads in the pictures.

algregory

Depending on what you are doing, I picked up a couple of ramps years ago. I go that way for oil changes, fuel filter change (not roomy) and ATF change on my 5-speed. I still rotate my own tires, more often than not. Seems to me that I put the jack where the car's emergency jack hooks up.

Derf00

Yep, you got it. Use the pinch welds only if you're jacking from the 'body' of the car. In front or behind you will bend the weld joint.

I have a trolley jack like that that I use sometimes. I also have a full size floor jack. For the trolley jack like you have, you want the pinch weld to run between the slots on the jack pad and the pinch weld to be over the center of the jack pad. This prevents the jack from slipping off the pinch weld and the car goes up.

if the '+' was the position of the open spaces on the Jack pad you'd want to install it this way on the Pinch weld:
-------+-------

____x____ not like this , or like this -----x-------

top_notch50

I stuck 2 hockey pucks together and cut a "V" into the top and used it to not hammer the pinch welds. I've since added Steeda jacking rails and it's greatly simplified life.

kevsgt

Your sketches don't translate, but i think i get the idea. in other words, make sure that 2 of the 4 tabs are on each side of the pinch weld, not 3 to 1. Was that the intention of the design, or was this jack designed with something else specifically in mind?

kevsgt

What about the area behind the pinch weld, what's wrong with there? See picture.

Derf00

Yup you got it, two tabs on either side of the pinch weld not 3 on one side and 1 on the other.

Derf00

Snap! Didn't even notice that in the first image. Not being on the pinch weld or the frame rail you'll end up denting the floor board!

kevsgt

So that's the floor board? I haven't seen it dent or anything. I suppose I could get something to spread the load from the four tabs.