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Ford Mustang V6 and Ford Mustang GT 2005-2014: How to Jack Up Your Car

Jacking up your car is something that almost everyone has to do sometime in their lives. Few tools are needed to do it, but doing it incorrectly can be extremely dangerous. Here's a simple way to jack up your Mustang.

By Tom Cavanagh - September 23, 2015

This article applies to the Ford Mustang V6 and Ford Mustang GT (2005-2014).

When the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world,” most modern scholars now agree that he was predicting the invention of the car jack...even though it would be another 2,000 years before anyone even heard of an automobile.

The Ford Mustang weighs about 3,500 pounds. A car jack weighs as little as four pounds, yet it can lift a Mustang up off the ground, and keep it there. Archimedes was right. There are many reasons why you would want to jack your car up; oil changes, tire repair, muffler replacement, customization. Here is a step-by-step guide that will show you how to simply and safely do it.

Materials Needed

  • Supplied jack kit or a floor jack
  • Jack stands
  • Wheel chocks

Note

Ford recommends using the Mustang's supplied jack kit only when changing a tire. A floor jack is preferable for other jobs.

Step 1 – Locate the jacking points

Depending on the job, you will want to lift your car at different spots. Remember that underneath your car there are good places and terrible places to use a jack. The key is to jack the car up and get the job done the safest way possible. Don't use a jack or a jack stand on the gas tank, spare tire well, catalytic converter, or other spots that you know won't withstand 3,500 pounds of weight. For tire repair, Ford suggests four spots in the frame pinch weld with cut-outs provided for jack placement. For other jobs, and for placement of jack stands, experts suggest spots on the rear axle, front "A" arm, or on the front frame rails on either side of the the exhaust pipes.

  • Figure 1. Mustang jack points.
  • Figure 2. Pinch weld cut-out location.

Note

Always make sure that the engine is off, and you are using the jack on a level, firm surface. If you are jacking the car up to change a tire, also be sure to apply the parking brake and to chock the tire that is diagonal to the tire you are going to change.

Step 2 – Lift the car

Once you are sure that the jack is in the proper spot and resting on a hard, flat surface, you can start lifting the vehicle. There is one key word to remember when you are jacking up your Mustang, whether it's just a tire change or you plan on getting underneath the car to do some work: Redundancy. You definitely want to stack the odds in your favor when you slide underneath a 3,500 pound vehicle to pound away fixing or customizing something. If you are using the scissor-jack to change a tire, or a floor jack to do some underbody work, make sure that the jack is stabilized before proceeding.

Figure 3. Place floor jack under car.

Step 3 – Secure the jack stands

Don't rely on just the floor jack to hold the car up. If it fails, you have a major problem if you're under the car. Use jack stands to help support the load. Some owners also put a spare tire under the vehicle with them to serve as a resting point if all the jacks fail. Do not get under the vehicle or allow anyone else to get under it until the car is lifted and the jack and jack stands have been stabilized. An ounce of prevention is worth 3,500 pounds of cure.

Raise the vehicle to slightly higher than you need it for your project. Slide the jack stands under the vehicle and place them on jacking points on opposite sides of the floor jack. Raise the adjustments on the jack stands until they almost touch the contact points and lock them. Slowly allow the floor jack to lower the vehicle until it is supported by the jacks. Lock the floor jack.

  • Figure 4. Position jack stands under frame rail.
  • Figure 5. Jack stands and jack secured.

Pro Tip

Always follow the jacking recommendations in the owner's manual, and check your floor jack to be sure that your car doesn't exceed the weight capacity of the jack.

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