How To: Proper use of the floor jack and jack stands on the front/rear of a DeLorean

[outatym2001]

Proper use of the floor jack and jack stands on the front and rear of the DeLorean.
Please read the descriptions on the two pictures.

[robvanderveer]

I have never heard of collapsing floor stands, but you can't go wrong on a backup.

[BTTF-1]

Thanks for posting.

You have a mighty fine set of jacks.

You always hear of a car coming down on someone in the news.

Ed

[robvanderveer]

You always hear of a car coming down on someone in the news.
Yes, that's terrible indeed. I always just a jack (and stands to backup the jack). Also, I keep my mobile close for emergencies.

[dmcpilot]

Thank you for this great post. The photos are very helpful and I will always have a backup floor jack in place when doing anything under the car.
Again, thank you - This gives me a better understanding on jacking up the car.

Raymond-
dmcpilot
#6219

[JIMJAM]

Some of my best investments. 4 car ramps,a good low profile jack and another smaller I carry with me. Also good wheel chocks since I do not trust the E brake at all.
Thanks for the good pics.
BTW- On mine the po or someone placed a jack under the battery area that has a deceptive looking jack point. Crushed the glass real good requiring me to glass it over.

[mluder]

On a slight tangent, anyone use Race Ramp wheel cribs before?

I bought two pair of 12" ones so I could get the whole car nice and elevated. However, I realized that in order to use them, I have to jack up one corner, place the ramp, jack up the other corner, Place the ramp and then repeat the procedure on the other end of the car.

What I'm afraid of is the car being torqued while only one wheel is sitting on the wheel crib until I get to the other side to even it out. What are the dangers? Broken window? Bent frame? Mis aligned panels?

Any thoughts?

[WelmoedJ]

What I'm afraid of is the car being torqued while only one wheel is sitting on the wheel crib until I get to the other side to even it out. What are the dangers? Broken window? Bent frame? Mis aligned panels?

Any thoughts?

Consider having a flat while on the road.
The car's factory jack is only a one point jack, so you would get the same situation as when jacking it up one point in your garage.
Though the mentioned dangers exist, I feel that the risk is little.

This risk however IMO applies to many cars when jacking one point.
My Pontiac (fiberglass body) never met one of those risks mentioned even though it has been jacked one point many a time during my 16 years/140k miles ownership.

BTW When changing "summer"wheels for "winter"wheels and vice versa I jack (the Pontiac) in the middle of the front frame or in the middle of the rear "axle".
Saves time in changing.
I have never use those race ramp cribs; I guess you also could put them in place using a jack at the centre of front or rear supports.

[pezzonovante88]

I jacked the rear-end of my car up yesterday from the center section of the frame (removing rear wheels momentarily) right in front of the oil pan as shown in the picture. The only difference is I didn't use a block of wood, but rather a thick rag folded over a few times. When I let the car down, I noticed a very slight indentation where the jack was, but not really in the same shape as the jack pad. I can't remember if it was already there or if I just caused the damage. My question is, is there supposed to be a slight indentation at that spot, or did I damage it? If I damaged it, is it significant or nothing to worry about? It doesn't look like an issue to me, but I just want to make sure.
I will provide a pic when I can.

[WelmoedJ]

I jacked the rear-end of my car up yesterday from the center section of the frame (removing rear wheels momentarily) right in front of the oil pan as shown in the picture. The only difference is I didn't use a block of wood, but rather a thick rag folded over a few times. When I let the car down, I noticed a very slight indentation where the jack was, but not really in the same shape as the jack pad. I can't remember if it was already there or if I just caused the damage. My question is, is there supposed to be a slight indentation at that spot, or did I damage it? If I damaged it, is it significant or nothing to worry about? It doesn't look like an issue to me, but I just want to make sure.
I will provide a pic when I can.

I have seen a number of cars, mostly because I come to the shop of DMCEU.
Most of the cars have a very straight and flat section of the engine support frame.
If there ware indentations I didn't notice, but appearently they can occur as the middle flat part has no supporting structure in between the upright parts.
It could be a sign of less strength of that part, perhaps due to rust.

You may be able to look insode that frame part using a flashlight and a mirror.
That may tell you the actual condition.

[DMCMW Dave]

I jacked the rear-end of my car up yesterday from the center section of the frame (removing rear wheels momentarily) right in front of the oil pan as shown in the picture. The only difference is I didn't use a block of wood, but rather a thick rag folded over a few times. When I let the car down, I noticed a very slight indentation where the jack was, but not really in the same shape as the jack pad. I can't remember if it was already there or if I just caused the damage. My question is, is there supposed to be a slight indentation at that spot, or did I damage it? If I damaged it, is it significant or nothing to worry about? It doesn't look like an issue to me, but I just want to make sure.
I will provide a pic when I can.

It tends to crack the epoxy on the inside. In the long run it's another rust point. In reality that particular spot tends not to rust through as it dries pretty easily.

This is the reason you should use a wood block and not a rag. Think about it, you are lifting more than 1/2 the weight of the car (i.e. over 1500 pounds) with a piece of sheet metal. Spread it around a bit!

[Dangermouse]

I always find that I am searching around the garage for a scrap piece of wood, and frequently think that I should make some sort of wooden cap for the stand, maybe sloped in some way that there is even contact with the top of the jack, rather than just one point (when I am only jacking up one end) which tends to split the wood imo.

Anyone done that? Anyone got any custom jack stand toppers?

[pezzonovante88]

It tends to crack the epoxy on the inside. In the long run it's another rust point. In reality that particular spot tends not to rust through as it dries pretty easily.

This is the reason you should use a wood block and not a rag. Think about it, you are lifting more than 1/2 the weight of the car (i.e. over 1500 pounds) with a piece of sheet metal. Spread it around a bit!

It should be okay structurally, though, right?

[DMCMW Dave]

It should be okay structurally, though, right?

Yes, you have not damaged anything structurual. You can look down the inside of the tube and see if the epoxy is cracked. I'm sure we've seen a lot worse and I've never seen a frame rust through there. Just about everywhere else!

[pezzonovante88]

Yes, you have not damaged anything structurual. You can look down the inside of the tube and see if the epoxy is cracked. I'm sure we've seen a lot worse and I've never seen a frame rust through there. Just about everywhere else!

Good and thank you, I was a little worried. I'm not overly concerned about rust because the car stays pretty well dry all the time, but I will spray some oily rust protection in there just in case.

[sdg3205]

Try wrapping your blocks in duct tape. Prevents splitting a nice and easy on the epoxy.

[ccurzio]

I always find that I am searching around the garage for a scrap piece of wood, and frequently think that I should make some sort of wooden cap for the stand, maybe sloped in some way that there is even contact with the top of the jack, rather than just one point (when I am only jacking up one end) which tends to split the wood imo.

Anyone done that? Anyone got any custom jack stand toppers?

I actually ended up just cutting up custom blocks that I keep with my jack and stands:

http://i.imgur.com/eUljVl.jpg

The two large flat pieces on the bottom sit under the jack stands, the 2x4s on the left top the jack stands, and the short flat board on the right tops the jack.

[1batt4u]

Proper use of the floor jack and jack stands on the front and rear of the DeLorean.
Please read the descriptions on the two pictures.

For the front end, is it easy to pick up with a 2 ton floor jack? I want to pick it up and slip ramps underneath, since I already have the back on ramps and the engine doesn't run. Doing alot of work on the car and want it lifted to work on everything easier.

Thank you!

[pezzonovante88]

For the front end, is it easy to pick up with a 2 ton floor jack? I want to pick it up and slip ramps underneath, since I already have the back on ramps and the engine doesn't run. Doing alot of work on the car and want it lifted to work on everything easier.

Thank you!

Yeah, if it doesn't have lowering springs! Mine is has very low ground-clearance in the front and the jack won't fit underneath.

[Rich]

Yeah, if it doesn't have lowering springs! Mine is has very low ground-clearance in the front and the jack won't fit underneath.

Which front springs are you running?

You might want to look for a different jack.

There are portable floor jacks rated at 3000lb with a 3.5in.-15in. lifting range. That ought to work no matter what suspension you are running.

[pezzonovante88]

Which front springs are you running?

You might want to look for a different jack.

There are portable floor jacks rated at 3000lb with a 3.5in.-15in. lifting range. That ought to work no matter what suspension you are running.

Yeah, I need a low profile one.

[DMCMW Dave]

Yeah, I need a low profile one.

Or you can make a simple ramp of 2x8 boards that you drive the car on to make room for the jack.

[Shep]

Or you can make a simple ramp of 2x8 boards that you drive the car on to make room for the jack.Which looks roughly like this, in case anyone's wondering:

http://www.ohiodeloreans.com/images/tips-Ramp-Sml.jpg
[from DCO's site (http://www.ohiodeloreans.com/gallery-TipsTricksMods.htm)]

[pezzonovante88]

Which looks roughly like this, in case anyone's wondering:

http://www.ohiodeloreans.com/images/tips-Ramp-Sml.jpg
[from DCO's site (http://www.ohiodeloreans.com/gallery-TipsTricksMods.htm)]

Very true. I have ramps too, so I could use those.

[DMCMW Dave]

To get a floor jack under the front of a lowered car, one or two boards like that would be plenty.

[Shep]

To get a floor jack under the front of a lowered car, one or two boards like that would be plenty.Alternatively, you can use a ramp of that design and only drive it up one or two levels. That still gives you the option of using those same ramps if you want to forgo the jack entirely, while still being able to provide a low enough raise to allow jack clearance and usable jack height.

One thing to keep in mind: if you need the ramps to get the jack to fit, do NOT remove the ramps during service! What goes in must come out, and if the jack didn't fit going under, it's not going to fit coming out. Use the ramps both ways if you need them at all.

[Tillsy]

I always find that I am searching around the garage for a scrap piece of wood, and frequently think that I should make some sort of wooden cap for the stand, maybe sloped in some way that there is even contact with the top of the jack, rather than just one point (when I am only jacking up one end) which tends to split the wood imo.

Anyone done that? Anyone got any custom jack stand toppers?

I do - a mate of mine made these for me last year due to both of us being concerned I was using wood (which was splitting). They slide on top of the jack stand and have a layer of rubber on top - I love them so much I've been meaning to ask him to do me one for my jack as well (I still use a piece of wood for that).

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=20559&d=1374147895

[Dangermouse]

That's what I'm talking about!

Nice and wide to spread the load. Pity your mate wasn't stateside. But something like that should be fairly easy to make up. Thanks for the info.

[StainlessSteelDream]

Pity your mate wasn't stateside. But something like that should be fairly easy to make up. Thanks for the info.

They aren't cheap, but the Lotus boys are Sector111 have the same problem with flatness .. so they have "flat jacks"
http://www.sector111.com/newest_stuff/flatjacks-pair.cfm

20560

[dvonk]

mmm, very nice! :fancy:

[StainlessSteelDream]

Another cool jackstand, so you don't have to jack and figure out where to put the jackstand, they combined them ... http://www.jackpointjackstands.com/

[BTTF-1]

Pretty Cool.

Thanks for sharing!

ED:cheers::cowboy::cheers:

[ALEXAKOS]

Nice idea but the height is too low.
You can't roll under it or hardly crawl on your back to work.
They should come up with spacers to select different heights.

[ssdelorean]

To get a floor jack under the front of a lowered car, one or two boards like that would be plenty.

Two if your car is lowered and you have a front ground effect ;-)

[StainlessSteelDream]

They should come up with spacers to select different heights.

I think they do, or at least you can buy them extra.

[djdogbone]

$369 for the pair! Wow, no wonder Leno has them in his garage.

[Bill6298]

Has anyone found it useful to buy wheel cribs? I noticed these Race Ramps wheel cribs are two parts so you can get to full height in two steps on all four wheels. I was thinking I could jack the car up from the rear center, place two cribs, jack the front center, place two cribs, and repeat. Looks like they sell 8", 10", or 12".

http://www.raceramps.com/adjustable-10-inch-wheel-cribs.aspx

I'm looking for the safest way to get under the car to get at the fuel accumulator and any other job that doesn't require the wheels off.

Speaking of safety, with jack stands, does anyone worry about putting wood on top of the stands? Isn't it possible it could split (even with duct tape)? Is the wood really necessary to protect the frame?

[rdarlington]

<snip>

I'm looking for the safest way to get under the car to get at the fuel accumulator and any other job that doesn't require the wheels off.

<snip>


I use $40 plastic ramps from AutoZone and a pair of jack stands "just in case" and had no problem reaching the accumulator, no problem running a new clutch line, etc. I'm a pretty big guy, but my car is also at factory height (not lowered) and I hear that helps.

-Bob

[Bitsyncmaster]

Another cool jackstand, so you don't have to jack and figure out where to put the jackstand, they combined them ... http://www.jackpointjackstands.com/

I like this idea but the price (for someone unemployed) is just to much. I drive my car up on rams on one end and then use two foor jacks to lift the other end. Then use wood blocks to "backup" the floor jacks.

[jawn101]

Speaking of safety, with jack stands, does anyone worry about putting wood on top of the stands? Isn't it possible it could split (even with duct tape)? Is the wood really necessary to protect the frame?

In order:

- Not really.
- Sure, I guess, but it's probably an equal risk that the stands themselves could fail - just replace the wood if it starts looking worn, and don't use crappy material. I use some cut up chunks of 2x4 - very strong wood and cheap as can be.
- Yes, absolutely. Try it just once without and see how happy you are.

[Rich_NYS]

Good post, I referred to it this past weekend.

I had trouble getting my floor jack under the car in the rear, so I used a 2x4 as a lever (without a fulcrum) to lift the car enough to get the jack in place. I put it under the frame & lifted, temporarily jammed a large wood block under the 2x4, then slid the foor jack into place.

[Doug.gaspo]

Hello, I am going to send my four wheels out to be refinished and have a question. I see by the thread and photos very clearly where the four stands need to go and I understand using the wood.
My question is: I have one floor Jack like the one in the photo, please confirm its ok to raise the car in the front from the center with the floor jack and then lower on to the jack stands. Same question for the rear end. If the four corner jack pad locations are for the jack stand, where is it stated it ok to lift from center? Seems the safest way is to have to two floor jacks to use at the same time, or is it an over kill? Can someone also confirm the car can sit for tree weeks on only the four jack stands with the wheels( suspension) hanging down?

This will be my first time jacking my car, thanks for the advice in advance.

Gaspo

[JohnZ]

That is an incredible coincidence! I currently have my car standing with out wheels on two jack stands (rear, more weight) and a jack to the front. I put pieces of wood between the frame and both the stands and the jack.

It was supposed to last just a few hours, since I did all this to replace my old tires, but they had troubles and tomorrow it will all be ready. So tonight the car is going to rest on stands until tomorrow morning!

:)

[mluder]

Hello, I am going to send my four wheels out to be refinished and have a question. I see by the thread and photos very clearly where the four stands need to go and I understand using the wood.
My question is: I have one floor Jack like the one in the photo, please confirm its ok to raise the car in the front from the center with the floor jack and then lower on to the jack stands. Same question for the rear end. If the four corner jack pad locations are for the jack stand, where is it stated it ok to lift from center? Seems the safest way is to have to two floor jacks to use at the same time, or is it an over kill? Can someone also confirm the car can sit for tree weeks on only the four jack stands with the wheels( suspension) hanging down?

This will be my first time jacking my car, thanks for the advice in advance.

Gaspo

I have jacked my car up in the middle of the rear and front of the frame numerous times. Be careful up front - You do NOT want to jack it up by the front frame extension (crumple zone). Make sure you are on the frame. I would not rely on a jack to hold the front end up for long periods - way too risky. Invest in 4 good jack stands. Your car and maybe even your life depends on it.

If you are expecting to raise the car really high then the lift can be done in stages so you're not "pushing" the car due to steep incline. In other words, Raise the rear high enough to get your jack stands in place on the lowest setting. Then raise the front a little higher and install jack stands with a higher setting. Then go back to the rear and lift it higher again. And so on until you get the car to the height you need.

To answer your other question... I left my car in the air on 4 jack stands in the areas indicated in the photos for over 2 months while I rebuilt my engine and engine bay. No adverse effects that I'm aware of.

Cheers
Steven

[refugeefromcalif]

Invest in 4 good jack stands. Your car and maybe even your life depends on it.

If you are expecting to raise the car really high then the lift can be done in stages so you're not "pushing" the car due to steep incline.

Cheers
Steven

One way I've done the 4 stand method was starting with one end of the vehicle on car ramps. Jack up the other end, add stands, then raise the first end off the ramps enough to put it on stands.

George

[Farrar]

I don't understand the confusion. If you have four jack-stands, you should be able to jack up one end, put two jack-stands under two of the plates, then jack up the other end, and put the remaining two jack-stands under the other two plates.

Please forgive me if I read your post wrong.

[DMCMW Dave]

Can someone also confirm the car can sit for tree weeks on only the four jack stands with the wheels( suspension) hanging down?

This will be my first time jacking my car, thanks for the advice in advance.

Gaspo

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?9553-Four-jack-stands-operation&p=140196&viewfull=1#post140196


I have had a couple of cars in the shop experience shock absorber failure (oil leaking out) upon being lifted, but it is immediate and not related to how you lift the car, just that they had likely not been fully extended for decades and hanging them like this upset the balance of crud in the shock. If that happens, it would have happened the first time you drove the car aggressively.

[Rich_NYS]

Why is there a preference to use jack stands on the frame and not the lift points?

[DMCMW Dave]

Why is there a preference to use jack stands on the frame and not the lift points?

Just because. We lift cars on racks with the lift points all the time but we have flat/rubber lift arm pads. Often jack stands have cupped tops which will miss the jack points and poke holes in the fiberglass.

Long ago working at home, I'd put the front jack stands under the lift pads (With a plywood spacer) since that is a relatively light end of the car, I'd still put the stands under the frame at the rear also being careful to spread the load and not dent the frame.

If you are careful there's nothing wrong with using the lift points, but again most jack stands don't have the right shape at the top.

[Rich_NYS]

Just because. We lift cars on racks with the lift points all the time but we have flat/rubber lift arm pads. Often jack stands have cupped tops which will miss the jack points and poke holes in the fiberglass.

Long ago working at home, I'd put the front jack stands under the lift pads (With a plywood spacer) since that is a relatively light end of the car, I'd still put the stands under the frame at the rear also being careful to spread the load and not dent the frame.

If you are careful there's nothing wrong with using the lift points, but again most jack stands don't have the right shape at the top.

Thanks Dave,

I think that for me, it would be easier to use the lift pads. I'm going to work on something to put over the top of the jack stands like I saw earlier in this thread.

[VIN3802]

33858

I know this thread is quite old now but as a new Delorean owner of just over 3 weeks I found it useful when working out the best way of getting my car up in the air so I could get under and have a look around. My issue like so many other owners is the ride height of the car and mine specifically has Spax suspension so it is sitting a little lower than stock. Getting the car up was a challenge compared to any other car I have worked on before but using the information within this thread I found it very helpful in deciding how I would proceed.

I have got 4 x adjustable ramps http://www.cjautos.eu/product_p/cr02.htm

I manufactured a wooden padded load spreader for the front beam similar to what has been mentioned previously in these posts.

First of all I placed one pair of the adjustable ramps fully lowered against the rear tyres and then proceeded to reverse up them. I then used the tyre change jack located in the front and raised the front drivers side wheel just enough to give me clearance to get my 3 Tonne Jack and wooden load spreader under the front beam. I then took the weight of the front with this centred and removed the tyre change jack.
I then pushed the second pair of adjustable ramps (fully lowered) under the front wheels. Lowered the car onto them and removed the 3 Tonne Jack.

Finally I raised the car up evenly on the adjustable ramps about a quarter of there full height ... See picture.

Well worth the investment and even at the height shown I could move around with ease on my crawler board.

[aotmfilms]

Proper use of the floor jack and jack stands on the front and rear of the DeLorean.
Please read the descriptions on the two pictures.

Thank you for the detailed pictures. I have saved them to my phone and will aid me when I have to store the Delorean for the non-driving months here in Michigan. :)

[Lwanmtr]

Useful thread.... Have to pull my wheel off to check speedo cable and change steering column bushing and was wondering where to jack and stand.

got plenty of wood..hehe. I havent had to use anything on the stands before, since I mostly used them to hold the back end of my Mustang uo by the axle..
hopefully they dont bite in and split the wood.

[GR8SCOTT]

3901439015 I found these pics a while back. I can't remember exactly where on DMCtalk but this is the proper placement when using jack stands.

[Nicholas R]

3901439015 I found these pics a while back. I can't remember exactly where on DMCtalk but this is the proper placement when using jack stands.

I'm pretty sure you got them from the very first post in this thread, lol :wink:
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1411-Proper-use-of-the-floor-jack-and-jack-stands-on-the-front-and-rear-of-the-DeLorean&p=16536&viewfull=1#post16536

39016

[GR8SCOTT]

Lol very possible. I found this a while ago when on here from my PC. Not sure if it was from this post or not.

[rickjames8]

So I took my car in for an inspection today. I was expecting the shop to use a lift to take the car completely off the ground, but instead they used a floor jack. This is shop that does a fair amount of custom and race vehicles, and was recommended by a friend, so I thought the guy knew what he was doing. He had a good look under the car with a light, then proceeded to put the jack roughly under the seat, and jack up the passenger side so both front and back wheels came off the ground.

Not knowing any better myself, I just watched. The car didn't creak or seem to mind, and looking at the underside now, I see no evidence of damage. Could this have all gone very very wrong? Did I just get really lucky, or do people jack up cars like this sometimes?

-Rick

[DMC-81]

So I took my car in for an inspection today. I was expecting the shop to use a lift to take the car completely off the ground, but instead they used a floor jack. This is shop that does a fair amount of custom and race vehicles, and was recommended by a friend, so I thought the guy knew what he was doing. He had a good look under the car with a light, then proceeded to put the jack roughly under the seat, and jack up the passenger side so both front and back wheels came off the ground.

Not knowing any better myself, I just watched. The car didn't creak or seem to mind, and looking at the underside now, I see no evidence of damage. Could this have all gone very very wrong? Did I just get really lucky, or do people jack up cars like this sometimes?

-Rick

Hi Rick,

Yeah, I think you got lucky. The 4 jack points on the fiberglass underbody are on the corners with a metal plate. The fiberglass under the seat isn't really all that thick.

[Lwanmtr]

Id say you got sooper lucky...dont know anyone who'd jack a car by the middle like that.

[WHO1DMC]

Not trying to be bragging but trying to find a place to put jack stands is a pain so I bought the Ranger lift system. Works great but doesn't quite reach the jacking points but with the rubber blocks there's no damage. And you can get the car 20 inches or so off the ground. When people look at it I just tell them just trying to teach the DeLorean how to fly haha.

Dave B.

[Chris 16409]

I just got the quick jack too. What model did you get? I got the 5000 pound one. It seeemd to have more room to position the rubber blocks than the 3500 pounder.

[WHO1DMC]

Ya I noticed that and had to decide over money and use and got the 3500 lb model. I really like it! Was worried about damage because it didn't reach the jacking points. Like I said with the rubber blocks no worries.

Dave B

[Mark D]

So I took my car in for an inspection today. I was expecting the shop to use a lift to take the car completely off the ground, but instead they used a floor jack. This is shop that does a fair amount of custom and race vehicles, and was recommended by a friend, so I thought the guy knew what he was doing. He had a good look under the car with a light, then proceeded to put the jack roughly under the seat, and jack up the passenger side so both front and back wheels came off the ground.

Not knowing any better myself, I just watched. The car didn't creak or seem to mind, and looking at the underside now, I see no evidence of damage. Could this have all gone very very wrong? Did I just get really lucky, or do people jack up cars like this sometimes?

-Rick

I literally gasped out loud reading this. I was fully expecting to hear that the guy punched a jack shaped hole through the bottom of your car. You must have gotten really lucky that nothing bad happened. Did he use a flat piece of wood or anything to help distribute the load? Or the guy must have been far enough outboard where the fiberglass is thicker and wasn't on the actual seat pan. In some spots below the actual seat the fiberglass about 1/4" thick.

[WHO1DMC]

+1

[Lwanmtr]

Ok, so I'm planning on getting underneath to clean up the frame and stuff under there and was planning to get another set of jack stands (cant afford one of them fancy lifty things)...
I've never had a car completely up on stands before, so I'm wondering if there's anything i need to be paranoid of (other than a 3000lb car giving me a suddent weight loss treatment)?

Also..which end is best to jack first for less risk of the stands shifting or anything while jacking the other end?

[DMC-81]

Ok, so I'm planning on getting underneath to clean up the frame and stuff under there and was planning to get another set of jack stands (cant afford one of them fancy lifty things)...
I've never had a car completely up on stands before, so I'm wondering if there's anything i need to be paranoid of (other than a 3000lb car giving me a suddent weight loss treatment)?

Also..which end is best to jack first for less risk of the stands shifting or anything while jacking the other end?

Hi Rob,

I spent a few hours underneath my car when it was on 4 jack stands, it wasn't too bad, and you get used to it... As long as you have sturdy jack stands and place them correctly. Just ensure the car is on a level firm surface and you place the 4 stands in the same place as in the pictures in the first post ( and that your frame is solid enough for this). I prefer to use 2 floor jacks, one on each side in the jack points on the tub. I set the parking brake and lift the front end first, then position the jack stands under the frame, using a solid piece of wood between the stand and the frame as described. Next, ease the front down on the jack stands. Then you can repeat the process on the rear. I use the lowest setting on the jack stands to start off with, and then add more height if necessary, front first, then the rear.

I never tried to force a part off or "reef" on something while the car was on stands.

[Lwanmtr]

Thanks. I have acdelco stands...they were pretty sturdy when I had just the front end up.

Not planning on any wrenching of things under there...other than taking the gas tank panel off to make it all spiffy...most I'll be doing under there is using a wire wheel (and broom to clear out the dang spiders).

[Josh]

Mine spends about 6 months a year on 4 jack stands lol. Just put a piece of wood in between the stand and the frame to distribute the load and prevent scratching the frame.

[Farrar]

I jack up the front end first because if I do the rear first I can't get my floor jack underneath the front spoiler. (Full disclosure: #2613 rides on Eibach springs from DMCH, so slightly lower than stock.)

[Josh]

I jack up the front end first because if I do the rear first I can't get my floor jack underneath the front spoiler. (Full disclosure: #2613 rides on Eibach springs from DMCH, so slightly lower than stock.)

X2

[Lwanmtr]

Aint gotta worry about that at the moment..front spolier, fascia, radiator shroud is all off..hehe.

[mluder]

For peace of mind... Once I get the car on the stands I grab hold and shake the hell out of it similar to what yanking on a wrench might do. If it's unsteady and gonna come off I'd rather it be before I get under there.

Cheers
Steven

[Lwanmtr]

Good idea, I think I did that when I had the front up, thanks for reminding me..hehe

Is it safe to run the engine while supported on all four? I'd like to check where im leaking tranny fluid while it's up.

[delgato]

Here is another question.

Can you put jack stands under the shocks?

This would help with accessing all the bolts when torquing the suspension under a load.

[mluder]

Good idea, I think I did that when I had the front up, thanks for reminding me..hehe

Is it safe to run the engine while supported on all four? I'd like to check where im leaking tranny fluid while it's up.

Yes, but for some un-nerving reason the back tires will spin slowly even though it's not in gear (and parking brake not set). First time I did that I was like, "What the F did I break now?" I think it has to do with conservation of energy or some physics law I've long since forgotten. LOL!

Cheers
Steve

[mluder]

Here is another question.

Can you put jack stands under the shocks?

This would help with accessing all the bolts when torquing the suspension under a load.

Best thing is to put the car on jack stands and load the suspension with the jack. Just be careful not to load it too much and lift it.

Cheers
Steve

[Lwanmtr]

Yes, but for some un-nerving reason the back tires will spin slowly even though it's not in gear (and parking brake not set). First time I did that I was like, "What the F did I break now?" I think it has to do with conservation of energy or some physics law I've long since forgotten. LOL!

Cheers
Steve

LOL..just had a rather cartoony image of a car trying to escape while on stands.....

[Trstno1]

I plan on pulling my gearbox this winter. I want enough room to use a atv jack to drop the gearbox and pull it out from under the car. How high have people had their cars up in the air on elevated stands. Is there a way to do it safely? I'm thinking 24"-36"?

[mr_maxime]

I got the rear on some Rhino ramps and I want to try to jack the front up. Any precautions I should take?

[ASquared150]

I got the rear on some Rhino ramps and I want to try to jack the front up. Any precautions I should take?

Bumping because I have the same question.

[DMC-81]

Bumping because I have the same question.

I did that one time. After I backed the car up on the ramps, I set the parking brake, and put it in gear. Then, I used 2 floor jacks to lift the front from the side jacking points. Next I put 2 jack stands in the appropriate place on the front frame. Removing the car from the perch is the reverse procedure.

[mr_maxime]

I ended up just jacking up the front as normal while the car was in gear with the parking brake on since I didn't get any responses before I did it.

[peternikkiskinner]

I have purchased a Jack for my D as it was missing when DMCCA did an Inspection Report. I has yet to see the Jack but am I correct in thinking a block of wood is a sensible precaution to use when jacking the car up to change a tire. The photos are very useful IMHO.




Proper use of the floor jack and jack stands on the front and rear of the DeLorean.
Please read the descriptions on the two pictures.