I would like to see that service bulletin. I would like to know how you would change a flat tire? I would like to know why the factory jackpad is disclosed to owners who 99.9% of the time do not own lifts to lift the car from the 4 jack pads equally. Look at what you are saying from another perspective. Federal Roof crush standard is minimum 3G's that's 11,500lbs without intrusion into the Safety cell. So if you flip the car upside down on it's weakest part you can stack 2 more 550's on top. Not only can you jack the car from a single factory jackpoint but my picture speaks for itself. Go out and lift your 550 and you will see that you can open a door with no shift in door frame or the door's ease and smoothness of opening and closing.
OK, just forget it, I was told by occasion of the windscreen fitting by a guy, who was sent to oversee the procedure due to the essential structural contribution of the windscreen, so no link possible, no written proof (which may be easily faked anyway). You may jack up a corner only up to the sky as often as you like, I simply will not do that *looool*. Press your thumb onto the middle of the roof with just a few pounds as often as you like as well, but do not claim damage from me . And please fit your spare tire as often as you like *loool* Edit: Ferraridriver, who is Shakespeare? Or do you mean Mozart?
Do you mean this one? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Mozart_-_Eine_kleine_Nachtmusik_-_1._Allegro.ogg I was thinking of this one Image Unavailable, Please Login
We have seen it plenty Testarossas are famous for it. The OP asked specifically about lifting the entire side of the car from one corner. Sorry but that is a dumb idea. Anyone in the car business has seen glass crack from that and it is widely accepted that it is not a good idea. TR back windows are well known to break from this so much so at one time somebody was making them from Lexan. Someone here who happens to know more than you is sharing information, good information. If you don't like it don't be such ****** and stfu.
He would change a flat by lifting one tire off the ground, not the entire side of the car. Read my prior post. The same applies to you.
Yep, I bought one of these and it's a piece of crap. The side plates defect if the load is not 100% centered.
Hey Rifleman...I simply asked for verification. If that makes me ******, then that must make you a self proclaimed God...right?
No, it makes me really tired of seeing people with a real knowledge set and have something to contribute get turned on by *******s like you who don't know ****.
I have nothing but respect for Rifledriver but a 550 is not a Testarossa. Ill put my money where my mouth is. I just lifted one of my 550s by the front corner jackpad the entire side. You can see the rear wheel off the ground. Everything is just fine. Door opens smooth. The 550 does not melt. The reason it is not a good idea to lift a car by the corner is that there is just no reason to do it. It is unstable and dangerous and tweeks your jack if it close to tolerance like Dave said. The problem is not with the cheap jack if you stay well within its limits. Notice I'm using a bigger jack than the last picture. We use them as disposable for racing all the time. We use those cheapos and throw them away or give them to fellow racers who are supposed to return them but sometimes they get legs. With all jacks regardless of their country of origin depend on a 5 cent o-ring. So country of origin is not going to save you. What will keep you safe is intelligent proper use of your tools. We racers reinforce the center under a door to lift an entire side of a racecar so we can jack stand it in the paddock and work on it or quickly change tires if our class does not allow airjacks. A 550 is a real pita to jackstand. I have done it and the only convenient way involves lumber. I only jackstand a car at home if my lift is occupied. Thats is Im out of this thread. Good luck to you all. Rifledrivers caution of not lifting an entire side by its corner is smart practice just like getting a flu shot. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
So how do you get the car up on 4 jack stands? Looks like the only exposed areas are the 4 jackpads. I want to get my car up to do some suspension work over the winter and I don't have a lift. The car is still new to me, so I haven't taken a close enough look underneath yet, but the underside photo that the OP posted does not show any locations for a jack stand. Do the underside covers need to be removed first to expose some structure? That seems like it would be a real pain just to get the car off the ground.
You really need two floor jacks. I start at the front two jacking points and raise them up simultaneously (using one person on each jack), then I put the jackstands under the frame members where the lower wishbones are fastened. Then I move to the rear and do the same, and I monitor the front VERY CAREFULLY while I'm doing this, to ensure the front stands aren't trying to tip or anything. They're not exactly perfect pivot points..... I also use rags folded 3 or 4 times between the frame and the jackstands to keep the stands from scarring up the undercoating/paint. Do not try this with only a single jack, ie jacking at just one corner, putting a stand at that point, then moving the jack around to another corner. That's just begging for an accident.
I don't get flu shots and I don't do dumb things like that. Broken windshields are not imaginary. They were the single biggest expense to our insurance company at the dealer. Do what you like to your own car but don't advocate what is known to be an expensive risk to others.
John, do you remove the underside covers first? Assuming the photo in the first post is accurate, I see no exposed frame, only the wishbones poking out from the covers. I admit, I have not crawled under my car yet, so it may be obvious when I do.
When I need the front on stands, I pull the car up on my 2-piece 10" race ramps, drop the tray, and use a 4x6 that I cut that spreads the load across the two front suspension pick up points. I jack it up under the center of the 4x6, pull the ramps and put the jack stands at the two jacking points. I haven't figured a graceful way to do the rear apart from two jacks operated evenly. If I want to put the car up on all 4 stands, I will pull the front up on the ramps first, jack up the rear evenly and get it on stands, then use the 4x6 method above to set the front on stands. Love my Race Ramps, though! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Everyone with a Viper jacks up the whole side with one jack. Then again the body panels didn't fit that good in the first place so sometimes the car turned out better. GTS Bruce
I think some of you are not valuing expertise. Of course it can be done as Carl illustrated. A well respected pro - that would be Brian, whose shop guys work on these things for a living - has said it is just not smart and I'm guessing many of you won't want to pay the piper when the "oh s@@@" moment arrives. I know I would not. And, let's be clear, "do it because I have done it" isn't good advice. I think you mean, "I have done it. I knew the risk. I was ok with it. I'd do it again, even knowing what I have learned in his thread. But, if you do it and end up with a $10k(?) bill to fix the problem, I'm sorry but you are on your own". Philip
I have put my car on 4 axle stands last winter. I wanted to have the car on axle stands placed at the jack points and I didn't want to jack up or place the axle stands under the wishbones. Didn't like that idea very much. It was a bit of a pita to do, but a step by step and safe method (I think) that can be done by one person. If you are planning to leave the car in the air for a longer period of time for maintenance or cleanup work it is definitely worth it. It takes about 30-45 minutes to do. Here's how I did it. In very short the method is to jack up the car at chassis points other than the jack points so you can place the axle stands under the jack points. In order to have access to the chassis you have to remove the side undertrays. What do you need: 2 jacks 4 axle stands 2 (or maybe even better 4) wooden blocks of ~10cm (4") height that are long and wide enough to be put under the wheels. A number of sturdy rubber pads of about 1 - 1.5cm thick to be placed between the jacks and jackpoints and between the axle stands and the jack points. This in order not to scratch/damage the chassis. Procedure: 1. Ensure the car cannot move backwards, so pull the handbrake and/or place some wooden blocks behind the rear wheels 2. use the two jacks (with the rubber pads) at the two front jack points and raise the front of the car. 3. Put the wooden blocks under the front wheels. 4. Lower the car. The front wheels now rest on the wooden blocks and this gives you (just) enough space under the car to remove the front undertray. 5. Remove the front undertray 6. Raise the front of the car again, remove the wooden blocks, lower the car again. the car is again resting with all 4 wheels on the floor. 7. Use the two jacks to jack up the car on one side only using both the front and rear jack points (of course again use the rubber pads) 8. Put the wooden blocks under the raised front and rear wheels. This now gives you enough clearance to be able to remove the side undertray 9. Remove the side undertray 10. Raise the car again, remove the wooden blocks, lower the car again. the car is again resting with all 4 wheels on the floor. 11. Repeat steps 7 -10 for the other side. You now have the front and side undertrays removed which gives you good view of and access to the entire chassis frame. 12. Use the two jacks at the rear jack points, raise the rear end of the car and place the wooden blocks under the rear wheels, lower the car. Not sure if this is really necessary but the next step is to raise the front high enough to be able to place the axle stands. As this means you have to raise the front quite a bit, I felt more comfortable if the angle of the car would not become to steep. So raising the rear first a bit reduces the ngle when jacking up the front. 12. Now place both jacks close to both front jack points on a part of the chassis. I unfortunately don't have pictures of where I placed them, but once you have the side undertrays removed you can see the frame. It really is quite sturdy and robust and am in the opinion you can easily place a jack under one of these cross beams. Pick a spot close to the jack points to oplace the jacks but ensure you leave enough room to place the axle stands right under the jack points once the car is raised. 13. Jack up the front and place the axle stands under the jack points. Don't forget to use the rubber pads between the axle stands and the jack points. 14. Lower the car. The front now rests on the axle stands placed at the jack points. 15. Repeat steps 12 & 13 for the rear. Voila, the car is in the air and it rests at 4 axle stands placed under the jack points. Of course putting it back with it's wheels on the ground is done by the reversal of above steps. I had no more than 2 of the wooden blocks, but if you have 4, I think the procedure can be shortened quite a bit. You then can put the car with all 4 wheels first on these blocks, remove the undertrays and proceed with further jacking up the car and placing the axle stands. Of course always ensure the car cannot roll off the wooden blocks and also when jacking up the car, do that slowly and evenly keeping a close eye on any unwanted movement of the car. As I said, I did it this way and felt it to be a very safe and sound (but somewhat tedious) method. Hope this helps someone.... Bert
I don't mean to thread derail, but GS, was this you? It won't let me PM you. 0601 Mufp Pl+1972 Ford Maverick+front - Photo 9360926 - 1972 Ford Maverick 5.0 V-8 - Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine
