Trolley jacking points

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Mon 31 Dec 2001 13:12
Trolley jacking points - John
I will require some new tyres soon but have a concern regarding the best place to jack the car up via a trolley jack, when you see the tyre fitters in action they don't appear to give it a lot of thought but i have heard stories of underbody damage.The main dealers are unhelpful.
The car is the old style Audi A4 Avant Quattro
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Mon 31 Dec 2001 14:15
Re: Trolley jacking points - Honest John
Jack it up by the solid areas designed for four foot hoists. They are usually inboard of the standard jacking points. Do not jack it up by the suspension.

HJ
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Mon 31 Dec 2001 15:43
Re: Trolley jacking points - Mark (Brazil)
One the front I often used to put the jack under the wishbone thingy. It always seemed solid and I thought i was being safe. Not ?
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Mon 31 Dec 2001 18:10
Re: Trolley jacking points - ian (cape town)
RTFM, perhaps?
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Mon 31 Dec 2001 18:22
Re: Trolley jacking points - Andy P
Depends on the car. I remember a few years ago that a number of Vauxhalls (Cavaliers and Calibras) suffered from weak lower suspension. When jacked up by this methos, they tended to crack. Several later gave way while the car was moving. You can imagine the consequences.

Surely this is something that is included in the car's handbook? Mine has diagrams showing jacking points for both the car's jack and for hydraulic jacks.


Andy
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Mon 31 Dec 2001 20:41
Re: Trolley jacking points - Andrew Hamilton
I saw a garage change all four tyres with one trolley jack under the engine and the other under the rear differential.
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Mon 31 Dec 2001 23:14
Re: Trolley jacking points - David W
I think you will find many modern cars shouldn't be jacked up at just one corner. They will often have a jacking point each side about level with the handbrake.

This will raise the front and rear together at each side. Gives an even lift with no body twist.

Try jacking up a lightweight newish car at one corner then open the drivers door if you can. They will often catch with the twist to the door aperture.

David
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Wed 2 Jan 2002 16:54
Re: Trolley jacking points - Keith
Some modern cars only have two jacking points at the rear sills. Therefore you can't jack the car up and then use axle stands.

According to the manufacturers etc. a car should really only be raised using a 4 leg vehicle lift for the wheels to be removed, or in an emergency using the jack provided to change the spare wheel using the jacking points on the sill.

There is the other type of vehicle lift where the whole car is lifted by the wheels, these lifts often have a jack that slides along the ramp and seems to lift the front of the car at some indescriminate position; there seems to be little transverse adjustment.

I need 4 new tyres but am reluctant to let my local tyre centre change the rears as I know they will use a point on the rear subframe rather than a manufacturers approved jacking point. Will this alter my wheel alignment that I have recently paid £60 to have done properly?

It makes me cringe when the donkeys in most tyre centres slide the jack under and start pumping away without looking properly, does no-one take pride in their work anymore?
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