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PINCH WELD JACKING POINTS


Surebet
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Can anyone help me with what seems a very simple question. The correct points to jack up the car and support it while working on say the brakes, is the pinch welds. However how can you jack the car up and then support it, as the jack is now in the position of where the jack stand or any support should be placed. I realise many of the readers of the forum will probably be rolling about the floor laughing now however I'm from an age where cars had plenty of solid bits under the car to place support without damaging anything. With the low height of the vehicle and the monocoque body design,  I am at a loss on how to support vehicle after it is jacked up. I realise many just jack up using trolley jack and work without any support, however I'm a belt and braces type of guy and would rather have support even if its only large blocks of wood. Can anyone enlighten me how and where they support car while working on it, any picture an exact support points would be great.  Thanks for reading. 

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Of course follow the manual for jacking. Problem is you shouldn't rely on a jack to support the car. It's there to lift it then you need something solid somewhere else before working. Never trust a jack. Unless it has a physical locking system.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk

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Hi Texas

Thanks for info, had already looked at this in the manual, however when I looked at this position  on the car, it looked like differential housing was made of some type of alloy rather than steel and I was a bit apprehensive to put the trolley jack under it. Have you used this position in lifting the rear of the car or have you used a different position. I always have more faith in other peoples personal experience rather than text book info. Thanks again.

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  • 1 month later...

Don't trust a jack.

Do NOT jack up or put stands underpinch weld. You will bend it and car will fall.

 

Now to jack from front, drive the car on low profile ramps. Then slide the trolly jack from the front. I have a picture somewhere on this therad but manual also shows the point. Trolley jack is meant to move forwards and backwards when you jack up and lower the car. Sunday mechanics slide it from the side... wrong.

Once lifted, get your jack stands, ... now I place them next to pinch weld. I don't know how to explain it without picture. But the inner side of pinch weld. NOT the pinch weld itself. And NOT the outer side. Someone needs to design jack stands for these uni body cars.

 

For rear, you jack up from rear differential.

 

I am against using jack stand under the control arm bolt/ bushing. You will ruin it. It is not designed for it.

Common mistakes sunday mechanics make. 

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Hi jack

Thanks for your reply, this certainly sounds like good advice. Looking at the pinch welds , would you advise to position jack stands on the inner face at the  position marked on the pinch weld where the manufacturer's  jack is supposed to go. I have had a quick look on the inner side if the pinch weld and there appears to be a 1.5 - 2 inch diameter hole filled with some kind of foam material on the inner side of the pinch weld.  Don't know what this is for, I can only assume it is some sort of locating recess used when  the dealer workshop is using lifting arms when working on vehicle in workshop. Obviously I will keep any support or jack stand  away from this point.  As you said, "Someone needs to design jack stands for these uni body cars". I suppose after I've done the job once I'll be more confident in where to correctly position the support without damaging anything.  Thanks again for your help. 

 

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I keep it at the factory supplied  jack points but not on the pinch weld. And the outer side of pinch weld is weak and inner side is strong. I am bad at explaining it and Inwas hoping to show you pictures this week but weather is just horrible... over due oil change and car is sitting waiting for  a good day.

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Hi ,pinch welds on the sills are always a problem when positioning axle stands,My solution which has worked for many years is to buy a couple of adult ice hockey pucks ,and cut a groove all along one side to fit the flange of the sill with a hacksaw .When the car is safely jacked up the axle stand can be positioned with this 'buffer' between the sill and the top of the axle stand before lowering .One of these can even be used on the jack platform to lift 1 side of the car to reposition an axle stand .These pucks are made from very hard vulcanised rubber and are quite cheap off the net . I have been using these since I was a part time mobile mechanic 40 years ago ,so although it may sound strange to some it does work

Dave

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Hi Dave

Sounds like a good idea with the hockey pucks, I presume you place the cut across the diameter so that the puck is is equally spread across pinch weld flange.  jack had previously stated the outside of the pinch weld is weak compared to the inside,  have you ever had any issues with this. I can understand Jack's reasoning as there is more surface area on inside. Any ideas what the holes filled with foam on the inner face of the pinch weld flange are for ?  Thanks again for the advice. 

 

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Hi jack

Great visual example of movement on trolley jack when being used, which highlights the main reason for the jack pad being twisted and deformed, however as you stated in an earlier post, correct position for trolley jack is to be used from front or rear of vehicle. If used correctly and vehicle is lowered onto jack pads( hockey pucks) then I would expect no twisting or deformation would be evident as all force would be on a downward motion onto the jack pads. I've owned a trolley jack for many years and was never aware it should not be used from the side of the vehicle, so I'm very appreciative of the your helpful safety advice.

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Had a chance to take some photos relating to pinch welds jacking points on rear of car. I can't believe a manufacturer would have put 3 holes(the biggest one being right on the correct position to place jack) albeit with rubber plugs in them in such close proximity to official jacking points, seems to me like an accident waiting to happen. Any opinions. 

rear pinch weld jacking point.jpg

pinch weld jacking point 2_LI (2).jpg

rear pinch weld jacking point 1.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 years later...

Great pictures! J, I have a 2019 ES 300h and the bottom is covered with a cardboard( hard) layer that is bolted on and while I could find the two little dimples for the tire jack, finding something strong for jack stands was a ? . Your pictures help a lot! Thanks

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