Lift jacking points on an S30

[Ian]

I've always found it tricky lifting my 260Z on a 2 post lift. There just doesn't seem to be many places where it looks strong enough to lift with. Even had some lifts where the arms wouldn't reach far enough to lift using the areas I was using.

I am planning to fit a scissor lift in my garage, I would need to work out the placement if the units,to do so I would need to work out where is suitable to place the lifting blocks on the car and the wider the better. Using the chassis rails for example would mean the lifts need placed close together thus leaving little room to walk and work in between them when under the car.



So, where is it recommended to lift from? where is strong enough? Where do you guys use?






As you can see here I sometimes lift it using the base of the additional bars I added to my chassis:

I also sometimes lift it using the stronger area on the rear sills, but I'm not sure its all that strong.

Anyway, I'm interested to see the more common places used to put my mind at rest.

 

[SeanDezart]

What (complete) exhaust are you running there Ian please ?

 

[johnymd]

At the front I usually use the compression rod mount area but try to not damage the chassis rail just behind this point. At the rea I would use the corner of the floor just inboard of where you lifted in the picture. The rear sill area in your picture is often prone to corrosion inside so could be weaker than expected.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Let's try this from another Thread:

I follow the Factory advice:





...which is quite a long way inboard. Personally I wouldn't jack or support anywhere near sills and doglegs.

 

[Ian]

What (complete) exhaust are you running there Ian please ?

Its a full custom 3" system.

At the front I usually use the compression rod mount area but try to not damage the chassis rail just behind this point. At the rear I would use the corner of the floor just inboard of where you lifted in the picture. The rear sill area in your picture is often prone to corrosion inside so could be weaker than expected.

I've used the compression rod area often, sometime the arms of certain two post lifts won't reach that far.


Is the floor in that area definitely strong enough there? So theres no chance of it bending/denting?






Rob - that just confirms what I thought, theres not really any good lifting points on these cars, especially not near the outer edge of the car.




Not so good for the scissor lift.

I idealy need to be able to lift as wide as possible because the closer I lift the closer I have to place the lift units which limits room in between for working.

If I were to reinforce some of the outer areas with additional metal then I guess I could use there for lifting. I'm going to have to look into this.




.

 

[Woody928]

Rob is the factory advice still the recommended place to use axle stands?

I will want to underseal the car shortly and looking at DIY driveway options...

 

[richiep]

Rob is the factory advice still the recommended place to use axle stands?

Why wouldn't it be? Unless the car is full of rot and you're scared the axle stand will punch through!

There's a pic of a 240Z on a scissors lift on HybridZ. Looks like he might have placed those heavy duty rubber discs/protectors you get on 2-post/4-point lift arms under the factory jacking points as the car doesn't appear to be sitting on the lift on its floors and there's something sticking out under the front left jack point.

Post #16 on this thread:
http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/97550-72-240z-1uz-fer154-conversion/

Edit: further down the thread there's a pic showing blocks of wood under the jack points. Big chucks of hard rubber as suggested might be useful though.

 

[uk66fastback]

All my axle stands have those hard rubber tops you can get from ebay ...

 

[Ian]

There's a pic of a 240Z on a scissors lift on HybridZ. Looks like he might have placed those heavy duty rubber discs/protectors you get on 2-post/4-point lift arms under the factory jacking points as the car doesn't appear to be sitting on the lift on its floors and there's something sticking out under the front left jack point.

Post #16 on this thread:
http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/97550-72-240z-1uz-fer154-conversion/

Edit: further down the thread there's a pic showing blocks of wood under the jack points. Big chucks of hard rubber as suggested might be useful though.

Thanks for the link.


I'll have a selection of rubber lift blocks to use for this purpose. But I still need to be sure the area I will be placing them is going to b strong enough.

 

[richiep]

As long as you stick to the specified locations, I'm sure you'll be fine. The problems come when people jack in other places like the under floor supports or the floor pans themselves away from those stronger edge spots. That's why so many US imports have caved in floors due to poor jacking practice.

 

[Albrecht]

You know when you let someone out of a side turning and they don't even give you a wave to say thank you? It's like that...

 

[samuri-240]

As long as you stick to the specified locations, I'm sure you'll be fine. The problems come when people jack in other places like the under floor supports or the floor pans themselves away from those stronger edge spots. That's why so many US imports have caved in floors due to poor jacking practice.

Ah I was always led to believe that was from lifting them with fork lift trucks !

 

[richiep]

Ah I was always led to believe that was from lifting them with fork lift trucks !

Well yeah, that seems to have happened often too. I've read posts on US forums from hapless hacks though who've heard the cracking of welds and pulled floors and door supports away with dim witted jacking! Saw an older thread in the last couple of days where someone admitted to having done that.

 

[Woody928]

Why wouldn't it be? Unless the car is full of rot and you're scared the axle stand will punch through!

I only ask as with my MR2 the factory recommendation is the jack off of the sills however sections like the rear subframe are far more solid locations to be jacking from in reality and wasn't sure if there were any other well conceived jacking locations that should be aware of. Obviously not though...

Not concerned about that, just trying to be sympathetic to a 45 year old car where I can by not putting unnecessary stain on its shell

That's why so many US imports have caved in floors due to poor jacking practice.

I think this may explain a slight dent in my drivers floor pan