[Kris]

We talk a lot about inspections, repairs, wheels rotations, brakes pads replacements etc. Most of these tasks require lifting the car. We have not talked about the basics, or are those too basics to talk about?

Car lifting:
- What jack to use.
- Where to place the jack.
- Does a “soft pad” need to be used.
- Any special considerations.
- Safety rules to follow up.
- Apply park brakes.
- Do’s & Don’ts
- What stands to use.
- Where to place them.

I know for many people these issues are too basics but I found myself too many times talking about advanced topic to people who needed basics. The car manual is just too generic to be of real help.

I know many people would say “just buy a book” but I am after a real life experience. And I believe that members of this board have more experience than all the books combined. Who wants to start.

 

[Stoker]

Kris
I agree with you in regards to safety, so here are my thoughts.

Car lifting:
- What jack to use.
It depends on the weight of the car, when you buy car jacks there are designed for certain weight. If unsure get help from someone where you buy your car parts.

- Where to place the jack.
If you read your cars manual it shows on the graphic where to place the jacks so that the car is properly supported

- Does a “soft pad” need to be used.
I am assuming you mean between the car jack and the car. Most cars have a harden point on which the car sits on the jack. I personally have never used one btween my jacks and car.

- Any special considerations.
Ensure that you lift up both sides of the car before you start to work on it. That means that if you are working under the front part of the car that both side need to be jacked up.

- Safety rules to follow up.
For me personally the use of good work gloves and safety glasses are a must when working on a car. so that your hands and eyes are protected.

- Apply park brakes.
Always use you parking brake, however if you are working on the rear discs or ant other time you are working on your car with two wheels off the ground, always block your tires in case the emergency brake fails for what ever reason.

- Do’s & Don’ts
DO NOT Rush your work, make sure that your car is ready to work on and that it will not fall on you.

Ensure that your battery is disconnected when working on the electrics as you can cause a electric short that may damage your equipment.

If what you are doing does not feel right for what ever reason, back away and decide if what you are doing is correct or whether or not you can do it successfully. Maybe it is time for a garage.

DO use the right tools and do not start a job unless you have all the tools you need.

Ensure your tools are functioning properly to be used, having a broken set of pliers can ruin your day.

Inspect your tools to see if there is mechainical damage like cracks in handles or working ends of the tools.

If you working in your engine compartment, use cover to protect the paint and grill that box in that compartment.

Well that is enough for now, look forward to others comments on this subject.


:2:

 

[zebelkhan]

Well said. I can only think of a few additional items at this point.

1- If you did not know the above, then you do not know enough to attempt any repairs on your MO so do not even start. Leave it to the professionals.

2- If you do use a jack to lift the car, remember that a jack is a mechanical device and can fail. Besides using blocks to keep the car from rolling, use jack stands and let them support the weight of the car while the jack itself will be your secondary safety support. This will also keep the car from rolling, or swinging from side to side and falling off the jack.

3- Never use ramps to lift one end of the car while using a jack to lift the other. This is very dangerous and will increase the chance if the vehicle falling off. With the same token, do not use 4 jack stands to lift all four wheels. The car will not be stable.

 

[Kris]

Great posts! And some details on lifting points locations. Let's hope it help some of us....

 

[Eric L.]

Great thread.

I will second the caution for the rear axle jacking point. Be VERY CAREFUL not to damage the canister located near the jacking point. Other than that, there is some excellent advice posted above that I hope all home wrenchers will have a look at (or already know).

To add to Zelbakahn's jack stand comment - never ever climb underneath the car that is supported only by a jack. The most secure setup would be to use both jackstands (at all four corners) and to have a backup jack pumped up to one of the front or rear jack points in case something something fails.

Oh and get yourself a nice pad to sit or kneel on in the garage. Nothing is worse than kneeling or lying on hard concrete while arching your body in all sorts of contortions to reach something underneath the car. I picked up some non slip garage mats from the local Costco and they fit together in a jigsaw like fasion. Very useful.

Always wear eye protection, no matter what kind of repair you are doing on the car. And always take your time. Rushing leads to sloppy jobs, leaks, and possible injuries (no brakes, no brakes...ahhhhhh).

 

[Eric L.]

Surprised no one made this a sticky yet. So, I'm doing it.

 

[buttfish77]

Where to buy jack stand attachment?

What do you place on your jack stands to avoid crushing the vertical steel lip that exists at the jacking points? Is there a quick substitute that everyone uses or do you have to buy the adapter from Nissan?

 

[Eric L.]

I have never had a problem with that vertical lip. Its plenty strong to support the weight of the vehicle, you will not need an adapter (although I suppose it wouldn't hurt).

 

[Kris]

I did not buy attachement. What I did was buy a "normal" stand like this....

 

[Kris]

then take a grider and cut a groove like this.

It worked for me.........

Notice: take every safety precaution when working with a grinder!!!

 

[ekaxel]

You can do that with a good piece of wood, like a landscape timber. Much easier to cut the groove!

 

[buttfish77]

The "stock" jackstand looks like it already has a groove in it that is perpendicular to the one you cut. Is there any reason you can't use it that way?

 

[BlueHorse]

Why never should lift all 4 wheels with Jack Stand?

...3- Never use ramps to lift one end of the car while using a jack to lift the other. This is very dangerous and will increase the chance if the vehicle falling off. With the same token, do not use 4 jack stands to lift all four wheels. The car will not be stable.

I usually only need to lift front or rear side of the car, in which case I only need to use 2 jack stands. However, I plan to change CVT fluid shortly, and read in a different thread that to properly drain the old fluid the car will need to be level.

Your quoted comment above discourage use of 4 jacks to lift all 4 wheels - is your comment for jobs that require only front or rear side lifted (hence no benefit but downside to lift all 4), or use of 4 jack stands should never be done?

Thanks.

 

[Kris]

I have done it many times without problems. I do not know why not to do it that way? If you use the right jacks you should be fine....

 

[drewtiss]

Kris
I agree with you in regards to safety, so here are my thoughts.

Car lifting:
- What jack to use.
It depends on the weight of the car, when you buy toyota wheels and tires car jacks there are designed for certain weight. If unsure get help from someone where you buy your car parts.

- Where to place the jack.
If you read your cars manual it shows on the graphic where to place the jacks so that the car is properly supported

- Does a “soft pad” need to be used.
I am assuming you mean between the car jack and the car. Most cars have a harden point on which the car sits on the jack. I personally have never used one btween my jacks and car.

- Any special considerations.
Ensure that you lift up both sides of the car before you start to work on it. That means that if you are working under the front part of the car that both side need to be jacked up.

- Safety rules to follow up.
For me personally the use of good work gloves and safety glasses are a must when working on a car. so that your hands and eyes are protected.

- Apply park brakes.
Always use you parking brake, however if you are working on the rear discs or ant other time you are working on your car with two wheels off the ground, always block your tires in case the emergency brake fails for what ever reason.

- Do’s & Don’ts
DO NOT Rush your work, make sure that your car is ready to work on and that it will not fall on you.

Ensure that your battery is disconnected when working on the electrics as you can cause a electric short that may damage your equipment.

If what you are doing does not feel right for what ever reason, back away and decide if what you are doing is correct or whether or not you can do it successfully. Maybe it is time for a garage.

DO use the right tools and do not start a job unless you have all the tools you need.

Ensure your tools are functioning properly to be used, having a broken set of pliers can ruin your day.

Inspect your tools to see if there is mechainical damage like cracks in handles or working ends of the tools.

If you working in your engine compartment, use cover to protect the paint and grill that box in that compartment.

Well that is enough for now, look forward to others comments on this subject.


:2:

Whoa! Great! Thanks for this infos & short reminders. Actually, I am having a very hard time dealing with the soft pad issue. Thanks!

 

[oscarkegel]

It just Fell!!

Hi Everybody!
New user here. I've owned my 2004 Murano for about 2 years now and the craziest thing happened yesterday!!! The truck fell off the jack stand while me and my dad were inspecting the brakes. The Stupid thing slipped from under the vehicle. Thank God nobody was hurt. I was so shocked that damage to the truck was the last thing on my mind. After a few minutes and lifting it back up we inspected it and discovered no damage.

Please be safe when working on your car. And as for me I'm going to go invest on a good set of jack stands.

 

[BlueHorse]

What happened

Can you share details of what caused the car to slip off the jackstand, so we can all learn something?

I can't imagine how that could have happened with Jack stands properly supporting left and right - unless you are using only 1 jackstand so the car is tilted all along?

 

[folgersoldier]

Glad your all right,

I had a car on stands that we took the engine out and we had always heard about the danger of a car falling off so we tried to knock it off the stands. Couldn't do it no matter how hard we tried - and we put a good effort into it. Of course it was an integra and had a lower center of gravity so my guess its not that easy for them to fall off.

 

[BlueHorse]

WHere to buy the adapter and how much?

Anybody bought the safety stand adapter? I am not comfortable of making a pair myself. Want to know where (online store, or have to go to a dealer) to buy, and what exactly is the part number?

By the way, my 2004 Murano has always been serviced by Nissan Dealer. I looked at underneath the car and found a section of the vertical lip close to the front jack points on both sides are slightly bended. Rear sides are OK. So I'd say unless you use jack stands that have deep groove, you should probably make/buy adapters.

Great posts! And some details on lifting points locations. Let's hope it help some of us....

 

[BlueHorse]

Why need adapter or a slot on your jackstand?

Hi,

I talked to my local Nissan dealer to investigate why the vertical lips toward front side of my Murano are slighted bent/deformed. They call the lip "lift seam", and it is supposed to sit on jack stand and carry the weight of the car. I orignally thought the adapter will allow elevate the tip of lift seam so it does not support he weight of the car, and instead the base of the lift seam will.

That makes me wander why we need an adapter at all? Is the purpose of the adapter to insert a layer of plastic material (I assume adapter is made of plastic) beteen the lift seam and the jackstand so there is no metal to metal contact? The way Nissan dealer explains to me, with or without the adapter, the vertical seam carries the weight of the car regardless.

Thanks.

Great posts! And some details on lifting points locations. Let's hope it help some of us....