Re: How to use jack stands

[Mark Eissler <tequila@interlog.com>]

xudong, xudong@prisminc.com wrote:
>
>
>     How do you put your audi (front) up on jack stands?
>     
>     I have a floor jack, and couple of stands. If I jack up at the point
>     behind the wheel, then I can't use the jack stand at that point.
>     

Funny how nobody really talks about this. Any instructions that are 
likely to come with a jackstand kit just mention to make sure you jack 
the car at the recommended points. And, I know the Haynes manuals (er, 
none of them that I've bought over the years) discuss this subject in 
enough depth. 

>From the Audi manual, the only information I can find is indications of 
where to find the reinforced jacking points. Sure, but if the jack is 
there...where do you put the jack stand? 

Well, I put the stands where the pads of a hoist would rest. For the 
front, I use a floor jack to jack up the car from the reinforced point. 
Then, I place a jack under the frame of the car (there's a spot just 
behind the reinforced point -- towards the centerline of the vehicle). 
The problem with this method is that it screws up the undercoating if you 
have "axle" stands--that's what I have. Of course, the undercoating can 
make it nearly impossible to easily figure out where the frame rail runs!

For the rear, and using a floor jack, I jack up the car (one side of a 
time, I'm not as adventurous as Al Powell ;-} ) from the rear axle. Then, 
I place a stand under the reinforced point for each side.

This system works well for me and my Audi 4k. For a different model, jack 
points may shift around a bit. Of course, the best way (and, 
incidentally, the safest way) to jack up your car is to build a nice big 
garage, with a 20ft ceiling, beside your house. Then, install an electric 
hydraulic hoist. And...get Snap-On and a bunch of other sponsors to lend 
you a ton of accessories (air tools, and so on) JUST like they do on 
ShadeTree Mechanic!

 

Mark Eissler          | From the lab: When Norton crashes,
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