How do YOU guys jack up the car

[shemdogg]

Ive doone it twice now and got the jack head just barely touching the pinch points but its so damn close to the coolant tubes. Did it today w the jack under the back of the cradle but could only raise a few inches at a time jack sin there deep.

So whadya u guys do?

shem

[The Dark Side of Will]

I have a long low jack and lift under the cradle rear crossmember or the front suspension crossmember.

You could also make up a block to put on the jack to interface with the pinch welds at the factory jack points.

[FieroWanaBe1]

Pinch point with 2x4. Or the rear crossmemebr on the rear cradle.

[shemdogg]

Thanks fellas, sounds like I need a new jack. Mines yuuge and the cars so low I cant fit the 2x4 in between the pinch welds and jack top. Who sells jacks now? Dont want a harbor freight one, neighbor almost got squished w his. Guess everythings made in china now so it doesnt matter lol

shem

[The Dark Side of Will]

My dad has one similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Design- ... B000OUZVK0

[FieroWanaBe1]

I had a crafstman low profile aluminum jack for about 5 years now and its heen working very well for me.

[shemdogg]

I love craftsman tools, used to work at sears back in the day. Their stuffs all made in china now. I got a nice tap n die set awhile back and saw the made in china had replaced the made in usa. sad

im cheap so ill keep driving it on some 2x6s to get it high enuf for my jack
shem

[FieroWanaBe1]

Snap-On's headquarters is in my home town. Their Jack's are made in the same factory as Craftsman's these days. Virtually Identical. Most of the stuff that aren't hand tools are contracted out to other firms, and when it comes to other brands, (Menards, Dewalt, Milwaukee, Kobalt) they don't own a single foundry between them, They just make the spec, or private label a current design. I will say that my friends have been through several of the Harbor Freight aluminum jacks, while mine hasn't failed yet.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Aluminum's only real advantage is when you have to lift the jack into your trunk to go to the track.

[fieroguru]

I love my new harbor freight jack. It is super low (2 5/8"), is very long, lifts quite high (23 3/4")... but is quite heavy.
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-low- ... 60678.html

Since I relocated the rear cradle crossmember to increase space for the muffler, I lift the rear from either the cradle side rails or the front cradle crossmember, I access both areas from in front of the rear tires.

For the front I lift on the front inboard frame rails behind the front wheels. With the low profile and long reach, I can simply roll the jack behind the front wheels and the lift pad will be on the frame rail with the jack still being more than an inch from the rocker panels.

[shemdogg]

Good to know, next time I get under the car Ill get a better look underneath to find those spots. Aluminum is nice cuz its much lighter. My old jack weighs almost 100lbs and is a biotch to get in the truck

Thanks for the input

shem

[The Dark Side of Will]

I have a hitch on my car, so I actually jack the car up using that... super easy. I can then put the jack stands under the slide plates of the hitch.

However, that's not an option for most people.

[fieroguru]

Pictures of my jack comparison and clearance to my fiero are near the bottom of this page:
http://www.fiero.com/forum/Forum3/HTML/000123-30.html

The jack weighs 93 lbs, so it isn't for travel use.

When I go on trips and want to bring a jack, I used an OEM jack from a 97 full size Chevy Silverado 4x4 (GM part # 15548834). It with the ratchet and rods is about 8 lbs, with 3 7/8" minimum height and 17" maximum height. It is light, compact, and can easily lift a fiero high enough to do most work that is needed along a road side. If you want to lift higher, pack some 4x4 blocks.