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C4 on Jack Stands

supernatural400

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2001
Messages
410
Location
massachusetts
Corvette
1993 SuperNatural 400 #5 /99 LS1 Z28 N2O equipped
Looking for a way to elevate my 93, and keep it up without using jackstands. I don't like the idea of having to use 4 to keep the car up. my first thought was to take several 6x6's and cut them to fit between the rotors as I need to remove all 4 wheels to do brake work. I think the 6x6's will give it a sturdy support while disributing the weight evenly along the front and rear. I need this due to the fact my car is on a second story of a three story garage. any thoughts on this ? or has anyone don this differently ?
 
I've always just used the four jackstands Ron. I'm not quite sure I understand your description of 6x6's as a method for holding the car while removing the four wheels.

_ken :confused
 
well my plan is to jack the front end up and rest the front end suspension on 6x6's that are horizontal to the front of the car resting on the spindles . and on the rear placing them again horizontal and resting the axle on it. I 'll probably need 4 6x6 for the front and 4 for the rear. I just don't like the idea of crawling around underneath a car with only 4 points holding it up. not to mention risk cracking the fiberglass
 
ALARM BELLS!

Had to chime in on this one. Using wood you can't be sure of it's strength, it's stability or if it will break, etc. I take going under a vehicle, especially a C4, very seriously. I personally use 2 jack stands under the front motor mount frame, and 2 in the rear quarters. I have done this numerous times with no problems. (other than being hampered with my ground effects)

Please be safe.

Barbie
 
Barbie,
Where exactly in the rear are you putting those jack stands?
The front is pretty straightforward but there is no frame to speak of in the rear.
Graham
 
6x6's or 8x8's are pretty sturdy,the equal to railroad ties, so I'm not worrying about the strength. The car will be much more stable and will distribute the weight much better than just using 4 jacks. It will also allow me to open the hood with out fear of cracking as some people have had when using just jack stands. since I'm going to have it out of commision for awhile, I will most likely just remove the hood to give me more access. I also replacing the radiator with a new callaway aluminum one and it's a pain to do with the hood in place. the shock have to come out to be sent to bilstein to be rebuilt. I ight also mention that the 6x6's that I'm using will be laying flat againt the garage floor so I'm sure that they won't crack or crumble. If I use railroad ties I'm sure to be safe after all they do support trains:)
 
supernatural400 said:
Looking for a way to keep it up without using jackstands.

How about "Viagra" in the fuel tank?

Really, I have seen the timbers, or railroad tie sections used before with good results. Not sure what they was resting on (car side) but a friend of mine used then to get under a de-grease and clean a 91 ZR-1. These were BIG timber sections about 2 foot long and 8" x 8" or so.

I use jack stands, 4 of them. Back go where the convertible "X-Brace" bolts to the frame in front of the rear tires on a C4. Best spot I could find there!
 
Using jack stands is a far safer way to support a vehicle than a couple of stacks of 6x6s.

If stacks of wood were the safest method, then the service industry would have huge stocks of wood sitting around their shops.

As for "cracking the fiberglass", you're not going to do that if the stands are placed correctly and when they are, the car's metal fame will be resting on them.
 
Talk about timing.:) My GS is going up on jack stands this week and I've been wondering about where to up the jack stands. Last time I put her up I used the for standard jacking points shown in the owners manual. But she was only in the air for a few hours. This time it's going to be for the rest of the winter. Are those spots the best places to put the car up on for a long duration like that? Is there any chance of damaging the front of the car from the weight of the hood being open?

Jason
 
Hib Halverson said:
Using jack stands is a far safer way to support a vehicle than a couple of stacks of 6x6s.

If stacks of wood were the safest method, then the service industry would have huge stocks of wood sitting around their shops.

As for "cracking the fiberglass", you're not going to do that if the stands are placed correctly and when they are, the car's metal fame will be resting on them.

Well that not always correct, its just that jackstands are more convienent to store rather than railroad ties, If I was just going to work on it then take it down jackstands would be the way to go, but it's going to be on them for a month or so and rather than having a 8" square holding the weight with railroad ties you now have 8 " wide but 2-3 feet in length distributing the weight, also as sturdy as a lift:s
 
twiget said:
Talk about timing.:) My GS is going up on jack stands this week and I've been wondering about where to up the jack stands. Last time I put her up I used the for standard jacking points shown in the owners manual. But she was only in the air for a few hours. This time it's going to be for the rest of the winter. Are those spots the best places to put the car up on for a long duration like that? Is there any chance of damaging the front of the car from the weight of the hood being open?

Jason
if your going to put it up for and extended period you should support the suspension as best you can to keep it at the ride height, If you let the wheels hang down with no support you risk extending the shocks all the way and could cause some damage there
 
Supernatural,
I don't see a weight bearing problem but I would be concerned as to where to place the ties and not cause possible stress damage to the car. In any case I'd be interested in the how it worked out if you went with the ties.
 
You really can't hurt much unless it falls off. I have jacked a variety of C4s in about every way possible. I usually pull the pivot pod off my rolling floor jack and get some help having a couple friends gently lift the nose up a tad so I can squeeze it in underneath and right on the center crossmember where the support arms brace into it. I like to use a piece of 1 x 4 there just to cushion it a tad.

I then jack it up high. You can put the stands on either side of the cross member right where the lower control arms connect, and or to the extreme outside on the lower side of the control arm.

In the back, I usually jack one side at a time then put the jack stand in the extreme rear corner of the rocker on the welding flange. Of course, first loosen the top and open the doors to the first notch.

I left my 85 sitting like this for about 7 months. I saw no damage to the car, and no damage to the shocks.

One other trick I use, if I want to get it really high, I first back it up on ramps on the rear tires. That gets the butt way up in the air. Set the brake etc, then I go in from behind the front tires with the rolling floor jack and catch the cross member, raise the front and support it, then I stack some blocks on the jack in the back, catch it on the diff, and get it up off the stands. This is how I raise them before taking the transmission out.

Now, I was under the 00 last week. I have no clue how to jack that car, not to mention it took me 20 minutes, and finally reading the owners manual to find the fuse panel!
 
Wow, we have some really picky people here. ::eyeroleCant blame a one of you though. I put my 85 on 4 stands tuesday and placed them at the ends of the rocker section on the frame at the point where it curves out to the side rails. Very solid!!....I first jacked up one side at the prescibed jacking point enough to get my one side on the stands at there lowest point. I then went to the other side and put the other two under .I wanted the car as high as I could get as to remove the trans exhuast and any thing else .I dont have access tp a hoist and refuse to pay to use one . I do all repairs and any parts changes myself. Thats the good part about playing with Vettes. Any way , I then went to the front crossmember and raised it a little more and then to the rear pig and did the same . I repeated until I was about 18" up.I now can remove anything I want with any interference. I did open the doors to the first catch and will probably loosen the top. Other then that I dont see a problems any different then any other car. It never let a moan or a groan or a squeal of pain thru the whole process :eek :cool
 
I have use many different things to hold a car in the air (wood/timbers, jack stands, amo box, big/many friends). As long as you put them under a stable point, and the wood is strong enough, there is no problem. The only trick for getting the wood on the front suspenson is clearance. I use the factory points and jack stands mainly b/c it is hard to get the wood under the ends of the a-arm with the tire mounted.

Mike
 
I remember seeing an ad in the Vette magazines for a extension of sorts for a rolling floor jack, or maybe it included the floor jack special made for the C4 where it could be rolled under the rear and jacked up easily. Does anybody else remember that?

I never thought it would be worth buying as I try not to jack the car if I can help it.
 
I would be interested in something like that if someone could get more info.

Mike
 
Chris, are you referring to the "Jack-A-Vette"? I never thought it was worth the cost ($50 or so).

_ken
 
I'll go with 69myway

I lifted mine exactly like he describes. Used 4 jackstands and left it up for around 6 weeks. Whenever I was under the car I put the floor jack under the front crossmember and had the ramps under the rear just in case. No problem. Had the hood raised the whole time. No problem....well...a little one. My friend told me to use a C-clamp to block the garage door rail so I wouldn't hit the hood when I opened the door. Close one.
The last I heard, the Jack-A-Vette company was out of business. Wouldn't mind having one myself.
 
True story

Okay, time for me to confess to my fellow vetters.


Once upon a time I was changing the clutch in my wife's old 89 vette. I decided while I was at it to put in some new U joints and service the trans. Well, the drain plug on the ZF six was stuck in the trans. Try as I may, it finally just stripped the internal hex head out. So, I eneded up drilling, chiselling, etc. to carefully get the plug out without getting metal in the trans.

As you can see this was an unpleasant job. How in the world something so simple turns into a nightmare like this is beyond me. All I wanted to do is drain and fill the trans.

Wait, it gets worse...........

Okay, the day came to finally put it back on the ground. I had driven the front of the car up on ramps, then jacked the rear up extremely high and placed it on stands. This gave me plenty of room to roll around underneath it and fart with the stupid tranmsission and u joints.

I had taken the e-brake loose to rotate the rear axles to change the joints, and forgot to reset it. I thought it was set. Early on a Sunday morning (instead of going to church) I decided to go outside and fool with the car because Nikki was out of town. I put the jack on the rear rocker tab and one at a time raised it just enough to get the jack stand out. I was on the passenger side with the jack handle pointing more towards the front of the car because my garage door was closed and I was trying to keep quiet (early on a sunday morning). I pulled the passenger stand then lowered the jack. The front of the car was still on ramps.

Well, when the back tires hit the concrete it took a little bounce that was enough to start it rolling off the stands. I remember grabbing the hood and right front fender opening, but I could not stop it. That red torpeodo shot off the ramp and THROUGH the garage door coming to a stop within about 1" of my other Vette that was sitting in the driveway.

I pushed the ramps out of the way, got in the car, drove it back through the hole into the garage, then stepped through the open gaping hole in the garage door only to find my neighbor sitting on the tailgate of his S-10 Blazer smoking a cig and laughing his butt off. A few hours later the entire door collapsed from the structural damage.

So, when Nikki and her mom pulled into the driveway there I was with a broom and dust pan cleaning up the last remaining parts of the door.


True story. So, you can see why I hate to jack these things up.
 

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