Lifting My Rag Top

[ZQQM]

What's the best way to lift my 91 Rag top at home. I just want to get under it to change oil and inspect it. I have a floor jack but where do I lift it. Are ramps a better choice?;help

 

[c4cruiser]

If you look under the car at the sides, you will see the marks that show where the factory jack is to be placed. There are triangular shaped arrows about 3-4 inches apart at the front and the rear of the lower rocker panel facia.

I have a small floor jack (2 ton) and I place the pad between those arrows. The body seam is right behind the plastic rocker panel facia and is strong enough to lift the car. Before jacking, look behind those arrows to insure the jack pad does not contact the brake lines on the driver's side and the fuel lines on the passenger side. You can place jack stands at a point where the body seams cure inward at the front and just next to where the X-brace attaches to the body at the rear. DON'T let the car rest on the X-brace!! It can be easily bent. I also open both doors and release the hood latch before jacking. I don't open the doors fully or raise the hood but just release the latches.

I do my own oil changes too and I only need to get the car off the ground about 6" to reach the drain plug and the filter.

I have found that you can also raise the entire side of the car by placing the jack pad mid-way between the two marked jacking points. You can then place jackstands at the front and back on one side and the raise the other side and place stands there. With two jacking steps, I can get my 92 roadster about 14" off the ground and that is plenty to crawl underneath anywhere. As above, just be careful placing the jack pad so that it doesn't contact anything that looks important

 

[Tonylong]

Very interesting !
I'd also like to raise my '89 ragtop for oil changes and etc.
If I lift the entire side by placing the floor jack in the center of the "rails", do
I then put jackstands right at the indicated arrows. or somewhere else?
After I have lifted and supported one side, will lifting the other side cause the
emplaced jackstands to "lean" as the car is again lifted ?

 

[c4cruiser]

At the front, I place a jackstand where the body seam turns inward toward the motor. This is in front of the forward marks and about 6 inches inside of the rocker facia. At the rear it goes just inboard of where the body seam ends. You'll have to get under and look to get an idea of where they go. I don't have any pics to show the locations but once you look at the area, it's pretty easy to place them.

When I jack up one side, I set the stands at their lowest height then raise the other side of the car to the same level. Then I go back to the other side and go up to the height I need and finally do the other side. It's a bit tedious but it is safer that trying to jack up to the desired height all at once.

Just make sure to pop the door and hood latches before starting.

 

[Heyspike]

What's the idea of opening the doors and the hood for? Just picked up 4 jack stands today. Going to change my tranny filter and fluid.

 

[Vettelt193]

if you leave everything shut, the car will flex so much you can break the glass out of the side windows... also, you won't be able to open the doors if they are shut while the car is lifted.