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Procedure to lift a C4 onto Jackstands

vetteboy86

Well-known member
Joined
May 26, 2003
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Location
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Corvette
1986 Black "Indy 500 Pace car replica"
The question has been asked several times, and is answered well in the link provided. This has been around the forums for a while.

How to Jack Up a ZR-1
 
Would it be the same using a LIFT??:confused
 
Liftinjg a C4

I have two places to jack on each side, so I do front on one side, then other side then back to rear on first side then other rear a 4 step process done twice to get it higer, and always leave jack in some position as safty
Ray
 
I read that discussion on the ZR-1 net and I understood the writer's use of jackastands and that's pretty much how I support my 95 on stands but I think there's a much easer way to get it up.

Mine's a little low in the front, so I drive it the front up on 2x4s, then using a low floor jack which I have, I either turn the front wheels left, put a 6x4x1 piece of oak on the jack pad, roll the jack under the car and lift the front crossmember. Then I support it on stands as discussed in the ZR-1 Net article.

For the rear, I use a tool I bought years ago called a "Jack-a-Vette" and pick-up the back lifting on the rear axle case. Then I support the rear with stands as discussed in the article on the ZR-1 Net.
 
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I work on a lot of c4 and I know when you jack any of these cars you must take the glass roof off, pop the hood, and raise the back glass.
If not you could crack your beautiful glass top and destroy the rear glass too.
Just being a good member brothers :)
 
That's an old wive's tale.

As long as your jacking the car up on a reasonably level surface and you're using one of the jacking locations in the service manual, you can leave the top on and the hatch closed. I've owned my 95 for nearly 18 years and have been jacking it up with the top on an the hatch closed the whole time.
 
I only owned mine for a year. Ive been working on them for a few years.
My top has spider cracks in the top so ive been safe than sorry.
You know how it is brother.
 
"Spider cracks" in the clear plastic tops are a common problem with C4s, especially those which have spent time in the sun. Those tiny cracks will occur no matter how the car is jacked. You can take the top off, and it will still get spider cracks after many years.
 
Jacking up your vette

A service manager at a local Chevy dealership who also races corvettes told me that you can lift the whole one side by placing the floor jack directly below the side mirror. I used this method to lift one side at a time while I put jack stands under the car when I replaced the exhaust with a cat-back system from Corsa. I had the entire car off the floor on four jack stands. No cracks anywhere. When you don't have a lift you do what you have to do.
 
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:thumb I agree, I jack the one side up all the time to swap tires at auto-x events. No issues.

These cars may be flexible but they are not made of wet noodles.
 
Refurbish Targa

I only owned mine for a year. Ive been working on them for a few years.
My top has spider cracks in the top so ive been safe than sorry.
You know how it is brother.

Jacking up my 95 has been a breeze with a power scissor jack from Harbor Freight. It cost $59 with a 20% coupon and plugs into a lighter socket or battery pack. It slides under and lifts it 7-1/2 inches. Works great especially taking off the wheels.. My little 1.5 ton aluminum jack gets it higher when needed. My steel ramps with extensions cost $99 at Ecklers and get it high enough to change the oil.

If you want to refurbish your top 3M has a kit and video on You Tube. Its very similar to doing your headlights with the 3M kit. Good Luck.
 
That's an old wive's tale.


I agree. If the car was too fragile to jack up it would crack when you went over a railroad crossing or a speed bump. Can you imagine the engineers at Chevrolet designing a car that had to be taken apart to go over a bump?

I jack my 95 up without taking anything off or loosening anything and I've had each corner up by itself and the whole side up by jacking up one corner. The only cracks I have in my glass are on the hood where some clown slammed the hood onto my radiator cap. :beer
 
I agree. If the car was too fragile to jack up it would crack when you went over a railroad crossing or a speed bump. Can you imagine the engineers at Chevrolet designing a car that had to be taken apart to go over a bump?

I jack my 95 up without taking anything off or loosening anything and I've had each corner up by itself and the whole side up by jacking up one corner. The only cracks I have in my glass are on the hood where some clown slammed the hood onto my radiator cap. :beer


oooouch..........
 
The C4 chassis has hooking points both in front and rear. You'll find them under the firewall and ahead of rear wheel wells and can be identified by seeing the slots in them for the chain hooks used on the assembly line. I rest that on the jackstands. Also, have jackstands with a groove cut into resting pad which allows this slotted chassis tab to fit snugly onto jackstand pad.
 
I agree

A service manager at a local Chevy dealership who also races corvettes told me that you can lift the whole one side by placing the floor jack directly below the side mirror. I used this method to lift one side at a time while I put jack stands under the car when I replaced the exhaust with a cat-back system from Corsa. I had the entire car off the floor on four jack stands. No cracks anywhere. When you don't have a lift you do what you have to do.


I have have a parts 84 Coupe which I am pulling apart at the moment, I jacked it up using the jacking point under the side mirror and it lifted the whole side of the car up.

mind you, it has no motor and gearbox, but I was impressed.

i have a bendpak hoist though, but my blue coupe is on it at the moment.

i am trying to work out how to support the black parts Vette, while I remove the diff and running gear. Plan is to drop it on castors later.

thought it might be easier to take the body off
 
Nice to know u can lift the whole side of the car directly below the mirrors. I have never removed the top or opened the rear hatch when lifting the car. I was surprised to see that mentioned in this thread. Anyway....nice post on the link that works.
 
I work on a lot of c4 and I know when you jack any of these cars you must take the glass roof off, pop the hood, and raise the back glass.
If not you could crack your beautiful glass top and destroy the rear glass too.
Just being a good member brothers :)
Thank you for the heads up on this!:)
 
This link is dead. Can someone repost ?

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Procedure to lift a C4 onto Jackstands[/h]
The question has been asked several times, and is answered well in the link provided. This has been around the forums for a while.

How to Jack Up a ZR-1
 

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