Trolley jack / Axel stand mounting points - Stupid i know

[mroberts]

Please keep the laughing to a minimum.

 

I have been doing a fair amount of work on my Octy Recently but the handbook doesnt seem to state where the safe jacking / support points are for the car.(unless im missing them somewhere, certainly not mentioned in the jacking point page)

 

Ive been using the lower suspension arm mountings on the chassis as these seem to be the meatiest places to use and should i think be decently structural enough.

 

But want to make sure im not hurting the car hanging the whole front end off these points especially the big lump of the Engine.

 

some guidance please

Edited 5 January, 2015 by mroberts

[skodacarman]

I've used axle stands on the reinforced body seams at or very near the jacking points (indicated by little arrow embossed on the door sills - visible when you open the door) with no problems.  This of course begs the question of how do you get the jack and axle stands together at the same place?  The answer is you can't really, and have to compromise.

 

You may get a bit nervous about exerting all that force on the thin edge of the body seam at the jacking points.  Some people recommend a bit of wood wider/taller than the seam and laid along the side of the seam to spread the force, others use a thick rubber hockey puck with a slot cut in it to provide a kind of cushion.  The seam is higher on the outside than on the inside, you can see by how much by looking at the cradle on the OEM jack.

 

When I've watched the garage hoist my car into the air, and they've put the arms so that the pads rest on the seams at the jacking points. 

 

My car has got a sticker on the rear suspension arms saying in effect 'do not jack here'.

 

 

[SkodaKitteh]

Look on the sills covered by the front ant rear doors, you should find some arrows in the paint pointing to the jacking points.

[mroberts]

Its not the jacking points i worried about its the supporting of the car thereafter if i only have the widow maker available.

 

I have seen threads about the hockey pucks. Seems great and on the list of things to do !

 

i dont actually have a trolley jack ATM i just use wood or a brick to get adequate height from the widow maker, but its slightly dodgy.

 

just think there should be somewhere listed in the book that is safe. im sure the suspension mount is strong enough as its a massive lump on the chassis. As for rears not sure.

 

I think safety says get some pucks, and just jack it up a little way from the points with enough room for the pucks n stands.

Edited 5 January, 2015 by mroberts

[SkodaKitteh]

Safety first mate, you don't want an Octavia landing on your head.

[mroberts]

nope might ruin a perfectly good Car !

[Guest]

See here:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/221240-fitting-s3-jack-pads-to-octavia/#entry4071974

I use a block of tyre tread cut out with a grinder on a trolley jack.

Jack at the locations mentioned even without the modifications.

At the front I place axle stands below the rear wishbone bush (large aluminium block) and at the rear I use the domed plate which is attached to the body by two bolts, just in front of the rear wheels.

[mroberts]

Thanks for that MicMac

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[Guest]

Unless you drive over some improvised steps e.g. bricks, put the axle stand in place and then let the tyre down you're kinda limited options wise.

Make sure you can reinflate the tyre afterwards! ;-)

[jmattley]

I hear that's how you pinch folks wheels haha.

[philbes]

The jacking point is not on the sill seam but behind the sill.  If you offer up the supplied jack to the sill you will see that the jack 'lifting pad' does not contact the sill but sits behind it.  The jack has a J profile so that the sill seam locates the jack without a load being put on the sill seam.  Many Octavias have damaged sill seams due to garages lifting the car on the sill seams.

 

I have made a J section lifting pad out of two hockey pucks stuck together to replicate the shape of the standard jack and use that on the cup of my trolley jack.  My axle stands are placed on the lower suspension arm mountings.

[mroberts]

sounds like i was doing the right thing.

 

So thanks folks for the confirmation.

 

Happy Motoring Days

[Stu vRS]

Needed a trolley jack for upcoming jobs, so I went for:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-ton-trolley-jack-a-pair-of-3-tonne-axle-stands-car-service-BEST-QUALITY-/251797380074?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3aa04b1bea#ht_1813wt_1141

 

And this deep puck:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDI-A3-A5-Rubber-Jack-Pad-Trolley-Jack-adapter-Pinch-weld-Rubber-block-GG-/251803689093?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3AAudi&hash=item3aa0ab6085#ht_956wt_1190

 

£39 total for jack, stands and puck

[brad1.8T]

Its not the jacking points i worried about its the supporting of the car thereafter if i only have the widow maker available.

 

I have seen threads about the hockey pucks. Seems great and on the list of things to do !

 

i dont actually have a trolley jack ATM i just use wood or a brick to get adequate height from the widow maker, but its slightly dodgy.

 

just think there should be somewhere listed in the book that is safe. im sure the suspension mount is strong enough as its a massive lump on the chassis. As for rears not sure.

 

I think safety says get some pucks, and just jack it up a little way from the points with enough room for the pucks n stands.

bricks are a really bad idea - they crumble under compression.

 

I use my trolley jack up on the arrowed points of the sill & put the front stands under the console bushes.  The rear stands are wedged in where the lower control arm meets the subframe unless I'm doing work that needs access to the lower control arm - then I find somewhere else (it varies depending on the job).  The rear is a pain.

[nickguzzi]

+1 on the use of bricks, blocks or stone.  Definitely considered bad practice. 

 

Wood will at least creak and groan before it breaks, and remind you how dangerous it all is - just imagine the car falling on your head or legs.  And unlike a garage, it is unlikely to be anyone around to get it off you.

 

Jack Stands - cheap cheap cheap in comparison.

[nickguzzi]

Have you seen the damage done to the underside of a car by residual brick ends?  Then add the cost of recovery because the guy couldn't get the vehicle off the ground enough to get the wheel on, turned out the hub was damaged.

Nowadays this is called risk assessment.  We called it common sense.

[Stu vRS]

+1

 

I have witnessed a car supported on bricks suddenly falling.

 

The bricks just crumbled, VERY suddenly and without warning. Thank goodness nobody was underneath it when it went.

 

Whatever happened to the idea of using Audi S3 jacking pads? I was thinking of doing this mod, but it's one of those things I never got round to investigating further?

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/221240-fitting-s3-jack-pads-to-octavia/?hl=%2Baudi+%2Bjacking

 

@mroberts? Why on earth do you suggest that folks are going to laugh at your question??? Safety is of the utmost importance, and I for one applaud you for checking that you are keeping the risks to a minimum. Just look at some of the other threads started on this or any other car forum and you will realise that this is one of the most sensible questions asked.

Believe me you are far more likely to get a sensible and informative answer to a question like this.

 

Mike

 

Mike,

 

I was going to go down the jack pad route, but I've seen across multiple forums that these are designed for 4 post lifts only, and several people have bent the underneath of the car using these as a single jack point.

[mroberts]

I only need to use an extra inch or so for getting the car high enough to get the stands under the suspension supports.. So only initial jacking then it's sat on 2ton stands so safe enough.

I'm An engineer so bit anal about safety.

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Edited 29 January, 2015 by mroberts

[brad1.8T]

Mike,

 

I was going to go down the jack pad route, but I've seen across multiple forums that these are designed for 4 post lifts only, and several people have bent the underneath of the car using these as a single jack point.

 

I've heard about damage with the S3 jack pads too - can't remember the circumstances though.

 

Mr Roberts:  Buy one of those cheap trolley jacks that Stu vRS linked to.  They do a much better job than the factory widow-maker.  If you need a bit more height then timber is your friend.

 

Also, if your car is too low to get a jack under it (mine is), then you can drive up on some timber to get a bet more height.

[Stu vRS]

I've heard about damage with the S3 jack pads too - can't remember the circumstances though.

Mr Roberts: Buy one of those cheap trolley jacks that Stu vRS linked to. They do a much better job than the factory widow-maker. If you need a bit more height then timber is your friend.

Also, if your car is too low to get a jack under it (mine is), then you can drive up on some timber to get a bet more height.

That cheap trolley jack I linked is well, cheap, but it does seem to jack quite high.

The axle stands are fairly good too.

[mroberts]

As always great advice.

 

Trolley jack definitely required to get the car up on stands. seems modern stands are just too tall to be sensibly fitted under car using the widowmaker.

the car is also quite low as standard so more cash but better safer life is the way to go.

 

seeing as i have no plans to change the motor as its only done 110k and excellent and sound body work i will be buggering around with it for ages yet so a bit of investment in tools and equipment is well worth it. Ive already increased my tool box quite alot after doing EGR & cooler delete and Intercooler replacement. soon its brake tools to do the back discs n pads.

[Stu vRS]

Just tried out the jack then.

 

Couldn't get it high enough to get the axle stands under the suspension bushes, needed an extra inch or so under the jack in form of a block of wood to give it the required lift.

 

Bit miffed really as it means I can't use the axle stands on anything more than the lowest setting.

[mroberts]

Stu.

That's exactly the point I'm

Making. The widow maker just doesn't give you the height.

So block of wood or in my case it was actually a concrete edging block which is the perfect just over inch extra I needed for the 2nd setting on my stands.

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[blackspaven]

Know it's potentially a bit risky bearing in mind where he works and certain peoples ideas of them, but the bloke who changed my tyres at National jacks all octys up by the points right at the front and right at the back of the sill. Asked him why and what made him sure it was safe away from the prescribed triangles stamped in the door spaces, and he got on his knees and pointed out the double welding underneath that's on both points where it's strengthened. Seemed to make logical sense to me and didn't buckle of sway or owt when he put them up.

 

What do you guys think cos it seemed a fairly good idea from looking at it and playing a little by myself?