I've seen the thread about fitting special jacking pads, but can't find anything that recommends where you position a trolley jack if you don't have them.

 

Does anyone have suggestions, or am I going to have to use the dreaded scissor jack? :(

block of sturdy wood with a groove cut in it, jack where you'd use the scissor jack.

Here you go:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pinch-Weld-Trolley-Jack-Adapter-Rubber-pad-rubber-block-hydraulic-ramp-/251436892345?pt=UK_Lifting_Moving_Equipment&hash=item3a8ace80b9

This was on a previous topic & it was suggested using a hockey puck & cutting a groove in it. Looks same as eBay suggestion from ChrisRs but only £1.30 on eBay, except you will need to cut a groove in it.

I would rather pay a little more and have the groove cut/milled into it already

Hmm.. thanks for the replies guys. The cup on my trolley jack is only ~53mm wide internally, so I'm not sure I'd be able to use any of those, although maybe I could get one and fit a 50mm dia piece of wood to the back to support it inside the cup....

My trolley jack is narrower than the puck I use, seems to work fine, those hockey picks are tough!

Sent from my phone so please excuse brevity and spelling

picks=pucks

Sent from my phone so please excuse brevity and spelling

The Puck will fit on a 53mm pad without any problem

Thanks again guys. I might get a puck ordered then. In the meantime, I've cut a 44mm dia piece out of an old desk and cut a slot in it, it seems quite high density, so I reckon it will make do for now.

If you look under your car with it jacked up using the supplied jack, you will see that underside of the car directly behind the seams is resting on the top rear of the jack. Put another way, there is no weight on the seams. I bought a hockey puck and modified it with a slot, but abandoned using it with a trolley jack when I realised that the weight was being taken directly on the seam and not behind it. My solution is a block of hardwood with a slot deep enough for the seam to fit in without touching the bottom of the slot. The top front surface of the block needs planing down so that the car rests on the top rear surface and not sill. Try measuring the depth of the seam on the outside and inside and you will see that there is a significant difference.

If you look under your car with it jacked up using the supplied jack, you will see that underside of the car directly behind the seams is resting on the top rear of the jack. Put another way, there is no weight on the seams. I bought a hockey puck and modified it with a slot, but abandoned using it with a trolley jack when I realised that the weight was being taken directly on the seam and not behind it. My solution is a block of hardwood with a slot deep enough for the seam to fit in without touching the bottom of the slot. The top front surface of the block needs planing down so that the car rests on the top rear surface and not sill. Try measuring the depth of the seam on the outside and inside and you will see that there is a significant difference.

Excellent information!

If you look under your car with it jacked up using the supplied jack, you will see that underside of the car directly behind the seams is resting on the top rear of the jack. Put another way, there is no weight on the seams. I bought a hockey puck and modified it with a slot, but abandoned using it with a trolley jack when I realised that the weight was being taken directly on the seam and not behind it. My solution is a block of hardwood with a slot deep enough for the seam to fit in without touching the bottom of the slot. The top front surface of the block needs planing down so that the car rests on the top rear surface and not sill. Try measuring the depth of the seam on the outside and inside and you will see that there is a significant difference.

I've recently changed from a Mk2 Octavia hatch to a Mk3 VRS hatch. For the Mk2, I think your analysis above is spot on. However, it looks like the design of the supplied jack and the jacking point have changed for the Mk3. I haven't yet done any jacking with the Mk3, but the instructions on page 239 of the owner's manual show the car being lifted directly on the vertical web of the lower sill. In this case, what would be wrong with using a trolley jack - without a hockey puck - also lifting directly on the vertical web?

I had also noticed the support bars under the sill points on the Mk3, so I would guess it is designed with that in mind.

You could always use a hockey puck without the slot to protect the seam if ur Jack is has a metal pad

The standard jack provided with my VRS III lifts the seam. The seams are quite thick and appear to be designed to take the weight of the car. My trolley jack connects in the same way and appears to lift the car safely without modification. I tested the standard jack first to confirm that the trolley sat correctly.

I had the car in the air yesterday due to a minor radiator leak. A new one will be fitted next week.

Edited 16 March, 201412 yr by Orville

The standard jack provided with my VRS III lifts the seam. The seams are quite thick and appear to be designed to take the weight of the car. My trolley jack connects in the same way and appears to lift the car safely without modification. I tested the standard jack first to confirm that the trolley sat correctly.

I had the car in the air yesterday due to a minor radiator leak. A new one will be fitted next week.

That's useful info - thanks! Any suggestions on where to position axle stands?

I never use axel stands, but from memory there appeared to be solid chasis points just below where the lower arm disappears under the main tray.

I just use the jack when changing a wheel or homemade ramps (3x cut & stepped scaffolding boards screwed together) when I want to get under a car. I find these far more secure than axel stands, and a long length of scaffold board only costs £10 or so.

Any chance of a photo or two of the Skoda jack in place?  I haven't ordered the spare wheel (I've sorted out my own full size spare) so I won't get the jack, hence I need to make sure whatever jack I buy fits the car properly (I have a pile off hockey pucks ready to modify).  A photo of the jack engaged on the car, taken from each side of the seam would be a great help.