Crumpled sills :-(

[FatblokeVRS]

Hi

Jacked the car up at the front using two large trolley jacks and two slotted pucks about half way along the doors and then lowered and rested the car on axle stands at the front of the doors so that the weight is shared between the jacks and the stands.

The problem is the sills have buckled and split at the jacks.

Are they easily repaired???

I used to jack up at the front of the doors and put the stands further back but my new stands fit in better at the front where there is a slot cut out of the plastic under floor cover. Perhaps its better jacking at the front of the door and putting the stands back a bit.

Thoughts???

[FriendlyFire]

There are two reinforced areas for jacking on the sills. Open the doors and there are two triangular arrows on the sills inside the doors indicating the spots.

I usually put the jack stands under the rear wishbone bush at the front of the car. These are the circular aluminium bush housings under the car, behind the front wheel about a foot away from the sill.

If you jack high enough at the back wheel it will raise the front wheel too.

As for all this talk of hockey pucks - I've never used nor needed one with a Costco floor jack so long as I use the approved spot.

Sorry to hear about your damage, I hope it won't be too dear to fix.

Edited 1 May, 2014 by FriendlyFire

[wiilydog]

as above the best place to put your jack stands is under the aluminum console bushes just behind the wishbones

[FatblokeVRS]

Its a 3t Costco jack and another similar 3t jack I am using, one at each side.

I am going to be working on the suspension (new struts/springs) but wont be changing the wishbones so putting the axle stands there may be ok. Will have a look.

Cheers for the info guys.

[blackspaven]

Mentioned in another thread, but had some new tyres recently and the bloke said with confidence he wouldn't trolley jack anywhere along the sills apart from the very front and very rear where there's a noticable double skin which makes it reinforced. I had a look and he was right, I'd just never noticed it. Having said that, I don't think he was saying the 'official' jacking points would be a problem, only that if you're gonna chuck them in, it's gonna be stronger in those places. The logic seemed sound enough. and after he'd done it, it all seemed fine.

[jrw]

I don't have any arrows on my car to tell me where the official points are!!

[blackspaven]

They're on the inside, when you open the door, stamped into the metalwork of the body itself... so yes, you do.

[jrw]

They're on the inside, when you open the door, stamped into the metalwork of the body itself... so yes, you do.

Inside? Care to share a photo as I can't see them?

[Neily03]

You can't miss them if you open the doors:

 

[jrw]

Well I never. You can miss them as I have for four years! What a stupid place to put them. Great positioning if you need to change wheel at side of the road. Why not stamp them into the under sill like most other cars?

[blackspaven]

Possibly cos they may well fill up with crud off the road and you wouldn't see them when you needed to, whereas they're nice and clear when kept in a clean area. I preume you don't have a manual or haven't downloaded the one on this websit then??

[Neily03]

Well I never. You can miss them as I have for four years! What a stupid place to put them. Great positioning if you need to change wheel at side of the road. Why not stamp them into the under sill like most other cars?

 

It's hardly a stupid to put them where they're easily visible and then put a drawing with huge arrows in the owners manual is it?

[jrw]

Can't say I've ever needed to look at the manual on any car for jacking points because

1. They're visible from the outside of the car

2. I don't tend to jack a car up with the doors open

For one you can't even get the jack under where the front one is with the arrow visible and be sure it's squared up. You would have to eye it up from an angle.

Yes I'm guilty of not reading the manual but I've changed more wheels than I care to think about and never had to read a manual to jack a car up or remove the wheel etc. Had to use the manual once in one of the works vans as I found the spare but couldn't find the tool kit! It's never really bothered me about the arrows because it's pretty much common sense where to jack anyway, I was just curious.

[silver1011]

The arrows are on the underside of the sill on my 2011 Superb so you can see them with the doors closed.

 

Not sure why they did it different for the Octavia.