I know this isn't specified in the manual, but I jack mine up at the point where the suspension attaches to the body- the rear ali bracket on the front and the steel housing not far from the jacking point on the rear. If the car is designed to be supported at that point during normal driving then it seems sense to me to use that as a jacking point if you gave a suitable trolly jack. Obviously if you're using the scissor effort you can't do this.

I've accumulated 4 cheap trolley jacks over the years (the advantage of even 2 over just one is substantial, and 3+ is even better!), and I use the front suspension mounting points as well - one under each rear mount and UP SHE GOES with a few pumps of the jack handles and in the knowledge that it would need both jacks to fail before the car would fall.

 

At the rear, I would tend to use the lower shocker mounts - but, not yet having done more than the rear pads on the Octy, I'm not yet sure where I would put the jacks if I have to do rear bushes, shocks and so on, but would probably use at least 3 of the trolley jacks to make sure the load are evenly spread (and possibly the 4th under the a rear lower arm to compress the spring when fitting it.

 

Moral - a jack a day keeps the GRIM REAPER away (rest in peace, Sir Terry Pratchett - I read most of your books and loved them all)

Edited 15 March, 201511 yr by jeallen01

jeallen. 

 

I can understand what you are trying to say but working (head in wheel arch / legs under car / etc) with just hydraulics (even multiple) is an unacceptable risk to me. It's not something I'd recommend but I guess we all have different risk profiles.

 

Jack stands are cheap and last forever if cared for - I bought mine in 1982.

Oh and apologies for hijacking your thread Joe.

 

Regards Chris

jeallen. 

 

I can understand what you are trying to say but working (head in wheel arch / legs under car / etc) with just hydraulics (even multiple) is an unacceptable risk to me. It's not something I'd recommend but I guess we all have different risk profiles.

 

Jack stands are cheap and last forever if cared for - I bought mine in 1982.

As a safety engineer in the electronics industry (or, at least I was until I retired a couple of weeks ago :sun: !)  I hope I understand what "risk" is, and, as the jacks are all rated to lift the whole weight of the vehicle on their own, then when lifting and supporting only about 1/2 to 2/3rd of the total weight between two of them, they are working well within their rated maxima.

 

Also, hydraulic jacks very rarely fail catastrophically unless grossly overloaded, but they do occasionally leak and "subside" quite "gracefully" when that happens - I have  a 5th one (!) that did that, and needs to be repaired (I think I already have the seals required) - and so any failures would be noticeable pretty quickly but the collapse would happen very slowly. Remember, most 2- and 4-post lifts are hydraulically operated!

 

And, as far as jack stands are concerned, the ones I do have (they are about the same vintage as yours!) unfortunately have very coarse height adjustment and far poorer-fitting cups to support the chassis - so they are far less useful, and more likely not to fit snugly to the chassis points under which they are placed.

 

So, I'm pretty happy with the multiple-jacks method of support.

 

As a safety engineer in the electronics industry (or, at least I was until I retired a couple of weeks ago :sun: !)  I hope I understand what "risk" is, and, as the jacks are all rated to lift the whole weight of the vehicle on their own, then when lifting and supporting only about 1/2 to 2/3rd of the total weight between two of them, they are working well within their rated maxima.

 

Also, hydraulic jacks very rarely fail catastrophically unless grossly overloaded, but they do occasionally leak and "subside" quite "gracefully" when that happens - I have  a 5th one (!) that did that, and needs to be repaired (I think I already have the seals required) - and so any failures would be noticeable pretty quickly but the collapse would happen very slowly. Remember, most 2- and 4-post lifts are hydraulically operated!

 

And, as far as jack stands are concerned, the ones I do have (they are about the same vintage as yours!) unfortunately have very coarse height adjustment and far poorer-fitting cups to support the chassis - so they are far less useful, and more likely not to fit snugly to the chassis points under which they are placed.

 

So, I'm pretty happy with the multiple-jacks method of support.

 

My jack stands are the "pin" type & adjust in 25mm increments & have a simple U-shaped top. You work with what you've got.

As I said, different risk profiles.

I have a recent Cert IV in WHs (it's like 1 year course at university) plus an Associate Diploma in Mech Eng and other bumfodder. I spent the first 5 years as a tradesman in retail tyre stores. I would disagree that catastrophic jack failures are uncommon. One jack, two jacks - if they fail the only way is down. I'll take a nice solid jack stand thanks.