jack stand locations

[dubsker]

this has been an ongoing search for me,
but i'd liek to get it over with:

if i want to put the whole car on 4 jackstands, where do i put the jackstands and where do i jack the car up from?

the fronts i can get, but the rear i cant figure out where to put jackstands under.

[MoparShaha]

I'm actually really interested in this too. I've never jacked a car up onto four stands. I'd really like to hear a step-by-step process of doing it safely.

[dubsker]

doing my mom's forester is so much easier, you dont have to jack it up 1 corner at a time.

[Twelvizm]

All the info you seek, can be found in the owner's manual.

[dubsker]

brb, while i run out to grab mine.
ive looked in there a few times before, couldnt find it.

edit: mine says where to lift, and thats the same place as the spare tire jack, at the arrows, but does not specify a place for jackstands.


Modified by dubsker at 12:26 AM 10-8-2008

[dubsker]

oh yeah, btw is anyone's rubber undercoating coming off where the jack points are?

just read the manual and it says use a rubber pad, which my jack has, but the rubber is still coming off.

is this bad?

[jdubboost]

where would you jack in order to put the jack stands under the car?

[dubsker]

ive been putting my frotn jack stands on the control arm mounts, those giant chunks of aluminum.

i just want to know the best place.

[MN6845]

If your car has sideskirts, there are arrows at the bottom of the pieces that show the jack points at each corner of the car. Your manual is great a resource for this type of information.

[jmj]

I usually jack on the A-arm and place the jack stands on the jack points, as indicated above.

[jonfran21]

Quote, originally posted by dubsker »

ive been putting my frotn jack stands on the control arm mounts, those giant chunks of aluminum. i just want to know the best place.

It is. The rear is the place that seems to be giving the most people hesitation about where to put the stands and how to jack it up to put in the stands

Thats a sexy picture too Twelvism!

[silverA4quattro]

Quote, originally posted by MN6845 »

If your car has sideskirts, there are arrows at the bottom of the pieces that show the jack points at each corner of the car. Your manual is great a resource for this type of information.

Those arrows are there even if you don't have side skirts.

[zoidmk5]

i usually jack the car up using the jack points indicated by the arrows, and then put my jacks on the A-Arm mounting points closest for the front jacking point, and in the rear, i again use the jacking point indicated by the arrows, and point my jack stand to the right of the jack where there is what looks like a ball mounted on the frame with two large bolt heads beside it. i haven't been under neith the car lately, but i believe it is the mounting point for the rear cross beam, but i could be wrong.

also, take caution is jacking a car up one corner at a time, the jack stands already put up act as a pivot, and when you jack up another side, the car may slide off of the jack stand.

[shortydub]

Quote, originally posted by zoidmk5 »

also, take caution is jacking a car up one corner at a time, the jack stands already put up act as a pivot, and when you jack up another side, the car may slide off of the jack stand.

our cars are pretty rigid. i'm not saying i recommend it, but i removed 1 of 4 jackstands on the drivers rear side. i had to reposition to get the front stand out, and the rear of the car stayed in the air and didnt pivot or sag at all. i was very surprised!

[Brigand]

It would have been very nice if we could have had some central jack points on both front and rear. I've previously owned Hondas, they all had this, and it certainly made getting the car up on 4 jackstands much easier.

[dubsker]

can someone confirm a spot for the rear?

[JetTurbo]

I lift the entire car from the front jack points. I have found I can safely position my jack so that it contacts the stock jack location (vertical metal reinforced jack plate) and not the plastic parts (see third pic for detail). Lifting from the front jack point, both front and back wheels come off the ground. Jack up one side and place front and rear stands, duplicate on other side.

This permits placing the rear jack stand on the marked rear jack point,

I place the front jack stand under the alloy cap securing a suspension mounting point.

This seems pretty solid. I guess you could jack from the suspension point and put the stands at the front jack points too, haven't tried that yet.

I actually try and sort of push the car off the jack stands before I crawl under it, and the front stands can "settle".
the three places I have supported the car, so far nothing has bent.

floor jack pic taken under full weight of car, before placing the jack stands.

Front jack stand under load

Rear jack stand under load

[ZoomBy]

nice post jetturbo, thats where i've placed my jack stands as well


Modified by ZoomBy at 2:42 PM 10-9-2008

[jdubboost]

can we add this to the diy?

[GTI CANADIAN]

STICKY

[spitpilot]

There are also jack points under plastic covers up front inboard..there's a hole there and you can buy a two piece jacking pad from ESC tuning that snaps in there...there are also holes in the rear near the jacking points that two more of these go into back there. I put my car up on ramps first to get my jack under the support pad then jack it up and put stand out on the jack point where the arrow mark is.

[NastyJettaNza]

If you dont feel confident putting jackstands under your maybe you shouldnt be working on your car. me personally i use a lift.

[JetTurbo]

Quote, originally posted by spitpilot »

There are also jack points under plastic covers up front inboard..there's a hole there and you can buy a two piece jacking pad from ESC tuning that snaps in there...there are also holes in the rear near the jacking points that two more of these go into back there. I put my car up on ramps first to get my jack under the support pad then jack it up and put stand out on the jack point where the arrow mark is.

I am aware of that option, but it makes me a little nervous. I could find no mention of this lift point in the Bentley shop manual. I had found posts in the archive that did not help my confidence in that idea ...

excerpted from lifting the car vwvortex June 2007

Quote, originally posted by "chris86vw - lifting the car vwvortex 10:18 PM 6-29-2007";0 »

... I have seen way too many cars with the floors crushed in the area of where the jack pads go.. way too many cars come in with the floors ripped out there by bad tow truck drivers. I am a certified VW/audi tech, own my own shop, and work for another company...I would never install, recommend, or use those pads

Quote, originally posted by TDI-4-RD »

Ok, thanks for the clarification. But damn, now I'm worried! What I don't understand is why VW/Audi would manufacture the lift pads in the first place, if that point is not reinforced. Are what we're calling "lift pads" for some other purpose?

Quote, originally posted by chris86vw »

I have no idea.. I don't understand them.. but also they are not sold by dealers in the US last I checked.. I have not seen them in ETKA listed as being installed in that location. If you look at ANY documentation though VW/Audi never lists that as a proper way or point for jacking the car up.

[aeproberts21]

Quote, originally posted by dubsker »

oh yeah, btw is anyone's rubber undercoating coming off where the jack points are?

They make a spay that you can put on to "replace" the wax coating. Advance Auto had it last time I was there.

[ZoomBy]

Quote, originally posted by NastyJettaNza »

If you dont feel confident putting jackstands under your maybe you shouldnt be working on your car. me personally i use a lift.

i dont think anyone should ever be 100% confident when working underneath a car, jack stands or lift becuase you never know

[dubsker]

Quote, originally posted by aeproberts21 »

They make a spay that you can put on to "replace" the wax coating. Advance Auto had it last time I was there.

thats what ive been using, it just comes off after awhile again.

[dubsker]

Quote, originally posted by NastyJettaNza »

If you dont feel confident putting jackstands under your maybe you shouldnt be working on your car. me personally i use a lift.

some of us arent as fortunate to have access to a 2-post lift.
i have access to a 4 post lift, but it only has 1 jack setup.

[NastyJettaNza]

Quote, originally posted by ZoomBy »

i dont think anyone should ever be 100% confident when working underneath a car, jack stands or lift becuase you never know

its an assumed risk. but if it is done properly and equipment is maitained you should have 100% confidence in what you do.

[ttempted]

Quote, originally posted by chris86vw »

If you look at ANY documentation though VW/Audi never lists that as a proper way or point for jacking the car up.

But VW/Audi also recommends using the that ****ty scissor jack.

Modified by ttempted at 7:41 AM 4-6-2009

[MN6845]

A true scissor jack is much safer than the VW widow maker.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0021...e=asn

Quote, originally posted by ttempted »

But VW/Audi also recommends using the that ****ty scissor jack. Modified by ttempted at 7:41 AM 4-6-2009

Modified by MN6845 at 7:52 AM 4-6-2009

[ttempted]

Quote, originally posted by MN6845 »

A true scissor jack is much safer than the VW widow maker. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0021...e=asn Modified by MN6845 at 7:52 AM 4-6-2009

While that wasn't the point of my post, thanks for pointing out my improper use of the term scissor jack.

Allow me to rephrase:

But VW/Audi also recommends using the ****ty stock jack.

You know what I meant! Those things are dangerous. I can't believe that VW still thinks they're acceptable. I've seen them break and have actually had one slip (while I was reaching over to get my jack stands) on level ground, in my garage, on clean concrete.


Modified by ttempted at 8:11 AM 4-6-2009

[MN6845]

True, I replaced the widow maker the day I bought the car. I don't know what the VW engineers were thinking when they can up with that design.

[ttempted]

You're crazy, because apparently the "proper" scenario happens only once in a lifetime. After reading stories of the jack actually physically breaking and then having my own slide (while following all the proper precautions on a flat, clean surface mind you), I won't ever use that jack again.

A lot of the guys who have posted to your contrary in the following link are some of the people I respect the most when it comes to properly modding cars.

QuattroWorld link

[guilford32]

[bcze1]

Quote, originally posted by GTINC »

This jack is perfectly safe if used properly.

Couldn't agree more. I've used them dozens of times (swapping winter/summer wheels, etc.) over the years and not had a single issue. Now I wouldn't go under the car with just that jack supporting it, but I also wouldn't do that with ANY jack.