Scissor Jack and Jack Stand Points

[korg_geek]

Hey Guys,

It's been a while since I've been on this site, mostly because I've been spending my time driving my Z instead of fixing problems on it (which makes a lot of people hate me).

But after three lonely months I got her out of storage last week, and lo and behold something's wrong. I'm not too knowledgable in Z-specific maintenance (mostly due to my OK-condition car), so I've never had to put my speedster up on lifts. Those days are now over. I worked on her for a while, started her up, backed it out of the garage and promptly realized I had little brake pressure... perhaps due to a master cylinder that had been leaking all over my engine compartment.

Anyways. So I've rebuilt the little guy and its come time to bleed my brakes. Since I haven't had the privilage of ever jacking up my car and putting it on jack stands, I was wondering what the exact procedure would be - I am TERRIFIED of breaking something, be it a floorboard or my suspension or what have you....

So i have a scissor jack. And two jack stands. I'm planning on putting the rear on lifts, doing some brake inspection, then bleedin the brakes, then moving on to the front. Anyone have a good idea of what exact points should I use when putting the front or back up on lifts? Or are the points listed in the manual good choices?

Thanks a lot!

[MikeW]

On the jack itself is a little diagram that shows how to place it. There's a vertical ridge that runs along the edge of the car and it has some semi-circular notches that indicate the proper jack position.

[EScanlon]

If you have the Factory Shop Manual (FSM), it will show you the best points to put Jack Stands under.

Be careful of the lower A Arm of the Rear suspension, yes it will hold it, but you CAN damage the arm. There is a frame rail in front of the rear end which will hold the car up very firmly and nicely. If I recall, that's one of the points recommended in the FSM.

In the front, again careful of the suspension parts. Again look for the frame rail and avoid the metal for the rod that connects to the frame there. Right behind that, is the other one if I recall.

As far as lifting the car with the scissor jack, as MikeW pointed out, there should be a diagram on it. If there isn't, look at the seam under the rocker panel as he explained. You should find two reinforced spots on the seam one just in front of the door and another just behind the door. Those are your jacking points for the front / back of the car. Don't be surprised if the scissor jack raises the complete SIDE of the car, both front and back at the same time.

That's why you want to make sure you chock BOTH wheels on the other side. Don't just trust that the Park position on an automatic tranny or the parking brake will hold it. Put one chock in front of the front tire and one behind the rear and KICK them in so they grab. You DON'T want that car to shift and topple the scissor jack.

Hope this helps.

Enrique

[2ManyZs]

If your rockers are even the slightest bit compromised by rust on the inside, you'll end up crumpling the body work!

Safest and most secure methods would be either the control arm mounts in the rear, the frame rail that runs across behind where the floor turns up to meet the inner rear fender or the suspension crossmember that connects the rear mounts of the lower control arms in the rear.

Front would be the best if you used the suspension crossmember just behind the steering rack.

Whatever you do, don't put a jackstand or jack under the floors or on the rocker panel flange. Always use a major frame rail or a suspension mount whenever possible.

[24OZ]

I definitely recommend getting a Haynes manual, I hope you will not need to use it often but it has helped me out many a time... For starters it shows you with diagrams the correct place to put the stands and jack.. Far easier then anyone can try and explain it. (I too was worried like you to begin with...) Very easy once you learn the safe positions.

I would definitely also recommend you using a garage jack rather then the scissor one..

Hope you get the problem fixed and have many more years of trouble free motoring :) Good luck.

[korg_geek]

Yeah I certainly have a haynes manual... along with every other manual i can find... its actually the one thing i bought before i ever bought a Z. I'm working out a way to get a floor jack worked into my budget... but since brakes are awfully important i'm going to need to bleed minus fancier equipment. I would probably otherwise wait on performing the reinstall and bleed, but I need to have my Z ready to go for the X2 premiere next friday - there's no cinema within walking distance, and i can't miss that! :classic:

thanks everyone.