Need pics..(Axle Stand)

[24OZ]

Hi all,

has anyone got a picture of where the correct position is to place axle stands at the REAR of a Z?

I couldnt find a good safe place to put them so I ended up reversing the rear of the car onto ramps, works fine... but now that I need to adjust the handbrake I need the wheels to be free moving so i'll have to revert to axle stands.

Thanks

[2ManyZs]

This is the safest place to put jackstands on the rear. This section of the frame very seldom rusts out so you can be quite sure it is strong enough to hold the car. The biggest benefit is that the jackstands are out of the way if you want to pull the control arms or any part of the rear suspension.

[2ManyZs]

Anywhere along that frame section is good....

Udder side...

[St.stephen]

agreed, that is exactly where I place mine.

[24OZ]

Thank you Keith, I was hoping you'd reply with a great pic and you did ..

Trying to look at the black and white picture of the correct positon to place axle stands in the Haynes manual is like trying to look at fish in a muddy pool of water..

Thanks again

[Royce]

Yup, there is were I put the jack stands too!

Just wanted to add that when you jack up the rear it is best to put the jack under the front diff mount, which is actually removed in Keith's picture. If you jack the rear of the car up by the diff you are likely to damage the rubber insulator that is between the diff and the diff mount.

Wow, it took me a minute to figure out what angle you took those pictures were at. Been a while since I have seen the Z from underneath with no rear suspension! (I guess that's a good thing!)

Hope it makes sense! Have fun!

[2ManyZs]

Sorry to get you lost Royce.... I was laying on the creeper when I took them... If I could get it a little higher I could almost sit up under it, but then I'd have to take the light down off the ceiling to give me room to go much higher.

Got the tallest set of jackstands I could find and they are sitting on about 12 inches of cement blocks....:cross-eye Floor pan is 32 inches off the floor of the garage, call it a poor mans lift...:stupid:

[Royce]

Yeah, I am lost! But that is nothing new and certainly not your fault!

Happy Margarita day!

[2ManyZs]

Hmmm, you sure that was a Z?

Maybe it was a figment of your Margarita's imagination?

That was the 71 I've been working on slowly....and yes, those are the original floor pans and rails too...:cheeky:

Only thing on the underside are a couple of vent hoses that I haven't bothered taking out yet and the speedo cable hanging from the firewall.....

[Inf]

This reminds me,

What kind of floor jacks do you guys have? I bought a medium sized one at sears not too long ago, and the release valve goes into effect in a very abrupt fashion when it is under load, I am afraid I will lower the car too fast and damage something! So far all I have done is raise and lower it onto big wooden blocks under the wheels, and that did not take the amount of precision I am sure mounting jackstands need.

Also, when the car is up on jackstands, how stable is it? It looks like (especially when they are up so high as yours 2ManyZs) that it would be prone to falling over under some medium lateral force.

I haven't bought any jackstands yet, but I probably need to before too long. I have seen them with a variety of different shaped tops, what do you guys recommend for the best hold and least damage?

Thanks

Andrew

[drunkenmaster]

hmmm.... i'm thinking I have done something wrong.

My car is up on stands and has been for the month or 2. I used a section of sub-frame that runs width wise along the rear, not length wise up and down the car.

http://www.angelfire.com/hi3/hiper/260Zdiffremoval.html

.

[24OZ]

I'm impressed with the axle stands you guys have, mine don't nearly look as sophisticated. Here's what mine look like. No digi camera, shot courtesy of a UK ebay auction.

(these are hanging on a wall, not levetating!)

There is a pin, so as to adjust the height of them, nothing like a crank that I noticed on drunkenmaster's pictures.)

[2ManyZs]

Inf, I also have a Sears 2 ton floor jack, and yes, you have to be careful when lowering the car as it does release kinda quick at times if you aren't careful.

Drunkenmaster, the frame rail you used is just forward of where mine are, either one is OK. Actually the pads on my jackstands are a bit wide, so I used the rail that connects to the ones you have yours under.

George, I've got one set of stands like yours. But I don't use them much anymore since I finally broke down and bought a better set. I got these from Northern Tool, I think they are 3 ton. The main reason I got this set is because of the height.

To everyone, yes, mine is high, but is very stable. I can climb into the car with no trouble. I can also lift the front of the car off the jackstands as I still have the hatch on it and it makes the front a bit light compared to the rear. With the hatch off, I'd say it would be fairly even in weight front to back. I used the floor jack to get it as high as possible, then used my engine hoist to "cheat" a bit. I jacked up one end and then the other to get it as high as it is....:devious:

[drunkenmaster]

Thats good to know, the car has been up for quite a while now, it looks fine but i didnt want any unpleasant suprises when i take it off the stands. :paranoid:

[Royce]

I have used cheap jacks but I wouldn't use a cheap jack stand! I prefer a jack with a large platform so that it is less likely to damage the car. Smaller platform can put dents in your frame rails. I also like jack stands that have a thick piece of metal for the platform for the same reason, like the levitating stands that 240Z shows. If you are worried the car might not be secure, find a better spot to put the jack stands or give it a shake test before you get under there. Easier to fix a car than a person! I have had a car fall off a jack but never off of jack stands. Be sure to put them under a major support piece or frame rail and you should be fine. Also, typically the further they are apart the more stable the car will be.

[24OZ]

Thanks all for the great replys.

My jack stand is a 2 ton basic one. Works great but downside is it isnt very low and therefore it is hard to get it under the front spoiler without angling it through the wheel well first.

Most major drawback though is that it doesnt go as high as i would like it to reach, it also requires alot of work to get it moving, non of this fancy 3 strokes and your done

[Inf]

Speaking of dealing with the airdam, do you guys have jacks that let you start to lift without putting the lever through the wheel well or removing the airdam? Do you guys ever use wood blocks between the jack/car or jackstands/car to prevent any damage?

When I jack it up from the side, it tends to try to pull towards me as the jack straightens out underneath, and the opposite occurs when I release it. That movement could be a problem when I try to mount it on jackstands. I even wedged both rear wheels well

but it just pulled against it. Not a lot, but enough that it would make mounting it on jackstands pretty tough.

Andrew

[Royce]

When I jack the front or back of my car I usually come in from one of the wheel well areas, then when it is up just high enough I straighten the jack out if I have room. Of course the platform on my jack is big enough to completely craddle the front cross member or the front diff mount. You don't want to be moving the jack around with it at full extension. If you don't like that then take a couple 2x4 pieces and make a 45 degree cut at one end. Drive the car up on the short 2x4 "ramps" before jacking the car up.

[Royce]

Oh, and yes I have used good 2x4 scraps on top of my jack or jackstand to soften the contact area and avoid damage. It is one of the advantages of working on a light car.

Also, regarding jacking from a front wheel well. I often have to lift on the front bumper just a touch with my shoulder to lift the car so I can get the jack under the front cross member.