What's The Best Jack for an Early 911?

[dave_reu]

I'm trying to follow Pelicans procedure "Jacking Up Your Car" to get my car up on jack stands, I have two floor jacks and neither work. The red jack is too short (obviously) to reach A-arm, and the green low-profile Harbor Freight jack hits the oil line before it reaches the A-arm. Jack from Pelican recommended the 2 Ton Schwaben but I think it will have the same issue as the Harbor Freight low profile, but it’s hard to say. I figured a Pelican has experience with this. Today my '73 911 is US spec suspension, and I am considering lowering to Euro spec, so I would really like to know if it is even possible to get to the A-arm.

If I can’t get to the A-arm position, then I want the jack pad plate to sit inside the saddle of the jack. I currently have the Rennline jack pad, which has a 4" diameter plate, the Schwaben recommend has a 4" saddle. So the jack pad will sit on top of, rather than inside the saddle as in figure 3 (Jacking Up Your Car). Stoddard sells a jack pad, but it is not clear what the diameter of that pad is. It appears it may have the same issue.

Why all the fuss? Bottom left photo. This is what happens when the jack pad sits on top of the saddle, the car slips off the jack (30+ years of jacking of crappy cars and never had an issue. On the prized possession... this happens as I figured it would)
Please let me know what jack or method works for you. Buying and having to return a jack is a pain!


help

[93nav]

The jack pad I bought from pelican is 3 1/2 across on pad.

Also, not that you asked.
The square part that goes in the jacking point extends 4 inches beyond the round part. It is .86 - .87 square.

Could you weld a smaller circle on to either the existing pad, or onto the opposite side of the existing pad. Whatever side will fit your jack(s).

Pad is .190 +/- thick.

I wonder if the stock used to build the jack pad are metric?


Please report back

[Locker537]

You can place a hockey puck between the jack saddle and jack pad tool to give you the clearance around the oil lines and rocker.

That said, this is one of the reasons I find it easier to jack the rear of the car via the engine, and the front of the car via the crossmember on the tub, using a piece of 2x4 to distribute the load.

[Sebscst]

^^^^ Bingo!

[T6andT]

Same, but use a 2x10 attached to jack pad. Can position as needed to distribute load.

[911pcars]

Uh. How about elevating the floor jack closer to the chassis? A couple of 4x10 blocks should do it. Suggest using the after-market jack pad that fits into the factory square jack tube along the rocker area (factory plug covers it). At any rate, those small trunk jacks don't have sufficient range to lift the car without support assistance.

Have you also sourced sturdy jack stands? These prevent an unstable car from pressing the life out of your body. Please spend more than you think. The car is heavy, not as much as an SUV, but enough to kill you. Suggest perusing the archives on the subject to reinforce/confirm suggested lifting and support strategies.

Sherwood