Question for all you Jackers.

Superman · 12-10-2002, 08:53 AM

Hey, German cars seem to often have a metal seam, about 1/2", sticking downward on the belly of the car, right where the factory specifies a lift point. Next to it there is usually a flat spot and I have typically lifted against the flat spot. But I have reason to suspect that some folks just lift against the seam that sticks down. My fear is that the seam would collapse sideways. Anybody understand what I'm talking about? Anybody have wisdom in this area? Anybody care?

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

Quote:

Question for all you Jackers.

Hey...easy, easy...!

Nickshu · Nickshu's Garage

Yeah I know exactly....and I do care! I keep a couple short 2x4 pieces with a small groove across them that the lip slides into. I put my hydraulic floor jack on to this. Works fine.

Nick.

Jdub · 12-10-2002, 09:04 AM

A hockey puck with a 1/4 inch slot in it is just the ticket. Or, a small piece of 2x4 with, again, a 1/4 inch slot in it.

John

Early_S_Man · 12-10-2002, 09:10 AM

Supe,

A 2x6 cut approx. 6" long and trimmed to roughl octagonal shape with 'ears' trimmed for clearance on my large square jack pad ... with a 3/8" deep groove cut across the piece for clearance of the seam!

alertmike · 12-10-2002, 09:18 AM

I too do "the groove". Originally got the idea here.

Jeff · 12-10-2002, 09:31 AM

Anyone have pictures of this lip/ jacking point?

robs · 12-10-2002, 09:37 AM

The factory jack for my 1980 Volkswagen Polo (smaller than a "Rabbit" Golf) had a cutout
for the seam!

Superman · 12-10-2002, 09:38 AM

Okay, it sounds like I'm not the first person to consider this. It also sounds like the seam can collapse. That was my guess anyway.

Warren, I get the groove idea and the octagon, but I'm not sure what 'ears' you have or why.

Also, while we're at it, I find that when I cut a 2x4 down, such as to place in my floor jack's "saddle," the darned thing eventually breaks into a half-dozen pieces. I wonder if oak or something else would fare better. And while I'm at it, I suppose there are rubber-surfaced flat saddles for floor jacks that I should acquire. True?

KTL · 12-10-2002, 09:52 AM

I got one of these for a present about 5 yrs. ago. $20 is kinda pricey, but it was a gift. The Eastwood Company makes this one.

I use this thing for my domestic cars. The Porsche gets the jack port adapter for a floor jack. Obviously the wood block is the most cost effective and custom way to go.

Here's the other kind you were talking about:

Early_S_Man · 12-10-2002, 09:52 AM

The 'ears' I referred to are the corners that are knocked off to form the octagonal shape ... to relieve stress points that would otherwise cause the fracturing you described. The 2x6 comes closer to fully fitting my jack saddle ... may be too large for some smaller jacks these days!

A reinforcement plate of 0.040" Ti ... secured with 12 or so countersunk screws would minimize the cracking tendency ... from the Boeing 'Candy Store' of course! Walnut, nesquite, or oak plate would be suitable for our cars ...

My lastest iteration is a round 2" thick mesqite piece cut from a 6" limb with the Ti plate glued and sealed with epoxy and brushed/polished and cut/ground to final shape!

88911coupe · 12-10-2002, 09:59 AM

I assume the cutout for the seam to fit down into is cust perpendicular the the grain of the wood...correct?

Doug Zielke · 12-10-2002, 03:31 PM

Who said a hockey puck with a groove cut in it??
I thought I was the only one who did that trick.
The puck fits nicely into the jack cup, and will not split.
Works like a charm, even if you hate hockey as much as I do!!

arcsine · 12-10-2002, 03:41 PM

Come on Doug, please tell us that you are joking. That is like a Frenchman saying they don't like cheese, an Englishman saying they don't like football or a German saying they don't like lederhosen. It is part of your national identity and un-patriotic of you to even joke like that.

island911 · 12-10-2002, 03:43 PM

Yeah Doug . . but unlike baseball, where you take a glove to the game, who would want go to a hockey game to catch one of those thing?
. . . and I think you're suppose to catch them with your mouth (that's what the pro's do

)

Doug Zielke · 12-10-2002, 03:47 PM

Not joking, Gary.
I detest hockey.
You would too, if it's all you ever heard about for 10 months out of a damn year.....since you were old enough to take a breath.
(Go Sonics!)

Gunter · Gunter's Garage

Doug: Is that the game that was invented by Labatt and Molson so they can sell the awful chemical soup they call beer? One way of getting around the 10 months of mindless hockey is to have an American satelite system and get into baseball. Now there is a game: The boys of summer.

Nickshu · Nickshu's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by island911
. . . and I think you're suppose to catch them with your mouth (that's what the pro's do )

Keeps me in business!

Nick

emcon5 · emcon5's Garage

For a minute there Super, I though you meant this:

Tom

DonDavis · DonDavis's Garage

I guess I have always figured it was there for a some type of jack attachment to fit into snuggly. I never saw one of those "fancy" attachments and just grooved a piece of wood. Also, I always thought it was there for that very reason. When used properly it would help the vehicle to stay on a jack and not slide off. (Untill jack stands are positioned) But, I also think that seam would just bend and not hold squat if it ever gave way.

But we never jack our vehicles on anything but hard, dry, level ground. So that seam should never fail. Right??