4-point lift damage

[wicks]

I can see some previous undercarriage bends from 4-point lift use (i.e. in a tire shop). Seems like the image of jack points people refer to specifies spots on the unibody that have a weld joint that stands off the bottom about 1/2", so wondering how people get around this, or do they just let the underside get damaged when a shop puts the car on a 4-point lift? I can see that POs allowed the car lifted inboard from these jack points and that bent the metal. I actually pounded one bend out via the rear interior floor that was caused by this by way of a PO. I can see one bend to the unibody frame at the front right "jacking point" that looks irreversible (hopefully this is not affecting the location of any suspension components).

I don't want to do any more damage, so looking for the right solution.

- Can the four points of the lift be placed all on suspension points (t-bar mounts all the way forward, and end of banana arm rear)?

- Do people bring jack point (for the square tire jack) inserts and have the shop use them on either side of the car (plus the torsion bar mounts in front)?

- levitate the car using special scientology or hindu training?

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by wicks

I can see one bend to the unibody frame at the front right "jacking point" that looks irreversible (hopefully this is not affecting the location of any suspension components).

Need pics.

Rear arms under sway bar body mounts. Fronts I cant describe but way forward on the belly pan.

Nowhere near the square jacking points

[McLaren-TAG]

If you're bringing your car to a shop that doesn't know how to lift an old 911, that's reason enough not to take the car there. Ask them or spend time showing them exactly where to lift it from if you're skeptical.

[Trackrash]

Originally Posted by McLaren-TAG

If you're bringing your car to a shop that doesn't know how to lift an old 911, that's reason enough not to take the car there. Ask them or spend time showing them exactly where to lift it from if you're skeptical.

Exactly.

First of all. Why do you need a shop to jack up the car? I always take my wheel off and take them to the tire shop.

The older 911s need special expertise to be up on a lift. If you go to a shop and see long hoods up in the air, you are probably OK.

[Lake Guy]

I made some custom attachments for my 4 post lift for the back. I put the front lift pads right behind the front wheels on thewelded seem. I haven’t had a problem but previous owners did cause some issues that I fixed up pretty easily.

[Jack Stands]

I like the idea of making the cradle for the rear Torsion bars. My scissor lift always scares me when I’m lifting my Targa as the pinch weld and the oil and AC lines are very close. Works great for my 914, but I th8nk using the cradle would be much safer for the 911.

[Trackrash]

Originally Posted by Lake Guy

I made some custom attachments for my 4 post lift for the back. I put the front lift pads right behind the front wheels on thewelded seem. I haven’t had a problem but previous owners did cause some issues that I fixed up pretty easily.

The front point, you are showing is not the best idea on long hoods. A short 2 x 4 next to the welded seam has worked for me.

[Lake Guy]

That’s a good point Track - mine is a Carrera. I don’t have any long hood experience.

[HarryD]

At the tire shop, I hand them my jack pad and ask them to use a floor jack to do one side at a time. If they say no, I move on.

As an aside, at my local Discount Tire store, they told me that that was their method but to put my pad away, they already had one.

[wicks]

Yes, this is a tire shop thing. Taking her to Pirelli store, but they are not familiar with longhoods as far as I can tell.

Maybe crafting longer 2x4 pieces that have curves cut to make room for the welds would be the ticket.

Sounds like the best plan so far: "At the tire shop, I hand them my jack pad and ask them to use a floor jack to do one side at a time."

Or maybe I'll just take the wheels off myself and truck em in.

[billybek]

Originally Posted by wicks

Or maybe I'll just take the wheels off myself and truck em in.

I think we have a winner here....

[gomezoneill]

Originally Posted by Lake Guy

I made some custom attachments for my 4 post lift for the back. I put the front lift pads right behind the front wheels on thewelded seem. I haven’t had a problem but previous owners did cause some issues that I fixed up pretty easily.

No way I'd get under that car a little lateral shift and off the lift it goes. Just put the lift pad on the sway bar mount or under the frame where the torsion bar tube is. On the front I use a 1'x2' piece of plywood on each side.

[wicks]

Originally Posted by gomezoneill

No way I'd get under that car a little lateral shift and off the lift it goes. Just put the lift pad on the sway bar mount or under the frame where the torsion bar tube is. On the front I use a 1'x2' piece of plywood on each side.

Is that strong enough to hold the car without bending? Imagine that is bolted into stronger bit of chassis so it would make sense.

Agreed that picture on the lift with the torsion tube looks DANGEROUS. If the two were connected side to side, maybe. Tendency to slip off the torsion cover even just on a jack stand there.

[chrismorse]

My wife was given her family's 2003 Volvo wagon with almost new michelins.

When I got it up in the air, I could see that the right side tires were worn almost to the cords, in32 hundred, not thousand miles.

The rear suspension has a massive aluminum lower controll arm with a stamped sheet metal toe adjusting arm. When the tire shop jacked up the rear, they bent the sheet metal link badly enough to give the rear about a half inch of toe out.

The front inside wear was just a worn out ball joint, allowing a lot of toe out.

I can't prove it was the tire shop, but the bent link has a ~4-5 inch wide kink in it and the shop is 700 miles away.

Watch those guys, particularly the tire shops. Mechanics are usually a lot sharper than tire busters.

Chris

[tirwin]

My ‘83 had floor pan dents from swing arms. I was able to knock them out. First tire shop I tried years ago assured me they wouldn’t do that... and they tried to before I stopped them.

My solution has been to take the wheels off the car and take them to the shop.

My daughter’s boyfriend has a part-time job working at a tire shop. I hear some interesting stories now.

[T77911S]

Originally Posted by gomezoneill

No way I'd get under that car a little lateral shift and off the lift it goes. Just put the lift pad on the sway bar mount or under the frame where the torsion bar tube is. On the front I use a 1'x2' piece of plywood on each side.

I agree,
first thing I thought of when I saw the rear on the torsion bars is the lift could slide off the Tbar tube.
if you could lock the arms of the lift so they could not swing or go in and out it would be better.
not a fan of that cradle.

[chrismorse]

Originally Posted by T77911S

I agree,
first thing I thought of when I saw the rear on the torsion bars is the lift could slide off the Tbar tube.
if you could lock the arms of the lift so they could not swing or go in and out it would be better.
not a fan of that cradle.

I have a used rotary that has arm locks that will prevent arm movement once the lift comes off the ground. It is a 9K asymmetric.

good luck,
chris

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by wicks

Or maybe I'll just take the wheels off myself and truck em in.

In 25 years of ownership I haven't left my car with the tire shop. I've just put them in the back of the Corolla wagon and drop them off. Even then the morons do their best to stuff something up.

[MARISOL78sc]

There is a plethora of independant Porsche shops in your area.

[gomezoneill]

Originally Posted by chrismorse

I have a used rotary that has arm locks that will prevent arm movement once the lift comes off the ground. It is a 9K asymmetric.

good luck,
chris

I have a Bendpak lift and the arms lock but it's a very loose ratchet assembly. They still move 3 to four inches locked in. The torsion tube is 3 inches or so. DANGEROUS.