DaBrizat Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 Hi Guys, So I got this swanky new hydraulic floor jack, and want to jack up my BRAT. But with the unibody, I don't know where to put the jack point. The jack has a more or less flat top, but the car has a vertical flange at the jack points for the stock jack. I don't want to use those points because the flange will crimp over under the load. Are there any jacking jigs that will convert from the stock jack head to the flat floor jack head? Does that question even make sense? And where would I place the jack stands? Could those be the lift points? Thanks for any enlightenment you can provide. -DaBrizat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subi81 Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 Usually I jack at the engine crossmember where the skidplate bolts to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 Engine crossmember is good. I'm assuming that the brat has some tow hooks up front...I've used those on EA82 cars. There are also places right behind the front wheel wells where the "frame" rails meet up, about a foot inboard of the side of the car. For the rear, the differential is actually the best jacking point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Engine crossmember is good. I'm assuming that the brat has some tow hooks up front...I've used those on EA82 cars. There are also places right behind the front wheel wells where the "frame" rails meet up, about a foot inboard of the side of the car. For the rear, the differential is actually the best jacking point. I concur with Snowman. If the unibody isn't rusty, the "frame-rails" are great. Is the back of the brat a unibody? The one that I looked under was a ladder frame just like any pickup -- I think it was a '79 brat though. Tow hooks are pretty stout on the EA82s and I've used them too. Unlike on a 90's Volvo that I pulled the tow hook off of, towing it with my truck... As for jack stands. I usually set the bumpers on some big pieces of firewood. I guess those same points on the front of the unibody, and in the back, the subframe tube at the front of the swing arms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Tow hooks are pretty stout on the EA82s and I've used them too. I CALL MAJOR BS on that.one of my tow hooks on my wagon damn near ripped out of the body when a truck pulled me of an offcamber hill(one front tire in the air,one back tire in the air) the truck didn't do the back up and floor it method,they just tugged me out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 My method I've used for a few? (ahem) years. front - jack on the engine X-member as mentioned jack stands on the radius rod to body mount or "frame" rails. rear - jack under pumpkin, jack stands where rear sus. mounts to body good luck and glad to read you are being safe not sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89hatch Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Yeah, I've jacked up where Subaru recommends for the factory jack and after hearing a lot of crunching and seeing the jack start to put a hole in the floor, I let it down and jacked up on the crossmember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indrid cold Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 I took a 2x4 about 5" long. I took a skill saw and cut a gash across the wood about 1/2" wide x 1" deep and taped that on top of my floor jack, I can then jack up at the jack points on the side of the car as the dangly seam slides in the gap in the wood and the stress is distributed too the wood/jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBrizat Posted December 14, 2006 Author Share Posted December 14, 2006 I took a 2x4 about 5" long. I took a skill saw and cut a gash across the wood about 1/2" wide x 1" deep and taped that on top of my floor jack, I can then jack up at the jack points on the side of the car as the dangly seam slides in the gap in the wood and the stress is distributed too the wood/jack. This is the solution I was pondering when I originally posted the question, but investigation revealed that the upper parts on either side of the flange are not parallel to the ground. Then I worried that the slot for the flange might take so much material from the 2x that it might break along that line and f-up (sorry about the language) something. Then I pondered a 4x4, then worried if it might be too thick. And plus I don't have the tools for that either, so... I think I'm going to try to use the pumpkin and the engine braces this weekend. I'm putting the car on dollies for the winter, and I want to be able to push it sideways to make more room for my wife's car. You guys'll think this is funny: after deciding to NOT use the floor jack with the stock jack-points, I pulled out the stock jack but blacked-out about the l-shaped handle under the spare. I was looking at the tool bag and wondering how the heck I was supposed to use the screw driver or lug wrench to work the jack. What an idiot! I even pondered putting the stock jack on the floor jack, but even I knew that would be a bad idea! Thanks everyone! -DaBrizat dunno enough about the board to know how to include pics of my rig in this thread, but I've got a couple posted under my handle: DaBrizat. Check 'er out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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