Lifting point info/Jacking Point Info

[Ex-Miata Man]

I am going to paint my brake calipers. I have a floor jack and can lift the car but since the paint has to dry for two hours I really need to have the entire car off the ground at one time. Is is okay to lift the car from the jacking points than block it under the rocker panels next to the lift points? I really don't want to kink the rocker panels in the process. Am I better off to lift the car with the jack under the rear end and put it on stands and then do the front end? If this is the preferred method, where do I place the jack for the front end lift? I don't have the luxury of having a hydraulic lift so I will have to jack up the car section by section and then block it as I go. Any help would really be appreciated.

[SmokinSolstice]

I would say use a jack and jack it up then put jack stands under it, 4 jack stands and remove the jack and the car will rest on the jack stand and then you can pull off all four wheels and paint the calipers. I have seen how-tos but since I plan on doing it maybe you could provide pics with instructions as you go so that we can all follow it! That would rock! Cause we are not all confident in doing it. Just an idea and I hope you could do so.

[PURE_Fun]

Be very careful with the placement of the jack stands, I put one near the lifting point and when I released the jack to lower the car settled on the jack stand and kept going. I now have a nice indent, that metal is super thin! I wound up painting my calipers one at a time with 3 coats, but did not take that much time, each coat dries in about 15 minutes. I also ordered the special jack pad insert that has the same slot as in the underside of the car.

[Old Soldier]

You can paint them, wait ten minutes add decals if you want then put the tire back on. Works well and they can dry with the tires on just fine. Other wise use jack stands like Spokin said.

[Ex-Miata Man]

I like the idea of doing one at a time. I thought the paint took longer to dry. Thanks a lot for the help. I'll post pics when I do the job.

[SmokinSolstice]

Originally Posted by Ex-Miata Man I like the idea of doing one at a time. I thought the paint took longer to dry. Thanks a lot for the help. I'll post pics when I do the job.

Awesome!! Can't wait!

[SolsticeMan]

I'd recommend these three points for jacking - use a flat surface, and on the rails take care and do NOT crush the outer sheet metal.

You can prolly also safely jack on the front cross beam, but be very careful not to jack on the steering gear or stabilizer bars.

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[brian carpenter]

When I painted ours with the duplicolor kit they were dry in 10 minutes(warm day and low humidity) Next coat same thing. Did them one at a time with just a small hydraulic jack. Put splash guards on at same time.

[Chet-O]

I, am also concerned about using the correct jacking points on my Sol. Couldn't find anything in the manual. What type of jack is recommended, since it doesn't have one? One thread stated a drive-on lift is recommended (after some damage from a frame contact lift), but that wouldn't work to remove wheels.

Pure Fun, what is the jack pad insert you mentioned, and where can it be purchased, and what type of jack is it used with?

SolsticeMan, are the points you recommended, based on those required by GM?

I have found that some service departments are unaware of the correct contact points to lift a particular vehicle, and that hidded damage has been done and withheld from the owner. This happened to me with a Dodge Daytona Shelby Z, at an authorized Chrysler service department. And I have heard, from friends, similar instances.

I think all of us "shade-tree mechanics", who like to work on our vehicles, want to know the proper contact points to jack individually, or to lift with 4-point equipment.

[SolsticeMan]

Originally Posted by Chet-O ...SolsticeMan, are the points you recommended, based on those required by GM? ...

Honestly, I don't know. I know that's where I've seen the car lifted when using a body hoist.

[MN Mike]

Originally Posted by Chet-O I think all of us "shade-tree mechanics", who like to work on our vehicles, want to know the proper contact points to jack individually, or to lift with 4-point equipment.

I picked up my spashguards one Saturday and stopped in the service area and asked if they had any recommendations on lifting the Sol. The service advisor (and the mechanics with nothing to do) searched the online manuals for instructions to lift the Sol and could not find a thing.

I remember a thread that mentioned using some corvette lift pads or jack pads in the slots in the Solstice frame but can not find it now. I tried searching the corvette forum but they did not allow a search.

I did find this at a bookmarked page that I had visited before.....

Jacking
The C5 was the first car to use hydroformed frame rails. Hydroformed rails are quickly becoming a common platform for new cars, but not many shops are prepared to lift these vehicles. The C5 requires an adapter for regular jacks and lifts to fit the jacking points. Make your own adapters with a hockey puck (or two) with a 1 1/2" eye bolt screwed thru the center. Stick the eye bolt thru the slit in the jacking point, turn 90 degrees, place jack under adapter and jack away....if you can get the jack under the car. You may have to use ramps. The C5 is so low that most people make their own wooden ramps....rhino ramps are too steep.

A link to a source for high end jack pads is ... http://www.corvettegarage.com/produc...-corvette.html

We need some good info on lifting/jacking the car before someone bends things up!

[SolsticeMan]

I saw a small block of wood (4"X4" chunk of 2x4) on the body hoist at the shipping holes - keeps the hoist from crushing the rocker panel.

[Chet-O]

Thanks, guys for the info. MN Mike, I believe I'll make the hockey puck adaptors per the info you referenced. Now to find the slots.

I wonder if one entire side can be lifted with a home-garage type hydraulic jack. Depends on where the slots are located. When rotating tires, the manual recomments the rear tire crossover to the fronts. Hard to do without a lift, or using jack stands.

If GM mechanics cannot find the correct jack points in their reference material, guess what kind of damage non-GM service departments could do trying to rotate tires or doing some other undercarriage work, like changing oil!! I'll do my own, thank you.

[Ex-Miata Man]

When I finally painted my calipers, I jacked up the back of the car under the rear end and then place a short jack stand under each of the rear lifting points listed above. I was very careful not to place the jacks on the rocker panel seam. I then used two floor jacks to lift the front end, one jack under each of the flat points just to the inside of the front lifting points. My jack is a small 2 ton jack and it didn't have any problems lifting my Sol.

[karr1008]

Can you raise the rear through the differential using a 4 ton jack to lift both rear wheels at the same time or isn't recommended?

Any comments, suggestion?

Thanks,
Karr