not alright Jack!

lazza · Post by **lazza** » 20 Jul 2009, 09:39

Dear Forum

Good news. The new rear spheres seem to have done the trick and feel like I'm riding on a calm blue sea.... tempted to change the front ones too, just to make the ride even smoother

However I have been a bit of a Jack Ass and need some advice for future work under my car.

I explain:

To make sure that the Axle stands would be at the support/jacking point under the car, I put the jack in the adjacent position, hoping it would hold, so that I could slip the Axle stands in the correct positions. However as you can see by the pictures, I've made a hash of the underside of my car.. doh!:

Questions:

1. How do I jack up the car in a safe place, allowing me to slip on the Axle stands in the right place?

2. I have a trolley jack, but dont know a safe place for rear and front to put it, and am afraid of doing damage in a more serious place on the underneath of the vehicle... where are the best places?

Yours

Jack Daniels

Bren · Post by **Bren** » 20 Jul 2009, 09:54

Don't beat yourself up about this - garages do this all the time - I myself have bollocked tyre/exhaust fitters for this "but there's no where else to jack it up" well thats funny because I can do it without causing damage.

lazza · Post by **lazza** » 20 Jul 2009, 12:47

Ok, thanks for the encouragement!

How do I do it without damage?

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 20 Jul 2009, 12:56

lazza wrote:How do I do it without damage?

Place a decent strength wooden block on the jack, at the front place the jack below the subframe under the two subframe mounting bolts (set each side), at the rear place it to bridge across the gap in the rear strut locating frame (just forward of the sphere).

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 20 Jul 2009, 14:59

i usualy just place a trolley jack under the two bolts which hold the small diamiter bar which goes across from one side of the sub frame to the other,

this point is very substantial,

never jack on the door sill edge apart from with the propper jack supplied with the car, and only use it on the corect points

regards malcolm

lazza · Post by **lazza** » 20 Jul 2009, 17:45

Ok, that's great, I was thinking about jacking under that bar, but didnt want to bend the thing.

That's at the back right? what about to raise the front sides?

cheers
Larry

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 20 Jul 2009, 17:48

lazza wrote:Ok, that's great, I was thinking about jacking under that bar, but didnt want to bend the thing.

That's at the back right? what about to raise the front sides?

cheers
Larry

Don't jack the bar, jack where the bar is bolted to the car.
For the front, look under the car just behind the front wheels, you'll see a large nut, that's where I jack from, which keeps it steady.

Set the car on high, put your jack in place, raise it up with the jack until you can fit the axle stands under the sil's jacking points, set the car on low, and it will raise the axle stand up in the air giving you plenty of space to work underneath safely, without having to actually lift the car that much.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 21 Jul 2009, 08:36

as Xac says dont jack in the middle of the bar as it will bend, there is nothing in the middle of the rear on a XANT you can jack on without doing damage,

and again at the front as Xac says but i usualy place the satnds underthe side member/s of the front subframe, as i dont like useing the sill jacking points unless i realy have to

regards malcolm

lazza · Post by **lazza** » 21 Jul 2009, 14:58

thanks alot for your replies

Sorry to be a dummy, what are the "side members of the front subframe".. any pictures?

cheers
Larrry

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 21 Jul 2009, 21:20

sidwe members =

the flat panle the lower suspension/wishbone arm is attatched to each side under the front of the car

regards malcolm

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 22 Jul 2009, 17:11

I always use the reinforced metal plate on the rear off the front subframe to jack the car up with a trolley jack from the front of the Xantia (making sure the rear wheels are jocked first), then I put my axle stands between the rear front subframe mounting bolts.

Balance whilst jacking the car up usually isnt a problem because the reinforced jacking plate is already centred for you somit is easy to place the trolley jack in the centre of the rear section of the subframe. tryn not to get under the car whilst jacking it up, only proceed underneath once on axle stands.

you should be able to straighten that mess out with some mole grips and a bit of brute force, which might loosen the protetive layer a bit just brush in some underseal where the surface breaks loose and you'll be back to square one.

regards Nigel.

lazza · Post by **lazza** » 23 Jul 2009, 09:47

Thanks alot for your tips

If anyone has a picture of "rear front subframe mounting bolts" that would be a great help... not familiar with all this yet

Cheers
Larry

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 23 Jul 2009, 11:27

Larry,

they are quirky Motors but the reliability and ride comfort if looked after outweighs any quirks, I call mine the money pit. but thats only because it always kicks me when I'm down, ie skint.

nevertheless you should have many years of enjoyable motoring and the
people on here should help to make that possible, joinning the forum has helped me a lot.

if you look at the rear of the front mud guard/wheel arch behind the wheel the rear subframe bolts are underneath about a foot in from the
seal. the front sub-frame is lower than the body and built of steel box section.

regards Nigel.

lazza · Post by **lazza** » 23 Jul 2009, 12:11

HI Nigel,

thanks for that, hopefully i'll find it.

Yeah starting to love the suspension since fitting 3 new rear spheres.. it seems to have sorted out the breaking and noises from the powersteering at the same time!! I guess it's all connected

And the forum is amazing.. i just hope I can correctly follow everyone's instructions and keep the old chugger running

Cheers
Larry

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 23 Jul 2009, 15:00

that paint job shouldnt be to difficult providing your car is bright red to start with.