How to jack up a c4(old and new) using a trolley jack?

[Cutac]

Hello,

Since I always swap my summer and winter wheels by myself, I bought myself a hydraulic jack. It's a trolley type. Now, I've tried it in the summer when I got it but the small cup on the jack and the small lug on the jacking point of the car resulted with a slipped jack and damaged sill on the VTS

Apart from my heart breaking, the paint on the sill is cracked too, that's going to rust in the winter, right? I mean, I really have to get that sorted?
Anyways, to prevent that happening again, my question is how to lift a first gen C4 and a second gen C4 using a trolley jack without damaging anything?

[GiveMeABreak]

Ouch! In every single document, whether a using a 4 arm lift, trolley jack or axle stands, the shown lifting point is ALWAYS the jacking points above as you show - never allow the jack to come into contact with the sills or bodywork as you can see what happens.

If I were you I would stick to doing one wheel at a time using the supplied jack or a trolley jack fitted with a proper lifting surface for this type of jacking point. Never lift by the subframe.

[Cutac]

I'll buy some thick rubber to put under the jacking point, hope it'll be enough.
My mechanic's 4 arm lift is alright since cups on it are big and these lugs(like that one that I've bent) fit inside it and the car is lifted as a whole so force is exerted just on the vertical axis, as is intended.

My old Mazda 6 and Mondeo had a flat surface for jacking so it was a piece of cake to do. Hydraulic jack, a piece of wood and voila!

[Gibbo2286]

Something like this?

https://beanbone.com/products/jack-pad- ... -by-pyhot

[Fake Concern]

Something like this?

https://beanbone.com/products/jack-pad- ... -by-pyhot

Sorry to see that damage on the poor VTS! The pads in the link above by Gibbo are just like the ones CitroJim had I believe and I think he was pleased with them.

[Cutac]

Thanks Gibbo
I've found something similar, pads which my mechanic uses. Site is in Croatian, but image speaks a 1000 words
https://lincos.hr/997-gumena-podloga.html

About the damage... Yes, it's really awful and I'm genuinely sorry for the car, but I've talked to my painter and he said that, longevity wise, it would be best if I was to peel off the paint that's cracked and just smear it with paint.
That way, inside wall won't be compromised and it won't rust on the outside. That's what I'll do. Damage is really hardly visible from the outside so it doesn't require any hammering.

And after all, if that doesn't work, I can always have a professional do it.

[Paul-R]

Something like this?

https://beanbone.com/products/jack-pad- ... -by-pyhot

Quoted from the description:

This medium size rubber jack pad smells like rubber, maybe a little bit stinks when you receive it because it's new.

[white exec]

Those rubber pads (minimum of 25mm thick - our local ATS Euromaster tyre dealer uses 35mm ones) are essential to prevent jacking point damage.

PSA built XM sill cavities, pillar sections and jacking points from several layers of thin steel, and these just don't survive any lateral/skew forces applied, or lifting on one tiny area. Likely the same on other cars too.

Not sure why the subframe mounting points should not be used for a trolley jack. These points are normally extraordinarily strong.

[BX]

Integer to jack under the subframe or its mounting points. However on the c4 this is difficult due to there being very little ground clearance and most of the solid stuff being covered by the plastic undertray. On both old and new c4 models I use the jacking point lugs. So far so good, no damage.

[GiveMeABreak]

There are specific warnings on some vehicles specifically NOT to lift the car by the subframe.

[white exec]

Why?

[GiveMeABreak]

It just provides the following Chris (on my X7 as an example):

ESSENTIAL: Do not lift the vehicle by taking weight under the front subframe. Do not support the vehicle under the front subframe. ESSENTIAL: Never take weight on the front panel support and the front part of the engine subframe.

ESSENTIAL: Place the jack under the centre pillar and insert a flexible block at "a".

ESSENTIAL: Never place a block between the jack and the strengthener "b".

[white exec]

I can understand the instruction not to try to raise the car by jacking under the front of a front subframe, as this doesn't have particularly strong direct contact with bodyshell above it - it is a kind of 'forward extension', so there would be an upward levering effect.

At the rear of a front subframe, though, it's usually quite different, with the subframe firmly fixed to the shell, at the rear of the engine.

Trouble is, weight reduction of bodywork has been taken so far now that very little of it can withstand localised pressure - it just caves in. Unfortunately, this includes the so-called jacking points, unless care is taken to spread and cushion the load.

[GiveMeABreak]

Yes on some models the subframe is aluminium and on others it is steel. There was also some other. It’s similar about the rear too but I didn’t put them up. The C4 also has warnings about the sills, so I’ll try and put these up later as it will be relevant for C4 owners specifically.

[JohnD]

I have four trolley jacks in the garage which have collected up over the years. I've filled the pads on two of them with old lead pipe so that the chassis jacking points press themselves into the soft lead.