Jack/Jack Stand Tips?

[Texasrules]

Hi Everyone, I am slowly starting to do more and more of my own maintenance on my SI coupe, after reading a thread on here about the jack points I am pretty lost. I've read and seen people use a bunch of different spots to jack from. I can't reach the front center jack spot even with my low profile jack which seems to be a common issue. I see people jack from the pinch weld and place the stand in the middle of the side skirt where there is metal between the plastic pieces. I've seen people jack from the tow hook on the passenger side as well as the one of the three large heavy bolts on the driver side and place the stand on the pinch welds. Rear I've only seen people jack from to the left or right of the exhaust on the large square metal pieces.

How do you guys go about jacking up the car and safely placing the stands?

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[905Civic]

My low profile can do the rear no problem. The front is a different story, and may be even worse on the SI than the Hatch. Thankfully I have a second little jack (crappy 2 ton, $40 or so) that I used to use to just switch 1 tire at a time. So, I'll use that jack on the front pinch weld until the car is high enough to reach my big boy jack onto the center front jack point.

 

[Texasrules]

My low profile can do the rear no problem. The front is a different story, and may be even worse on the SI than the Hatch. Thankfully I have a second little jack (crappy 2 ton, $40 or so) that I used to use to just switch 1 tire at a time. So, I'll use that jack on the front pinch weld until the car is high enough to reach my big boy jack onto the center front jack point.

Interesting, I do have a second jack. What would the process be for lowering the car back down? You'd have to lower the middle jack on to the side jack and then back to the ground right?

 

[905Civic]

Interesting, I do have a second jack. What would the process be for lowering the car back down? You'd have to lower the middle jack on to the side jack and then back to the ground right?

Yup that's what I do. Not the most ideal situation but my jack has good lowering control so I'm able to make sure everything is lined up.

 

[905Civic]

I should also mention I know some people will drive the front wheels onto pieces of lumber and that gives them enough clearance up front for the jack

 

[Dario1101]

I know how you feel, TC. Since I can't reach the front jacking point, if I have to do something regarding wheels or taking the wheels off, I use a floor jack on the jacking point closest to the wheel in question, and then a jack stand on the other jacking point on the same side of the car.
If I need to do a job with the two back wheels, I can use the rear lifting point no problem.
If I just need to get under the car for something like an oil change, I just use ramps. Easy and effective.
The one time I needed to have the car raised up on all positions I used ramps to get the front up and then a floor jack in the rear jacking point so the car was level; this was for a transmission fluid change.

 

[piterek]

To raise the front, I drive up on ramps... then use a hydraulic jack from there. Just have to remember to lower the vehicle back onto ramps when done...?

 

[Dario1101]

To raise the front, I drive up on ramps... then use a hydraulic jack from there. Just have to remember to lower the vehicle back onto ramps when done...?

I thought about doing this. What happens if you don't put it back on ramps?

 

[piterek]

I thought about doing this. What happens if you don't put it back on ramps?

Depends on the jack. If it is low enough profile and the handle drops flat, the you might be able to have the car drop clean. My jack lever will make contact with the lip under bumper. The lift point on this car is strangely far back.

 

[Dario1101]

Depends on the jack. If it is low enough profile and the handle drops flat, the you might be able to have the car drop clean. My jack lever will make contact with the lip under bumper. The lift point on this car is strangely far back.

Yeah I remember trying to reach the lift point in the front of the car and couldn't quite reach it. When I pulled my floor jack back it got caught on that lip and it took me a while to get it out oh man

 

[saiko21]

I just use two scissor jacks and work on the car.

 

[bcrichster]

I use Honda's knuckle-buster jacks and a Ryobi impact wrench, Lol.

 

[Texasrules]

Thanks for the input everyone, I am thinking I'll pick up a set of ramps - drive on to them - jack from front center point - drop on to jack stands and then reverse process for when finished unless there are some better methods you guys on this forum are doing lol.

 

[Texasrules]

Thanks for the input everyone, I am thinking I'll pick up a set of ramps - drive on to them - jack from front center point - drop on to jack stands and then reverse process for when finished unless there are some better methods you guys on this forum are doing lol.

Anyone have suggestions on ramps? A lot of the ramps I see seem to be for 9" wide tires. I am 18x9.5 stock height at the moment.

 

[JT Si]

Anyone have suggestions on ramps? A lot of the ramps I see seem to be for 9" wide tires. I am 18x9.5 stock height at the moment.

I got these mid-rise ramps from SummitRacing. https://www.bg-racing.co.uk/b-g-racing-mid-rise-vehicle-ramps

They fit the factory 235/40R18s just fine, and I used them on my Malibu with 19x8.5 245/40R19s as well.

I am lowered Swift springs. These Ramps are as tall as they can possibly be without scraping on the way up.

The ramps are also literally just tall enough for me to snake the Harbor Freight Daytona yellow Jack under to the front jack point, so they are the perfect height for people lowered around an inch.

I don't think wider would be a problem unless you're running 255 or 265 wide tires. I wouldn't leave the car on these Ramps for a long period of time regardless of that, they are strictly a temporary measure to get the car onto jack stands and then back off of it.

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