Where do I put trolley jack and axle stands?

Ok, I'll sound a complete numpty I know!

1998 Escort. I have the supplied jack with the car, but I have just been given a brand new set of 2 tonne axle stands and a 2 tonne trolley jack. They are both in good order but I'm not sure where I should jack the car up and where the axle stands go?

I have just had a go with the Escort at the rear, and the trolley jack does not seem as if it has enough height, and using the axle stands where I think they should go means a leg gets in the way of the inward facing side of the tyre. The Escort manual only covers the supplied jack, and the instructions for the jack/stands doesn't give any idea.

Before anyone says if you don't know don't play, I agree. I'm not totally stupid, I know it has to be safe, supported and a strong chassis component, but once I know I'll be fine!

Reply to
DSK
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Some jacks are s**te and don't lift very high. What you want to be jacking on / putting stands under are any bits of box section running along the bottom of the car. It's easiest to jack up the car with on one of the suspension mounting points then stick a stand under IMO.

Reply to
Doki

The message from "Doki" contains these words:

Particularly if they're low on oil.

Reply to
Guy King

Usually use either those or use the gearbox casing if I'm lifing the front end of a car. (Before you say anything, this would apply to lifing the rear of the 75....)

Reply to
SteveH

Go to your local libray and look in a Haynes manual under jacking and towing near the front of the book.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

Reply to
Peter Hill

Actually, the OP is correct in that Haynes doesn't tell you this. At least, the Escort manual doesn't. The instructions that came with my axle stands imply (just diagrams) that you should use the trolley jack on the centreline and put the stands under at the same time. Ie, not jack one side up then the other. I've got round the problem so far as I have access to a pit, but not for much longer.

Robert

Reply to
Rob

If you're going to go 'by the book' on this, I think you're really supposed to use a lifting beam under the suspension mounting points.

James

Reply to
James Lothian

Axle stands go under the axles.

Avoid any "purpose built" jacking points on a car of this age as they have a tendency to crumble. Only put the jack under something solid-looking like the suspension arms. The bits that support the springs and shock absorbers support the weight of the car everyday so you know they're solid.

Reply to
DP

That'd be a bad idea on ,for example, the back of a 1996 A6. The subframes normally a good bet

Reply to
Duncan Wood

So where do you put it if you are intending to change the suspension arms (givent his is an Escort, highly likely!). Also with the Escort at least you must NOT put axle stands under the rear axle. And if you put them undeer the arms, the car will just settle almost as much as you've raised it, which kinda defeats the object!

Reply to
Rob

What, 1998? You've a dim view of the build and/or steel quality from only

5-6 years ago ;-)

I would go along with your recommendation to stick to points obviously designed to bear the weight of the car - seeing cars lifted by jacks under the gearbox makes me wonder if the engine mount designers really intended them to cope with the weight of half the car applied upwards instead of just the engine and gearbox downwards (although garages seem to do it all the time before placing axle stands, so it's *probably* okay).

Reply to
John Laird

It's a 5/6 year old Ford, so it's bound to be going frilly underneath by now. HTH.

Reply to
SteveH

I can use all the jacking points on my 19yr old Capri

Reply to
Conor

My 98 Mondeo is now heading for 6 years old (17 days IIRC for most of the vehicle).

I've got 2 rust spots on it, both stone chips on the roof, just by the top of the windscreen.

Whenever it's up on a lift, I'll personally check the underneath, and it's fine. I'm still on the original exhaust, and only the back box is showing any signs of needing replacing.

I fitted aftermarket mud flaps, and some grit got behind them, and wore away the lacquer, paint, primer, underseal etc from the sill behind the front wheel. The bare metal showed no real inclination to rust!

They really are _much_ better than the previous generation!

Pete.

Reply to
Pete Smith

So why are the earlier MkIV Fiestas / Kas and MkVII Escorts all staring to go the same way as Fords always have done?

Reply to
SteveH

Hmm, you might have a point with an Escort as it probably unlikely Ford bothered to improve any aspects of design every time they warmed it over. Nevertheless, the jacking points are usually sat on seam welds. Even when I could poke fingers through the sills on my old cars, those points were still strong enough to take jacking forces.

Reply to
John Laird

People not looking after them properly. When I used to work in car dealerships, once the free underbody maintenance service had been carried out, people didn't bother again. You'll find that many of the classics that haven't been welded have had as much attention payed to the underside of the car as the topside.

Reply to
Conor

No idea! I'm only speaking from Mondeo experience, in that mine isn't rusting, and I have to admit to never having seen a rusty Mondeo.

My Mk 5 Orion and mums Mk 3 Fester however, were total rust magnets!

Pete.

Reply to
Pete Smith

Look underneath and see where the dents are where Kwik-Fit have jacked it up. Those are the places not to use.

Reply to
Dave Plowman

The message from Dave Plowman contains these words:

I once jacked up a Fiat 127 by the official jacking points. It was dark and I didn't realise how rotten it was till I got in and found that parts of the floor were rather in the way.

Reply to
Guy King

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