Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track What tools (Jack) do you use?

What Jack or other means do you use to get the car off the ground at an AutoX to change the tires. I've been looking for a way that doesn't include taking the inserts out for the Jacking points.

Anyone have any good ideas?

I always use a floor jack and a 2x6 right ubder the front doors on the frame rail. There is a good balance spot right about the end of the front rail that'll lift both front and rear tires at once. DO NOT use just the jack as it will most likely dent the frame rail. Use a piece of 2x4 or 6 about 12" long. Using the piece of wood also lets you clear the ground effect.

Chris

think you could post a pic? I'd love to see this.

So would I...I asked a similar question on jacking the car when I installed my exhaust, errr when I attempted to.

I can't really do a pic very easily. Look under the front doors. You'll see a piece that runs front to back that looks kinda like a bok section hanging down off the floor pan about an inch and a half. It's a U-shaped section that is welded to the floor pan. That is the unibody frame rail. You can jack on them but you need a long piece of wood to distribute the load. Using just a jack head will almost certainly leave a large dent in the rail and do no good for chassis rigidity. It's really very easy. Look under the car and you'll see what I mean.

Chris

I do this exact same thing...put the floor jack right under the cutout for the "standard" jacking point, then in further. Hold your piece of wood along the rail inboard of the ground effect, jack the jack up a little, loosen the lugs front and rear, then up, up, and away. Lifts both front and rear at once. With my handy Dewalt cordless and my Craftsman torque wrench preset at 80lbs, I can change all four tires in about ten minutes.

Mike

I'm still trying to figure this out...

I'm dense...

I am definitely putting this on my 'mods' list. I took me forever to jack up the car with the scissor jack on all four corners and use the lug wrench to undo all the nuts. Ten minutes seems like total heaven. Of course, it did not help that I pulled into the paddock backwards from the way I left, and subsequently put my uni-directional tires on backwards. *sigh* I figured it out on the third one. Had to go back and do them all over again...

So, Dave, what were your impressions of the Kuhmos. This was your first time out on them, right?

ummm I don't have kuhmos.. I've got BFG R1's and I haven't been yet. Just trying to get everything set before I look like an idiot trying to jack this thing up. I've looked at it a number of ways and couldn't exactly figure out what way to do it. Unfortunately I live in an apartment and my tools are in storage so expirementing isn't a real option. Also, my floor jack weighs in at about 85lbs and I know I need to invest in a "portable" version instead of messing with that thing. So I figured I'd ask up here and save myself the time and money of trying to figure this out for myself.

Thanks a bunch to everyone, I know the place your talking about putting the 2x6 so this should be a realatively painless process. I'm also using a spinner and torque wrench, not an impact. Spinner only cost $12 versus $150 plus for the electric impact. Seemed a good deal for me, provided you know how to use a spinner.

Thanks to eveyone,

Dave

PS.. spinner for those interested can be called a spider wrench or a 4-way. Depends on where you learned the term and how old the person was you learned it from.