C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

[Ian G.]

I want to be sure I have plenty of room to work on the front end, and be sure I can remove parts as necessary for cleaning and restoration. So...

I have jacked my corvette up and placed it on two stacked-concrete footers. Two x2 under the rear axle, and two x2 under the frame behind the front tires just behind where the frame starts to curve up over the front suspension, and where the middle x-shaped bars end. The ST-12 mentions this as an OK position when working on the front suspension lower A-arms, and I need to clean and rebuild the entire front suspension because at least on one side (one wheel wiggles a bit and creaks) is bad and the whole assembly is caked in painted over dirt, and the wheels barely turn (bad bearings?). I put my weight on the front bumper and the car didn't budge. Is this jacking location OK for an extended period? I hope this isn't a Bubba move. I see a dent in the front cross-member where someone tried to jack there..

[Wayne P.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

Location is ok. I hope your supports are solid concrete and not blocks. Blocks are VERY dangerous. They break and collapse.

[Ian G.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

Yeah, I saw the concrete wall blocks and they didn't inspire confidence in me. I have two solid concrete foundation blocks on the bottom, and two solid flat topped ones with a square piece of wood on top to slightly cushion the corvette. It's solid concrete under the corvette

[Terry D.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

Ian
Make sure car is high enough off the ground so you can get under it while lying on a creeper. You will be under there alot with the work you are planing. Also never hurts to add a little insurance by putting either another set of blocks or jack stands right behind the first set. You are going to be doing some serious wrenching on some of those bolts to get them loose. Just my 2 cents
Terry

[Ian G.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

Hmmm, not real sure how I can get another set of blocks under there, because the rear set is under the axle, so it is slightly lower than the first set. And the jack stands ratchet up in increments, so I would be pushing up a little too much or not making contact. Should I put one set under another frame position instead at the rear? and just end up with three x3 sets under the frame at front middle and rear? I plan to work on the rear suspension as well, removing and restoring the leaf springs, etc. I plan to have this thing up on blocks for a good long time. I'm new to auto work and a very slow worker because of it.

[Gary C.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

Ian, more safety is better! It's nice to have the car up high enough that you can sit on the floor when working on the front end rebuild and be able to sit upright without having to bend over alot. Good luck, Gary....

[Steven B.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

Ian, when I work on my '57 I put blocks & jack stands in the front location just as you, but in the back I put them in front of where the frame kicks up and at the "X" member intersection with the side rails. I always use two sets of blocks at each of the four corners or blocks and jack stands. When raising higher or lowering with jack stands extended and/or multiple blocks stacked I go one block or jack stand notch at a time just to be safe----because I saw a friend's fall once.

Good Luck and don't forget the penetrant.

Steve

[Ian G.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

When I was putting it up on the blocks, the whole car went cockeyed

Didn't fall thank god and didn't bend as far as I can tell, but I'm not looking forward to bring it down again.

I can't see a place to lift the car in the center of the front crossmember and don't want to bend the crossmember worse, or break the 3rd arm bracket. But lifting it high enough to put the blocks under the frame was pretty precarious.

[Steven B.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

The safest way to lift and lower is to go one notch or block up, or down, on one side, then to the other side and one up, or down, and repeat. That way there are no drastic changes and less tendency to slip to the lower side. If using blocks, how tall are they? I have used 2 and 3 inch tall blocks and also the taller standard sized foundation blocks, but just a little at a time. Another person to insert or remove the blocks or change the stand heights really helps. I used to ask my wife to help me but the shaking and screaming made me nervous.

Also, when going up or down I take my floor jack very slow and smooth to eliminate abrupt changes.

[Ian G.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

I'm using 8-inch high concrete foundation footers, doubled up. so the car is lifted a good 16".

[Steven B.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

I used two also. 16 inches gives good working room and is a little unnerving when adding or removing the second one! That is when my wife's shaking and screaming came in! When I put the blocks under I put the length of the block at 90 degrees to the frame so there is as much width as possible in case it slides. I always use a hydraulic floor jack----now, since a new GM scissors jack I bought for the garage only collapsed on me 25 years ago---the threads stripped.

[Ian G.]

Re: C1 jack position advice needed - frame behind front tires OK?

yeah I'm using a big hydraulic jack too, But its so big its tough to get the jack stands where I need them up in front.