aero_ub

I was thinking about this and I've read somewhere that you need to be very careful about jacking these cars up. I was wondering if there is also any concern with using car lifts? Also, where exactly is the best place to lift from? Any Pics? We built my brother a 30x40 garage last year and found a good deal on a two post 9000lbs lift that we installed. I would like to be able to use it but just want to make sure that there wont be any problems or that I don't make any big mistakes w/o realizing it first.

Also, I need to get my '98 vette inspected for the first time and I'm concerned with some $6/hr hack lifting my car from the wrong place and me not even being sure where it should actually be lifted from. Should I just stick with a dealership that sells vettes and works on them instead of going to the Mobile oil change place that I usually goto with my other car?

If anyone has good pics of their C5 on a two post lift that would be great. Maybe I missed something but I didn't even see anything in the owners manual about jacking the car up or lifting points.

thanks
aero

Bill Dearborn

The lift points are located where the shipping slots are in the bottom of the frame rails. The front slots are located just at the front of the door and rears are near the rear of the door. GM recommends their dealers use a set of lift pads mounted in the rear shipping slots to keep the lift arms or rubber pads from contacting the rocker panels as the hole around the lift point is small and a lot of lifts have pads that are larger than the hole. There is plenty of room for the lift arms at the front locations. A lot of people use two sets of pads (one set in front and one in the rear). You may hear of them being called hockey pucks as some people have used hockey pucks to make a set.

You can also use the shipping slot locations to jack the car but the preferred jacking spots are at the front and rear crossmembers. You need a special long reach low profile jack to get under the front of the car.

Bill

Greg Gore

Do a search at the "bay" for Corvette jacking pucks & bag. $14.95 plus shipping.



Get vehicle inspected by Chevrolet dealer if you have any concerns.

PostShawn

I just got my C5 and I am picking myself up some of these.

Mike98SilVert

Lifting and jacking locations:

http://home.earthlink.net/~theadmira...tible/id5.html

csexton

The pucks work great and are easy to make

Chuck

diyguy

Just go to any local ice skating rink and in the shops they sell both new and used pucks. About a buck each then home depot for 4 eye bolts and 15 minutes later you have exactly what you want for less than 5 bucks. Toss um in your back storage hatch and you're done.

Next project ??

Vetteman Jack

with the above. Having a set of jacking pucks in the car can save your rocker panels from being scratched or broken by the lift.

Zozzie

I got 4 pucks for $3 at my local used sports equipment shop. Plus they were new ones too.

Chris@East Coast Supercharging

Just keep the lift arms off any fiberglass. There is enough room to lift the car on the frame. We have never used jacking pucks.

Zozzie

But is every repair shop person who hoists a Corvette as careful and knowledgeable as you Chris? Mosts hoists have rubber pads but even these, if they contact the 'glass, will probably cause damage.

It's tough on us consumers who get shuffled off to waiting rooms. We're nervous wrecks wondering if the person who's lifting our cars is going to do a couple of thousand dollars damage or not. We hate to be paranoid @$$holes and ask "Do you know how to lift my car without causing major damage?" That would go over well wouldn't it?

I asked a similar question at a Chev dealership when I needed new tire pressure sensors fitting - "Do you have the training and equipment to work on my magnesium wheels and runflat tires?"

I felt like a jerk asking the question. The service manager said they did.

Guess what? The tire monkey took a chunk out of one of my magnesium wheels. Yes I got a new wheel for free plus they paid for me to get the rim swapped at a dedicated tire shop with a brand new $10k tire machine.

It's a jungle out there folks.

hotwheels57

Or, get the inexpensive low profile plastic composite BMW pucks, snap them into place and they're always there when you need them.

Tact

This site tells you where to lift and how to make your own lifting pucks.
http://97vette.com/howto/carlift/index.html

Chris@East Coast Supercharging

Thanks for the kind words.. I do understand your point completely and agree that the lifting pucks can prevent someone that is not knowledgeable about lifting Corvettes limit the possibility of putting the lift arm in the wrong spot. But, let me play Devils Advocate for a second. If you are using a shop that you feel its necessary to give them pucks or even have to ask if they know how to lift a Vette do you really think they should be going any farther?

Big-Red

I use these and they work great. I WILL always ask if they use lift
pucks or not. A local Corvette shop here had a Vette up on the lift
when I looked under it quess what, the lift arm was resting on the
fiberglass. never took my Vette back to them.

Zozzie

But how do I screen them for their total knowledge? Neither a sign on a building or a certificate on a wall is proof of competency. I proved that one the hard way. I'll be totally paranoid next time.

RoganR

Here is what I use.

Chris@East Coast Supercharging

I know its kind of tough to make sure that they know what they are doing. If you go to a shop that says they know vettes and you see a bunch of different cars in the parking lot but no Vettes I would worry a bit. If you see nothing but Vettes in the parking lot it I am sure it would ease your mind.

champ53

Greg Gore

Even this is probably not a guarantee but I would recommend looking for a Chevy dealer who has a Corvette specialist rather than handing your work order to the next technician who is ready for a job. The Chevy dealers around here all have a designated Corvette specialist.