jacking my neon

OB · Post by OB » Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:34 am

my gf bought me a craftsman 2 1/4 ton jack and stands for my bday a few weeks ago, and its the first set ive owned. ive always used friends jacks in the past, so im not very good with one. from what i understand, the jacking points on my neon are at the rear and front of the frame thing that runs along the sides. heres my question: how do you place jack stands in the spots while the jack is holding the car up? can someone gimme some pics so i know exactly how to safely jack my car and set it on stands? thanks!

Baal · Post by **Baal** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:01 am

mmmm yeah those are some of the jacking points, you can do it in a lot of other freame parts, k members and stuff but well... i really dont get your question.

You lift the car, put the stand under, and remove the jack...

OB · Post by OB » Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:04 am

yeah but the jacking points are like 4 inches wide, and the jack and jackstands dont like to sit that close together at the same time. exactly how do you do it? step by step

refect · Post by **refect** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:11 am

i usualy just jack it up from a different spot. k member or somewhere nice and sturdy and hard metal. then palce jack stand in the spot tha i need to.

ilpadrino · Post by **ilpadrino** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:53 am

^^ what he said. Since the front sits too low now, I'll use the bootleg jack (the one that sits in the trunk that you're supposed to use when you have a flat) just to raise it like an inch so I can get the real jack in from the front. It's way too late, so pardon if I don't make sense, but beyond the point that says, "No jack" lol, there's a real good hunk of steel that can support the lifting of the car to your desired height. Then slip the jackstands in the best spot (like refect said).

I rarely ever jacked the rear. It sits hight enough that I can sneak in. But similarly, there's a huge block of steel under there (a li'l beyond what you'd think) that you can use in conjunction with the jack to lift her. I hope that clear lol.

OB · Post by OB » Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:55 pm

im not real familiar with the names and locations of parts under the car. could someone be more specific please? maybe a ghetto drawing or something?

Wisher2 · Post by **Wisher2** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:42 pm

Look under you car......anywhere you see a huge chunck of metal or anywhere that looks real solid or sturdy....put the jack under that and use that support

refect · Post by **refect** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 4:55 pm

about how big is this jack you are using?

dinetuner · Post by **dinetuner** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:03 pm

Wisher2 wrote:Look under you car......anywhere you see a huge chunck of metal or anywhere that looks real solid or sturdy....put the jack under that and use that support

like you know the tranny... hehehe

OB · Post by OB » Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:17 pm

my jack is pretty beefy. its a 2 1/4 ton hydraulic. i dont wanna use a big chunk of metal that turns out to be weak and destroy my car. someone please draw me a diagram of safe jack points! ill love u

Wisher2 · Post by **Wisher2** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 6:05 pm

Look under the front of your car

see the black bar/looks kinda like frame under there

put the jack under that.........it will be about 3-4 inches wide...maybe even wider

on the side look for the black bars that run on the side...maybe it will be silver.That is your frame....put the jack under that

ilpadrino · Post by **ilpadrino** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 6:35 pm

it's usually a good idea to place something flat and marginally wide on the jack to support the weight of the car evenly. I used a thick enough piece of wood.

OB · Post by OB » Thu Dec 15, 2005 3:49 pm

so i used the manuf sugg jack points yesterday and the thin metal frame that it says to use started to bend and buckle a tiny bit. i jacked at the large metal bar under the car, and placed the stand on the outer frame where it says to jack for spare tire changes in the manual. the damn thing bent! wtf. where do you guys put youre jack stands?

ilpadrino · Post by **ilpadrino** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:48 pm

orangeblastsxt wrote:placed the stand on the outer frame where it says to jack for spare tire changes in the manual. the damn thing bent!

There's a specific spot in the front and rear to place that jack for when you're changing a spare tire. If i'm not mistaken, there should be some kinda mark or an extra layer of steel (or am I thinking about the Focus?). I could show you what I'm talking about but I don't really have any pictures of it--and it's too cold out there (about 15 degrees) to go snapping pictures.

Anyway, if you have any of the manuals, it tells you specifically. The owner's manual might tell ya as well.

Here's what i do when I gotta get under the car: Use that spare tire jack that comes with the car to lift the body about an inch (since it's too low to use the 2-ton jack in the front). Again, there's a specific spot in the front that you're supposed to use. Get the bigger jack, place a flat piece of wood on it, and stick under directly in the front. You'll notice a piece that says "No Jack" but behind that there's a good spot to lift the car with the 2-ton jack. After it's raised, I kick away that mickey mouse spare tire jack, get the jack stands and close to the area where I lifted the car with the big jack, you can place the jackstands (after it's properly raised and secured), there and get rid of the 2-ton jack. This takes maybe about 2 minutes.

Sorry about the ambiguity but it's kinda hard to explain off the top of my head. Maybe someone else can explain it succintly? I'd try and get you pics but it's kinda cold out there.

dinetuner · Post by **dinetuner** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:05 pm

padrino is right theres a extra layer or steel where your supposed to put the jackstands.....but you could still try jaking it up using the tranny....

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:47 pm

orangeblastsxt wrote:so i used the manuf sugg jack points yesterday and the thin metal frame that it says to use started to bend and buckle a tiny bit. i jacked at the large metal bar under the car, and placed the stand on the outer frame where it says to jack for spare tire changes in the manual. the damn thing bent! wtf. where do you guys put youre jack stands?

There aren't many safe places to jack up the Neon. I've tried a few and most spots bend. I wouldn't recommend using the jack points that Dodge put there. I'm buying a damn lift.

Post by **Diablo0** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:48 pm

I just picked up some larger scissor jacks (like your trunk jack)... then I used those on the pinch welds and leave them there as jack stands with some chucks around one of the rear tires. If I just need to raise it up real fast for a sec like to change a tire I just use my low profile jack that slides right under. The scissor jacks require more work but it's not too bad.

OB · Post by OB » Thu Dec 15, 2005 7:13 pm

i returned my 2 1/44 jacks and got the aluminum racing jack. its low profile (under 4 inches) and is designed with sport compacts in mind. plus, it only takes one stroke of the lever to raise the jack to the bottom of my stock height neon (wow huh?). anyways, im still in need of a place to put my jack stands, i like the jacking point i found (metal bars that are parallel with the side frame.) thanks

Baal · Post by **Baal** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 5:12 pm

my car is too low for hydraulic jacks too, so i just raise it a lil bit with the stock crap and use the hydraulic then.

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 2:44 pm

These good jack points? I have the service manual and where they tell you to jack it on the rear, theres the gas tank... Thats on the passenger rear side, then on the other side (Drivers rear) there is a nice sturdy piece of metal right in front of the rear wheel. I know theres others who don't know exactly where safe places are. Anyone willing to post picts of where they put the jack stands/jack the vehicle up?

Thanks

half_twisted · Post by **half_twisted** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:49 pm

Baal wrote:my car is too low for hydraulic jacks too, so i just raise it a lil bit with the stock crap and use the hydraulic then.

werd..
its bitch cuz you work twice as much..

right now i have a 1.8 drop and still able to use those plastic ramps sold at the autozone. and it still comes close with the stock 00 bumper..

2002srt4 · Post by **2002srt4** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:27 pm

That flat plate in raul's first pic is where I always put my jack stands. My car has more air time than a cessna and those points have never failed me.

Now what you need to do is crawl under after you jack the front up and look for those points. Put the jackstand to your desired height and kick the jack out and try to catch the car on the jack stand.

It takes some practice but if you're lucky you'll get it the first time. If not..........

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 12:00 am

Now what you need to do is crawl under after you jack the front up and look for those points. Put the jackstand to your desired height and kick the jack out and try to catch the car on the jack stand. It takes some practice but if you're lucky you'll get it the first time. If not..........

I did it first try!

So the on the first picture, the place with the 4 holes correct? How about the rear, that a good place? I really don't want to find out the heard way you guys, so thats why I am asking questions. (I have found out the hard way too many times lately.)

Post by **racer12306** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:21 pm

maybe my mind is in the gutter today but i found the title of the post a little amuzing. it only seems funny today, never been funny till now.

anyways, on a more serious note. OB did you find good lift points? if not ill try to get some pics this weekend.

OB · Post by OB » Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:45 pm

racer12306 wrote:maybe my mind is in the gutter today but i found the title of the post a little amuzing. it only seems funny today, never been funny till now.

anyways, on a more serious note. OB did you find good lift points? if not ill try to get some pics this weekend.

I meant for it to be slightly humorous

anyways, i havent really had to jack the car since i changed the oil awhile back. but some good pics with arrows would clear things up and im sure a few people on here could use the info. my "recommended" jack points bent pretty bad, so im not using those again. yikes!

Post by **racer12306** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:22 pm

ill see what i can do

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:31 pm

I found great ones... The ones I posted are perfect. I tried em both today. No dents or anything.

grambo · Post by **grambo** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:58 am

raul - good pics of good points

OB - I usually jack right in the center of that frame piece raul pictured in the rear and place my stands abreast, on the outer most points of that piece
My car is too low for a normal jack so I roll it onto home-made wooden ramps and then use the point at the rear of the lower-front A-arm (where the bushing is) to jack. There is another, similar to the rear, frame piece in the front are to place stands under. aka: K member

NO pics cuz I'm a tard..........

rice_eater · Post by **rice_eater** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:19 am

i stick mine on the thin metal line that runs along the length of the car on each side. the beginning and end of it are reinforced, but you can jack it from anywhere; it may crumple up ever so slightly if you do it from further down but you cant notice it from the outside, and again, it wont be too bad at all. i think it's safest because i tilt the car up quite a lot (2 wheel action) and if it slips while jacking, that metal bar gets jammed between the "teeth" of the jack and gets held in... if you do that on a flat surface you have that ever so small risk; on the sx and on the first gen where i have tons of room so i also put a piece of wood between the jack and the mounting point so to not damage the frame at all...

Post by **racer12306** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:04 am

ill put my car up on my dads lift and take some undercar pics.