Lifting and Jacking a Boxster
 

Thought I’d post a quick video on where the jacking points are on a Boxster and how to lift it onto stands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La6i3TwMB8k

Car used: Porsche Boxster S 986

They'll be a lot of situations where you'll need to get under your car and you'll want to do it safely.
To do this you will need to know where on a car is strong enough to be a lifting point and where to safely position stands.
The quicker and, in my opinion, safer solution is to use a set of ramps. I'll go through both options.

Here’s a summary of what we’ll be doing:
1. Crack wheel nuts
2. Lift
3. Place stands
4. Lower the car


Tools
• breaker bar
• socket set
• locking wheel nut adaptor
• jack
• stands
• ramps
• torque wrench

I listed the ones I use in the youtube description box.

1. If the task you're planning to do requires the wheels to be off then you'll need to loosen the wheel nuts before you lift your car. Take your breaker bar and attach the correct size socket and turn anti clockwise. if your car has locking wheel nuts you need the adaptor

2. Park your car on a level surface.

3. Then you’ll need to find a strong enough place on the car to lift it by. There are two solid mount areas on side of the car. Check out the video above for where they are.

4. Most jacks have a release mechanism which allows the jack to lower. To start you'll need to turn the handle clockwise to lock it ready for lifting.

5. If you just need to raise the front of the car place you jack on the lifting point near the rear wheel. Jack until your car is high enough then place a stand under the front lifting point. Slowly lower the vehicle to rest securely on the stand. Repeat for the other side.

It’s the opposite approach if you just want to lift the rear of the car but remember to place chocks under the front wheels to stop the car rolling forward.

6. Now if you need to lift the whole car you’ll need to use a use one of those strong areas we talked about earlier. On my Porsche you can lift the rear from this point near the differential and the front from this reinforced chassis section. (please see the video above)

7. As before place a stand under the jack point and lower the car

8. Test the car is stable by giving it a moderate push - you want to make sure it’s safe to work under.

9. The other option is to use ramps. The disadvantage is that they are more expensive and can only lift one half of the car. They are also no use if you need to take they wheels off. The advantage is that to use them you simply drive on them so save a lot of time and I personally feel much safer working under ramps than stands. I got mine from Race Ramps.

10. Lowering the car back down is the opposite of the lifting process. Don’t forget to use a torque wrench to tighten your wheel nuts to the correct torque. On my Boxster the wheel nuts should be tightened to 130 Nm.

When lifting the front of a Boxster, is there a single point in the front you can lift the entire front end that is well clear of the two front jack points?

If so, where is that point?

The idea would be to lift the front end at this point with the lift in one area, and then be able to place both jack stands and lower the car evenly onto them.

Can this be done?

When I was on my original suspension which was worn out after around 110,000 miles I was at Roebling Road Raceway and I needed to swap my front tires side to side, I seem to recall that I was able to jack up the front and swap the tires. But I have never been able to repeat it, it is always the two tires on the same side of the car that come up.

I now believe I must be remembering it wrong and that I must have used a jack stand to hold one side while I lifted the other side.

However, you can lift the whole car with just to lifts and put on jackstands:

Jack from the back of the car, as shown here (from the 101projects.com) and put two jackstands under the rear two jacking points. That is lift #1. Then lift from either side in the front using the front jacking point shown in that same link, and then set two jack stands in the front. That is lift #2.

Anything is possible but you'd really have to reinforce the entire frunk tub first... or maybe w/ a tall enough jack you could go straight up thru the bumper cover to get the bumper impact support beam? The juice is definitely NOT worth the squeeze though...

To put only front up on stands, just lift entire side by rear lift point, place stand under front jack point, lower, and repeat on other side. Safest and easiest way...

Good luck :)

It’s maybe difficult for many to understand, but it’s a VERY good assumption to conclude that German cars are not designed for DIY maintenance or repair.

It’s pretty good to assume also that the only lifting points provided by Porsche are those that correspond to Porsche specified lifting equipment all dealers are required to possess. That and what you can do with the supplied tire changing jack.

Something someone posts on a forum is use at your own risk as opposed to engineering tested and approved. Real engineers are well aware of liability.

WHAT?????? Are you kidding? "but it’s a VERY good assumption to conclude that German cars are not designed for DIY maintenance or repair." this is nonsense. I have been working on these cars for 25 years and have NEVER come to this conclusion.

Hey, I'm with Boxfix. It's a car. Find a good solid place, specifically those illustrated by Pelican in Steve's post, and crank her up!

What is difficult to understand is why you made that assumption. The world is full of people that maintain their Porsches safely. The supplied tire changing jack is the worst tool for maintenance. Real engineers can take their Porsche to the dealer if they like. :)

+1 on that^^^

Bought my Box 10 years ago, never having done anything more involved on an automobile than changing the oil. Since then I’ve done an alternator, a front wheel bearing, R/R a water pump/low temp thermostat, brakes (pads & flushing), clutch hydraulic flush, transmission fluid changes, R/R a fuel filter, and a front motor mount replacement. I’m sure there’s a thing or two I’ve left out. And, of course, a number of oil changes as well. That’s with no previous experience and no lift---a jack and stands only. And if I can do it…well, you know the rest.. :)