Getting the car up on jack stands?

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by JackG

Sorry, but that's wrong, Jim. There are two U shaped members under the car... the rear axle support with the steel cable loop, which is the correct jack point, and the little cross member just in front of the muffler, which is the one shown in the rainy day photo. Heck, the rainy day photo even describes it as the one just in front of the muffler, which is wrong.

I suspect you didn't get under your Boxster and look around, or it would be clear and obvious that there are two places that could be mistaken for each other. <- WTF is this?? I was just under it last week changing Oil and Plugs for winter storage, FWI. Think of them as the front and rear attachment points for the sheet metal brace (the flat pan) that covers the rear section of the car. The rear attachment point is just in front of the muffler to a small cross member. The front attachment point is at the axle support where the cable loop is. Each has two bolts. The front point, between the wheels, on the front end of the sheet metal brace, far away from the muffler, is the correct jack point.

Hi,

Jack, I just came in from crawling under my car and you are right, I was wrong. These are indeed 2 different areas, though they looked the same to me. I have always used the Box Beam 'U' shaped crossmember whern raising the car to set my stands at the jack plates as described in the Bentley Manual.

After a thorough inspection, if you're only raising the car to place the stands under it, I suspect that this incorrect jack point will also work. This piece is a fairly substantial 'U' shaped I Beam and I believe it would carry the weight. Clearly this is what the Rainy Day pic shows.

My choice would still be to use the crossmember which is forward to the one in the Rainy Day pic, because I think the crossmember is better situated under most of the rear weight. But, I think the other would work as well.

One final thing, I would never use either of these lift points for anything other than raising the car to place proper stands in the proper locations...

Happy Motoring... Jim'99

[Boxtaboy]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

Jack, I just came in from crawling under my car and you are right, I was wrong. These are indeed 2 different areas, though they looked the same to me. I have always used the Box Beam 'U' shaped crossmember whern raising the car to set my stands at the jack plates as described in the Bentley Manual.

After a thorough inspection, if you're only raising the car to place the stands under it, I suspect that this incorrect jack point will also work. This piece is a fairly substantial 'U' shaped I Beam and I believe it would carry the weight. Clearly this is what the Rainy Day pic shows.

My choice would still be to use the crossmember which is forward to the one in the Rainy Day pic, because I think the crossmember is better situated under most of the rear weight. But, I think the other would work as well.

One final thing, I would never use either of these lift points for anything other than raising the car to place proper stands in the proper locations...

Happy Motoring... Jim'99

FWIW, I raised my car a couple of weeks ago at the point shown on the Rainy Day site to get the car on jackstands, and had no ill effects.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Boxtaboy

FWIW, I raised my car a couple of weeks ago at the point shown on the Rainy Day site to get the car on jackstands, and had no ill effects.

Hi,

Doesn't surprise me at all. But, I'd never use it (or the other jack point) for anything but placing the car on stands. I'm a little safety conscious, maybe even excessively so, but I also always also lay a Tire/Wheel under the car at the stand(s) so in the event that the stands failed and the car dropped, the wheel will carry the weight. I might be trapped, but not crushed.

Actually happened once when working on a friend's MGBGT with some rather dubious stands he owned, one collapsed - scared the ******************** outta me I can tell you...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[JackG]

Originally Posted by Boxtaboy

FWIW, I raised my car a couple of weeks ago at the point shown on the Rainy Day site to get the car on jackstands, and had no ill effects.

I wouldn't do it. Porsche doesn't reccomend it, and the Bentley people don't either, at least in print. With the sheet metal brace removed, that rear point feels very flimsy.

I wonder how much that sheet metal brace, U shaped rear crossmember, and whatever else gets crunched is going to cost when it does fold up?

[JackG]

To my statement:
"I suspect you didn't get under your Boxster and look around, or it would be clear and obvious that there are two places that could be mistaken for each other."
Jim wrote:
"<- WTF is this?? I was just under it last week changing Oil and Plugs for winter storage, FWI."

Hmmm... no happy pills at your house?

If you'll look back over my last several posts, I have written a couple of times about the two different points, how they look, and how they can be identified. The pics even clearly show two totally different places. Notice how there are no cats and muffler in the Bentley manual pic, but they are clearly visible in the rainy day pic.
You still came back and stated "There is only one 'U' shaped (sort of) cross member under the car, and it is clearly shown in both pics. I raise my car similarly to the pic shown from the Rainy Day website, but this is the same area described in the 2nd pic..."

The fact that you wrote the quote above made it appear that you've spent very little quality time under your Boxster. That's all I said.

I have removed the sheet metal brace and diagonal braces on mine twice now... once for the inner and outer CV boot replacement, and once for the transmission oil change. I'm quite familiar with that whole area. Even so, I did see the difference the first time before I even attempted to jack it up. Maybe I just read carefully, study the pictures, and am more observant than some.

Have a great day!

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by JackG

Hmmm... no happy pills at your house?

Whatever... if you must know, I have had my car up numerous times (maybe more than you from the sound of it if that matters) using the Rear Axle Support to raise the car with a Floor Jack to get the stands under it, with several Oil Changes, Plugs change, Brake Fluid Changes, and a Tip S Fluid, Filter and Gasket change...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[JackG]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Whatever... if you must know, I have had my car up numerous times (maybe more than you from the sound of it if that matters) using the Rear Axle Support to raise the car with a Floor Jack to get the stands under it, with several Oil Changes, Plugs change, Brake Fluid Changes, and a Tip S Fluid, Filter and Gasket change...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Jesus, Jim... you don't always have to have the last word.

And I didn't ask, so I didn't need to know. But it sure seems strange that, with all the times you say you've had you car in the air and have been under it, you still didn't know that there are those two totally different points that look similar but serve a totally different function. In fact, you said there was only one. "There is only one 'U' shaped (sort of) cross member under the car, and it is clearly shown in both pics."

Oh well... nobody's perfect.

[dja1980]

So, did anyone ever determine if it's safe to use rear-most jack point (Rainy Day pic)?

I only ask because I jacked my car up today using the "Rainy Day" point, and I'm now worried that I did damage.

I'm hopeful that there will be no ill effects, and I will never use that point again.

[jaykay]

can someone re-post a picture of the proper rear jacking point as the link in this thread is not working anymore