safe place to jack up rear of boxster?

[koosh]

so i have my boxster up on axle stands on their lowest setting at the moment, but i need to get the car higher than it currently is so i can comfortably work on the underside at the manifolds!
i have the rear bumper off, so where is a safe place to jack the car up as it sits? i want to jack the car up somewhere in the middle of the rear so the rear of the car goes straight up and does not twist as it goes up....

i see there is a pretty solid looking part just behind the tailpipes, i guess its part of the gear box casing, will this sustain the weight of the car as i try and lift it? it will not be sitting there for any length of time, just enough for me to get the axle stands to a higher setting!



thanks!

[JayG]

I would not use the trans or engine as a jacking point

Pelican has a DIY on jacking up the car

The frame is very rigid and this will raise the back of the car
Here is their recommended rear spot

[koosh]

ok thanks for that! hopefully its not too far to one side that the car goes up farther on one side than the other!

[thstone]

The location that JayG suggested works great.

[NewArt]

Yes, the car does go up further on one side, but it's still the best spot to keep the jack-points free for jack stands.

[Viper10000]

The Bentley manual shows a spot centered from side to side basically the most forward part of the diagonal plate where it bolts to the engine/transmission support. I no longer have the book but maybe someone who does can post a pic of that?

[jdraupp]

It doesn't twist. That suspension is so rigid that it comes up together. Do what pelican suggests and you'll be just fine.

[barkinfool]

Originally Posted by Viper10000

The Bentley manual shows a spot centered from side to side basically the most forward part of the diagonal plate where it bolts to the engine/transmission support. I no longer have the book but maybe someone who does can post a pic of that?

Here's the reference from the Bentley manual as described above.

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by Viper10000

The Bentley manual shows a spot centered from side to side basically the most forward part of the diagonal plate where it bolts to the engine/transmission support. I no longer have the book but maybe someone who does can post a pic of that?

You can lift the back from that spot in the previous picture or right behind the oil pan cover, at the front of the sheet metal brace. It is pretty tough for me to jack from there when the car is on its wheels. Jacking from the side point in the photo is much easier, and I can still easily get the car to the highest point on my jackstands on both sides like this even though the car is a little uneven. The chassis is really rigid.

For jacking the car to the highest point I like to do like this:

1. Jack from the backside at that point in the photo, and put the jack stands on a low setting.
2. Jack from the front side, and go ahead and go all the way up to my desired height on the jack stands. You can set both sides even though you are jacking from one side only.
3. Go back to the back, and this time I may jack from that center point but usually I stay with the side, and lift the back up the rest of the way and raise my jackstands.

If I'm just bleeding brakes or something I just do it in 2 lifts and set the car at a lower jack stand height all the way around.

I don't like to go all the way up in the back in one go, I like to spread it across 2 lifts.

In the front I jack at the jack point, and set my jackstand at the reinforced point shown in the 101 projects book. If I lift from that point, the jack interferes with placing the jackstand unless I came at an extreme angle under the door, and then I can't get a full stroke on the jack handle.

Jacking Up and Lifting the Porsche Boxster on Jack Stands - 986 / 987 (1997-08) - Pelican Parts Technical Article

Here is the spot from the Bentley. Top shows the front lift point as described in the pelican article, back shows the center lift point in the back. You will bend up that sheet metal brace end a little. I usually don't lift from here.

[Mark_T]

I have a set of hydraulic jack stands similar to these and they really work well, especially if you need to get the car perfectly level all around

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

I have a set of hydraulic jack stands similar to these and they really work well, especially if you need to get the car perfectly level all around

I like the look of those!

[NewArt]

Has anyone ever used this point, with or without the red doohickey? I'm a little leery about the strength of that (aluminum?) support bar!

another shot:

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by NewArt

Has anyone ever used this point, with or without the red doohickey? I'm a little leery about the strength of that (aluminum?) support bar!

another shot:

That brace under the tail housing of the gearbox it thin white metal and will never support the weight of the car.

[JFP in PA]

I'm sorry guys, but jacking up these cars using a point that was never meant for such a purpose can be both dangerous to your health and wallets. There are four points built into the car that are designed for lifting the car without becoming hazardous to you or the car's health. There are also companies like Lift Bars that make excellent units that utilize the factory lift points to quickly get the car up high and rock steady on jack stands by lifting the entire side of the car in one motion.

Having lost a friend to improper jacking of a car, and also having been called upon to repair damage done by improper jacking, don't cheap out or try to find short cut; it could end up being one of the most expensive ones you ever take.

[husker boxster]

I got a pair of JackPoint jack stands. A bit spendy but work great. I use them on the rear jack point, jack the car up high enough that the front lifts off the ground. Put a regular jack stand on the front and the JackPoint on the rear.

http://www.jackpointjackstands.com/Instructions.html

I used Christmas money to buy them. Why not spend it on something you'd normally not buy?

[koosh]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

I'm sorry guys, but jacking up these cars using a point that was never meant for such a purpose can be both dangerous to your health and wallets. There are four points built into the car that are designed for lifting the car

although i understand this, there are many other places that are safe to jack up a car, although under normal circumstances are unreachable so thats why they dont tell you to do so in the manual...

my car is currently sitting tail in the sky with no rear hubs or rear suspension, with very sturdy jack stands underneath, all i wanted was a solution to get the car that little higher without having to refit everything back onto the car to simply lower it to the ground so i can use "approved" jacking points to lift the car back up... i obviosuly have some form of common sense to not jack it up on some plastic part or weakened part... and i've had 4 cars fall to the ground, luckily when i wasnt underneath, using approved jacking points on all 4 cars...

i thank everyone for their input, i will utilise one of these points and hope they are fit for what i need

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by koosh

although i understand this, there are many other places that are safe to jack up a car, although under normal circumstances are unreachable so thats why they dont tell you to do so in the manual...

my car is currently sitting tail in the sky with no rear hubs or rear suspension, with very sturdy jack stands underneath, all i wanted was a solution to get the car that little higher without having to refit everything back onto the car to simply lower it to the ground so i can use "approved" jacking points to lift the car back up... i obviosuly have some form of common sense to not jack it up on some plastic part or weakened part... and i've had 4 cars fall to the ground, luckily when i wasnt underneath, using approved jacking points on all 4 cars...

i thank everyone for their input, i will utilise one of these points and hope they are fit for what i need

Then look into the Lift Bars I mentioned, well made and very stable with the car up high:

[koosh]

I have a low loading jack and even at that I only have a couple millimetres clearance to the sill as is, don't think I would be able to get the jack under that aswell!

[Smallblock454]

@ JFP in PA: nice solution.

Regards, Markus

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Smallblock454

@ JFP in PA: nice solution.

Regards, Markus

Thanks. We have no interest in the company that makes these, but saw them in use at the track and thought there were both well designed and well made. We purchased a set several years ago and have very impressed with them.