Where to jack the back?
 

I've got my new 17" tires & wheels and am ready to put them on. I have 1 quick question first though: where's the recommended point to jack up the rear wheels? I'm reluctant to put the jack on the drive shaft - it just doesn't seem right. Is the piece of metal that the shocks hook on to the right place? Or am I missing something?

Please reply ASAP - I'm sitting here waiting to do the wheels!

Thanks...

While we're at it, what's the recommended jack point for the front?

I used the jack that came with the car to put on my snows, since I don't own a floor jack.

Thanks,
rx8cited

unless I missed something, jacking the 8 up is a bitch in the rear.

I used my friends lift and it took us about a half hour just trying to find how to lift it up to put my snows on. I think in the rear we finally decided on a narrow groove which sounded like metal along side of the gas tank right in front of the rear wheels. I really didn't like using that though.

The front has a decent flat spot to use somewhere near the back of the lower A-arm.... i think thats where it was at anyway


I'd be interested in what the real place were.

I checked the manual for putting on the spare. I beleive it mentioned the same spots I used when using a floor jack for my winter tire replacement. That would be in about 6 inches from either wheel (front or back) toward the center of the car. There's a small indent in the metal "rail' that runs there that i matched mine up to. I assume that's the correct spots. I've had my "snow shows" and OEM tires on twice each already and not problems with that spot. I also uesd jack stands on that spot when painting my calipers.

Hope that helps.

WHealy -

I can't figure out what "rail" you're talking about. The rails that look like they run to the brakes in the back have no idents that I can see.

In the front, the A shaped arm seems like the logical place.

The manual's a little vauge, but it seems to point to a position on the body of the car behind the front tires and in front of the rears. There are apparently indentations to match the factory jack, but I can't find them (and don't have the factory jack anyway). Looking in that area, though, I'm wondering about using the body just in front of the rears now.

dirkp,

I'm not the expert on the subject. however, I'm glad to share the "spots' where I had success. I've taken a few pics to hopefully get the spot described and highlighted the area in red. Both pics are taken from the driver side.

Here's the area behind the front wheel ...

... and here's the area in front of the rear wheel.

Hope these help.

If you have a hydraulic floor jack, you can lift the entire rear by jacking under the finned diff housing.

Thanks everyone (WHealy especially!) I got the snows on Saturday night just in time for a moderate storm. The car did great on snowpack and some icy patches on the way to work today.

Thanks again!

I would not... I repeat would not jack the rear end up using the diff housing (AKA pumpkin)!! Good way to break/puncture it. Use the jack points to jack the car up...it's what they are there for!!

The jack points near the wheel? Does that mean one wheel at a time?

Thanks.

huhsler,

When I did my wheel exchange, I did one wheel at a time. When I did my caliper painting, I did one axel at a time using jack stands in the same spots.





Glad the info helped.

That's what I figured. That's my plan, too. Thanks WHealy.