Maybe I didn’t explain properly but that’s not what I’m trying to achieve.
I just want to have the car on the highest level the jackstand can go.
I do large lifts in stages.
When I took the trans out of the race car, I made a pedestal from 2X4’s for each tire. Each pedestal was 3 segments, and was designed such that the car was level at each stage even though the driveway was not. The top segment had 2 4X4’s cut at a 45° angle so the tire could roll.
I used blocks of wood on the jack to get the height.
Plus for every car, I found the point where it lifts the entire side. That’s usually at the kink in the pinch weld. (I suspect that kink is there for that purpose.)
Needless to say, I don’t that for the van. The rear can lifted by the differential - again, in stages and, if needed, with a block of wood on the lift point of the jack. Each front tire gets lifted individually - again, in stages.
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1/3 the distance from the front to the rear jack point. 10 to 18 inches depending one the car. It varies a bit depending but that point is generally a good start. It will usually get both wheels off the ground.
The pinch weld is a double thickness welded blade from front to back finishing a box-section (the rocker panel) that forms the structure of unit-body cars. If there is any concern about folding over the pinch, you can make or buy blocks with a groove cut in the to support the pinch better. Generally not a problem unless it is a race car that gets jacked up all the time.
How the hell is that even possible?
Tester
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I was in an area with no service station, no jack stands, and a bumper jack. Car: '69 Chevelle
396 SS; too low to crawl under and too dangerous with that type of jack. I had to improvise by
using short 4x4’s. I’d raise one side a little and block the frame, then I’d do the other side.
Eventually, I got the height needed to safely crawl under to remove and replace my starter.
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My understanding is that you are trying to lift the entire car to the top level of the jack stand
like a rack. I’ve seen jack stands move and drop a car. With safety in mind, try raising the
the back of the car half the height of the jack stand and block the frame close to the tires.
Then raise the front to the top level of the stands Hope this helps…
The only way I can imagine it is putting something underneath the jack stands, like a few layers of plywood.
Ok I could actually fit my low profile jack with the front raised to the highest under my rear diff, just took al ong time to lift it because I had like less than half an inch of handle play.
But in the got it higher than usual still don’t really fit under the car okay.
I guess I’ll get a mechanic mat.
Hopefully I can return my crepper… it was 100$.
You still have not said what you are going to do that requires the vehicle to be so high. If it a simple oil and filter change that only needs to be done every 5000 miles or 6 months at the most. Or is it just because you want to use the 100.00 creeper?
It was for any future work under the car, mainly work further under rather than near the bumper.
I did my manual trans change without the creeper just with cardboard and it kinda of a pain in the… if you know what I mean. Had to always pull myself out of there to get out.
What are creepers for? Higher cars like pickups I guess? Or people have higher lift jack stands?
Or maybe I’m just fat hahaha. I’m not small but not crazy fat. My head barely had half inch between the underbody and me on the creeper
As a side-note, be extra careful when placing a block of wood between the jack and the car (as a spacer). I was doing that last week using a short length of 2 x 4 and it crushed and partially fell apart as I neared the final lifting height. The car dropped maybe 1/2 inch is all, but it happened all of a sudden with no warning. Had my fingers been between the jack-stand and the pinch weld, wouldn’t have been a good day.
Yeah, I don’t know for all of you but I will never trust wood and supporting a car in any way, spacers or getting jack higher.
I wouldn’t be comfortable sliding myseld under the car like that at all.
Skip all the fooling around and get this.
Yosemite
Oh man I’ve been considering that A LOT. But at 1500$ here, I don’t know. Also read reviews where it seems to break a few times within a year. Replaced free under warranty but once your 1 year warranty goes out and it breaks you are kinda F’ed.
Tester