# Unibody rails **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** odyssey, honda\ **Created:** [July 23, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501 "2013-07-23T16:06:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoveguyy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Stoveguyy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Stoveguyy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/1 "2013-07-23T16:06:07Z")
03 honda odyssey. took off front wheel. i looked under van to use a floor jack. i see that the floor pan is almost smooth under front seats. it is really hard to find a frame rail or obvious jack lifting point. than i looked at front tire are near where the lower a-arm might mount. i usually use the subframe as a reference to find a solid jacking point but the underbody belly pan used for aerodynamics is great at hiding any and all frame references. does the 03 odyssey even have a traditional subframe? ---
**Author:** ![mleich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mleich](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mleich)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/2 "2013-07-23T16:19:41Z")
Look in your owner’s manual or the directions that come with the jack supplied with the van. I have owned several Hondas and there is typically a point marked with a notch that is reinforced for the jack. ---
**Author:** ![Stoveguyy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Stoveguyy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Stoveguyy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/3 "2013-07-23T17:42:46Z")
I want to take off both front wheels at one time. Where is the center/front lifting point for using floor jack? ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/4 "2013-07-23T17:58:10Z")
What makes you think there is one? It may take a little longer but the safe route is to jack up a side and insert a jackstand. Then move to the other side and repeat. ---
**Author:** ![Stoveguyy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Stoveguyy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Stoveguyy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/5 "2013-07-23T21:37:20Z")
Hmm, motor must be attached to helium balloons? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/6 "2013-07-24T05:23:55Z")
If I understand you corrrectly, you’re looking for a single point under a transverse frame member to jack up the entire front end at once? Don’t even think about it. Jack up and support with a jackstand one corner at a time. Do NOT make the assumption that a transverese member (“X” frame or whatever) will suppport your entire front end. Thes are generally designed to support the engine and/or tranny to the car, but not the entire end of the vehicle. And do NOT assume that such a shortcut will maintain the van in a stable and safe way. If my understanding is incorrect, you have my apologies. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/7 "2013-07-24T06:06:55Z")
Guys, not all vehicles have a separate subframe to which the engine and suspension attach ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 6:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/8 "2013-07-24T06:28:02Z")
Seconding @mleich . In any car I’ve owned, the recommended jacking points are clearly shown in the owner’s manual. Every car is different. But if you jack anywhere else, you are looking for trouble. So it is worth it to check first, before jacking. On my Corolla, with a floor jack, there are six jacking points recommended in the owner’s manual. I can jack the whole front end up at once, at a point where the two front cross-members meet under the engine/xmssion. And there’s a similar point in the rear where I can jack the entire back end up. Or I can jack each corner up separately, at points clearly marked with a little symbol, sort of under each of the doors. The corner jacking points are a little more tricky to use with a floor jack or the jack stands, as there’s a ridge of metal which fits the jack that comes with the car, but the floor jack doesn’t fit that ridge. I had to make some adapters for my floor jack and jack stands to accommodate that ridge so I can jack at those points without bending the ridge. ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 7:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/9 "2013-07-24T07:17:13Z")
Jack up one corner at a time. doing one end is dangerous. Your vehicle has frame rails welded to the unibody and does not have a traditional ladder type frame. Your vehicle does have a subframe or engine cradle. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 8:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/10 "2013-07-24T08:33:51Z")
Even though the book shows a single front jacking point, I’ve never had the guts to use just one non-commercial jack to lift the whole end. Even if I did, I would never go anywhere near it. I had one car come down on me (wheels and everything were intact luckily) and its not fun. It was my BIL’s fault. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/11 "2013-07-24T15:14:29Z")
> Hmm, motor must be attached to helium balloons? Ignorance and arrogance are a volatile combination…you seem to know best, why come asking here? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/12 "2013-07-24T17:21:16Z")
> Don't even think about it. Jack up and support with a jackstand one corner at a time. This is truly the only SAFE way to jack up a vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Stoveguyy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Stoveguyy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Stoveguyy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/13 "2013-07-25T00:29:11Z")
i have 2 jacks. i can lift vehicle with both of them at the same time using jack points. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/14 "2013-07-25T00:31:10Z")
A local franchise shop sent a young shop helper out to jack up a BMW sedan to check the brakes and after pumping the Lincoln jack up to its maximum height the rear wheels were still on the ground and fuel was dripping from the jack. It was an expensive mistake. Most cars these days are uni-body and the only safe jacking points are at the pinch weld below the rocker panel. But when in doubt it is worthwhile to check the book. ---
**Author:** ![Stoveguyy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Stoveguyy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Stoveguyy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/15 "2013-07-25T00:34:57Z")
looks like honda says its ok to lift with floor jack on single front point. ---
**Author:** ![Stoveguyy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Stoveguyy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Stoveguyy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/16 "2013-07-25T04:13:40Z")
seems like odyssey has subframe too. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/17 "2013-07-25T04:58:50Z")
I think everybody already understands this already, but I’ll add it just in case, as it is an important safety issue. Even if you jack the whole front end up at once, you’d never work under the car with just the jack holding the car up like that. You’d put sturdy jack stands at both corners at the very minimum before even considering placing any body part under the car. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/18 "2013-07-25T05:27:39Z")
If I remove a wheel I slip it under the vehicle so that if the jack stand or jack fail it will only drop to the wheel. Doing so could be a great benefit when changing a flat. And resting the wheels on old rims can be a much more stable proposition than jack stands when the work is under the vehicle and removing a wheel is not necessary. ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 6:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/unibody-rails/80501/19 "2013-07-25T06:32:06Z")
If you use a factory jack the lift point should be the pinch weld. If you use a floor jack the pinch weld might bend. Extend the jack under the vehicle and use the frame rail, control arm or subframe as a lift point.