Car Lifting/Jacking

[Superarnie Mk2]

Hi everyone,please can someone advise me. My car has just been removed off its assembly trestles as it is nearing completion of its build. These cars do sit very low to the ground!! For anyone who does their own maintenance or winter servicing, what method or equipment have you found best to get the car up to a suitable height and have you had any difficulties actually getting a jack under the car in the first instance.
   Many thanks
   Gary

[SB7019]

Gary.
   
   I use a low profile aluminium trolley jack (Sealey and loads of others sell them).   After many trials and errors I now start by lifting using the rear chassis 4inch cross member with the jack centrally located from rear of car.  Then lift it onto axle stands that support  each of the chassis tubes at the rear.  This allows room for the trolley to be located underneath the front cross member when introduced from the side of the car at a relatively acute angle.  Front can then be lifted to allow two more axle stands to support the chassis tubes at the that end.  i usually repeat the process to get the stands up to their highest extension.  Trying it in one go runs the risk of the stands becoming unbalanced.  Lowering involves reversing the process - starting from the front.   It is quite a laborious procedure but I'd rather be safe than sorry.  I use split rubber radiator tubing to act as a buffer between the axle stands and the chassis to try to avoid damage to the chassis paint.  Hope this helps and would be interested to hear if others have found a better solution.

[Superarnie Mk2]

Hi Peter!! I hope you and your family are well. My car is almost finished! I have removed it off the trestle stands today to take it on Monday for the exhaust to be made and fitted. Then, apart from a small amount of wiring i can fire it up! Hope to put it in for iva early in the New Year then for registering. There is a light at the end of a 14 year old tunnel!!
   Kind regards
   Gary

[AC Ace Bristol]

.
   Gary
   
   
   Just as Peter states most of us use a ultra low aluminium trolley Jack
   ( roller on the  front not wheels ).
   When working on BEX333 I follow same laborious procedure as Peter.
   However The Ace has more ground clearance than a cobra, too save some time you could always run or push the cobra on  to a plank of wood which will give 25/ 30mm extra clearance..[;)]
   I carry a small block of wood along with the trolley jack, just in case I need to change a wheel or carry out a running repair.
   
   Good Luck with the exhaust system,  be nice to hear the cobra start  and see the smile on your face.
   
   Keith

[SB7019]

Gary.
   
   Great to know that you are nearly there!!   Can you send a phone video of it when it fires up so that I can turn the sound up and listen to it?  Good luck with the IVA test and very much look forward to seeing it on the road.

[Superarnie Mk2]

Thank you Keith and Peter. I've only had my car off the Ac factory trestles twice in 14 years, the last time was 4 years ago when I took my car to the Double 12. On both occasions I had difficulty with lowering the car off them and later raising he car onto them. It is quite a precarious event! I will try a low profile jack.There are car ramps on eBay which have a flat plate where your tyre would sit and the flat plate sits on top of a bottle jack. It seems quite useful. I wonder if anyone here has given them a try?

[AC Ventura]

The other guys are spot on. An (ideally aluminium) trolley jack with a flat plate with a rubber insert, is one of the best garage investments you can make. The round tube chassis is very strong and ideal for axle stand placement. Just do it in stages, front first, then check they don't tip. as you start on the rear. Sounds a massive hassle, but in reality 10 mins work. Ramps take up a lot of room, are fixed height and no good if you need to remove the wheels. The trolley jack covers it all.

[Exowner]

One problem with the round chassis tubes is that extreme care must be taken when incrementally jacking up the front and rear in stages. On one occasion, when I was being a little over optimistic, it spat out the axle stand one one side! luckily it was the early stages and the wheels were still on and the axle stand fell over and didn't impale itself through anything. I am now super cautious during lifting the car, something which can usually be avoided as I have an inspection pit.
   My advice is never remove the wheels unless you are certain everything is fine and dandy.
   I have one of the roller type alloy jacks and had to replace the seals in it after 6 months! it would suddenly start to lower with no warning. I do the air purge whereby, with the valve open, one pumps the handle through it's full range 20 times, bloody nuisance, but it seems to help.
   I also made a lipped plate that fits onto the lifting platform of the jack. On it I fabricated half piece of tube about 100mm long that matches the diameter of the chassis tubes. Then stuck a piece of thin rubber to save marking the chassis. I did this to give a secure positioning for the jack and it can't slip off. It also self-aligns and enables safe jack positioning as it's difficult to sight under a low car to exactly where it's lined up.
   If your chassis is covered in filth/oil/crud a piece of rubber twixt chassis and axle stand can induce slippage once any angle  other than a perfect 90 degs is surpassed.
   Who'd of thought there was so much to getting a car up in the air!

[AC Ace Bristol]

.Mike ( A C Venture )
   
   You have more clearance and control by jacking from rear and front in gradual increments,  but definitely start at the rear end. Using the cross members.
   
   Ace / Cobra
   
   By jacking front end first you create less clearance at the rear and have more problems getting the trolley jack to clear the fuel tank on  a Ace, granted the Cobra has it's tank up above the rear axle.
   
   CAUTION ,  continually check axle stands, last thing one wants is for one to topple and take your precious AC on a sideways trip into the wall or another vehicle.
   
   All my axle stands have been dressed to house the chassis rails and prevent my Ace from moving sideways.
   
   
   Better to spend extra time raising and lowering than picking up the bill to repair aluminium bodywork...[:(]
   
   Keith

[Rob.Hendriks]

Easier still buy a 4 post hoist :)
   They come in varying heights/capacities, are relatively inexpensive (USD2K new), the car can be parked on top of them and they save a whole lot of *%^&*
   They can be purchased with a bridge lift or just lower the car onto axle stands if you wish to remove the wheels.
   Depending on your garage stud height another vehicle can be parked over/under
   
   
   

[Superarnie Mk2]

Thank you to all that have contributions. I'm glad I asked the question! It's not just me that has had difficulty with getting the car jacked up. I think an aluminium jack is the way I will go; I would love a garage lift but I'm afraid if I invested in that, it'll be another 14 years before my car is finished!!
   Regards.
   Gary

[dkp_cobra]

The garage lift is not so expensive. I see the problem in the big (=high) garage.
   
   Back to the jack lifting: I also start at the rear and use an incremental lifting. I also made bad experiences beeing too optimistic.

[ANF289]

For those not fortunate enough to have a 2- or 4-post lift, I recommend the Omega 29023 Low Profile Hydraulic Service Jack.  It's not aluminum, but it is very low (2.5 inches) and very long, and makes lifting a Mk IV a relatively easy job from any approach.  See it at: https://www.amazon.com/Omega-29023-Profile-Hydraulic-Service/dp/B000RFUETA    ... Lower prices can be found, but shipping is problematic: Weight = ~120 lbs.   Got mine back in 2008 for $242 + $6.99 S&H.  That $6.99 S&H is not a typo!

[Superarnie Mk2]

Thank you. Liftmaster here in the UK do a similar looking item. See this link.
   
   http://www.lftauto.co.uk/645
   
   Just over £100.00
   I think that will do for me!!