How To Jack Up A Car Without A Jack

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A wide diverseness of automotive tasks — from replacing brake pads to changing a flat — require you to elevator upwardly the car. Unless you have access to a full-size hydraulic lift like you might find at a mechanic'southward, this volition hateful using a jack. Jacks are by and large easy to use, merely care must exist taken to ensure your prophylactic, especially if you're working nether the car. Luckily, this but means following a few mutual sense rules.

If y'all tin't run across these safety conditions or if you are unsure of how to keep given your conditions, call for help.

1. ane

   Park the car on a hard, flat surface. Having the car slip or roll off of the jack tin can be extremely dangerous to yourself and others. To prevent this, e'er piece of work on a flat surface abroad from moving vehicles or distractions. The surface y'all piece of work on should exist difficult and sturdy so that it will non shift or give way while you are working.^[1]

   • A physical driveway or garage away from the road are good examples. A yard is a bad selection — fifty-fifty if it'south flat, the dirt may not exist stiff enough to support the car.

2. 

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   Brimming the wheels. Chocks are wedge-shaped blocks made from metallic and rubber that keep the wheels from rolling. Ready a chock in front of each wheel at the opposite end of the car from where yous intend to lift."^[2]

   • If you don't have chocks, some sources recommend bricks, cinder blocks, large rocks, or wedge-shaped pieces of wood.^[3]

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3. 

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   Double cheque that the auto is parked. Set the parking brake and ensure the transmission is in "P." If the car has a manual transmission, put information technology in the lowest forward gear.

4. 4

   In sub-par weather condition, have extra precautions. Equally noted above, the instructions in this section are intended to protect yourself and others in the event the car slips off its jack. If y'all can't encounter the conditions higher up merely you admittedly must jack up the car, use the instructions below to make the process safer:

   • If y'all must jack the car on a soft or cleaved surface such equally a clay shoulder, use a thick, flat piece of woods to make a stable platform for the jack.
   • If you must jack the car on a slight incline, park next to the curb and plough the wheels into the curb so that they are touching it. This volition prevent an out-of-command car from hurting others if it slips off the jack.
   • Similarly, if you don't have anything to block the wheels with, turn the tires into the curb.^[4]
   • Never jack the car on the shoulder of a roadway. If you lot must jack the car somewhere well-nigh traffic, put on your hazard lights. If you accept flares, cones, or pylons, use these to direct traffic away from you.

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1. 1

   Find the jack point. Most vehicles take several points forth the torso where the vehicle is designed to be lifted. If you lot elevator somewhere else, the car's own weight may cause harm to the frame (or, worse — crusade it to slip off the jack). Luckily, the owner's transmission will almost ever tell you where a machine'southward jack points are. ^[5]

   • Typically, in that location is a jack point on each side behind the front wheels and in forepart of the back wheels. This volition ofttimes be adjacent to the rocker panels (the metal or plastic strips beneath the doors).
   • Sometimes, there are two more key jack points located merely behind the front and rear bumpers.
   • If you're non sure where the jack points are, look for a flat metal area along the pinch weld (the weld running downwards the side of the machine below the doors). In that location may also be a notch that matches the shape of the tiptop of the jack, a cutout in the plastic skirt that exposes metal, or a sturdy plastic block attached to the frame. There may fifty-fifty be a spot labeled "jack" on the undercarriage.

2. 

   2

   Position the jack nether the jack point. Slide your jack underneath the jack point yous just plant. It doesn't need to be lined upward perfectly — yous will be able to slide it around until it is touching the motorcar.

   • Brand sure the right side is facing upwardly. If the jack itself isn't labeled with a "this side upwards" warning, look in your owner'due south transmission for visual instructions. Typically, the jack will take a wide, apartment base and a smaller upward-facing arm with "teeth" at the edges pointing upward into the trunk of the machine.

3. 

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   Raise the jack. The precise way to do this volition depend on which type of jack you have (come across beneath). Equally the upper arm of the jack nears the underside of the car, make last-minute adjustments as needed so that it lines up with the jack point.

   • Scissor Jacks: These jacks expect like 2 horizontal metal plates with a diamond-shaped mechanism in between. On i side of the jack is a metal hole connected to the chief screw drive. Slip the included rod tool through the pigsty and turn to pull the sides of the jack inward and push the top and bottom of the jack apart. This lifts the vehicle.
   • Hydraulic Jacks: Also chosen bottle or floor jacks. These look like metal base sections with a lever-like base extending to one side. There is a slot to slip the included rod tool into on one side. Creepo the rod up and down in long, steady strokes to pump hydraulic fluid into the cylinder and raise the jack.

4. 

   4

   Lift the car off of the footing. When the jack makes contact with the underside of the car, information technology will become harder to raise. Keep working the jack upward until you lot discover the corner of the car exit the basis. You tin can stop when the car has plenty clearance for you to practice your work. For common tasks like changing a tire, just a few inches is all that's necessary.

   • Pay careful attention to any audio or motion while lifting the motorcar. It is mutual to hear a 'popular' or a 'thud' as the jack shifts slightly. If this happens, check that it hasn't slipped out of position earlier continuing.
   • Keep all parts of your body out from under the car at all times while lifting it. Though unlikely, serious injury or death can result if the car slips off the jack past this point.^{[half dozen]}

5. 5

   If you volition be working under the machine, apply jack stands. Work that requires you to put any part of your body under the car calls for jack stands. These offer a wider, more secure base for the car's weight than ordinary jacks. It is unsafe to work under the motorcar without jack stands. See our jack stands commodity for detailed instructions. Typical use is as follows:

   • Slip two jack stands underneath the car near where the jack is supporting it. Line the stands up with the pinch weld or jack point. Raise the jack stands until they are about touching the underside of the car. Lower the jack slowly and carefully until the jack stands "catch" the car.
   • If you lot are not working nether the car (for example, if you are changing a tire), you can proceed without jack stands. Take intendance non to put any part of your body underneath the car as you piece of work.

6. 

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   Lower the car back down when finished. At this indicate, yous are ready to do whatever piece of work you need to do on your automobile. When y'all are washed, gradually lower the car back to the ground, remove the jack, and put it away. If you are using jack stands, you lot must first raise the car off of the stands, and so remove the stands, and finally lower the motorcar. See beneath:

   • Scissor Jacks: Slip the rod into the screw bulldoze hole and turn in the opposite direction equally you did to raise the auto.
   • Hydraulic Jacks: Open up the relief valve to let fluid drain from the hydraulic cylinder, which lowers the arm. The valve is usually a small screw keyed to the lever. Take intendance to open up the valve slowly to avert suddenly dropping the car.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Can I jack upward an quondam car by the bumper?

  

  No, your bumper is not designed to have the weight of the machine. In that location will be designated jack points y'all will be able to employ to life the motorcar with a jack.

• Question

  Some cars come with a bumper jack. Are these safe?

  

  Logic Johnson Lafontaine

  Acme Answerer

  They're no better or worse than any other jack, except they're simply reliable on even ground. Same rules as always: be careful where you lift (don't actually effort to jack your auto just past the bumper) and do not always get nether the car unless yous accept some adept jack stands to hold it upward.

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• To test your jack or jack stands for sturdiness, before y'all get nether the automobile or remove any stuck wheels, use your body weight to wiggle the motorcar slightly while information technology is raised. It is meliorate for the machine to skid off its supports before you start than after.

• If you're changing a tire, unscrew the lug nuts slightly before you heighten the machine. If you don't, the bike tin can turn when you try to unscrew them, making the task much more hard.

• Remember, a jack should be used to help elevator a auto — not to concur information technology in place while yous work underneath. If any part of your body will exist underneath the car, jack stands are a must.

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Article Summary Ten

Before jacking upwards a machine, park it on a hard, flat surface such as a level parking lot or driveway. Put chocks in front end of both wheels on the opposite cease of the auto from where y'all intend to jack it up. If y'all don't have chocks, you can apply bricks or cinderblocks instead. Make sure the automobile is in Park before you commencement jacking it upwardly. Wait under the auto for the closest jack bespeak to the tire you want to enhance upward. These might look like flat metal pieces or notches on the underside of the car. Your owner's manual should tell yous where the jack points are located. Slide your jack under the jack indicate with the flat base of operations facing down. So, start raising the jack. The fashion y'all do this volition depend on what kind of jack you lot have, but y'all may demand to push a lever or turn a crank to raise it. In one case the superlative of the jack makes contact with the bottom of the machine, you'll need to utilise more effort to keep raising it. Stop once the machine is far enough off the ground for you to get admission to whichever role you demand to work on. If y'all need to be underneath the car, put two jack stands nether the motorcar near the jack for actress support in example the jack shifts or collapses. When you're done with your work, raise the auto up high enough and then you can hands remove the jack stands, then slowly lower your car back to the ground and remove the jack. To find out how to use jack stands and what you should practice in poor weather weather condition, keep reading!

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