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jack stands

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nevets

nevets

Jedi Knight
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currently my Healey (BN6) is up on jack stands positioned under the two main frame members, 2 at the front and 2 at the back. Seems quite stable. I recently read in Norman Nock's tech tips that the stands should be positioned mid-way under the rear leaf springs and under the front spring plates. Is this the best way, and am I causing any damage by leaving the jack stands supporting the car under the frame? Also, if the stands are under the front spring plates, it will be impossible to remove the front springs. Any comments would be appreciated. thanks
 
I think I understand the reasoning. By putting the jack stands under the springs the weight is evenly distributed on all jack stands vs. the frame where usually only 2 or 3 stands take most of the weight because of floor and frame variation. When you put jack stands on the frame, the suspension hangs at the full extent of it's travel. This allows the rear end to compress the small rubber pads at the frame(pre-BJ8)and makes the front wheels tilt at an angle while doing brake, bearing or spindle work. If you are going to be removing suspension pieces then you must use the jack stands under the frame. I don't think you are doing any harm with using the jack stands on the frame. Just make sure the shape of the jack stand top fits the frame width and clears the center seam. You can use a 2.0" block of wood as a distance piece between the shock arm and the shock base to keep the wheel assembly in a neutral road position (this is mandatory when setting up the suspension so the bushings are tightened in the neutral position). You can also place a small block of wood between the axle housing and frame to keep the rubber pad from getting deformed if you are keeping the car on jack stands for a long time.
 
On a related matter, I have use hockey pucks that I have drilled using a drill press and a forsner bit to fit the contact point of the jack stand to avoid dammage to the frame, in particular, the welded central bead. jtb
 
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