Question about jack stands

[nevets]

Is there any problem with having a Healey on jack-stands supported under the frame? I believe the manual says to jack a Healey from below the suspension members, under the coil springs at the front and under leaf springs at the back. Just wondering.
Thanks

 

[bob hughes]

I use axle stands under the frame with wooden blocks as spacers, I notice that if I put them front and back, the front being somewhere around the front suspension position and the back at the rear of the rear suspension, the door gap closes. This is due to the fact that the rear suspension pick up points are quite far apart and where as the axle shares the load between the two, I am putting the load on the rear end as it were.

I place the hydraulic jack under the front suspension area with a spreader bar across the frame and to the rear I place it under the rear cross member with a spreader bar across the frame.



Bob

 

[Keoke]

Is there any problem with having a Healey on jack-stands-

-NO just make sure the stands have wide enough bases to insure stability and locate then below the suspension members.

 

[Keith_M]

I have put my Healey on 4 jack stands many times, trying to position them as close to the suspension mounts as possible. I have never noticed the door gaps closing up. However, my car underwent a complete restoration, and we replaced the inner sills using the now-available heavier gauge replacements. I suspect that older cars with the original sills and possibly with some rust weakening of the sills might have enough flex to close the door gap a little. I suppose you could avoid the problem Bob describes by placing the rear jack stands under the axle.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Unless I need to unload the coils, I put quality jackstands--the kind with the solid iron, Y-shaped yokes--under the A-arms just outboard of the spring pan. In the rear I put quality jackstands under the leaf springs just behind the U-bolt brackets (don't want to mess up the threads of the U-bolts). Of course, you should be on level, flat and strong concrete only. FWIW, my BJ8 was suspended in this fashion and rode through a ~4-Richter earthquake without budging.

If I need to unload the coils I put a 2x4 under the chassis crosspiece by the radiator with jackstands on either side. I also use the 2x4 to jack up the front; on the rear I use the diff with a pan on the floor jack (that's a no-no for some cars like my Mustang, but I think the Healey axle housing can handle it).

 

[nevets]

I wasn't so concerned about chassis flex as much as stress on the suspension members being unsupported. Plus there's that rubber rebound bumper that gets compressed by the shock arm.
Thanks.

 

[drambuie]

If your not doing wheel work, Rino ramps work very well! However, No matter if im using jack stands or ramps... I always shore up the frame with a stack of 4x4s just as a back up! I had a jack stand go right through a frame member one time! Grease was hiding the frame rot! That Tr4 fell faster then i could say it! I was just about to crawl under for a inspection! I still think about it every time i jack up a car.... I won't trust just one set of anything anymore!

 

[bob hughes]

Wow drambuie, that was a lucky break - pardon the pun



Bob

 

[Johnny]

Yes, you should use a 2" wooden or metal block under the front shock arm that doesn't have the rubber bumper attached.

 

[RAC68]

Iusually place jack stands under the front suspension and under the rear crossmember on wood pads when the car is in the air. Also, if not supporting the car from under the suspension and as per themanual, I placing a 2” wood block under the shock arm for front suspension supportand to eliminate stress on the rubber rebound bumper.

When repairing my frame tare with the suspension removed, I supported the carby placing 2 cut 4x4s under the frame. The cuts were made to secure sidemovement and also to relieve space for the frame weld. Later, I installed abolt and 2 large washers just before each main cut to (hopefully) preventseparation when jacking from the center of the beam. These beams allow me tomove support and stability to additional areas of the frame as when working onthe tare or removing the suspension.



Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[nevets]

I like the wood blocks under the shock arms to eliminate stress to the rebound bumper. Also the modified 4x4s seem like a good idea. Thanks

 

[drambuie]

Wow drambuie, that was a lucky break - pardon the pun



Bob

Hello Bob..... Yes... I still Thank God I wasn't tattoed to the bottom of that evel Tr4..... But it still left a big "impression" on me!