Chassis on Stands/ramps.....

[simonbuk]

My car is currently on ramps/stands, ramps at the rear and axle stands underneath the front suspension frame where the wishbones meet.
I currently have the front of the car off, bumper/clam/bonnet/front cross member.
The engine is due to come out and the front suspension too for refurbishment.
If I change the axle stands position to the front jacking points can I remove the entire front suspension and prongeron ? Leaving the engine in situ ? Or is that giving strength supporting the engine still ?

[dapinky]

Simon, you can do that without worry of the chassis collapsing - it will support the weight of the engine, although it is obviously more rigid with it all together (crossmember and prongeron).

What may be an issue is that with the pivot point further towards the rear, the weight at the front may cause the nose to drop down and sit with it's ass in the air.

It won't matter for now, as clearly there is less weight than when the car is complete - BUT - if you leave the stands where they are and start adding all the weight back to the front as the work is done, it can get to the point where it becomes critical and starts to pivot.

Only really a worry as long as you leave it with the stands under the jacking points and then start applying weight (or body force) to the front - but if you work aware of the issue, you are less likely to lean on the front with 80Kg of yourself (or whatever number is appropriate!).... and maybe move the stands back to where they are now as and when you can.

[simonbuk]

Brilliant - thank you !
I was going to buy a few bags of top soil for the garden so I might throw some in the boot for reassurance

Wish project creep hadn't set in so early !!

[Tuga2112]

i have had the car lifted exclusively by the jacking points and all the suspension out. including subframe. no issues just like dave says.

HOWEVER also like Dave says. i can confirm from experience that if you put some weight on the front (and have the spare wheel removed from the back). and i mean. just the kind of weight you put when tryign to undo a very tight bolt.. you can make the car tip forward.
i was on the side when that happened. and certainly needed a change of clothes when i found out.

I Have not experienced the same issue as long as the spare wheel was in place... but i would advice adding something heavy at the back to be 100% sure.

[simonbuk]

Excellent - thank you for that. Exactly why I ask questions - I'm mostly (always) in a small garage by myself so don't want to get stuck under something !!

[AJSGSE1990]

.....just the kind of weight you put when tryign to undo a very tight bolt.. you can make the car tip forward....

This is shockingly useful information. Thank you. I have a mobile lift, the one which sits on a pallet lift style base, so need to jack low cars up first and sit the wheels on wooden blocks before I can slide in the arms. I read the section on jacking points and using a socket set to clear the bodywork. Might need to make something that is a bit more solid for the tops of the lift points. If anyone has done this before I would appreciate any hints. Will dump some ballast bags in the boot!

All the best,

Andrew.

[AJSGSE1990]

.....just the kind of weight you put when tryign to undo a very tight bolt.. you can make the car tip forward....

So used a few wheels in the boot to keep the car honest on the lift. Just in case people are interested these suspension mounts were absolutely perfect for the job. Mine come off a Lancia Delta from the late 80s but I am sure others work too, The top diameter is just a bit smaller than the actual pad and the hole allows for it to sit nicely.

IMG_1109 (Medium).JPG

[dapinky]

Just a heads-up on this - if you are using the bush to lift the car at the jacking points, then the weight should be on the pin, not on the big flat bit...... It makes little difference if it is all solid, but when they start to corroded it can mean that the weight of the car is on the fibreglass sill, and not the solid metal of the outriggers (which won't be that solid anyway if it has got to that point!!!!)

The whole jacking point is designed so that the cone pin bit is part of the solid structure that makes up the jacking point, and the big washer bit doesn't do a lot.

[AJSGSE1990]

The whole jacking point is designed so that the cone pin bit is part of the solid structure that makes up the jacking point, and the big washer bit doesn't do a lot.

My worry is stability on the lift, what did they use? What I don't want to do is have the four tool bits roll and then damage the body work. I did this slowly listening for any groans so hopefully I have been lucky. Thank you for the heads up.

Andrew.

[Tuga2112]

i lift mine just using the corners of the rubber pads under the pins. you can see exactly where on the rubber itself

[AJSGSE1990]

i lift mine just using the corners of the rubber pads under the pins. you can see exactly where on the rubber itself

Right, maybe I should do that, Alfa on the ramp currently as I need to fix the coolant system which was previous "fixed" by a professional. What fun.

Cheers,

Andrew.

[dunnlor]

I use a hockey puck that I've drilled a shallow center hole into to ensure the car can't slide on it.

Tom