Can you jack up a car from the front subframe?

If I want to jack up the whole side of the car and put it on 2 jackstands, can I put a big floor jack in the middle and get the whole side up in one shot? Or do I need to do it one at a time. What I want to do is jack up one side and put some ramps under the tires, then jack up the other side and put either some more ramps, or jackstands to hold that side up while I do some exhaust work. My car is too low to drive onto the ramps, but I gotta get it up!

And I don't mean in the center of the car. Just the center of one side.

Re: is it OK to jack your car in the middle? (audiophile)

side by side would be better... not as much pressure being put on the car... i think u could also get it higher doing it on the sides rather than from the middle.. id do it side by side imo.

Re: is it OK to jack your car in the middle? (audiophile)

yu meanthe middle of the side don't you ...and the answer is no...the metal won'ttake it ...the jack will bend the side area where you put the jack.....ask me how I know!

Re: is it OK to jack your car in the middle? (josh-martin)

What do you mean side by side? I'm talking about placing the jack halfway between the 2 wheels on either side of the car. In the middle of the sideskirt area. Is that what you mean?
Is there a frame rail or other reinforced part under there that could be used?

Modified by audiophile at 10:18 AM 7-10-2005

I wouldn't jack the car in the middle, the metal along the sides isn't re-enforced, and the weight of the car might not be balanced on the jack. Might be able to lift the front at once by putting the jack under the subframe, but that's pushing it. I would assume you can't do the rear by putting the jack under the axle beam, because it would just compress the suspension instead of lifting the car.

Re: (Neon Washer Nozzle)

dont do it from the middle.. the doors already shut funny when you jack it up the right way.. i dont wanna know what would happen if you tried to jack it up in the middle

Re: (Neon Washer Nozzle)

Oh well. Thanks for the info. That's what I was afraid of. That's why I asked! Maybe I'll build some special ramps that my car can use...

Re: (audiophile)

Yes you can and should.
Jack it in the center on the subframe at the front and the center of the rear beam, that is the preferred method, jacking either side is not good for it that's why the doors stick. You must however ensure the saddle of the jack cups the metal or it'll slide off. The jack will need to roll as it's lifted or leave the handbrake off to allow the car to roll.
Jacking at the side is designed for emergency tire changes only.
The Round lifting points at the front sides are for car hoists not jacks.

Re: (Vdubs)

he wasnt even asking about jacking up the front and back .. he said SIDES in his post quite a few times

the doors stick cause the frame bends slightly.. put the car back down and its fine.. i got SCARED when i had my front on jacks for a week or so, but you bring it back down and its fine.... cage would help though

Modified by 86blackgti at 8:20 AM 7-10-2005

Well I thought the point of this thread was to find the fastest way to jack the car up on all 4 corners. So you can put the jack under the rear axle? I was under the impression that it would just compress the suspesion untill it bottomed out, and not really lift the car much. But then again, the jack I was using was pretty small.

Re: (Neon Washer Nozzle)

it will compress the suspension till the point where it would be if the car was sitting on the ground. so if you jack it up from the center of the rear beam from the car sitting normally, the car just lifts straight off the ground, as the suspension is already compressed.
jacking on the subframe center the car goes straight up, but the wheels will extend downt ill the bottom of their travel till they lift off.

Re: (Neon Washer Nozzle)

Am I the only one that nearly always manages to lift the entire side of their car when they jack up using the round lift points? By the time I manage to get it high enough for jackstands up front the rear wheel is pretty far up as well. I don't have that much suspension travel though.

Re: (Spazmatic2000)

yeah mine does that too.. stock susp.. doesnt lift super high but it gets off the ground

Re: (86blackgti)

Yes, that happens to me too. I have bilstien coilovers and by the time the front is up, the rear is pretty high too. I cant get a jack under my car far enough to hit the subframe or the rear beam. Haven't tried a floor jack though. Maybe that one would reach.

watch out it might bust through you floor board. i put jacks on both sides with the lift still under it...just in case.

Re: (b00st1n)

I put my jack under the center of the subframe with a 2x4 to distribute the weight a bit better...Throw 2 stands under the front, then put the jack under the center of the rear beam and lift the ass end all at once...2 more stands and voila!

Lift the car at the rear axle bushing pivot, from there you get the most reinforcement and lift. Also if you want to make your jack lift it higher, put it on a few blocks of wood to get it uncompressed as close as possible first then put jackstands in the place.
I did my exhaust just using jack stands front ramps and blocks of wood. There are low rise ramps designed for clearance on the car. It will maybe screw up your lover trim on the front not using them, but if you gotta change the whole exhaust then the car can't be in great shape anyhow, beat it up more hehe.