Jack / lift point solutions

[jcbel]

I've heard a rumour that it's spring again and the forecast for tomorrow sounds like it's a good day to throw my stock all-seasons back onto the car.

In one of the oil change threads there was a discussion about using hockey pucks to jack up the car so as not to damage the pinch welds. Check every other car forum out there and everyone complains about the same thing with the specified jack / lift points.

Here are a couple of things I've found that seem to address this:

Floor Jack Pinch Weld Adapter

This adapter looks good but the site has a minimum order of $50, you'd be looking at a minimum buy of about 12 adapters just to order! Unless you want to resell these on eBay, a group buy might be the way to go.

http://www.princessauto.com/workshop...or-jack-saddle

I'll probably check this out at Princess Auto tomorrow if I have time, otherwise I'll just use the scissor jack. It will probably be just as quick if I do it one corner at a time.

New 2 Ton Cross Beam Adapter fits Floor Jack 4000 Lbs on eBay.ca (item 200592452627 end time 29-Apr-11 10:09:48 EDT)

This looks like it would be handy for doing quick tire rotations!

[missourimule]

Good information. I would add one other suggestion. Recently I did an oil change and ran into the same problem and I couldn't use the metal ramps because they contacted the front air dam. What I eventually did was to trim about 1/2 of an inch from a 4x4 (3.5x3.5 actually) piece of scrap lumber to 3" thick and then use a chop saw to make a cut against the grain so the wood wouldn't split than if I had made the cut with the grain. It was a tight fit but it worked. I jacked the car and then placed a large block under one front tire so the car would not be sitting entirely on the jack itself but the tire would sit securely on the block of wood. Then I let the jack down so it was just snug and the weight of the car on the the large block of wood which measures 11"x11"x5". (I think these were scrap pieces of wood from a construction project; I've had them for 40 years.)

This provided safety and sufficient room to easily get to the drain plug and the oil filter. The jack itself was an inexpensive $25 floor jack I purchased from Wal-Mart.

The pinch welds are a significant issue since the floor jack will slightly damage these using only the jack by itself. So it is worthwhile to have a system that actually works and with safety. The alternative is to use the jack provided by the manufacturer but it takes a long time to get it up to sufficient height and is a pain in the neck to manipulate and it also sits on a narrow base and still requires jack stands or some method of ensuring safety.

I wonder about the tool that is used with the jacks as shown in the link. What's to keep it from shifting and dropping the car? I'm not clear on that.

[sje0123]

Originally Posted by missourimule

Good information. I would add one other suggestion. Recently I did an oil change and ran into the same problem and I couldn't use the metal ramps because they contacted the front air dam. What I eventually did was to trim about 1/2 of an inch from a 4x4 (3.5x3.5 actually) piece of scrap lumber to 3" thick and then use a chop saw to make a cut against the grain so the wood wouldn't split than if I had made the cut with the grain. It was a tight fit but it worked. I jacked the car and then placed a large block under one front tire so the car would not be sitting entirely on the jack itself but the tire would sit securely on the block of wood. Then I let the jack down so it was just snug and the weight of the car on the the large block of wood which measures 11"x11"x5". (I think these were scrap pieces of wood from a construction project; I've had them for 40 years.)

This provided safety and sufficient room to easily get to the drain plug and the oil filter. The jack itself was an inexpensive $25 floor jack I purchased from Wal-Mart.

The pinch welds are a significant issue since the floor jack will slightly damage these using only the jack by itself. So it is worthwhile to have a system that actually works and with safety. The alternative is to use the jack provided by the manufacturer but it takes a long time to get it up to sufficient height and is a pain in the neck to manipulate and it also sits on a narrow base and still requires jack stands or some method of ensuring safety.

I wonder about the tool that is used with the jacks as shown in the link. What's to keep it from shifting and dropping the car? I'm not clear on that.

Just an FYI if you want to use ramps you can pick up low profile ramps which have a more gradual incline or use some wood to lay down and bring the front of the car up higher before it hits the ramp.

[missourimule]

Originally Posted by sje0123

Just an FYI if you want to use ramps you can pick up low profile ramps which have a more gradual incline or use some wood to lay down and bring the front of the car up higher before it hits the ramp.

I did that too but it still wasn't enough. There is also the problem of the ramps sliding around or needing someone else to assist when it is being pulled up on the ramps. I've just discarded the idea of the ramps altogether in favor of the floor jack and blocks. There really is enough clearance with only one wheel off the ground and on the block and secure. The filter on the 2.4 (don't know about the 2.0) engine is very easy to access (even without the jack or ramps) and the pan plug is easy to get at and loosened up (jacked-up). Probably the biggest aggravation is because I don't do this very often is that I inevitably spill some oil on the pavement. I use cat litter to soak up those spills so it is good it have it near the garage door to grab some at a moment's notice. The lower profile Blitz ramps will work but I just don't want to spend the outlay when the jack works as well as it does. I do thank you for your suggestion but it had already been tried.

I would make one additional suggestion. The investment in the proper sized oil filter wrench is strongly advised. I use NAPA 5w-20 and a Wix filter although the factory filter is obviously OK. The correct part number is 57356 for the Wix filter (NAPA #7356).

Addendum: This is really a screwy deal. Not wanting to use the wrong part I happened onto something yesterday which thoroughly confused me. And I'll pass it along for anyone who cares to comment. The original oil filter that came off my 2011 Forte had the number 26300-35503. Seems that part is not the same oil filter that NAPA calls for this vehicle. It calls for #7356 which is a WIX filter 57356. But the OEM oil filter cross that I took off the car references to NAPA 21334, also WIX 51334. (the first number is the only difference) The NAPA filter that it cross references to matches the size and shape of the OEM filter but is not the one that the specs call for. Part # 57356 is a skinnier and longer filter and the other filter 51334 is more substantial looking.

I just called the KIA dealer and he confirms that the correct part number is 26300-35503 which is the same specs as the WIX/NAPA 51334/21334. I told the parts manager that this wasn't supposed to fit and he said he didn't know what to make of this. He said there are only two filters they use; this one and the cartridge filter. When I ran 26300-35503 (the filter I took off the car), the cross reference tables said it was not compatible!!!! Go figure. If anyone can explain this, I'm all eyes.

Also, the filter that I took off the vehicle is marked for both Hyundai and Kia.

[kiaza]

Does anybody know where save places are under the car(Forte 2 litre manual) to put jack stands? In the owners manual it only shows points to jack up the car on the side of the car.