GT jack points

[KCOpel]

Stupid question, but are the 4 jack points (tubes) a suitable place to jack the car up for an extened period of time, or are there beter places to use?

Thanks,

KCOpel

[baronbors]

I had my GT up on them two cinder block high for three weeks. Don't recomend cinder blocks but it did work.

[pvcar]

i do it all the time on mine i jack it up on the suspension and throw a jack stand under the jack tube and it hasnt failed me yet. i would also recomend not using cinder blocks, wood, or any other material that is not ment for the job of holding a car up.

[kwilford]

The jack points are used to hold the car up in the FSM illustration. Here is the photo, and I will follow it with my current setup

[kwilford]

And here is my car, which has been up on these stands for WAY too long!

As a note, if the body is extensively rusted, the jack points are often the first to go, so take a GOOD look at them before you set the car down. If the jack points are rusted through, the jack stands will punch right up through the floor.

[KCOpel]

Thanks for the input guys. I appreciate it. The jack points and floorboards have virtually no rust so I don't think I will need to worry about them giving way.......

Do you know the minimum height it has to be raised to drop the engine out, like in your first pic?

Thanks again,

KCOpel

[namba209]

Actually you can do what I did, raise the car high enough on jack stands to disconnect everything under the car, get the rear wheels off the ground to access the u-joints. Then put all 4 wheels on the ground, drop the engine and tranny assembly to the ground then raise the front of the car with a cherry picker and pull the engine/tranny out from under the car. The radiator, header pipe were all that I took off the engine to drop it, along with the ususal electrical and water connections. Just label everything you disconnect. You want to be able to put it all back together correctly. Just my $.02.

Ron

[oldopelguy]

Someone could probably make a mint making GT specific jack-stands.

I'm picturing something that rolls under the car like a creeper, with a pylon on each side to hook up to the stock jack points. Hook it up with a couple of tubes on the top that slide and pin into both jack points so it can't possibly fall over, and give it enough height adjustment that you could use it for normal maintenance or for lifting the car up to pull the motor. With the casters on the bottom you could just roll the car back off the motor and transmission. It would also make rear axle work super easy.

So many ideas, so little money and time....

[KCOpel]

namba209 - where do you hook the hoist to lift the car after you drop the engine?

[namba209]

I used two 1000 lb. motorcycle tie-down straps with hooks on each end looped around the front suspension cross member outboard of the brackets. I had each strap hooked to a link in the short chain bolted to the cherry picker and adjusted them snuggly. I had the cherry picker boom set at 2 tons and lifted the car to about a 45 degree angle and pulled the engine out under the driver's side of the car. Pics are availabel if desired. HTH.

Ron

[jordan]

I just put my gt up on 4 jackstands (one at each jack point) yesterday for the first time ever and I definatly like the ease of woking under it but the driverside door was very dificult to open, and then close; the passenger side door was just a little tougher. Is this normal, what would cause that from bypassing the suspension if the jack points are solid wouldn't it be easier on the car? should I take it off the stands? This just strikes me as odd.

[baz]

jordan the gt is very flexable and if the stands have a little unevenness the body twists a bit
it will be ok for a short while but if left like keiths it would bend it shell permanently (not saying keiths is bent just its been there a long time )
if you put a jack under 1 corner and lift it enough to change a front wheel you have the same trouble

[soybean]

Originally Posted by oldopelguy Someone could probably make a mint making GT specific jack-stands. I'm picturing something that rolls under the car like a creeper, with a pylon on each side to hook up to the stock jack points. Hook it up with a couple of tubes on the top that slide and pin into both jack points so it can't possibly fall over, and give it enough height adjustment that you could use it for normal maintenance or for lifting the car up to pull the motor. With the casters on the bottom you could just roll the car back off the motor and transmission. It would also make rear axle work super easy. So many ideas, so little money and time....

Sort of like these car dollies I made. They didn't hook up to the Jack points, but were up high enough you could get under the car with room to spare. Jarrell