CX-5 Jack points, Pinchweld Heights, Bottlejacks and Pucks

[172499]

I used two pucks. I sliced one puck into two pieces on the band saw, and then glued (cyanoacrylate glue) and screwed the sliced portions onto the top of the second puck. This gives you a thicker pad with a one inch (depth) slot. It works well on my floor jack for both my CX5 and MX5.

Another option is the jack pad from Flyin Miata. It has a slot depth of 7/8” Make it easier to lift your Miata without damage! The second generation is now available.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

I used two pucks. I sliced one puck into two pieces on the band saw, and then glued (cyanoacrylate glue) and screwed the sliced portions onto the top of the second puck. This gives you a thicker pad with a one inch (depth) slot. It works well on my floor jack for both my CX5 and MX5.

Another option is the jack pad from Flyin Miata. It has a slot depth of 7/8” Make it easier to lift your Miata without damage! The second generation is now available.

Thanks. That's a great idea. Didn't know you could glue rubber to rubber so gonna try that 2 puck idea for a second set.

 

[mazdamazdac]

Ok. Been almost 25 years since had a vehicle that used stupid pinch-welds jackpoints.

Didn't think about it when purchased CX-5 vehicle.

Anyways, usually try to lift with floor jack by crossmembers or pumpkin but that's not always possible.

Learned more about pinch-welds.
Appears they are spot-weld at factory then an adhesive is melted along the welds to fill in any gaps.

No wonder these areas rust out so easily. Just one more reason to use Fluid film on the vehicle and coat the rockers and pinch-welds liberally. Might have to go out and fluid film them again today. Careful jacking of the welds is also best to avoid any damage or bending which would allow water intrusion

I need to use the pinch-welds for jackstands placement, emergency jacking or when my garage is full(which it is full until spring, thus not able to use my floorjack). Therefore am looking at everything as far as pinchweld points.

The Mazda supplied scissor jack does not touch or lift the pinch-weld itself but the wide area of the jack contacts and lifts the car by the inner flat portion of the weld while every single jack pad sold is meant to lift by pushing on the vertical pinch-weld as the slits are only 0.5 inches deep.

My hockey pucks are too thin so a store-bought jack pad of 1.3 inches thick is needed. By using a saw to deepen the slits to 0.65 to 0.75 inches should allow the pad to contact the cx-5 flat inner area for proper support. The jack pads are more expensive than hockey pucks but imo, the extra thickness is needed.

Pucks still used for pumpkin and crossmember lifts but think the thicker jack pads are needed for the pinch-welds and should work great once modified with deeper slits to possibly place on bottlejack.

Has no one run into this issue yet with the pinch-welds? Are you all modifying your pucks?

Also have to wonder if Mazda designed the scissor jack to lift by the inner flat area but
then the garages use 2-post lifts to lift vehicle by directly under the vertical pinchwelds, is it damaging the welds ???
Maybe it's opening up the gaps in the welds ever so slightly ? thus all the more reason to fluid film the welds thoroughly.

Hello, 0.65 inches wont get you the contact against the inner body rail. You would be still pushing against the bottom of the pinch weld. I just wasted 20$ following a suggestion by a forum member saying it is a perfect fit. Did a physical fit test, looks like 0.9 - 1 inch clearance.
Shops are lifting on the welds, no doubts. They are not changing the jack pads to accomodate each and every model coming in thru the door.

Damaging? Sure. Slow and repetitive strain on the elements not designed to withstand it. Metal weakness development, micro disintegration, moisture, rust.... you know the rest

 

[mazdamazdac]

I used two pucks. I sliced one puck into two pieces on the band saw, and then glued (cyanoacrylate glue) and screwed the sliced portions onto the top of the second puck. This gives you a thicker pad with a one inch (depth) slot. It works well on my floor jack for both my CX5 and MX5.

Another option is the jack pad from Flyin Miata. It has a slot depth of 7/8” Make it easier to lift your Miata without damage! The second generation is now available.

Great idea. Thanks for sharing. Does 1 inch suffice with CX5 application? How this set up holding up after the actual use? Any signs of disintegration or holding up strong ?

 

[172499]

Great idea. Thanks for sharing. Does 1 inch suffice with CX5 application? How this set up holding up after the actual use? Any signs of disintegration or holding up strong ?

No issues at all. After using them for a couple of years they are holding up great. The 1 inch slot is more than enough.

 

[mazdamazdac]

Ok. Been almost 25 years since had a vehicle that used stupid pinch-welds jackpoints.

Didn't think about it when purchased CX-5 vehicle.

Anyways, usually try to lift with floor jack by crossmembers or pumpkin but that's not always possible.

Learned more about pinch-welds.
Appears they are spot-weld at factory then an adhesive is melted along the welds to fill in any gaps.

No wonder these areas rust out so easily. Just one more reason to use Fluid film on the vehicle and coat the rockers and pinch-welds liberally. Might have to go out and fluid film them again today. Careful jacking of the welds is also best to avoid any damage or bending which would allow water intrusion

I need to use the pinch-welds for jackstands placement, emergency jacking or when my garage is full(which it is full until spring, thus not able to use my floorjack). Therefore am looking at everything as far as pinchweld points.

The Mazda supplied scissor jack does not touch or lift the pinch-weld itself but the wide area of the jack contacts and lifts the car by the inner flat portion of the weld while every single jack pad sold is meant to lift by pushing on the vertical pinch-weld as the slits are only 0.5 inches deep.

My hockey pucks are too thin so a store-bought jack pad of 1.3 inches thick is needed. By using a saw to deepen the slits to 0.65 to 0.75 inches should allow the pad to contact the cx-5 flat inner area for proper support. The jack pads are more expensive than hockey pucks but imo, the extra thickness is needed.

Pucks still used for pumpkin and crossmember lifts but think the thicker jack pads are needed for the pinch-welds and should work great once modified with deeper slits to possibly place on bottlejack.

Has no one run into this issue yet with the pinch-welds? Are you all modifying your pucks?

Also have to wonder if Mazda designed the scissor jack to lift by the inner flat area but
then the garages use 2-post lifts to lift vehicle by directly under the vertical pinchwelds, is it damaging the welds ???
Maybe it's opening up the gaps in the welds ever so slightly ? thus all the more reason to fluid film the welds thoroughly.

Do not laugh. Not tested. Two packs on Gorilla glue x 1 1/2 screws

 

[mazdamazdac]

No issues at all. After using them for a couple of years they are holding up great. The 1 inch slot is more than enough.

Do not laugh. Will call this a "prototype". Any suggestions to improve the design?

 

[Koko_Bandit]

Do not laugh. Will call this a "prototype". Any suggestions to improve the design? View attachment 323600

I would run the screws from the bottom so there was no way the screw heads could contact the the car.

 

[shrimpsiumai]

So I researched hydraulic bottle jacks versus scissor jacks versus the Toyota mechanical jack and decide on the Toyota jack that @Jmaz recommended.

Now converting it for the pinch welds in the Mazda. Cut a 3/4 inch slit in regular hockey puck so the flat portion will catch the frame but barely any puck left.

May have to buy the mass produced jack pads which are 1.3 inches thick and deepen the slot from 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch.

Do you have a link to the one you got? Looking for the same thing. Thanks

 

[N7turbo]

This thread as been informative. I recently got a new jack and a set of stands and did not realize things would be this complicated.

Pucks are pre-installed but I realize they won't work. They are 1" thick and the grooves are 3/16" wide. They are not solid though because they are made to fit onto/into the round metal stand, so cutting them would compromise them. And they may actually bottom out on the metal beneath.

So in addition to the stands, I need to solve the jack problem. I can jack as-is on the front and rear jack points and then place stands to both sides of the car (once I find a solution for them). But if I want to raise just one side of the car with the jack, I would need a puck for the jack like the one at Flyin' Miata.

 

[172499]

^^^ You can use hockey pucks like I use. See post #21 above. Much cheaper then the Flyn Miata option.

 

[N7turbo]

^^^ You can use hockey pucks like I use. See post #21 above. Much cheaper then the Flyn Miata option.

Can you post a picture?

 

[Jmaz]

I haven't lifted my CX-5 at the pinch seam for a long time. This is what I've been doing.
Front -- slide jack in just behind front tire and lift with saddle placed under big bolt head that goes through casting at rear of lower control arm. Leaves room next to jack to place stand under cutout (lifting point) on pinch seam. Jack stand has rubber (more like some type of plastic) Harbor Freight jack stand pad. Pad experiences deep slices but pinch seam still in good shape. Puck-like protectors would provide better protection probably.
Rear --- come straight in from the rear and lift with jack saddle placed under lower control arm directly below coil spring. Saddle nestles in depression. Jack stand placed at cutout section of pinch seam jacking point.

 

[N7turbo]

I haven't lifted my CX-5 at the pinch seam for a long time. This is what I've been doing.
Front -- slide jack in just behind front tire and lift with saddle placed under big bolt head that goes through casting at rear of lower control arm. Leaves room next to jack to place stand under cutout (lifting point) on pinch seam. Jack stand has rubber (more like some type of plastic) Harbor Freight jack stand pad. Pad experiences deep slices but pinch seam still in good shape. Puck-like protectors would provide better protection probably.
Rear --- come straight in from the rear and lift with jack saddle placed under lower control arm directly below coil spring. Saddle nestles in depression. Jack stand placed at cutout section of pinch seam jacking point.

My question is, if you're going to jack up the car to place stands at the pinch welds, why not use the real jacking points?

 

[N7turbo]

If not deep enough, you could maybe cut one of these Amazon ones a bit more, as an alternative to FM.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

 

[Jmaz]

My question is, if you're going to jack up the car to place stands at the pinch welds, why not use the real jacking points?

Unless you are referring to the center front and rear jacking points, my understanding is that the cutout sections in the pinch seam are real jacking points. Which "real" jacking points are you referring to?

 

[N7turbo]

Unless you are referring to the center front and rear jacking points, my understanding is that the cutout sections in the pinch seam are real jacking points. Which "real" jacking points are you referring to?

Yes, the front and rear. Why use the control arms? Are they safe to support the weight of the car?

 

[172499]

N7turbo... here is a couple photos of the hockey puck pinch seam pads that I use. These ones are glued together using polyurethane glue and a couple of screws. CA glue also works. The larger (taller notched side) of the puck sits on the inside of the pinch weld and carries the load. These notched pucks were made for my MX5 which has a heavier plastic sill on the outboard side of the pinch weld that I don't want to apply any weight to when jacking up the vehicle. They also work on the CX5. I also have a couple of pucks without the notch I use on my Subaru and on my recently sold CX5.

 

[Jmaz]

Yes, those. Why use the control arms?

Because it's a solid point and I may not want to lift both front tires off the ground using center point. My 1-1/2 ton jack doesn't like it as much when I make the poor thing lift the whole front end either. I guess it comes down to whatever works best for us. To each his own.

 

[Busch]

The hockey puck approach still scares me. I went with the aluminum pinch weld adapter with magnets the stick to the car. You just have to remember to remove it when you finish the last lift.

However, that brings up another question. The recommended tire rotation scheme has us swapping from right front to left rear. I end up using the spare as a temporary holder when I do it myself. Does anyone have a good solution other than a shop lift?