Jacking Points

[Murda]

I was searching for jacking points today and was finding the shop manual a little ambiguous.

For the front: there's a little round bulge offset to the driver side that seems like it was placed for a jack point. The shop manual says "on the cross member". Unsure if that was the right point.

For the rear: There's a square like bulge rear of the sway bar. Also seems like its there for some reason (possibly jacking point). Manual also says "on the cross member".

Anyone confirm or deny these locations?

Pics would be much appreciated.

 

[xelderx]

Look under the front of the car right behind each foglight and you'll see a place to put a tow-hook. There is a thick piece of metal that comes down with a slot in it. That is what I use in the front. I think you had the right idea in the back. There is a wedge shaped peice that comes off the rear subframe very close to the rear swaybar. It is up under the car a good ways and depending on how long your jack handle is it might be a stretch to get to it. Hope that helps. Sorry I don't have pictures...it's 5am and I'm on my way out the door.

 

[tonkabui]

the bulge is where i jack up my front. and i've done it plenty. hasn't messed anything up yet.

 

[mcstark]

the bulge is where i jack up my front. and i've done it plenty. hasn't messed anything up yet.

Same here but the off-center location always makes me a little leary of jacking it up too high. Guess I'm just afraid it might shift off the jack or something -- is that a valid fear or not??? (BTW, once it's up I put jackstands on the inside of each towhook)

 

[Murda]

My problem is that I can not fit the jack stands under one side after jacking it up using that bulge in front because the car is raised slanted. I'm not afraid of the car falling off the jack stand since it seems pretty solid.

However, to get one jack stand on, I have to use the emerg jack just to get it high enough. Kind of defeats the purpose of the front jack. Any other locations?

 

[mcstark]

Are you using a hydraulic floor jack? I have one from Craftsman that raises up to 15". I have no problem get my jackstands under there -- BTW, my jackstands are height adjustable, but even so I can get them under there at the highest setting.

Oh, I just realized what the problem is. I don't use the bulge. I use the same crossmember, but go further back. There's two bolts and a rubber(??) block, right behind the block is a small round cutout with flared edges. I put the round foot of my jack on that and lift. It's back a ways, but I can swing it. Also the crossmember gets narrower immediately after this point, so you'll have to make small adjustments to get it just right -- depending on your jack, that is.

Unfortunately I can't take any pics to show you, as I just changed my oil this weekend and it won't be back on the jack for a while.

 

[Murda]

Are you using a hydraulic floor jack? I have one from Craftsman that raises up to 15". I have no problem get my jackstands under there -- BTW, my jackstands are height adjustable, but even so I can get them under there at the highest setting.

Oh, I just realized what the problem is. I don't use the bulge. I use the same crossmember, but go further back. There's two bolts and a rubber(??) block, right behind the block is a small round cutout with flared edges. I put the round foot of my jack on that and lift. It's back a ways, but I can swing it. Also the crossmember gets narrower immediately after this point, so you'll have to make small adjustments to get it just right -- depending on your jack, that is.

Unfortunately I can't take any pics to show you, as I just changed my oil this weekend and it won't be back on the jack for a while.

Thanks, I'll take a look for that spot.

I'm using the Motomaster with adjustable stands. Even at the lowest setting I can't fit one side under. I also have minor clearance problems just sliding the jack under as my car is already lowered. The damn plastic air dams are just in the way. Luckily they're flexible.

Thanks for the location, I'll definitely see what I can find.

 

[Dimitrios]

For the air dam clearance, drive up on some 2x4's (front wheels only) just to give you enough height to get the jack under there.

I too would like some pics of where to jack and put the stands as well. I have the shop manual and it's not all to clear....

 

[drumsbeloud]

Thanks, I'll take a look for that spot.

I'm using the Motomaster with adjustable stands. Even at the lowest setting I can't fit one side under. I also have minor clearance problems just sliding the jack under as my car is already lowered. The damn plastic air dams are just in the way. Luckily they're flexible.

Thanks for the location, I'll definitely see what I can find.

i can't get my jack under the front of my car either...so i just pile some small pieces of plywood up and drive my car up onto them. then the jack fits with no problems.

 

[drumsbeloud]

For the air dam clearance, drive up on some 2x4's (front wheels only) just to give you enough height to get the jack under there.

I too would like some pics of where to jack and put the stands as well. I have the shop manual and it's not all to clear....

bah!! beat me to it.

 

[LA dreamer]

Just be careful if you are following the manual exactly because it doesn't take into consideration the side skirts. The first time I jacked up my car I nearly broke them off and bent some of the metal under the car from having the jack in the wrong place. I took my P5 into the local Mazda place and the mechanic laughed at me when I told him what I'd done. I showed him the picture in the manual that I was following, which like I said doesn't take into consideration the side skirts, and he said it's still just "common sense" not to do something like that. Common sense? Yeah, maybe if you are mechanically inclined and work on cars a lot, but I don't fall into either of those categories.

So just be careful.

 

[Murda]

Unfortunately, I'm not a wood guy nor much of a car guy yet. Working on getting my car guy skills up but I don't have any wood lying around the house.

I'm planning on install my struts some time this or next week. I'll snap pics when I've jacked the car up and will post them here. Perhaps then someone can grab the pics and circle their preferred jacking points.

For the side sill jack stand points, I'm always afraid of damaging something with the weight of the car on it. I've been putting the stands right where the sill is. Sort of a thin strip oriented vertically with metal reinforcement near the wheels. Hope that's the right spot.

 

[drumsbeloud]

Unfortunately, I'm not a wood guy nor much of a car guy yet. Working on getting my car guy skills up but I don't have any wood lying around the house.

For the side sill jack stand points, I'm always afraid of damaging something with the weight of the car on it. I've been putting the stands right where the sill is. Sort of a thin strip oriented vertically with metal reinforcement near the wheels. Hope that's the right spot.

first, that IS the right spot for the jackstands. no worries about wrecking anything. secondly, if you don't have wood, use some old math textbooks or something...anything to get your car up another couple inches. be creative!

 

[REMillers]

Yep that is the right spot on the side with the stock emer jack. Notice on that jack there is a little notch at the bottom, so the slits fits perfecting in it and keeps it from sliding around at all. I tend to not use that spot when jacking up with a floor jack as it doesn't have that slot and tends to bend the slits after awhile. Mostly I just look for a crossmember to jack up on.

And never notice anything strange about have the manual says to do it, then again I don't recall ever looking at the manual for something like that.

 

[Murda]

Here are pics of under the car where I jacked it in front. Someone confirm or deny these locations?

I used the circular cutout behind the block. Some of the images have my jack lined up with the block. For the jack stands, I put them toward the inside of the car beside the sills.

This one is of the bulge that I originally used (from beside the wheel):

This one is of the block and cutout suggested above:

This one is of the block and cutout from the front of the car:

This one is of the car jacked on the cutout: