Amy Andrews

OK, this is probably the most basic question you will get here, and I'm sure
it will make most of you laugh, but here goes. When jacking up my Mustang
to change the oil, what is the proper way to get the car up? Do you use the
front cross member as the jack point, or jack up one side at a time? I have
a floor jack and jack stands. Once the car is up, what is the proper
position to put the jack stands? I know this is car care 101, but I really
don't know the answers.

 

RSCamaro

On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 22:11:13 GMT, "Amy Andrews"
<amyken@earthlink.net> wrote:

>OK, this is probably the most basic question you will get here, and I'm sure
>it will make most of you laugh, but here goes. When jacking up my Mustang
>to change the oil, what is the proper way to get the car up? Do you use the
>front cross member as the jack point, or jack up one side at a time? I have
>a floor jack and jack stands. Once the car is up, what is the proper
>position to put the jack stands? I know this is car care 101, but I really
>don't know the answers.

The largest piece of metal that you can find is what you want. The
engine cross member is what I use. Stay away from sheetmetal as you
can do some fairly major damage the body. Use jackstands for obvious
safety reasons. The extra 60 or so seconds it takes to put them under
the car is worth it.

...Ron
--
68'RS Camaro
88'Formula
00'GT Mustang

purpleopal27

you should set the jackstands high enough that you can work comfortably
without hitting your face on the under carriage. the proper way to jack
the car is by using the frame rail on both sides of the car one side first
then the other. make sure the car is in park if automatic or in gear if
standard then set emergency brake plus always put blocks behind rear
wheels so the car can't roll while you are under the car

Joe

"Amy Andrews" <amyken@earthlink.net> wrote in
news:50uGf.15799$vU2.10703@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net:

> OK, this is probably the most basic question you will get here, and
> I'm sure it will make most of you laugh, but here goes. When jacking
> up my Mustang to change the oil, what is the proper way to get the car
> up? Do you use the front cross member as the jack point, or jack up
> one side at a time? I have a floor jack and jack stands. Once the
> car is up, what is the proper position to put the jack stands? I know
> this is car care 101, but I really don't know the answers.

Why jack it up in the first place? It's a lot easier to make a little
set of ramps out of some wood and drive right up on them.

I got some 2x4s and had Home Depot do an angle cut on each so they look
like wedges from the side. Now I just set each one in front of a tire
and drive right up onto them. Takes all of 20 seconds and there's
plenty of room to change the oil (the extra 2" was all I needed). Plus,
the car is still as level as if it were on the ground.

Joe
Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies
Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

.boB

Amy Andrews wrote:
> OK, this is probably the most basic question you will get here, and I'm sure
> it will make most of you laugh, but here goes. When jacking up my Mustang
> to change the oil, what is the proper way to get the car up? Do you use the
> front cross member as the jack point, or jack up one side at a time? I have
> a floor jack and jack stands. Once the car is up, what is the proper
> position to put the jack stands? I know this is car care 101, but I really
> don't know the answers.
>
>
I don't know what year your car is, so can't tell you exactly where. But Ford
is pretty good about putting instruction on the car. Usually a big white sticker
near the factory jack with pictures.

--
..boB
On Order: 2006 FXDI, Red.
1997 HD FXDWG - Turbocharged Stolen 11/26/05 in Denver
1HD1GEL10VY3200010 CO License J5822Z
2001 Dodge Dakota QC 5.9/4x4/3.92
1966 Mustang Coupe - Daily Driver
1965 FFR Cobra - 427W EFI, Damn Fast.

Carl

Maybe the OP wants to check the wheel bearings at the same time?

Carl

"Joe" <nobody@home.now> wrote in message
news:Xns9764C4FBD9BEnospamforme@216.77.188.18...
> "Amy Andrews" <amyken@earthlink.net> wrote in
> news:50uGf.15799$vU2.10703@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net:
>
> > OK, this is probably the most basic question you will get here, and
> > I'm sure it will make most of you laugh, but here goes. When jacking
> > up my Mustang to change the oil, what is the proper way to get the car
> > up? Do you use the front cross member as the jack point, or jack up
> > one side at a time? I have a floor jack and jack stands. Once the
> > car is up, what is the proper position to put the jack stands? I know
> > this is car care 101, but I really don't know the answers.
>
> Why jack it up in the first place? It's a lot easier to make a little
> set of ramps out of some wood and drive right up on them.
>
> I got some 2x4s and had Home Depot do an angle cut on each so they look
> like wedges from the side. Now I just set each one in front of a tire
> and drive right up onto them. Takes all of 20 seconds and there's
> plenty of room to change the oil (the extra 2" was all I needed). Plus,
> the car is still as level as if it were on the ground.
>
> Joe
> Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies
> Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

KJ.Kate

Amy,
Some of the guys will raise hell about this but here is my take on it.

I think that Ron's advice is sound in some ways ONLY IF you are using a
floor jack.
If you are using the jack that came with the car, jack it at the jack
points. The little rinky dink jacks that come with these cars are good for
emergency use only.

If you try to use the little jack that came with the car, and then crawl,
under it you are asking for trouble in the form of a car planted on your
chest.

There is a part of me that has to ask why do it yourself?
Why not just go down and have the oil changed at Speedy Lube? They dispose
of the old, check everything, and lube the rest, check it all, top it off
and even vacuum it for you and wash the windows. For not a whole lot of
money. It's definitely worth the few extra bucks considering the mess it is
to deal with used oil, taking it to the recycling center, messy oil filters
and so on.

If you really want to DIY get some ramps at Pep Boys, and drive it up.
Put a good block (like a brick) behind the rear wheel and be sure that your
brake is firmly set if it's an automatic, be sure it is in park.

Damn... be careful. NEVER crawl under a car without jack stands under it or
unless it's on ramps.

Oh, let us know how you do ok!

Kate


"RSCamaro" <rscamero@frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:6hsku1dbfeisif67fua31ia45d7c79efi4@4ax.com...
: On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 22:11:13 GMT, "Amy Andrews"
: <amyken@earthlink.net> wrote:
:
: >OK, this is probably the most basic question you will get here, and I'm
sure
: >it will make most of you laugh, but here goes. When jacking up my
Mustang
: >to change the oil, what is the proper way to get the car up? Do you use
the
: >front cross member as the jack point, or jack up one side at a time? I
have
: >a floor jack and jack stands. Once the car is up, what is the proper
: >position to put the jack stands? I know this is car care 101, but I
really
: >don't know the answers.
:
: The largest piece of metal that you can find is what you want. The
: engine cross member is what I use. Stay away from sheetmetal as you
: can do some fairly major damage the body. Use jackstands for obvious
: safety reasons. The extra 60 or so seconds it takes to put them under
: the car is worth it.
:
: ...Ron
: --
: 68'RS Camaro
: 88'Formula
: 00'GT Mustang

Backyard Mechanic

"Amy Andrews" <amyken@earthlink.net> wrote:

> OK, this is probably the most basic question you will get here, and
> I'm sure it will make most of you laugh, but here goes. When jacking
> up my Mustang to change the oil, what is the proper way to get the car
> up? Do you use the front cross member as the jack point, or jack up
> one side at a time? I have a floor jack and jack stands. Once the
> car is up, what is the proper position to put the jack stands? I know
> this is car care 101, but I really don't know the answers.

Amy, Sorry some people on here dont seem to be able to comprehend what
they read

Obviously YOU wouldnt use the jack from the trunk if someone paid you...I
do all my own work on my cars and think I've used a trunk-housed jack
once in the last twenty years.

That is why you have AAA or roadside from your Ins co.

You're right... jack under center of the crossmember, double chck it once
it starts to lift.

I then put stands under the subframes or the lower control arms at the
spring nests, depending on what I'm doing.

Even though I drive either clunkers or now-antique fox mustangs, I dont
use the jack-points for stands or jacking with the floor jack, either.

A tip... if you use the cheap stamped steel stands with the legs that
look like they were sliced lengthways, have someone grind the base of
each leg so they sit flat.... and use foot-square 3/4 plywood under them.

Esp if on dirt or asphalt.

--
Yeh, I'm a Krusty old Geezer, putting up with my 'smartass' is the price
you pay..DEAL with it!

KJ.Kate

"Backyard Mechanic" <pettyfog@yaywho.com> wrote

: Amy, Sorry some people on here dont seem to be able to comprehend what
: they read


Oh *crap*
you are so right.... I don't know why I saw it but it didn't soak in.

I hate it when that happens.

KJK

RT

On Wed, 8 Feb 2006 19:44:24 -0600, "KJ.Kate"
<KJ.Kate@WhoseHotMail.com> wrote:

>Amy,
>Some of the guys will raise hell about this but here is my take on it.
>
>I think that Ron's advice is sound in some ways ONLY IF you are using a
>floor jack.
>If you are using the jack that came with the car, jack it at the jack
>points. The little rinky dink jacks that come with these cars are good for
>emergency use only.
>
>If you try to use the little jack that came with the car, and then crawl,
>under it you are asking for trouble in the form of a car planted on your
>chest.
>
>There is a part of me that has to ask why do it yourself?
>Why not just go down and have the oil changed at Speedy Lube? They dispose
>of the old, check everything, and lube the rest, check it all, top it off
>and even vacuum it for you and wash the windows. For not a whole lot of
>money. It's definitely worth the few extra bucks considering the mess it is
>to deal with used oil, taking it to the recycling center, messy oil filters
>and so on.

yeah, and they also don't put enough oil in your car, don't tighten
the drian plug enough, overtighten the drain plug, don't tighten the
oil filter enough, over tighten it... etc etc.. they're cheap because
they have idiots do the work that can't do anythign better. They also
screw this up.

>
>If you really want to DIY get some ramps at Pep Boys, and drive it up.
>Put a good block (like a brick) behind the rear wheel and be sure that your
>brake is firmly set if it's an automatic, be sure it is in park.

ramps are the best investment I did for my car... until I bought the
cobra and can't drive it up the ramp because the front hangs down too
much. Still need to jack it up. but yeah, for my previous mustang and
any other car I used the rhino ramps. works very well, and it's safe.


>
>Damn... be careful. NEVER crawl under a car without jack stands under it or
>unless it's on ramps.
>
>Oh, let us know how you do ok!
>
>Kate
>
>
>"RSCamaro" <rscamero@frontiernet.net> wrote in message
>news:6hsku1dbfeisif67fua31ia45d7c79efi4@4ax.com...
>: On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 22:11:13 GMT, "Amy Andrews"
>: <amyken@earthlink.net> wrote:
>:
>: >OK, this is probably the most basic question you will get here, and I'm
>sure
>: >it will make most of you laugh, but here goes. When jacking up my
>Mustang
>: >to change the oil, what is the proper way to get the car up? Do you use
>the
>: >front cross member as the jack point, or jack up one side at a time? I
>have
>: >a floor jack and jack stands. Once the car is up, what is the proper
>: >position to put the jack stands? I know this is car care 101, but I
>really
>: >don't know the answers.
>:
>: The largest piece of metal that you can find is what you want. The
>: engine cross member is what I use. Stay away from sheetmetal as you
>: can do some fairly major damage the body. Use jackstands for obvious
>: safety reasons. The extra 60 or so seconds it takes to put them under
>: the car is worth it.
>:
>: ...Ron
>: --
>: 68'RS Camaro
>: 88'Formula
>: 00'GT Mustang
>