Any auto guys here?

[rodger.]

My wife has a toyota yaris, and I went to lift it today with my hydraulic floor jack. The rear is fine, but I can't jack up the front because the jack doesn't fit. Is there a safe way to jack up the car from the side without damaging the body? The spot where you normally put the scissors jack is the spot I would like to use the floor jack (it's a 3 tonne model, so a bit of overkill for a yaris). Is this a bad idea?

[Tpt life]

How much clearance do you need? Drive the front axle onto a two by ramp. It'll only take a few minutes to fab.

[atlinwi202]

The floor jack might crush the stamped steel where re scissor jack would go. You could build a wood "adapter" with a slit in it to accommodate.

[Pwalter5110]

What do you need to jack the car up for? You may be able to just put the jack under the front lower control arm if your just checking brakes.

A lot of times at work, when we get lowered cars in and can't get a lift arm under the car, we grab the inside of the fender and lift with our legs. Then kind of kick the arm under the car. You can get an inch or 2. A Yaris isn't a heavy car either.

Also, I doubt the pinch weld will crush. We lift vehicles from the pinch welds on every car that comes into the shop. Only trucks and SUVs get lifted from the frame.

[EdgewaterWW]

Do it like in NASCAR then they have a flat,  get 5 big guys to push the body up and ram a $250 low profile racing floor jack under it, all in under 12 sec with fuel 

[TerryMcK]

The jacking point on the side is plenty strong enough for a floor jack. The cup on the jack should straddle the jacking point.

[DaveT]

You mean you can't just slide under without jacking it up?

[Eric.]

Dude, it's a Yaris...just have your wife hold it up while you work on it.

[rodger.]

Dude, it's a Yaris...just have your wife hold it up while you work on it.

Haha! Say what you will about a yaris, but it has been a great car. Super fuel efficient, and gets her where she needs to go. You can also fit a surprising amount of stuff in there!

[rodger.]

What do you need to jack the car up for? You may be able to just put the jack under the front lower control arm if your just checking brakes.

A lot of times at work, when we get lowered cars in and can't get a lift arm under the car, we grab the inside of the fender and lift with our legs. Then kind of kick the arm under the car. You can get an inch or 2. A Yaris isn't a heavy car either.

Also, I doubt the pinch weld will crush. We lift vehicles from the pinch welds on every car that comes into the shop. Only trucks and SUVs get lifted from the frame.

For general duty stuff like tire rotations, oil changes, brake inspection, etc. I am worried about using the pinch weld, as it explicitly says in the manual not to. What do you think of a length of stick with a groove in it?

[rodger.]

You mean you can't just slide under without jacking it up?

Hard to change the tires if I'm under the car!

[Pwalter5110]

For general duty stuff like tire rotations, oil changes, brake inspection, etc. I am worried about using the pinch weld, as it explicitly says in the manual not to. What do you think of a length of stick with a groove in it?

If the manual tells you not to use the pinch weld, then I have lifted about 10,000 cars up incorrectly 

 

I think that if you can't get the jack under the vehicle by itself, your situation will only be worse if you put a 2X4 on top of the jack.

 

I checked the owners manual, and I didn't see anything that said not to use the pinch weld. At least the owners manual that I have access to says TO use the pinch weld. I checked out the yaris repair manual and attached the lift locations just to make sure I haven't been a hack to cars. I attached them for you.

 

 

[rodger.]

If the manual tells you not to use the pinch weld, then I have lifted about 10,000 cars up incorrectly

I think that if you can't get the jack under the vehicle by itself, your situation will only be worse if you put a 2X4 on top of the jack.

I checked the owners manual, and I didn't see anything that said not to use the pinch weld. At least the owners manual that I have access to says TO use the pinch weld. I checked out the yaris repair manual and attached the lift locations just to make sure I haven't been a hack to cars. I attached them for you.

Screen Shot 2014-04-11 at 9.41.17 PM.png

Thanks for the pic.

I wasn't implying that you were doing something incorrectly - I hope my reply didn't come off that way.

Also, You are correct - the manual doesn't state that about the pinch weld (I double checked it). I must have read it somewhere else and I misremembered it as being in the manual.

I took a different car in for a tire plug one time, and the guy used a hydraulic floor jack to lift the car from the pinch weld and he mangled it. There must be a correct and incorrect method.

The jack fits under the car in all spots except under the front end. I can easily lift the rear and sides, so it's annoying that I can't get the jack under the front.

Can a person use a floor jack on the support positions? I thought the support positions were only for support stands and the emergency scissors jack.

Clearly, if you have jacked vechiles from the side for a while, there must be a correct way. How do I do it without crushing the weld?

[wtnhighlander]

So, just cut a divot out of your garage floor to give the jack extra clearance.

[Byrdie]

It's already been suggested to drive the front tires up onto something to generate some clearance for the jack to get under the front.  Not sure what's so hard about that.

[rodger.]

It's already been suggested to drive the front tires up onto something to generate some clearance for the jack to get under the front.  Not sure what's so hard about that.

There is nothing hard about it.

[Pwalter5110]

Thanks for the pic.

I wasn't implying that you were doing something incorrectly - I hope my reply didn't come off that way.

Also, You are correct - the manual doesn't state that about the pinch weld (I double checked it). I must have read it somewhere else and I misremembered it as being in the manual.

I took a different car in for a tire plug one time, and the guy used a hydraulic floor jack to lift the car from the pinch weld and he mangled it. There must be a correct and incorrect method.

The jack fits under the car in all spots except under the front end. I can easily lift the rear and sides, so it's annoying that I can't get the jack under the front.

Can a person use a floor jack on the support positions? I thought the support positions were only for support stands and the emergency scissors jack.

Clearly, if you have jacked vechiles from the side for a while, there must be a correct way. How do I do it without crushing the weld?

I knew you didn't mean anything by it. I kind of got a chuckle out of it. BUT I am one of the few techs I know (and I know A LOT) that takes extreme pride in my work. If I was doing something wrong, I would want to know. I work at a Toyota dealership. I know those cars pretty well. I also have the luxury of a lift. I RARELY use a hydraulic jack. 

 

But if I were working on the ground and only had a hydraulic jack and jack stands. I would jack up the back from the pinch weld. On the pinch weld there are 2 half circles notched out of the bottom of the pinch weld. I would put the jack between those 2 half circles. The front that you can't get to. You can easily drive up on a 2X6 to give yourself more clearance. Me? I would jack up from the pinch weld. If your not comfortable, and I understand if your not, then there is a jack point in the front center, and in the rear center. Just make sure to put your jack stand on the pinch weld before actually doing work. The car won't be very stable jacking from the center. 

[rodger.]

I knew you didn't mean anything by it. I kind of got a chuckle out of it. BUT I am one of the few techs I know (and I know A LOT) that takes extreme pride in my work. If I was doing something wrong, I would want to know. I work at a Toyota dealership. I know those cars pretty well. I also have the luxury of a lift. I RARELY use a hydraulic jack. 

 

But if I were working on the ground and only had a hydraulic jack and jack stands. I would jack up the back from the pinch weld. On the pinch weld there are 2 half circles notched out of the bottom of the pinch weld. I would put the jack between those 2 half circles. The front that you can't get to. You can easily drive up on a 2X6 to give yourself more clearance. Me? I would jack up from the pinch weld. If your not comfortable, and I understand if your not, then there is a jack point in the front center, and in the rear center. Just make sure to put your jack stand on the pinch weld before actually doing work. The car won't be very stable jacking from the center.

Thanks! I appreciate your reply.