Is there any reason I shouldn't jack up my car from the side in the middle of the car
 

I'd like to jack up the car in the middle (about where the door handle is) but understand that is not the correct jack point. If I were to use something like this would it be alright to do this?
Specifically, I'm looking for first-hand experiences. I know the owner's manual does not recommend it.

But why... use the front center jack point or the rear...?

Doing that will mess up your car. The jack up points are reinforced.

- AdrianG

It's easier.

You have first hand experience with this? How did it "mess up" the car?

No, I don't have first hand experience because I am not stupid.

If you search the forums though I saw a post a while ago of someone who did a bad job placing their jack stands and the car bent a bit.

- AdrianG

The jack points are reinforced. If you jack someplace else, you're going to bend something.

Though I do use that tool from flyinmiata all the time for pinch weld cars, so it's good to have (but you STILL use the factory points!)

Not on a BRZ, but I've done it on other similar cars and seen it done where it bent the pinchweld and/or dented in the rocker. On most cars, jacking in the middle of a car on the pinchweld where it is not reinforced is just asking for damage to happen.


I have the Flyin Miata jack adapter linked to in the first post. Works great, when used at or near the factory pinchweld jack points. Just jack it at the front jack point, behind the front tire, and it will lift the whole side of the car and the rear tire off the ground too.

Try not to jack from the pinch welds - if you don't do both sides at same time, they tend to bend - some not-so-cool shop decided to do this to my car way back before I knew any better and it's ever so slightly bent now. I always use the diff and the spot right in front of header, as prescribed by manual.

+1
Doesn't get much easier than that.

I did read: "I know the owner's manual does not recommend it."

It does more than that. It tells you exactly what to use.

At a track we lifted up the side a friends FR-S and started to bend the tabs. The spare tire jack in the boot does not pivot as it lifts, the same as a shops swing arm lift. Any jack that does will put shear on the tabs and probably bend them if there is any friction on the wheels of the jack.

Those pinch welds are okay-ish to jack the car up by...IF you use a jack adapter of some sort that acts in the same way the oem jack in the trunk does. The oem jack actually has a slot where the pinch weld goes into and then actually pushes up on the subframe of the car. Using anything other than that will put pressure on the pinch weld which actually doesnt hold weight. It WILL bend.

IMO: Use the jack points if you can. If you are going to be modding your car, invest in the low profile one from harbor freight. It pays itself back in no time with ease of use.

To add: don't buy the craftsman jack. Read the reviews if you want to know why. Harbor Freight is much better.

Not sure how this is easier then lifting from front or rear and installing two jack stands at the same.

And even with the reinforcement expect a minor amount of denting to the front jacking point. I even used a block of wood like I always have.

Most of these comments are pretty sidetracked. Here's my advice:

I wouldn't jack the car up on the side from anywhere other than the recommended jack points. As has been mentioned, they're reinforced and made for it.

- Forget about the pinch weld (it runs through the jack point and will bend if any weight is on it there, too, so it's really irrelevant). If you're jacking on the side you'll need an adapter or whatever or it will bend, period.

- If the point of your question is lifting 2 wheels at the same time for changing tires (the only way I can imagine it being "easier"), you can lift both front or rear wheels using the points above.

- OR.. I'm at work and can't confirm, but I would guess you can lift it from either of the side jack points and get one side high enough to pick 2 wheels off the ground.

Beyond that, I can't think of a reason to jack the car from any other point.

I can understand lifting from the side, it's a little more stable than from the front or rear side jack point by the wheels, but I'd be weary of something bending. I've thought about it but have never done it. If some people have had experience jacking an 86 like this and have seen body damage occur (not just the pinch weld getting mushed), then that's enough for me. Some internet people saying "no the manual says..." or "duh yyour dumb" without any real evidence is kinda worthless.

I've jacked Subarus from the pinch weld for many years, and while none have outright buckled, most have shown some deformation. However I've only done this from the designated points. I'd like to pick up that Miata tool, looks handy.

I VASTLY prefer jacking from the center crossmenber and diff, however you need a long low profile jack, like the 68050 from Harbor Freight. It's heavy and a little unwieldy, but it works like a charm. Kind of a PITA to bring to the track, though.

The aluminum 2 and 3 ton jacks at Harbor Freight will reach if your car isn't lowered.

The aluminum 1.5 Ton jack from Harbor Freight also works. It's relatively light and compact too!

a hockey puck with a channel cut is a wonderful thing

I used scrap 2x4s with a dado

He is correct, the post is here with pics of the damage in the forum entitled Safely Jacking and Supporting Your BRZ/FR-S :http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...t=10111&page=4

I am cheap and patient and only need to work on one wheel at a time anyway so I use the oem scissor jack just left of the leftmost notch, raise the oem jack to full height which has the tire off the ground and allows you to just slide a 3 Ton HF Stand on its lowest setting underneath the other notch. Stable too. no problems, i watched and listened carefully.

This product is the shit tho, it lets you use a floor jack on the pinch points! Sold out tho https://www.flyinmiata.com/fm-jack-adapter.html

Shit, I read that all wrong when I first saw it!


http://www.cbc.ca/airplay/dodo_bird.jpg

Ouch.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/...20130826011832

Master Splinter is such a rat.

imagine where all the weight is going when you jack from the middle. you have half the car's weight pushing down from both ends of the car.

if you jack it from the pinch welds, not only are they reinforced, but you are only lifting a quarter of the car. most of the weight will be pushing down on the 3 other wheels that are still in contact with the ground.

get a pair of used jack stands from craigslist for like 10-20$ and do it properly. save your car. save your life.

You could just weld a small piece of metal to the pinch to reinforce it