Pinch weld jack point paint damage?

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by Ingen

Just about every pickup / truck is body-on-frame, but I think we've seen the end of the BOF car days.

I won't miss them

Some aluminum construction looks a lot like body on frame: Corvette for example.


A lot of smaller trucks are now unibody including the latest Jeep Cherokee which is a fat Dodge Dart, built like the Ford Escape which is a fat Focus.

Unibody gives excellent torsional rigidity. Jacking torsional stress is nothing compared to high speed cornering.

[Fizz]

I recently damaged my pinch weld too....bent the whole pinch weld point, and it even split open slightly. I managed to pry them close but the paint damage was pretty bad. So I bought a can of "Valvoline Tectyl 506" to spray over the pinch weld.

This, and other similar products, are regularly used and recommended by 4x4 guys to prevent/protect from rust. The only downside is that it dries to an amber like colour...but luckily my car is orange (hot lava) and the pinch weld area is out of sight.

[imom]

Originally Posted by dehydratedH2O

the bottom of the pinch weld is not supposed to touch the puck. look at the yellow jack pad supporting the pinch weld in the other picture to see.

Okay, so the topside of the yellow puck touches the rocker panel? The channel is deep enough where the bottom of the pinch weld never touch the puck? Just want to confirm my understanding. Thank you

[dehydratedH2O]

Originally Posted by imom

Okay, so the topside of the yellow puck touches the rocker panel? The channel is deep enough where the bottom of the pinch weld never touch the puck? Just want to confirm my understanding. Thank you

Yes. Again, look at the photo.

[dem00n]

I notice the most damaged is done when you lower the pinch weld on a jack stand, that's where mine is personally bending, not when you jack up the car.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by dem00n

I notice the most damaged is done when you lower the pinch weld on a jack stand, that's where mine is personally bending, not when you jack up the car.

Yes and NEVER use anything between a proper jack stand and the car. A jack lifting plate can be applied under a block or pad of some sort but that's only because you NEVER work under a car supported only on or even partially by a jack. Period.

Spacers must not be used on jack stands.

[Apex_BRZ]

I just bent a pinch weld tonight. Depressing as hell. I'm trying to be careful, lowering the jack slowly (lifting by front crossmember) and putting jack stands placed ever so carefully in the right spot. Problem is my jack doesn't lower perfectly smooth, even though its brand new. Car dropped quickly about 1/4in or more, meeting the jack stands and bent the passenger side pinch weld.


Should I be doing this differently? Seems a ridiculous way to support a car. My Corvette you just slap in pucks and you're set. These pinch welds are just silly and looking to get bent and paint removed. The other jack stands I have are grooved in a Y and too tall as they clear the pinch weld completely and support the car by the underbody.


Thoughts?

[Astroboy]

I bent my jacking point a little. Any recommendations on how to fix it

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[RustySocket]

Originally Posted by Apex_BRZ

I just bent a pinch weld tonight. Depressing as hell. I'm trying to be careful, lowering the jack slowly (lifting by front crossmember) and putting jack stands placed ever so carefully in the right spot. Problem is my jack doesn't lower perfectly smooth, even though its brand new. Car dropped quickly about 1/4in or more, meeting the jack stands and bent the passenger side pinch weld.


Should I be doing this differently? Seems a ridiculous way to support a car. My Corvette you just slap in pucks and you're set. These pinch welds are just silly and looking to get bent and paint removed. The other jack stands I have are grooved in a Y and too tall as they clear the pinch weld completely and support the car by the underbody.


Thoughts?

It kind of is what it is. I'm not going to obsess over it because unlike the corvette is is a pinch weld covered with rubberized paint rather than a smooth rocker.


I have one set of stands where the Y isn't so deep and the pinch weld will drop all the way in. I have another that have a deeper Y and like yourself I was concerned about supporting the car from the bod as you were. I studied it for a while and decided that the small span of the saddle supporting the body adjacent to the pinch weld just simple could be that big of deal from a structural standpoint. If it were me I would straighten the pinch weld back to vertical using vice grips and paint the metal with plastidip or undercoating to protect the metal and not give it another thought. Initially I had taken a puck an cut a groove in it for the pinch weld to drop in. What I didn't like about the was now I was relying of the Y saddle of the jack to not slip off the puck. Decided against that before even getting under the car as it wasn't stable and not worth the risk. I now lift the car from the center front lift point. Place two jack stands under the pinch welds and lower it slowly. Then lift the rear by the differential and place two under the rear pinch weld and lower it into place. I use the stands with the deeper saddle at the rear point of the car. and lower the care slowly. Again the rear is being supported not by the apex of the pinch weld I also turn the jack slighty as to keep the supports as close the the pinch as possible. I use some pieces of leather from an old belt so that it's cushioned to some degree rather than metal on metal.


I understand where your coming from but if you look at nearly all modern economy cars this is how they are built. A good friend of mine has been a body man for thirty some odd years and he said I worry too much and to stick the stands under there and get on with the project.


regarding the lowering technique, you have to get good control over the handle and release it slow. I little lubricant on the jack can help smooth that out.


Anyway, don't stress over it too much. Straighten it out. slap some rubberized paint on it and move forward.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by RustySocket

If it were me I would straighten the pinch weld back to vertical using vice grips and paint the metal with plastidip or undercoating to protect the metal and not give it another thought.

This is exactly how a bodyshop repaired a bent pinch-weld on my old STI hatch. Straightened it with vice grips and sprayed undercoating on it.

I'll just add that the pinch weld will be weaker after repair, so be careful with that one if worried about it.