Kirkham Jacking Points

[bnewell]

I have decided to place KMP297 on jack stands for the remainder of Winter hibernation. Mainly because getting flat spots in my big letter Goodyears.

Before I go sticking a jack under my car, can anyone tell the proper jacking locations?? I checked the Kirkham website and found no information regarding this.


Thanks,

[saltytri]

I use a floor jack at the centers of the main cross tubes fore and aft. Easy.

[dlampe]

I agree, then set the jack stands on the main 4 in. tubes with some towels wrapped around the contact points to protect the paint.

[bnewell]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the responses.

I was thinking of leaving the tires on while on the jack stands, but blocking them up to keep the weight off of the suspension. Any thoughts??

The reason for leaving the tires on.......too lazy to take them off

[dlampe]

What are you going to block up? The tires or the lower contol arms? If you block up the tires, you will still get the flat spots. I would probably just let them hang or cut some wood blocks to fit under the lower control arms.

[bnewell]

Good point.

My initial thoughts were to block up the tires, but your right, I'd be defeating the purpose. I figured, if I did not block up the tires it would be too much weight hanging on the suspension for a long period of time......unless I just remove the wheels/tires, which is probably the right thing to do.

Hey Godzila......hear that, we will be yanking the wheels/tires too!!!!

Thanks again for the help,

[G.R.]

Of course you know that you will need to store the wheels and tires "flat" if you pull them, not leaning up on the garage walls?
If the car is to be put up on jackstands I understand it is best to pull the wheels/tires to avoid stress on the suspension components if stored for a long period of time.

Of course you new this

[big-boss]

Damn, just live somewhere where you can drive it a couple of times a month in the winter. Or even better, send it to my Cobra Winter sitting COmpany here in CA. Where I will nurture and care for your car over the long winter.

[Jamo]

Speaking of which...had a nice drive under the 60 degree blue skies today.

[rob frink]

..........

[bnewell]

Shhhhhhh...........Kumpie's mom may find out I knew I should have taken some pics after the "incident"......I could have had free car storage for the rest of my life!!! p.s. I gave Kumpie a check for you yesterday, he said he would see you at the OCC meeting this Tuesday. I hope he doesn't try to cash it for more booze



big-boss & Jamo ~ I spent a few days in Northern CA last month........it rained every day. Whazzzup with that????

[Jamo]

Fire your travel agent...we've only had a couple of days of rain. You must've been too far north.

[bnewell]

yep, had a xmas party in San Fran and then spent the next couple of days in Carmel.

[lineslinger]

While running wire wheels on one of my english sports cars I would jack the car up far enough to relieve the CAR weight but still allow the tires to touch the floor. I used jackstands with an infinite adjustment feature. In essence the tires were only supporting their own weight plus the weight of the wheels and the suspension components.This way I wasn't stretching the components too far one way or the other while still relieving the majority of the weight involved. I would also deflate the tires down to around 20lbs. each.
When the weather warmed I would the inflate the tires back to specified pressure without any flat spot problems as well as not having to true up the wheel spokes (PITA),this technique really worked well for me.

[rsimoes]

Why would it be bad to leave the wheels hanging in the air? Wouldn't the mechnical limitation of the suspesion hold it and not the springs or bushings, etc?

I left my Corvette on a lift tww winters without any issues and no flat spots. . .

[lineslinger]

You kind of answered your own question rsimoes, by leaving the wheels hanging at the point of their mechanical limitations you are stressing those mechanicals to a limit very seldom seen in standard driving.
The components that limit the travel of the wheel....the bushings, springs,arms etc. are left hanging in an "unnatural" position thereby accelerating their usable life, in some cases even forcing certain components to reform themselves.
I say this because I had to replace some of the rubber bushings on the front
A arms of my Austin Healy, they developed a deformed memory from hanging too long and no longer seated themselves properly in their housings.

[rsimoes]

Brian,

How about these things instead of jack stands?

http://www.tirecradle.com/

[imagine2frolic]

I believe it was fasterpatrick that had his tires in cradles that were dollys too?