Lifting a Convertible

[Big_John]

Good morning,
What I'm wondering is lifting the car with a floor jack and then sliding the ramps under the wheels as opposed to driving up onto them. Did the fronts one at a time with ramp portion towards front bumper, but wondering if I can lift the rear at the pumpkin so I can slide 2 more ramps under the wheels with ramp portion towards rear bumper so that the car is level. Ramps are oriented to not interfear with access to the underbody.
I hate ramps for the fact they slide also, just wondering if I can put them to use seeing they've been sitting in a corner of the garage for years.

I don't like the idea of jacking up one end of the car with the other end on ramps.

When you use a floor jack, something has to move fore and aft along with up and down. Ideally, the wheels on the floor jack move when the car is lifted or let down. If the jack doesn't move, the car wheels move.

Jacking it up, the natural thing is to slide the jack under and the jack moves towards the center of the car when it goes up. If the wheels on the jack aren't oriented correctly, the jack might not move.. So then the wheels need to move or the car will... and that's not good. You have to be very careful of this with jack stands too. Letting the car down has the same effect... In fact, it's often overlooked as the job is done and it's time to get the car on it's wheels and go have a beer.

So, my worry is that the car can roll off the ramp when jacking the other end... or more so, when letting it down. It even becomes more worrisome if you are using one of the cheap floor jacks with the tiny wheels on it.

BTW, this just brought back a good memory of my two sons taking turns standing on my old floor jack while the other would pump the jack up and then let it down. Made me smile...

 

[Mr onetwo]

I have a 2 post lift and I've picked my Fury a couple of times....rock solid.No change in the door gaps at all.I put the pads right where the FSM says to and yes I have safety stands for both ends.

 

[Boydsdodge]

I have a 2 post lift and I've picked my Fury a couple of times....rock solid.No change in the door gaps at all.I put the pads right where the FSM says too and yes I have safety stands for both ends.

View attachment 590436

Your lift would make lifting a pleasure.

 

[Wonderwagon]

To jack the front of the car I put the hydraulic floor jack under the engine cradle portion of the front subframe. Jackstands, I put them under the front subframe to the rear of the front wheels. I usually use 2 by 4s on top of the jackstands because otherwise the ends of the saddle on each stand will leave small dents in the bottom of the front subframe.View attachment 584164

Like the 2× to spread the weight on the stub frame. Thoughts on improve this, a steel channel that fits over the jack stand saddle with a receiver welded in to prevent the saddle from moving. But with clearance to enable a little movement?

 

[rags]

Thoughts on improve this,

how 'bout just grinding one hook off to top of the stands? place the stands so that the remaining hooks rest against the outside or insides of the frame. awesome wagon restoration by the way!

 

[Mr onetwo]

Your lift would make lifting a pleasure.

It does...it is the single best tool I have ever purchased!

 

[rags]

.it is the single best tool I have ever purchased!

that's the point i try to make. for the money spent, they are a great value. i've used mine as a saw horse, a welding bench, a crane. i extended an arm of the two post into the engine bay of an astro van to lift the engine out. get one while your young and get a lifetime of use out of it.

 

[1970FuryConv]

Like the 2× to spread the weight on the stub frame. Thoughts on improve this, a steel channel that fits over the jack stand saddle with a receiver welded in to prevent the saddle from moving. But with clearance to enable a little movement?

A steel fitting to hold the 2x4 would stabilize the set up further. I usually don't have the car more than 3 inches above the jack saddle, so if either end of the 2x4 tilts up, it contacts the subframe rather than falling off.

 

[patrick66]

My Imperial rag is a big-assed car, weighing in at a hefty 5,440#. But, it IS a full-framed car, so I have advantages in jacking mine you guys with unibodies don't. I still jack that up from the center of the engine crossmember, put stands under the frame behind the wheels; and then jack up the rear from the axle center and support it at the front of the rear spring perches.

Now that I think about it, it's "oil-change weekend" for the Imperial and the Coronet.

 

[Kelly Coleman]

had my 70 300 vert on stands for over a year. just in front of rear wheels and just in back of front wheels. Had a friend thats a good fabricator and welder come over to look at putting in frame connectors. He looked, said he could, opened the passenger door then closed it like normal. It closed and latched just like it was sitting on the ground. Looked at me and said if the doors like that it would be a waste of time and money unless you wanted alot of HP under the hood.