Jack Points

aapitten

aapitten

Active Member
Hi Everyone,
Has anyone found a good spot to place a jack and jack stands both on the front and rear of the car? With all the underbody panels I'm struggling to find a good, secure spot.

I'm not talking one of the cheap 'pinch weld' jacks that you get with a donut to use at the side of the road, I'm talking an actual floor jack with a set of cast jack stands for doing things like tire rotations, etc.

Thanks in advance!
 
The jacking points are shown on p 534 of the manual. I’m sorry, but my Adobe Acrobat Reader won’t let me copy the picture. They are near outer edge close to rear of front tire well and to the front of the rear tire well. If you don’t have the manual, I can send you a pdf of mine.
Be safe at all times.
 
@KentuckyKen, thanks for the reply. I did see those but those points, if you look at them under the car, are designed for one of the 'emergency' scissor jacks (like the yellow one below). If you were to put a true floor jack on them it's pretty clear the pinch weld would just bend over unless you got an adapter for it.

I'm looking for a strong, flat spot to put a jack like the green one below. Ideally I'd like to be able to lift the entire rear end or front end of the car from one point so then I can put a pair of jack stands under it.

My 2007 Toyota had spots like that which appeared to be specifically meant for that purpose

MYCHANIC_Blog_Post_1_788x.png


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I see what you mean. My floor jack will have the same problem. What if we cut out a groove in a block of wood to keep off the pinch weld? I’m going to try that this weekend. But that won’t solve the problem of not being able to jack one end to place the 4 jack stands. I’ve never tried it that way. Can it be safely done from the side?
And, what is that beautiful classic red car in your photo?
 
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You can jack on those points fine, who cares if the pinch weld bends? It won't anyway, that steel is strong as heck. I would have to double check the clarity though to see what that jack pad looks like. Maybe there is a reinforced section off the pinch weld? I will look at it again at home tonight.

Note where my jack is located here: https://carswithplugs.com/2018/03/04/honda-clarity-uncovered-wheel/
Sorry, just at the edge of the image, don't have a better one of it. Easy to lift the entire side of the car from that front point.
 
I've been placing my aftermarket electric jack on the aluminum pinch-welds of my Insights for 19 years with no problems. Of course, an aluminum Insight weighs less than half as much as a two-ton Clarity PHEV, but the Clarity has stronger steel pinch-welds.
 
Just get one of the inexpensive pinch weld adapters for your floor jack. I’ve been using one for years with no damage to frame or welds.

Here in Michigan it does matter if you crush the weld because that will take the paint off that spot and could lead to serious corrosion in the frame.

Be sure to get the correct size for your jack disc. Example:

https://www.amazon.com/DEDC-Univers...53688&sr=8-3&keywords=Pinch+weld+jack+adapter
 
Sandroad said:
Just get one of the inexpensive pinch weld adapters for your floor jack. I’ve been using one for years with no damage to frame or welds.

Here in Michigan it does matter if you crush the weld because that will take the paint off that spot and could lead to serious corrosion in the frame.

Be sure to get the correct size for your jack disc. Example:

https://www.amazon.com/DEDC-Univers...53688&sr=8-3&keywords=Pinch+weld+jack+adapter
Click to expand...

Curious if you have found that the Clarity tends to shave off bits of the adapter with every use? I have been using these and a bit comes off the puck adapter - like because of the way the jack point is made.
 
I have used the 2 middle jack points under the car with floor jacks without any issue. It just feel weired to jack the back at the hook.
 
I hate to break it to you guys, but the mechs at the dealership or inspection centers arent too concerned about your jack points.
I work in the industry and see the "precision two-post alignment" techniques applied to every vehicle
 
Lol yeah...agreed. Just stick your current floor jack under a pinch weld and jack it. It’ll be fine. No adapters or protection needed. It’s exactly what every mechanic does with a car lift every time your car goes in for service anyway....
 
KentuckyKen said:
I see what you mean. My floor jack will have the same problem. What if we cut out a groove in a block of wood to keep off the pinch weld? I’m going to try that this weekend. But that won’t solve the problem of not being able to jack one end to place the 4 jack stands. I’ve never tried it that way. Can it be safely done from the side?
And, what is that beautiful classic red car in your photo?
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So I'm only 2 years late in replying to you..... somehow I never saw a notification of a reply to this thread!

I did try the block of wood and it actually started to split - which obviously scared me. When I'm jacking by the pinch welds I have taken to using a hockey puck with a notch cut in it. seems to work well.

As MrFixIt indicated, I also did find there are spots on both the front and the rear to place a proper floor jack. The front is too low (Even with my low profile jack) so I drive up onto a couple 2x6 boards and then slide the jack under. I agree with megreyhair that it seems super weird to be jacking by that tow hook, but that's what Honda wants us to do!

AIAI, I totally believe that, and that' also why i do almost everything myself (my car has been on the lift at the dealer/elsewhere exactly 2x, both of which were to turn the rusting rotors. I always take a look afterwards to make sure my pinch welds are okay too. Up here in NE Ohio, all the winter salt does a number on all metal on cars. I'm prepping to fluid film again before winter. I'll take a couple photos of some of the rust already starting in places (despite doing fluid flim in the past.)

I have yet to find a place where I feel comfortable putting a jack stand though.

KentuckyKen, If you are referring to the photo with the jack in it, I have no clue - I just found it online to illustrate. If you are talking my profile photo, that is my old 1971 MGB - unfortunately I sold it just prior to buying my Clarity as I only had a one car garage at the time and wanted to store the new car inside. Now that I've upgraded houses I'm hoping to rebuild the collection!
 
aapitten said:
KentuckyKen, If you are referring to...
Click to expand...
I miss Kentucky Ken, last heard from on this forum in May. In June I made a postcard from a photo he sent me of his Clarity in a parade. I sent it to the address I had for him, but no reply.

upload_2020-11-10_21-58-12.webp
 
insightman said:
I miss Kentucky Ken, last heard from on this forum in May. In June I made a postcard from a photo he sent me of his Clarity in a parade. I sent it to the address I had for him, but no reply.

View attachment 9906
Click to expand...
I believe his son 'kidnapped' him to help with some renovations, right?

An update, I had my car on ramps and jack stands this weekend (applying woolwax (fluid film) to some exposed metal on the underside.) I know it isn't an official 'jackstand point', but I lifted using the tow hook on the back, which is approved, and then gently set it on a LARGE jack stand on either side of the aluminum rear round crossmember, right where it welds to the unibody box-structure. I figured that is probably one of the stronger points in the rear of the car. Everything went smoothly. YMMV
 
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