First time van owner - help with acceptable jack points?

[ajchien]

Just bought a 2018 Ford Transit 350 xlt.

I joined those nice folks a the Transit forums. They’re pretty skiddish about jacking their vans except at the official jack points - Rear axle housing next the u bolts in rear or where the transmission crossmember meets the frame in front.

Since I’ve only owned unibody cars before, I’m learning...

Looking underneath, I think I should be able to safely lift at the center of the front engine crossmember, where the front subframe meets the frame, or at the rear differential also?

 

[Showkey]

The owners manual might give jack points, at least the ones for changing tires.

I would get a factory service manual all permitted points............only jack at the recommended locations.

Many engine cross members are NOT jack points.

 

[rburke65]

Jack points are in the owners manual.

 

[BillK]

Any newer vehicle like this I would stick to the jack points listed in the owners manual.

 

[ajchien]

The owners manual might give jack points, at least the ones for changing tires.

I would get a factory service manual all permitted points............only jack at the recommended locations.

Many engine cross members are NOT jack points.

Thanks for the responses. That’s unfortunate.

The factory service manual only lists the same Jack points as the owners manual I listed above (where transmission mount meets the frame, and rear axle tubes under u joints). Service manual does add lift points being the frame just next to the transmission crossmember and in front of the rear springs.

Not having center jack points is slim pickings and inconvenient. But it’ll get the job done.

 

[u2slow]

Looking underneath, I think I should be able to safely lift at the center of the front engine crossmember, where the front subframe meets the frame

I did this with our unibody Jeep (Liberty). Not directly though, because it looked like it would fold in the middle. Has this shape: \______/

What I did was nail a stack of three 2x6's together about 20" long. Jacking with this block in between spreads the load out so it can't fold up.

 

[theoldwizard1]

What I did was nail a stack of three 2x6's together about 20" long. Jacking with this block in between spreads the load out so it can't fold up.

It probably does not need to be that long. My 4x6 block is only about 12".

Also, if you cut a deep, wide groove in one face, you can place that under the pinch weld for the rocker and lift there.

 

[thetable]

Since I’ve only owned unibody cars before, I’m learning...

The Transit is also a unibody, and a heavy one at that, thus the picky jack points.

 

[ford33]

I own that model vehicle and would place a jack only at the owner's manual locations. This is not a body on frame vehicle and combined with its heavy weight, I would not risk using another jacking location.

The locations are not obstructive for typical service work like changing tires, oil or general inspections. The bottle jack provided with the vehicle fits well into those locations.

 

[Jeepster04]

I did this with our unibody Jeep (Liberty). Not directly though, because it looked like it would fold in the middle. Has this shape: \______/

What I did was nail a stack of three 2x6's together about 20" long. Jacking with this block in between spreads the load out so it can't fold up.

Ive been using that as a jacking point on my Liberty since it was new in 2004.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, stick with the manufacturers recommendations.

 

[ajchien]

Ok, thanks for all the replies.

Seems that I should use the official jack points to jack up the van and then put the stands on the lift points.