Hydraulic lift question

[TigerSaleen]

Hey, guys:

Newbie here...I've lurked for a while and decided to join in, so I'll start off with a question. I have a Bendpak MD-6xp hydraulic scissor-style lift in my shop; it's brand new and I just used it for the first time yesterday. I ran my '89 Saleen Mustang up on it, using the factory jack points on the side sills of the car as the points to lift it. The only problem is that when I set the car back down on the ground, the driver's side front jack point (the body seam that protrudes down just inside the rocker panel) was bent. It appears to have collapsed on the lift pad. The pads on my lift are just round rubber affairs and have no slots cut in them for the body seam to slip in to. When I called Bendpak about it, they said that they have no other pads available and that "this can happen sometimes." Well, I don't want it to happen at all!!! Has anyone else here had that happen and, if so, how do you avoid it?

Thanks a million,

 

[ybnormal70]

I thought the pinch moldings were only to be used with the factory jacks that are made to fit over the the little lip?

L8r,

Kevin

 

[blk00ss]

Yup. Don't use pinch welds on anything heavier than something like a civic or corolla.

 

[mattmankow]

FYI, Civics don't have pinch welds. Civics have lifting "feet" that stick out below the body work.
OP, I've never used a scissor lift. Can't you hit the front subframe mount? You know where the trans crossmember bolts, but further forward? Should be square bent into the floor pans. In the rear somewhere near the torque boxes should be good, if you can reach them?

 

[TigerSaleen]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I admit that I've had very little experience with anything newer than circa 1965 as far as cars are concerned. I took the owner's manual at it's word and, in hindsight, should have checked someplace like here first. Luckily, there doesn't seem to be any harm done to the car other than the pinch weld being laid over, which I can straighten back out again. I'll definitely do more research before I lift it again. Thanks again for heads-up about this.