Jack Stands Under Pinch Welds?

[BrandoJames]

Per my vehicle’s user manual, the designated jack points are the frame’s pinch welds (behind front tires & front of rear tires). Thats where I always place my jack stands. But if you google the title of this thread, you’ll get all kinds of answers.

Some say that a pinch weld should only be used with your vehicle’s factory scissor jack—that pinch welds weren’t designed for jack stands (or a floor jack). Others say the pinch weld is the safest place for your jack stands. Just curious what you guys think.

 

[nh_yota]

Depends on the vehicle.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

All depends. On newer vehicles I have never had an issue lifting by the pinch welds. Up here in the rust belt once most vehicles hit eight to ten years old I usually switch to the sub frame rails. Kind of ***** when you go to lift a car and it just sits on the floor and the lift pads are crunching up through the rocker panels.

 

[Hammer1963]

Pinch weld jack points are how I have lifted cars up for many years. The reasoning behind this is, the structure of the vehicle is highly reinforced in these areas and in using these indicated spots there will be less stress in key areas of the unibody design. The easy solution is to purchase a pinch weld saddle for your jack or make one as I have. I have used rubber sourced from rail road tracks crossing areas or similar. I have also used hockey pucks as well. Cut a slot or make a V groove and you good to go. No stress, no collateral damage, no headaches!

 

[visionguru]

Per my vehicle’s user manual, the designated jack points are the frame’s pinch welds (behind front tires & front of rear tires). Thats where I always place my jack stands. But if you google the title of this thread, you’ll get all kinds of answers.

Some say that a pinch weld should only be used with your vehicle’s factory scissor jack—that pinch welds weren’t designed for jack stands (or a floor jack). Others say the pinch weld is the safest place for your jack stands. Just curious what you guys think.

I'm surprised that this is even a question on a toolguy's forum like GJ.

Is there any difference between being on a lift and on jack stands? Those support points are designated because they are reinforced to bear the vehicle weight, of course you can lift, jack up, place jack stands there.

My Audi designates 4 pinch welds as jacking and support points. With the underside almost totally covered by body panels, those are basically the only places you can jack up or placing on jack stands.

 

[Hagatronics]

The trick isn't lifting from the pinch welds but the way it mates. The scissor jack slots over the vertical metal and puts weight on the horizontal plate next to it.

Floor jacks / jack stands tend to be flat and bend the pinch weld over.

As long as have a block of gardwood with a slot cut in or those hockey puck style adaptors with a slot you are good to go.

 

[cvairwerks]

Jack stand under a pinch weld is significantly more desirable than a pinch weld on your forehead.....

 

[BrandoJames]

Is there any difference between being on a lift and on jack stands?.

I think there is, depending on the vehicle. My thread-starter described my Toyota Camry’s jack points. My Ford Ranger’s jack points are L-shaped brackets off the control arms. The Ranger comes with a bottle jack, but the L-shaped brackets are wide enough for a jack stand. A lift wouldn’t use those jacking points.

 

[bwringer]

All depends. On newer vehicles I have never had an issue lifting by the pinch welds. Up here in the rust belt once most vehicles hit eight to ten years old I usually switch to the sub frame rails. Kind of ***** when you go to lift a car and it just sits on the floor and the lift pads are crunching up through the rocker panels.

Yep. You should NEVER count on these things being in good shape. Even on cars that otherwise look immaculate, using the pinch welds on anything more than a few years old is a total crapshoot.

 

[lardy1]

I ran the jack right up through the metal on an '02 LeSabre a few years ago. It only had around 70,000 miles on it but it was mostly Michigan (salt) miles. It got traded in on a new Silverado within the week.

 

[tym]

The trick isn't lifting from the pinch welds but the way it mates. The scissor jack slots over the vertical metal and puts weight on the horizontal plate next to it.

Floor jacks / jack stands tend to be flat and bend the pinch weld over.

As long as have a block of gardwood with a slot cut in or those hockey puck style adaptors with a slot you are good to go.

This. The Ford service dept couldn't figure this out and peeled one layer of steel from another on my Mustang's pinch weld.

I put a block of wood just inboard of the weld at the designated jack point and lift from there.

 

[Shadowdog500]

The owners manual for your car should show the lift points on your car.

I haven’t used my jack stands or jack that much since I bought my lift. When I did use jack stands and a jack I made wooden blocks that cradled in the top of the jack stand. The tops of the blocks had a slot cut in them so it would support the car right next to the pinch welds. I made a similar block for my jack.

My Mohawk lift has sluts in the pads for the pinch weld.

 

[BroncoAZ]

On my VW Passat and VW Touareg I jack from the pinch welds with a piece of horse mat cut down to fit the jack to protect the metal. I put the jack stands under suspension mounts to the chassis. I have thought about doing it the other way around, jacking from suspension components and using the pinch weld spots for jack stands. I keep meaning to buy the following for my garage:

Jack adapter for pinch weld
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H46MXO8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Esco jack stands with rubber top
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J5ZB8K6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Pinch weld adapters for regular jack stands
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N691QNG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[thool]

I use the pinch welds, but also put my floor jack under the front cross member and apply a tiny bit of lift past contact. In the rust belt, those pinch welds give out pretty quick, so I wouldn't count on them without extra safety.