Lifting without damage

[GraemeW]

Apologies but I have searched this and still remain unclear about this.

I am aware that if you want to lift at the side (to change a wheel for example) the lifting points are indicated by a pair of cutouts in the seam; one pair near the front "firewall" and one near the rear firewall.

I realise that obviously you don't lift ON the seam and I see the jack has a squared off fork in the end. This looks as though it would contact in front of the seam (on the Cill/rocker!) and behind the seam. I have concluded that the place to lift is immediately behind the seam and not in front, and inline with the cut-outs. Is that correct? The car is new to me (like yesterday!) and i haven't sussed out the ribs and stiffener positions other than picked up "don't lift in the middle along the side".

My immediate interest is because I have a hydraulic lift with swinging arms and would like to have a close inspection underneath. I will need to get some form of slotted block to clear the seam but current thinking suggests it should be shaped to contact  to the inside of the seam and not outside on the rocker/cill.

I know there are a front and back centre line jacking points but not helpfull in this case. And yes, someone has lifted on the seam, by the look of it!

[Carolyn]

I prefer not to use the sills for lifting.  If you get your jack in a bit further you can use the main chassis rails.  I tend to place jack stands on suspension mounting points, as they are designed to take the weight of the car.

[Ardent]

@GraemeW

I use a variation of these on my jack.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186199956720?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=xxilpnartiy&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=QErUOb2oRGu&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

You are correct, the seam would normally sit in the cut out of the OEM jack.

[GraemeW]

The issue is not really about jacking but four point lifting with my scissor lift. What I would like to do is to lift at all four points along the cills where the double cutouts are. I would use something like the rubber blocks suggested but is it ok to be just behind the seams at these points. It is an even lift not putting torsion on the "chassis" but is there additional structural support inside the inner cill at these points. These points tie up with the Toyota lift diagram but that doesnt detail whether the load is taken by the cill, behind it, or both. Don't want to crush anything.

[Alex Knight]

The points on the sill are where the car was designed to be lifted from.

They are designed in a way that lifting the car using the designed lifting points should not damage the car.

You will be fine.

[GraemeW]

Thanks Alex Knight. Both sides of the seam or just inside? (then I'm done)

[Iain]

Lifted my car on the seems countless times with a standard trolley jack, never had an issue.

[Alex Knight]

Thanks Alex Knight. Both sides of the seam or just inside? (then I'm done)

[ruud2boy]

I haven't ventured as far as jacking mine up yet in the few months I've had it, but the from & rear central jacking points make me very nervous. Surely it'd have to be phenomenally well balanced / positioned to avoid disaster?

I think I've identified the rear jacking point, but haven't had chance to shuffle around under the front end as yet. Can anyone provide pics of where a trolley jack is supposed to go? Apologies for the daft question, but for someone as a mechanically inept as me, a crossmember could be anything.

[Alex Knight]

I haven't ventured as far as jacking mine up yet in the few months I've had it, but the from & rear central jacking points make me very nervous. Surely it'd have to be phenomenally well balanced / positioned to avoid disaster?

I think I've identified the rear jacking point, but haven't had chance to shuffle around under the from end as yet. Can anyone provide pics of where a trolley jack is supposed to? Apologies for the daft question, but for someone as a mechanically inept as me, a crossmember could be anything.

It is depicted in post #7 exactly where to jack the car up.

I would humbly suggest that if you cannot identify a subframe, you should not be jacking a car up.

More than one person has been crushed to death from incorrect jacking procedure. This is a patently dangerous activity.

Would suggest taking a class before you are let anywhere near a jack.

[Call the midlife!]

The central rear jacking point can be very sketchy if you don't do it right or get careless, I've used it dozens of times but have also managed to drop the car off the jack by rushing.
Front wheels not straight, jacked car up on the engine mount and it decided to straighten the steering by itself, swung to the side and slid off the jack...

[Joesson]

I bought a trolley jack the year after I bought my 2.
The rear jacking point , as mentioned, is not the very best at all. To use a steel jack head would be courting disaster imo.
I interpose a block of very dense wood, with a cut out to engage with the jack head and presenting a largish, relatively unslippy area to met the jacking point.
Proprietary jack heads are also available.
For the front I find my trolley jack not the best tool for the job. I do find accessing via the side of the car , behind the left side ( other sides are available) at around 45deg angle .
Better still I find the scissor jack that came with the car, where I can lift from the front.
I do not use either jack to lift for working clearance but to lift sufficient to place axle stands.
I do not work under the car when working the jack/s but I do chock the wheels at the opposite end to where I am lifting.
I typically jack the rear end first / chock thefront wheels, and locate the axle stands under the sill, jacking points.
Then jack and place the axle stands at the  front.
I do agree with @Alex Knight as to taking some tuition before working with a jack- and NEVER ever work under a car supported only by a jack, especially a trolley / hydraulic jack.
Gravity invokes acceleration at 32 ft/s/s (in old money), that means if the car comes off a jack it will fall 32ft in the first second, or very much less than a second for the 6 inches or so you will have lifted the car on a jack.

[ruud2boy]

It is depicted in post #7 exactly where to jack the car up.

I would humbly suggest that if you cannot identify a subframe, you should not be jacking a car up.

More than one person has been crushed to death from incorrect jacking procedure. This is a patently dangerous activity.

Would suggest taking a class before you are let anywhere near a jack.

Thanks for that.
I'm well aware of the dangers of getting a car up in the air, which is why I've always used ramps and axle stands etc when working underneath my cars for the last 20yrs, along with my trolley jack where needed. I'm happy to acknowledge I'm a novice, which is part of the reason for buying a cheap, 2nd car. With only one car in the household, the pressure's on to get it fixed & running again asap, whereas w/ a 2nd car you can take your time to take it to bits and figure stuff out. Learning on the job if you like.

[GraemeW]

I have cut deep slots in the circular rubber blocks which slide in the lift arms. These rotate on their bases and it was a bit of a fiddle to line up the slot with the seam on the cill. Lifted just fine and felt safe. At last able to see underside is as good as expected!