Jack and Jacking Points

[62ekute]

I've got an EK ute that didn't come (to me) with a jack.

On eBay and Gumtree, I've seen scissor jacks with a rounded top advertised for EKs and I've also seen bottle jacks advertised for EKs.

What jack do utes normally have and where are the jacking points?


thanks

Patrick

[ardiesse]

Patrick,

Commercials and wagons: Bottle jack. Under the lower control arms at the front, and under the lower spring mounting plate at the rear.

Rob

[62ekute]

thanks Rob

also...

are there spots recommended for stands?

how about lifting the whole front or back? are there strong enough places for a trolley jack? diff? block of wood under the front cross member?


thanks

Patrick

[ardiesse]

Trolley jack under diff (with piece of wood if you want to be kind), and trolley jack under the front crossmember, but not dead-centre of the crossmember unless you have some 3x2 to spread the load. Between the two rivets for the outrigger is the strongest place.

I put jack stands under the rear springs, preferably just in front of the the rear axle. If you put them behind the rear axle, the vehicle tends to "walk" forwards and slide along the stands unless you have chocked the front wheels. At the front, I put the stands on the outer subframe legs as close as poss. to the inner sills. But given the structural condition of the ute I would hesitate a bit. If the stands go high enough, the rear engine mount brackets might be a better bet.

Rob

[Errol62]

I put stands under the rear spring plate corners where the shockers bolt on, the bracket shaped tops fit diagonally. At the front I have an old school desk frame come saw horse. A length of 45x90 on top takes up all four subframe legs just in front of the number one body member where they bolt on.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[Estebano]

Some images here in the hope it might save someone from jacking the wrong spot (as long as I have it right! happy to be corrected...). These are from an EK Sedan.

Front:

20220416_172425.jpg (2.6 MiB) Viewed 2183 times

Rear:

20220416_172601.jpg (2.84 MiB) Viewed 2183 times

[Harv]

I'm not a big fan of putting stands under the body, but maybe that's just me. My thinking is similar to Robs.... sometimes the subframes can get paper thin.

I put my front stands under the control arms, where the shock absorber sits. For the rear, I put the axle stands directly under the diff.

This doesn't suit every job, as it loads the suspension. But is does mean that you are supporting the car with points that are under load in normal use (front and suspension)... if they were gonna fail, they should have done so on the road.

My driveway slopes. It's not much (unless you are pushing a car up it ) but it is enough to load the stands sideways. I've had a car walk itself backwards off the stands, and was lucky that it didn't hit me nor punch the stands up through the car. Makes me chock the opposite wheels every time.

As an aside, I bought The Last Child a VL Commodore for her first car. This Easter is "check and find all the bodgy stuff". Carpets out, and a number of sins found, mostly easy fixes. Noted what I thought was rust at the drivers footwell. Cleaned it up, and all the metal was there... just distorted. A look underneath shows that someone had jacked the front end up under the floorpan, and torn the sheetmetal.

Cheers,
Harv

[In the Shed]

Another VL dunny door Harv?? Have you been converted?

Stephen

[Errol62]

Under the rear spring plate is good if you want the suspension loaded. Stand fits well just in front of the front leaf hanger. At the front I use the crossmember centre with a wood block with the trolley jack. Stands sit under the control arms, outboard of the shock mounts for loaded suspension. Otherwise I put stands under the A-pillar between the two bottom guard bolts or behind them at the very front of the outer sill.

Factory spec sedan and wagon jacking point is the brace under the B-pillar, designed for the scissor jack supplied.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[Harv]

Another VL dunny door Harv?? Have you been converted?

I tried really hard to get the four kids into FB/EKs. Number 1 Son was an early loss, though working on his own VL has taught him a lot of useful stuff for his apprenticeship. Grace was a win with the ute, though I think some of the breakdowns put off Number 2 Daughter, as she ended up in a plain old Corolla with breeze and ease. I tried hard with The Last Child, but failed again (couldn't even convince her on the HR Prem wagon).

The second VL was just and SL, but someone has gutted a Calais and swapped the bits in. I suspect this one is karma though... all the dodgy repairs I made as a young bloke have been done on this one. I can forgive the overspray, but the wiring is atrocious. Lots of twisted copper joints with PVC tape covering it. Wires 2" too short? Just twist on another 2" length . Suspect the Calais disks have been put on without pulling the axles and bearings and refitting the disk brake oil seal... the drum seal is different, and both sides are doing an Exxon Valdez. Aftermarket remote locking with the actuators sitting in the bottom of the doors, half removed. Radio missing, but lots of cut-off wiring from several different radio installs (and at least two subwoofer power cables through to the boot). Lots of cable checking to make sure nothing is floating around live, and lots of dead cabling to pull out. Jatco auto box has been swapped to the little-brother NA 5-speed, but no seal at all on the gearshift hole (I guess that's so you can hear the box and pretend it's a Hollinger). No two bolts the same.

Cheers,
Harv

[In the Shed]

Another VL dunny door Harv?? Have you been converted?

I tried really hard to get the four kids into FB/EKs. Number 1 Son was an early loss, though working on his own VL has taught him a lot of useful stuff for his apprenticeship. Grace was a win with the ute, though I think some of the breakdowns put off Number 2 Daughter, as she ended up in a plain old Corolla with breeze and ease. I tried hard with The Last Child, but failed again (couldn't even convince her on the HR Prem wagon).

The second VL was just and SL, but someone has gutted a Calais and swapped the bits in. I suspect this one is karma though... all the dodgy repairs I made as a young bloke have been done on this one. I can forgive the overspray, but the wiring is atrocious. Lots of twisted copper joints with PVC tape covering it. Wires 2" too short? Just twist on another 2" length . Suspect the Calais disks have been put on without pulling the axles and bearings and refitting the disk brake oil seal... the drum seal is different, and both sides are doing an Exxon Valdez. Aftermarket remote locking with the actuators sitting in the bottom of the doors, half removed. Radio missing, but lots of cut-off wiring from several different radio installs (and at least two subwoofer power cables through to the boot). Lots of cable checking to make sure nothing is floating around live, and lots of dead cabling to pull out. Jatco auto box has been swapped to the little-brother NA 5-speed, but no seal at all on the gearshift hole (I guess that's so you can hear the box and pretend it's a Hollinger). No two bolts the same.

Cheers,
Harv

Far out……….. A bit of work required then