How do I gently lift my new baby?

[hdavid]

Sorry for the idiot post......but......

New 2002 Jetta will receive winter steel wheels and rubber. I want to do the job myself, but do NOT trust the infamous Jetta Jack. I do have a good sized rolling hydraulic floor jack though. When gazing at the owners manual - only shows the Jetta Jack. The Bentley manual shows the lifting points - right on a seam (so it seems). I used my floor jack on a Corsica once - on a similar point and bent the crap out of it. The floor jack has a 4" round depressed cone on the top - standard issue.

What is the best way and points to lift my car without doing damage - to both the car and my heart valves.

Regards

 

[MOGolf]

Take a 2x4 block that will fit on your jack and cut a slot to fit the seam. Then lift from the indicated locations.

 

[Coop]

Thats an interesting way of jacking up these little cars. I've not needed to jack it up, so I've used ramps, but I've been thinking of checking out the brakes, so thanx for the idea.

Just be careful not split the wood and have the whole thing come crashing down on the jack!

 

[hdavid]

Thanks for the input so far. I do have ramps that work wonders, but this is for getting the wheels off/on. I would really hate to get the seams all mangled/broken. The idea about the jack pads makes sense. I am looking forward to more information on this. The 2X4 idea I think is also a valid idea, however proper positioning and use of proper materials would also need to be observed. Definately you do not want it to split, or slip off of the jack. Maybe I can build something out of a heavy rubber compound that will actually replace the round metal cup of the jack itself, or at least fit on it tightly so as not to slip. This car is not like my Chevy truck. There I just find anything with solid metal (resonably of course) and lift - presto, wheel off the ground.

Keeping tuned.......

 

[SchnellTDI]

Don't lift the car with the 2x4 idea, as that is both stupid and wrong. VW in their cost saving mode has failed to put on the proper jack pads on the bottom of the car. I will get the price for the jack pads that I can get through a vw/Audi source. STAY AWAY FROM JACKING AT THE PINCH WELD AREA!!! This will cause potential cracking of the sealed/chip guarded rockers....I know the supplied jack works in a similiar manner, but its just about the only way they could have done that.
The Jack pads go where there is now a plastic plug on the bottom of the car....it is also a good point to check all of these holes that they are at least plugged with the proper plugs, and also the oval tie down plugs...make sure they are there. II'll get back to you.

Michael

 

[Curious Chris]

Au contraire, mon ami. I would like to know why you think the slotted 2X4 is a bad idea. Like the originator of the posting, have a nice floor jack. Not following the safety directions for my skil saw, I slotted the 12 inch long 2X4 to just wider than the VW jack point and a little shallower. (A table saw would be oh so much better) I then center my jack under the standard jack point and lift the car. While the load is concentrated at the jack point, the wider area helps distribute the load.

I am the second owner on my car, and some previous clod used a floor jack on the jack point on the drivers side and it is mangled.

Oh, the wood prevents any damage to paint too..

 

[MOGolf]

Also see these posts in the General Maintenance forum:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=17&t=000178&p=
http://forums.tdiclub.com/NonCGI/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=17&t=000673
http://forums.tdiclub.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=17&t=002650&p=
http://forums.tdiclub.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=17&t=002760&p=

The block of wood/rubber could be notched to fit over the entire jack saddle to reduce the possibility of it slipping off.

Of course you know enough to use wheel chocks and NEVER get under a vehicle supported by a jack (with or with a seam spanning block).

[ November 19, 2001: Message edited by: MIGolf ]</p>

 

[golfstream]

I've used the block of wood sucessfully on my '00 Golf. I think I also remember someone saying that a regulation hockey puck fits into the steel cups of a lot of floor jacks and that works too.

-Mel

 

[brownnugen]

Use a hockey puck and cut out a deep notch that will surround the metal seam and a little deeper so the rubber of the puck makes contact with the surrounding metal. I did it with a hacksaw, but need to make it a little deeper.

Now that I've done this, I'm thinking that it might just be easier if you cut the hockey puck in half and put each half of both sides of the metal seam. the only thing that would make this more difficult than carving out the puck is that you have to keep an eye on the puck as you start jacking to make sure both parts of the puck stay on the jack.
-Nick

[ November 19, 2001: Message edited by: brownnugen ]</p>

 

[hdavid]

A hockey puck - what a good idea!

I am ashamed for not thinking about it myself, being from the frozen north (Canada). My brain must have thawed out during my recent trip to California.......

Thanks for the idea !!!

 

[banzai]

I lift the car by putting the floor jack under a non-moving suspension piece (like back beam or front deal)=
I have a 2.5diameter oak chopping block to rest car on after it has been lifted- car settles nice into block (knot-impossible to split)

 

[MayorDiamondJoeQuimby]

I always used to lift my old Rabbit with a floor jack right under the ball-joint. Never had any problems. I haven't had to jack up my Golf yet.

 

[AutoDiesel]

I've been using the 2x4's for over a year and a half on not only our Golf but also my tow car, a 93 Sable. Same wood, never a hint that they would ever split. Plain old cheap 2x4's. Put a layer of carpet or foam on the lifting surface then there isn't any chance of scuffing. I made the slot wider than deeper so slip up over the ridge easy but the ridge rests in the slot. I also make sure to set the car down on a jack stand after lifting, also setting on the wood.

 

[Mik]

Myself, I find that a pair of $20.00 jack stands work great for holding the car up after it's lifted with the dramatically unsteady half-scissor trunk jack. That little thing can do the lifting and lowering, but I'm not about to trust it any further than that.