Best Lift Points

[rsporsche]

Just found these pics. If you ask me, this way is THE reference for how to lift your coupe correctly:

(thanks to Oldenzaal classics in NL. )

Erik, everything looks great under there ... something else to aspire to. out of curiosity, who's exhaust system is that?

 

[eriknetherlands]

The Oldenzaal pic showing the rear lift point looks too inboard for my liking, I put a piece of wood over the rear subframe mount bolt which spreads the load over the ridged piece that bolts over it. This pic looks like it's on only one of the ridges.

well spotted. I think you're right. Smack in the middle of the rear subframe mount bolt is also my point to aim for. Indeed a tad off towards the inboard.

 

[eriknetherlands]

Erik, everything looks great under there ... something else to aspire to. out of curiosity, who's exhaust system is that?

I wouldn't know. it's not my car (o how I whished..) Looks like Walloth and Neesch (=Larini?) to me.

 

[Willem Tell]

Just found these pics. If you ask me, this way is THE reference for how to lift your coupe correctly:

That's my car! Cool!

Question: I typically lift using the front subframe, and then use the jacks with rubber hockey pucks (easy to find in Switzerland) on the frame rails. I lift the back from the diff and then use the jacks with pucks at the rear frame points as noted. Is this not correct?

 

[eriknetherlands]

I think it will work. I do it, and have seen other do it as well. Did not hear anyone having problems with it.
I will put all load on the rubber diff mount, pushing it upwards, but i think it is designed to take load in this direction, with the flanges sticking out the side.

Erik.

 

[Willem Tell]

Erik, everything looks great under there ... something else to aspire to. out of curiosity, who's exhaust system is that?

The stainless exhaust was fabbed locally in Holland where the car was rebuilt.

 

[Johan_CS2800]

I do use the framerails as a lift point on the front end, (engine still in, auto gearbox out), without damage. For this i use a thick rubber block that is generously wider then the frame rails; its about 15x15x4 cm, about 7x7x1,5 inch. It's all about spreading the load. As first contact layer i use a t shirt.

View attachment 81947
No e9's were harmed during this lifting.

Regarding reinforcements; if you replace the front floors, then you can choose to remove the section that closes the frame rails, allowing access to the inside of the rails, and you can hammer/plannish the dents back.

You could weld in some stiffening ribs inside the frame rails, but it will make it harder to treat the insides adequately with rust preventative wax/paint whatever. And you cant really clean the welds well prior to sealing them So i have chosen to leave it all as per 'factory' design and to lift carefully in the future.

What kind of lift are you using here?
Thx for letting me know!

 

[coupesport]

Regarding lifting the back via the differential... I can say I have done it. I can also say I now have the infamous cracked mounting point at the differential. I cannot say for certain the lift caused the crack but I have my suspicions it did. So FYI!
Rob

 

[Willem Tell]

Thanks for the head's up, coupesport! I guess I'll lift at the axle and place jacks at the subframe mounts as before.

 

[KirkT]

Just found these pics. If you ask me, this way is THE reference for how to lift your coupe correctly:

This is perfect! Thank you so much for these photos.

 

[bavbob]

Frame rails are not that robust, I avoid them, seen too many of them dented. Besides as mentioned before, they are coated at the factory and using them as lift points ruins the undercoat integrity.

 

[Willem Tell]

Frame rails are not that robust, I avoid them, seen too many of them dented.

bavbob, do you have photos of your preferred lift points? I understood that the frame rail was preferred to the rocker edges?

 

[bavbob]

Subframe in the back, subframe in the front. I place the jack stand so it bridges across the span of the control arm bolt and just medial to it. It's actually pretty flat though it looks curve in the image (not my car BTW, mine's gonna be a driva as we say in New England). The rails on my E3 and E24 are so dented from prior owners using them as jack points. Even though the E24 weighs more, the E3 is only a few hundred pound heavier than the E9.

 

[Willem Tell]

Thanks for the advice. I have been lifting from the frame rail in the front and diff in the back then quickly installing jack stands at both sides, but I guess that's too much weight on the diff mount.
I'll try those lift points in the front. Do you lift from the center of the subframe and then place jack stands on either side?

 

[bavbob]

I never lift from the center, no balancing acts, too metastable. I do each side separate.

 

[JFENG]

I can’t get any of my super low profile jacks far enough back to use the center of the front subframe for lifting. But I have a front spoiler and the CN lowering springs. The rear arear of these low profile jacks are typically at least 5” high (front lift pads are less than 3” high). I need to drive onto wooden ramps (3.5” high) first.

I do not think lifiting from a center location is unstable if you lift and then put into jack stands without interruptions. Lifting one side at a time seems less safe, when lifting a significant amount. When one side is 18” off the ground and sitting on a jack stand on an angle, and the other has not yet been lifted, it looks pretty unstable to me.

 

[Stevehose]

I use wood blocks under the rails and rear sub mounts as jack buffers and when I need it high I do each side once then repeat to avoid the dicey situation that bfeng describes

 

[wilies13]

My coupe had tough deformed framerails in the liftpoint area.

When I opened both framerails, one of the reasons was apperant.
In the past there had lived mouses or so. Incredible.
For sure this supports the growth of rust and any protection does not reaally reach the destination area.
In the added picture you can see the content of 1 framerail.

I replaced the damaged areas with a 2mm steel plate.
For the lift point area I added a plate of 4mm stainless steel.
This will be never deformed and small scratches will not result in rust

 

[Willem Tell]

I use wood blocks under the rails and rear sub mounts as jack buffers

Thanks Steve. I rounded up a bunch of hard rubber hockey pucks for this purpose, and I'm planning to glue a layer of felt to the paint-facing side, as they have stuck and grabbed bits of paint on occasion.

 

[bluecoupe30!]

I am about to engage in the rear subframe mount replacement. Car will be serviced on a lift, so no trolley jack. However using a trolley jack allows different lift points, but when the car is only up on jack stands, access and maneuverability of the rear subframe when changing out the mounts, is difficult. Anyway, point is, where should a garage lift place the pads to raise the car? We all try to avoid the rocker points, of course, and often Coupes are raised at the exact place the subframe bolt is situated, but I need to get at those bolts, obviously. Suggestions? Thanks, Mike