Putting your 996/986/997/987 up on Jackstands

[ralegen]

How high do you guys think I need to go if I were going to do a Clutch job? I read somewhere that someone went up 24 inches! If I were to go anything above 20 inches, it should still be safe right?

[tac27]

Orient Express....great post!

I have one question though regarding the height of your stands. Do you know what the maximum stand height is?

I am trying to decide if my current set of stands are too high, even when fully retracted to the lowest setting; they are also Sears brand, but rated at 6 tons (for a Ford F350).

[Orient Express]

I have one question though regarding the height of your stands. Do you know what the maximum stand height is?

I am trying to decide if my current set of stands are too high, even when fully retracted to the lowest setting; they are also Sears brand, but rated at 6 tons (for a Ford F350).

I would think that the maximum height for a jack stand is more a function of how high your jack can lift the car. The higher your jack can lift the car, the taller the jack stand you can use.

[Zippy]

Has anyone seen jack stands the have a plate and pin design that would fit into the holes on the lift points? I have always been a little uncomfortable having the lift point sitting on the saddle of my current jack stands (like those posted). They appear like they are better suited for holding up something round like an axle.

Edited June 1, 2007 by Zippy

[Izzy]

I believe you can buy the tool at avarious places or a Porsche dealer. It is the plate with the pin that goes over the jack pad. Do a search in google for "996 jack pad" and you will find hundreds of lists. Ebay has a few listed as well, run you about $60.

Or you can use an old hockey puck......

Edited June 1, 2007 by izzyandsue

[nycebo]

I used Gary's recommendation for getting the car up on jackstands in order to change my wheels this past weekend. It worked beautifully and was tremendously secure when raised. Thanks Gary for the great photos and writeup.

[violaGT3]

Nice write up!. But I have a stooper anyone know how to get a floor jack under a car with a 3" clearance? I've using the factory to first raise the body to get one under there. Is there an easier way?

[demosan]

Nice write up!. But I have a stooper anyone know how to get a floor jack under a car with a 3" clearance? I've using the factory to first raise the body to get one under there. Is there an easier way?

ViolaGT3,

As was mentio ned previously in this string of posts, use two pieces of a 2x12 as a mini ramp under each rear wheel to get more clearance for your jack. WOrks like a charm for me. The lengh of the first 2x12 is about 18" with the top piece being about a foot long screwed to the 18' piece. Sorry no pics, but I'm sure you get the idea.

Demosan

[violaGT3]

Nice write up!. But I have a stooper anyone know how to get a floor jack under a car with a 3" clearance? I've using the factory to first raise the body to get one under there. Is there an easier way?

ViolaGT3,

As was mentio ned previously in this string of posts, use two pieces of a 2x12 as a mini ramp under each rear wheel to get more clearance for your jack. WOrks like a charm for me. The lengh of the first 2x12 is about 18" with the top piece being about a foot long screwed to the 18' piece. Sorry no pics, but I'm sure you get the idea.

Demosan

I must have breezed past that. I will have to give that a try I have ramps but I have to line them up carefully and it is a daunting bothersome task. But I know if I were to get the car up. I would not stop cleaning til it gleamed like Orients. Besides I have a few things I need to get under there for anyways. Thanks.

[Lerxst]

I'll be doing this for the first time this Spring. This thread's been up for 4 years, so it must be ok, but I'm a little concerned about when I jack the car up where the jack is in front of the rear wheel on the driver's side and the stand is behind the front wheel on the passenger side. This seems like an unstable position for the car. Does the car "teeter" during the process, or somehow remain stable?

Thanks,

Joe

[scottiemac]

I have one question though regarding the height of your stands. Do you know what the maximum stand height is?

I am trying to decide if my current set of stands are too high, even when fully retracted to the lowest setting; they are also Sears brand, but rated at 6 tons (for a Ford F350).

I would think that the maximum height for a jack stand is more a function of how high your jack can lift the car. The higher your jack can lift the car, the taller the jack stand you can use.

Orient, I have a question. My 996 C2 Cab/Tip has an aluminum plate under the engine sump - looks like a skid plate. It limits access to the rear of engine jacking point. Has anyone seen one of these? I'm new to these cars so comments help would be appreciated.

[Orient Express]

I have one question though regarding the height of your stands. Do you know what the maximum stand height is?

I am trying to decide if my current set of stands are too high, even when fully retracted to the lowest setting; they are also Sears brand, but rated at 6 tons (for a Ford F350).

I would think that the maximum height for a jack stand is more a function of how high your jack can lift the car. The higher your jack can lift the car, the taller the jack stand you can use.

Orient, I have a question. My 996 C2 Cab/Tip has an aluminum plate under the engine sump - looks like a skid plate. It limits access to the rear of engine jacking point. Has anyone seen one of these? I'm new to these cars so comments help would be appreciated.

Yes, that is a skid plate, and should be removed before you lift on the engine.

[scottiemac]

I have one question though regarding the height of your stands. Do you know what the maximum stand height is?

I am trying to decide if my current set of stands are too high, even when fully retracted to the lowest setting; they are also Sears brand, but rated at 6 tons (for a Ford F350).

I would think that the maximum height for a jack stand is more a function of how high your jack can lift the car. The higher your jack can lift the car, the taller the jack stand you can use.

Orient, I have a question. My 996 C2 Cab/Tip has an aluminum plate under the engine sump - looks like a skid plate. It limits access to the rear of engine jacking point. Has anyone seen one of these? I'm new to these cars so comments help would be appreciated.

Yes, that is a skid plate, and should be removed before you lift on the engine.

Much appreciated. Thanks.

[gandrade1]

I am bleeding my brakes tomorrow and I intend to put my MY01 Boxster on 4 jack stands for the first time. Was thinking of doing a wheel at a time using only a jack, but I guess it is too risky...

I noticed that the suggestion here is to put the front on stands and then the rear. I can't clearly locate the place where to position the jack in the rear of my Boxster and I would also like to avoid removing the skid plate in the rear (does my car even have one? :huh: ).

I have changed the oil in the past (using ToolPants method) and put the left side on stands. I feel confortable working the jack on the sides using the so-called alternate lifting points. I was wondering if I can put one side on stands first (rear and front) and then the other side (rear and front)?

Let us say I put the left on stands first - Is there a risk that the stands will shift when I jack the right side to put the stands?

Thanks,

Gus

[kbrandsma]

Gus,

It is ok to use the alternate lifting point on a Boxster and put one side up on jack stands and then go to the other side and repeat. I'm assuming you have a manual transmission and u will be bleeding the clutch as well. Let us know how it goes.

K. Brandsma

'98 Boxster

PM Sent

[perryinva]

I know others have used Orients method with success, and seeing as this post has been around for years, maybe my concerns aren't warranted, but I would only jack up one side, put a jack stand on the front and then jack up the other side if I was putting jack stands under the car that just allow enough tire clearance to remove the wheels. I've done it just that way many times. HOWEVER, If you are trying to get the car high in the air for a clutch change or somesuch major work, then there is a definite chance that AS you are you jacking up the other side, the car can slide towards you as it tips towards you off the jack. This danger is directly proportional to how high you jack the car up on the first side & how high the jack stands are. These are variables that are not addressed here and could get someone seriously injured.

My method requires ramps and a second jack, but it doesn't need to be a fancy floorjack. Jacking up your car is no time to skimp on safety to save 5 minutes, or a few bucks for another jack. A 3 ton scissors jack is dirt cheap if you don't want to bother getting out the Porsche one. When I need to get any of my cars up high on 4 jack stands, I always drive the front wheels up a set of Rhino ramps. (Now I WILL state that I've not had the 996 up on jack stands yet, as I've only owned it for 2 weeks, so if this method doesn't work, let me know! Though so far it's worked on every car i've ever owned) The Rhino's have a high stop to prevent the car from rolling forward. I put a wheel chock behind each front wheel on the ramp. Then it depends on what service I am doing, but I normally would then jack from the rear, I assume onthe 996 using the engine jack point., then put only one side rear jack on. Then using the other jack, I'll lift the other side rear jackpoint to lift that side high enough to remove the rhino ramp and install the front jack stand. The objective is to never tip the car in any direction too much. Besides being a bit safer, it also prevents the body from twisting too much because it is not supported evenly at all corners. Now remove the 2nd jack and place a jack stand under the other rear jack point. At this point you have 3 jack stands and one ramp. To get the 4th jack stand under the car requires jacking that corner up eough to get a stand under it. On every other car, there has been some place else that I can put a jack with a 2x4 to distribute the load long eough to get the 4th jackstand in place. At this point it isn't going ver y high or with much weight, compared to cranking up one corner really high. Maybe this isn't possible with the 996, but I'd be surprised. It is also fairly importasnt to make sure that the 4 jackstands are close in height, with both fronts & both rears adjusted to be identical. Just my safety $0.02.

[986fan]

At least my 944's and 951 had three jack points under each side........one in the middle of the door

sill so that you could pickup the whole side from the middle and put the stands under the front and

rear pads at the same time. Too bad these aren't made that way.

My question is.......if I just want to get the tires off (or off the floor) for winter storage; is it bad for the

shocks to hang fully extended for 6 months?

[RFM]

No problems, most classic car owners do this, some of them let the suspension hang the whole year round, no load and good for the tyres, no flat spots.

[1999Porsche911]

At least my 944's and 951 had three jack points under each side........one in the middle of the door

sill so that you could pickup the whole side from the middle and put the stands under the front and

rear pads at the same time. Too bad these aren't made that way.

My question is.......if I just want to get the tires off (or off the floor) for winter storage; is it bad for the

shocks to hang fully extended for 6 months?

Yes, it can be very bad to simply let your suspension hang free. If, for some reason you must do so, at minimum, grease up the shafts on the shocks to prevent them from rusting and remove the wheels to reduce weight on suspension components. Any rust will greatly increase your chances of having leakage. It is best to lift it by the suspension.

Edited September 15, 2008 by 1999Porsche911

[gchu]

I have one question though regarding the height of your stands. Do you know what the maximum stand height is?

I am trying to decide if my current set of stands are too high, even when fully retracted to the lowest setting; they are also Sears brand, but rated at 6 tons (for a Ford F350).

I would think that the maximum height for a jack stand is more a function of how high your jack can lift the car. The higher your jack can lift the car, the taller the jack stand you can use.

Orient, I have a question. My 996 C2 Cab/Tip has an aluminum plate under the engine sump - looks like a skid plate. It limits access to the rear of engine jacking point. Has anyone seen one of these? I'm new to these cars so comments help would be appreciated.

Yes, that is a skid plate, and should be removed before you lift on the engine.

I also found my C4 also has the engine protect plate installed. It is blocking the engine sump jack point. The plate came standard for my 02 C4 Cab.

[RotorHead]

One of the questions that comes up frequently is what is the best and safest way to put your 996/986/997/987 up on jack stands. The chassis and jack points are the same for all models, and lifting the car up off of all 4 wheels is easy. Here is a little DIY instruction on how I do it.

The 4 lift points as described in your owners manual are where you support the car with Jackstands. Here is the jack stand that I use. Any Jack stand with at least a two to three ton rating will do.

First, you put the front jackstands on by lifting the car from the rear lift point. Using a standard hydraulic jack, lift the car up on one side so that both wheels are off the ground, and the front is high enough to clear the jack stand.

Here is the front lift point.

After you have one jack stand placed, lower the jack, and do the other side. The car is so stiff, that the other sides front wheel will come up off of the ground. Other side is just like the first.

Note the orientation of the lift points and how the jackstands are arranged.

Next you have to lift the rear. There are 2 places that mechanics use as a lift point for the rear. One is the rear sub-frame cross member that is below the engine and the transmission, and the other is on the rear engine case just behind the oil sump cover. I prefer lifting from the engine case because my jack does not clear the engine oil sump to reach the crossmember.

There is a large metal stub that is cast into the engine case. That is where you lift, making sure that your jack does not contact the oil sump cover casting. Center the jack on the engine or on the subframe and lift the car high enough to put the remaining stands on the 2 rear lift points.

And with that you are done.

Just take your time and make sure that each jackstand is centered and aligned properly on the lift points and you will have no problems.

One last thing, it is to your advantage to break the torque on all of the lug nuts before your lift the car up off of the ground. Also when you are lifting the car, make sure it is on a level surface, and the car is in neutral and the parking brake is off so the car can pivot on its wheels as it is lifted.

Lowering the car is the opposite of the above. Once you get the hang of this, you can have your car up in the air in under 5 minutes.

I've heard of busted motor mounts when trying to lift the back of the car this way. Any truth or experience with this? Also, is it necessary to use the round jack pad adapters? Please advise...

Rotor

[1999Porsche911]

One of the questions that comes up frequently is what is the best and safest way to put your 996/986/997/987 up on jack stands. The chassis and jack points are the same for all models, and lifting the car up off of all 4 wheels is easy. Here is a little DIY instruction on how I do it.

The 4 lift points as described in your owners manual are where you support the car with Jackstands. Here is the jack stand that I use. Any Jack stand with at least a two to three ton rating will do.

First, you put the front jackstands on by lifting the car from the rear lift point. Using a standard hydraulic jack, lift the car up on one side so that both wheels are off the ground, and the front is high enough to clear the jack stand.

Here is the front lift point.

After you have one jack stand placed, lower the jack, and do the other side. The car is so stiff, that the other sides front wheel will come up off of the ground. Other side is just like the first.

Note the orientation of the lift points and how the jackstands are arranged.

Next you have to lift the rear. There are 2 places that mechanics use as a lift point for the rear. One is the rear sub-frame cross member that is below the engine and the transmission, and the other is on the rear engine case just behind the oil sump cover. I prefer lifting from the engine case because my jack does not clear the engine oil sump to reach the crossmember.

There is a large metal stub that is cast into the engine case. That is where you lift, making sure that your jack does not contact the oil sump cover casting. Center the jack on the engine or on the subframe and lift the car high enough to put the remaining stands on the 2 rear lift points.

And with that you are done.

Just take your time and make sure that each jackstand is centered and aligned properly on the lift points and you will have no problems.

One last thing, it is to your advantage to break the torque on all of the lug nuts before your lift the car up off of the ground. Also when you are lifting the car, make sure it is on a level surface, and the car is in neutral and the parking brake is off so the car can pivot on its wheels as it is lifted.

Lowering the car is the opposite of the above. Once you get the hang of this, you can have your car up in the air in under 5 minutes.

I've heard of busted motor mounts when trying to lift the back of the car this way. Any truth or experience with this? Also, is it necessary to use the round jack pad adapters? Please advise...

Rotor

Never lift their car using the engine as a jack point. Use the cross member in front of the engine if you need to lift both back wheels off the ground at the same time.

[Orient Express]

I have to differ with your recommendation. While there is nothing wrong with lifting the rear of the vehicle using the suspension crossmember, The method that I describe is SOP for Factory Porsche technicians and properly done will cause absolutely no harm to the vehicle.

[1999Porsche911]

I have to differ with your recommendation. While there is nothing wrong with lifting the rear of the vehicle using the suspension crossmember, The method that I describe is SOP for Factory Porsche technicians and properly done will cause absolutely no harm to the vehicle.

I would love to see ANY documentation that Porsche approves of lifting the back of the car using engine mounts for support. Just because the techs do it, does not mean it is correct. There is no way to "properly" lift the car using a free hanging engine.

[Orient Express]

There is no way to "properly" lift the car using a free hanging engine.

Sure there is. The method that I describe which is done day in and day out in every Porsche workshop world-wide.

Keep in mind that the time that the car is being supported this way is just the time necessary (like a minute or two) to get the rear jack stands under the car. This process subjects the engine and motor mounts to far less stress that the they receive under normal road use. Because of this short duration there is absolutely not an issue. Keep in mind that the engine is normally hanging off of the chassis by the rear motor mounts, and the lifting of the engine simply puts compression on these mounts in exactly the same way that they get compressed in normal road use (like when the car hits a bump, or is driven on rough roads).

Now some will chime in that after lifting their car this way, that they experienced a ruptured motor mount. In those cases, the mount was going to fail anyway due to operational fatigue and it better that the mount failed during maintenance rather than unexpectedly where it might not be discovered for many miles.