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Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:18 am

Longmont1302 wrote: Thanks, Glenn. I feel silly for missing "on Standard Beetle" written in large letters, but feel a little better that it somehow didn't feel right and I didn't release the jack.

Anyone have a suggestion of where I should put the jack and stands on the 71 Super?

Scott

Reread what VWHank posted above.

Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:52 am

Thanks, Brian (and Hank). Part of my problem is that I'm not sure what things are called. Are these the sway bar mounts Hank suggests I put the stands under?

Also, in the first photo, does it look like I have the jack on the pan head?

Scott

Tue Oct 24, 2017 10:31 am

I have a 1974 Super Beetle. At the front, you'll see the big frame head. I jack up the car in the middle of this frame head--right between where the control arms attach.

I place my jack stands on the two smaller, skinnier arms that are located just behind the big frame head. You could call this the "secondary" frame head, if you like. These thinner arms emanate left and right of the tunnel, and are just behind the massive frame head. They are skinny enough to accept the saddles of the jack stands and are very sturdy.

Tim

Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:25 am

This good for reference!

Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:31 pm

Longmont1302 wrote: Thanks, Brian (and Hank). Part of my problem is that I'm not sure what things are called. Are these the sway bar mounts Hank suggests I put the stands under?

Also, in the first photo, does it look like I have the jack on the pan head?

Scott

Those are indeed the sway bar mounts as you stated and when I'm using jack stands, I place mine there.

Tue Oct 24, 2017 7:58 pm

Longmont1302 wrote: Thanks, Glenn. I feel silly for missing "on Standard Beetle" written in large letters, but feel a little better that it somehow didn't feel right and I didn't release the jack.

Anyone have a suggestion of where I should put the jack and stands on the 71 Super?

Scott

Tis may be wrong, but we always put them where the control arm pivot, there on each side of your floor jack.

Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:35 pm

Is danger everyone's middle name? Why not put the stands under the frame- nice and wide behind each fender well- as nature and the heavens intended. There's no benefit to having them way out under the front beam UNLESS you have no engine and transaxle.

It's called basic leverage- first floor science class in high school.

Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:14 am

Steve's 72 super up on the stands. We did a brake job here.

Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:16 am

Zundfolge1432 wrote: Steve's 72 super up on the stands. We did a brake job here.

Show off! :D

Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:31 pm

A few people have suggested jacking the front of a Super Beetle at the pan head or frame head. I'm not sure where that is. What I'd hope to find was a photo or illustration. Any chance one of these letters is the pan/frame head?

Here's another photo if it helps. If anyone can indicate where they'd jack or use jack stands on either image, it would likely help lots of Super Beetle newbies besides just me.

Thanks again, Scott

Wed Oct 25, 2017 7:20 pm

Your frame head is somewhat different than mine, but basically it looks like a whale tail from the center of the tunnel toward the front. I jack up my car at the frame head, right in the area between the inner connections of the control arms. But yours is different, so I'd go back a little so you don't mess with that weird bracket at your control arms. It looks like someone has already placed a jack head there and bent up that bracket.

I put the jack stands at either side of the crossmembers behind the frame head (the whale tail). These crossmembers are back somewhat from the frame head, running left and right of the tunnel.

Tim

Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:25 pm

Thanks, Tim.

Fri Dec 08, 2017 3:59 pm

Hi all,

I have seen people jacking the rear of the car by placing the jack under the rear transaxle mount. Is this a good practice?

(pictures stolen from oldbug.com)

Thank you,
Kris

Fri Dec 08, 2017 5:21 pm

On my '74 Super Beetle, I jack the front up where you did, but I place the jack stands on the two crossmembers that are further back on the framehead.

The framehead has the hammerhead-shark (big) section at the front, but further back from the control arms, you'll see two skinnier arms. Place the jack stands under these.

Tim

Fri Dec 08, 2017 6:11 pm

kpf wrote: Hi all,

I have seen people jacking the rear of the car by placing the jack under the rear transaxle mount. Is this a good practice?

Kris
Nope... you can bend and crush the support.

I jack the rear buy placing the "cup" of the floor jack under where the spring plate meets the torsion bar tube.

Fri Dec 08, 2017 6:35 pm

If only needing to jack up one side, I use the same method as Glenn. In the event I find it necessary to jack up the entire rear however, I place the jack saddle with a block of wood on top at the very front of the frame horns, a couple inches forward of the front trans mount. Once the rear is lifted in such manner, jack stands are then placed under the rear torsion tubes just inboard of the spring plates.

Sat Dec 09, 2017 7:08 am

Zundfolge1432 wrote: Steve's 72 super up on the stands. We did a brake job here.

What he did. For the front I lift from between the control arms and place jack stands on the beam that goes across the chassis immediately under the Napoleon hat, towards the outer end for maximum stability.

Never use the control arms. They were designed to deform in a crash...i cannot imagine they could handle supporting the weight of the front of the car.

On the rear, torsion bar housing (Though that will be interesting when I install my Porsche 944 rear sway bar. ).

H2OSB

Sun Dec 10, 2017 6:01 am

if you are not removing the stabilizer bar i would think they could go there

Mon Feb 26, 2018 3:58 pm

FYI, I found this in the 1972 Repair Guide (official confirmation of the good advice given in this thread):

- Kris

Sat May 11, 2019 2:08 pm

Just for my clarification. Jacking the car at the location in red is NOT a good idea?. Doing a starter and oil change tomorrow. Image borrowed from the gallery, then marked by me.