TheSamba.com :: View topic - Can car be jacked up under rear axle without damage?

Sat Mar 02, 2019 12:06 pm

Can the car be jacked up under the rear axle without any damage? I just have to get the ramps out from under the tires, but the car can no longer be moved. The ramps will be replaced with jack stands under the torsion tubes.

Sat Mar 02, 2019 12:30 pm

scottyrocks wrote: Can the car be jacked up under the rear axle without any damage? I just have to get the ramps out from under the tires, but the car can no longer be moved. The ramps will be replaced with jack stands under the torsion tubes.

Yes.

If you have a hydraulic floor jack, you can put the saddle (the jack's round contact pad) under the transmission drain plug and lift. Or you could put the saddle under the oil drain plug of the engine.

Personally, I prefer the transmission.

Sat Mar 02, 2019 12:41 pm

Elroyyy wrote: scottyrocks wrote: Can the car be jacked up under the rear axle without any damage? I just have to get the ramps out from under the tires, but the car can no longer be moved. The ramps will be replaced with jack stands under the torsion tubes.

Yes.

If you have a hydraulic floor jack, you can put the saddle (the jack's round contact pad) under the transmission drain plug and lift. Or you could put the saddle under the oil drain plug of the engine.

Personally, I prefer the transmission.

Thank you, but I asked about the axle. I want the tire to come up with the car without any sag so I can get the ramps out.

If that's not possible I can jack the car up by the preferred torsion tube. It'll just have to go higher in the air. I'm cutting up 1 foot squares of 3/4 plywood now to go under the jack and stands.

Sat Mar 02, 2019 1:21 pm

You may be able to get away with it but, man, I wouldn’t- I just don’t like the sound of it. Sounds awkward. You’ll be pushing against the shock absorber, I’d worry about deforming the tube, and i’d worry about damaging other stuff.

Can you get under the regular jack point with your floor jack?

Can you roll the car off of the ramps?

Sat Mar 02, 2019 1:23 pm

do it under the lower shock mount

Sat Mar 02, 2019 1:27 pm

I can get it off the ramps but would prefer to keep it where it is. Just looking to see what works without any damage to anything.

I can jack the car up by the torsion tubes or transaxle and get jackstands under there so I can remove the ramps.

I had thought the ramps would get the car high enough in the air to get the engine out but it is not so. As it is I'm going to have to buy a new low profile hydraulic jack.

Jacking by the axles would have been quicker, but not at the expense of damage.

Sat Mar 02, 2019 1:29 pm

slave1pilot wrote: do it under the lower shock mount

Let me go see if the jack will clear the ramp.

Sat Mar 02, 2019 1:32 pm

I take a block and lift the car under the rear tunnel. It gets the wheels off the ground high enough to add or remove ramps

Sat Mar 02, 2019 2:08 pm

slave1pilot wrote: do it under the lower shock mount

x2

Sat Mar 02, 2019 2:13 pm

The jack did not clear the ramps at the lower shock mount, so I cut up a bunch of lengths of 3/4 pine, ply, and old table leaves so I could get the car in the air high enough to remove the ramps. But I will remember this for the future.

I used the jack under the transaxle drain plug, with a 1'x2'piece of 3/4 ply in between.

Now it's a matter of cutting up more wood until the bottom of the rear apron is about 30" off the ground, and then more wood for the front until the car is level.

And before anyone tells me that it's unsafe, the dimensions of the wood are wide enough that nothing can tip over, at least any more so than what would knock a car off jackstands without the wood.

Thanks very much for the tips, guys.

Sat Mar 02, 2019 2:13 pm

[email protected] wrote: slave1pilot wrote: do it under the lower shock mount

x2
x3
My favourite rear jack point when working on wheels/brakes.

Sat Mar 02, 2019 2:38 pm

jacking in the bottom of the tranny is a real good way to ruin your tranny mounts

Sat Mar 02, 2019 4:08 pm

Someone used to sell an adapter that fit in the original jackpoint that had a pad for using a regular floor jack. Would be easy to make something also

Sat Mar 02, 2019 4:43 pm

chrisflstf wrote: Someone used to sell an adapter that fit in the original jackpoint that had a pad for using a regular floor jack. Would be easy to make something also

The jack plate. Here's one:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2217599

Sat Mar 02, 2019 4:51 pm

Elroyyy wrote:

Yes.

If you have a hydraulic floor jack, you can put the saddle (the jack's round contact pad) under the transmission drain plug and lift. Or you could put the saddle under the oil drain plug of the engine.

Personally, I prefer the transmission.
Raising the car by the engine or transmission is a good way to break a tranny mount or break the nosecone.

Find a solid place on the body or suspension. I like the bottom of the shock or where the spring plate meets the torsion tube.

Sat Mar 02, 2019 5:10 pm

I used the bottom of the shock after I figured out the right height for the platform under the jack.

I like that jack plate, though. I'm sure I can find something here to fit in there.

While the engine is out I will change the mounts, as I don't know how long they have been there.

I also decided I don't like the platforms I'm using. They are okay, but I will be fabbing something little more secure.