Best Jack Positions For A Rolling Floor Jack

[futhark]

Maybe I'm just getting old, but I'd like to be able to jack up my '64 Sundial camper, front and rear, without having to break out the Bilstein crank jacks. So what are the best places to position a rolling floor jack saddle to lift the front for a lube job and to lift the rear for a valve adjustment or cleaning the crankcase sump? I'll be putting jack stands under the torsion bar tubes after the bus is off the ground. I'd appreciate any advice promptly, since I will be working on the vehicle within the next couple of days and will probably not have another opportunity for some time.

[Erik G]

although I'm sure some stock hugging jack ass will tell you that your bus will feel bad if you use a non factory jack...

I use the front beam, and put jack stands under the beam yubes. In the back, I use the point under the spring plate, right were the torsion cover is. And put jack stands under the rear torsion tubes

Stock jacks are best for emergency only in my opinion
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[durfeec]

[futhark]

Thanks for the very practical tips in placing the rolling floor jack under the VW. You've been quite helpful and it is appreciated!

[kombisutra]

[DanM]

My neighbor's aunt told me she and her husband went to Germany in the 60s and bought a used bus to tour and camp in. They got stuck in the mud along the way somewhere and he got out to use the jack to try and lift up the rear wheel and fill in the hole, but as the jack continued to go up - the bus stayed still. He realized after a minute he'd jacked the jack all the way up and all that happened was he crushed the jack point up through the rocker and floor. That bus wasn't more than 10 years old at the time!

[duhbrr]

[sventinker]

My jack points are as safe as day one. Very strong and thick metal. In the garage I use a flor jack on the front beam or the rear torsion tube then on jackstands it goes.
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April 3rd 62 standard mgr/pw
374 North American equipment
Includes 6 popouts
025 Safety belts
195 Adjustable bench seat/backrest (until 1963)

[kombisutra]

[laughingboy]

Okay, new to buses, so give me a break.

Maybe I'm just an idiot, but when I jack up the rear of my bus, using some wood under the transmission cradle, the rear wheels sag and touch the ground even though the bus is jacked pretty high.

I haven't had to change a tire or haven't serviced my brakes yet, but how frickn high do you need to jack it so that the wheels clear the ground? I'm worried about the wheels hanging and stressing the boots etc.

To service the wheels etc, should I be jacking the plate connecting the wheel and the suspension i.e. only one side at a time? How about when people used the stock jack - how high did that thing go?

[sventinker]

You mus have a little jack? Is your bus lowered? Yes the wheels hang low but even my stock jack doesn't need to go too fat to get the tire off the ground. I wouldn't worry about it tearing your boots. If they tear they neded to be replaced anyway. Do one side at a time and place on jack stands. I never work on my brakes or pull a whel off in my garage unless its on stands.
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April 3rd 62 standard mgr/pw
374 North American equipment
Includes 6 popouts
025 Safety belts
195 Adjustable bench seat/backrest (until 1963)

[Clara]

[pandanom]

You can look in my gallery and see the lifting points I use.
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It is never too late to have a happy childhood!

[Major Woody]

Clara, your block of wood has character! You should name it

[j.pickens]

I, too covet Clara's big block 'o wood.

Aaron made a real sweet jack extension:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?...t_dir=DESC
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BBX BBXII and BBXXI Long Distance Award Winner

[futhark]

Thanks again to all, especially Clara for the wonderful pics. I wish now I had known about using the under transaxle frame member as a jack support point. It would have saved a lot of Bilstein cranking over the 34 years I have owned my bus. And yes, the big dents in this cross piece showed that it had been used before as a jack contact piece, but without the wooden block intermediary.

The really good news is Der alte bus lebt wieder! (The old bus lives again!). 17 months of just sitting in a field growing lichens and rusting away did not stop it from firing right up when I replaced the positive battery cable, put in a freshly charged battery, replaced the fuel pump to carburetor fuel line, topped up the transaxle lube, and gave it a whiff of diethyl ether starting fluid down the carburetor throat! Off we went, stopping only once to put the spark advance vacuum line back on the carburetor, then drove five miles into town to fill up the nearly empty fuel tank. The old swing-axle bus is the most fun car to drive that I've ever had, which surprises people who know I also own a '72 Karmann Ghia coupe.

Forum posters at thesamba are the greatest!

[quartermilecamel]

[Fleisch]

Great pics Clara. That's what I was looking for. I use the jack points also but need both tires off today and the block of wood is an excellent suggestion but my bus is lowered so this won't work. Any suggestions?

[KevinAlbrecht]

[cru62]