JACKING AND SUPPORTING

In this chapter you will learn the various methods of raising and sup-
porting your car safely so that you can get under it to perform many
of the jobs described in this website.
Unless you have access to a hydraulic floor jack like the ones used
in service stations and repair shops, you should not attempt to raise
both front and rear wheels off the ground simultaneously.
You can safely use a single piston hydraulic jack or a heavy duty
scissor jack to raise one cOrner of the car at a time. Either type will
raise it high enough to place a metal jack stand under the car’s frame
or chassis to support it while you are working under it.
The bumper jack that comes with the car is designed only to lift
one corner of the car high enough to service one wheel. It should be
used only to change tires. It is not strong enough or stable enough to
raise an automobile safely if you are going to get underneath it.
The safest and most convenient device for raising your car so that
you can work underneath it is the kind of lift used in service stations
and repair shops. There are four basic types of these lifts: drive-on,
frame contact, double post, and single post rail. Establishments in
some areas rent space, including the lift, where you may work on
your own car. Full instructions for the safe operation of these lifts
should be posted in the lift area.

• A creeper. You may have seen one in action at your local service
station or repair shop. It’s a small-wheeled board that the mechanic
lies down on, on his back, and uses to roll himself under the car. If
you can’t rent one, a creeper can be purchased for a reasonable price
at an auto parts supply store.
• Good lighting. Since you will almost certainly want to have both
hands free, an ordinary cylindrical flashlight is likely to be more frus-
trating than useful. A battery pac-type lamp with a head that tips up
and down points the light where you need it, and stays put. It is also
a handy item to carry in the trunk of your car in case of emergency
breakdowns at night. Better still, get a droplight with a long exten-
sion cord and a wire cage covering the bulb to protect it and prevent
you from burning yourself on the hot bulb.
• Hand cloths. Collect a supply of rags for wiping dirt off the parts
you are working on and for clean-up after the job is done.
• Caution: Never leave any cloths soaked with grease, oil, or gas
lying around. They can catch fire spontaneously, especially in sun-
light through a window. Dispose of soiled cloths in a closed metal
can.
• Eye protection. Wear safety eyeglasses or goggles and a cap while
working under your car to protect “our eyes and hair from loose bits
of greasy dirt, drops of oil or gas, and falling parts or tools.
• Caution: Always park on level ground.