Technical 500 jacking/ lifting/ axle stand positioning

Demi · Jun 30, 2012

Great Tutorial JR, thank man. Idiot proof and with pictures.

btw u can get much cheaper and better low profile trolleys like Liftmaster 2.25

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Liftmaste..._Lifting_Moving_Equipment&hash=item3cc2efa5c7

it has led to help u guide it and sockets on a side with handle that u can remove after jacking ur car and put sockets on the end to use as a wrench sort of all-in-one solution.

If u patient enough they come up as an auction (not buy now) so u can even snap one for around £40

.

frupi · Jun 30, 2012

Yeah, I like this one too:

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/hydr...trolley-jack?gclid=CP_c_8qf9rACFa4mtAodqHQR_w

Demi · Jun 30, 2012

grimwau said:
Rob, My trolley jack is quite low profile and slipped under the the std 500 quite easily but on the A500 I use the same method of raising the ground clearance as you.

if u two find that even low profile trolley jacks r no good for u then I have a perfect jacks for u guys

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Lifting range: 1 1/2'' inches to 5 3/4'' [/FONT]

WHAT!?
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[/FONT]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-HYDR..._Lifting_Moving_Equipment&hash=item588ad2e0b5

The Twins · Mar 22, 2015

jrkitching said:
A 500 in the company of a trolley jack is about as safe as a chicken in the company of a wolf. A lot of cars have been damaged out there and I've heard an anecdotal rumour that AA patrolmen have been instructed to use only the jack supplied by FIAT when wheel changing at the roadside.

FIAT's official technical documentation is hopeless - it just says to use a 4 post lift on the workshop jacking points & absolutely forbids jacking on either the front wishbones or the rear axle.

If you use a trolley jack ANYWHERE on the outer sills, even at the arrowed jacking points, then you'll most likely damage the car. I know from experience that some main dealers raise the car on the inner sills at these points, but this too can cause some (admittedly superficial & non-visible) damage, & it just feels wrong to me to lift a car this way.

So I've had to work this one out for myself. What follows is entirely my own work, it's not endorsed by anyone; so use it at your own risk. It's served me well, though, & I've not had any problems since getting the car.

There are fairly obvious reinforced sections of bodywork at both front and rear (photos attached) on which the car can be safely raised on a trolley jack PROVIDED you use a suitable pad with it. Professional quality trolley jacks often come with a hard rubber pad, which should work fine. If you buy a cheap DIY jack, though, you'll need to improvise something & so I got the router out to fabricate something out of a bit of hardwood I had lying around (more photos).

Be aware that the car could slip off the pad if it's not on a reasonably level surface, so chock the wheels & always use axle stands if any part of you is planning on going underneath the vehicle.

BTW all these comments apply equally to the Panda.

It's a pity this post isn't part of Fiats tech guides for the dealers! :slayer:

Tasmanian Panda · Apr 24, 2015

jrkitching Thanks for the really useful info about jacking.

where would you put axel stands? (on a panda, but I think they're basically the same car!).

Thanks

Parabolica · Nov 4, 2017

Just read this thread, good stuff, very useful information.

foambullets · May 6, 2019

Hi guys, I treated myself to a nice low profile trolley Jack this weekend to help speed up work on the fiat as I have been using the factory scissor Jack and putting axial stands under the car in the same place as jrkitchings photos. Now it seems that the trolley Jack and the axial stand need to be in the same place or can I put axial stand somewhere else under the car without damaging it? Any help would be very much appreciated.

Pugglt Auld Jock · May 6, 2019

Here's my solution:

I use it on all the family cars Panda (these pictures are of it in use on the Panda), Punto, Astra, Jazz, Ibiza and others. Works a treat and leaves you free to put your stands almost anywhere you like. Handy too because you can jack up a whole side at a time. Just be a little bit careful on really old vehicles where sill corrosion could be an unwelcome problem! Having said that the older cars Astra 2007 and Jazz 2008 are still fine with it. The rubber is bits of old inner tube so don't mark up/break the paint.

foambullets · May 6, 2019

Brilliant, thank you. I'll have to make up something like that myself for next weekend. I'll take it handy as you said and watch the sills. Avoiding damage has been my main concern.

Pugglt Auld Jock · May 6, 2019

Just a "silly" wee add on here but I wouldn't even think of jacking in the middle of the rear axle. I know people do, but if it bends, even just by a miniscule amount, your rear wheel geometry is going to be totally scuppered!

foambullets · May 9, 2019

Made up a pinch weld rubber pad from some rubber at work, it was already round. I just cut one to the required measurements of the pinch weld and screwed it to another.

Pugglt Auld Jock · May 9, 2019

foambullets said:
Made up a pinch weld rubber pad from some rubber at work, it was already round. I just cut one to the required measurements of the pinch weld and screwed it to another.

Lovely Jubbly

Il Karro · May 10, 2019

View attachment 200250I was just asking same questions about lifting my Panda last week, made something up for my jack when Puggit Auld Jock posted a picture, but I also purchased these for my axle stands.

John202020 · May 10, 2019

Ice hockey pucks can be used with a slot cut into it?

TQ1 · Dec 23, 2019

Just to bump this post, on the newer facelift 500, is that rear point covered by a plastic undertray?

Edit: the undertray is moulded so just the jacking point is clear.

I know where the front square with the hole in is as I use this with a normal trolley jack. I'd like to be able to lift the rear of the car and use an axle stand safely under some part of the car. I presume if you were to use normal axle stands on the sill you would need a rubber puck to spread the load correctly.

I’ll buy a puck to lift the car on the sills and then use normal stands on the other points.

typecastboy · Dec 23, 2019

I jack up on the floor pan on cars I’m getting rid of. Doesn’t seem to harm it but I wouldn’t do it on a good car. I usually use the joint where the bottom arm meets the subframe at the furthest point rearwards to jack the front.

TQ1 · Dec 31, 2019

Well I got my puck. I estimated as I couldn’t get an accurate measurement and came up a little short.

I got a 20mm cut out, now I can either cut this one or send it back and get another.

What depth is the factory jack cut out where it meets the pinch weld? I’d measure mine if it had one...

jrkitching · Dec 31, 2019

TQ1 said:
Just to bump this post, on the newer facelift 500, is that rear point covered by a plastic undertray?

Edit: the undertray is moulded so just the jacking point is clear.

I know where the front square with the hole in is as I use this with a normal trolley jack. I'd like to be able to lift the rear of the car and use an axle stand safely under some part of the car. I presume if you were to use normal axle stands on the sill you would need a rubber puck to spread the load correctly.

I’ll buy a puck to lift the car on the sills and then use normal stands on the other points.

Knowing how fragile the sills are, and how many 500's I see with varying degrees of jacking damage, there's no way I'd ever lift a 500 on the sills, not with a puck, not on the arrowed jacking points, not anywhere. The problem with a modified puck is that the inner and outer sills are at different heights.

I only ever jack these cars on the chassis hardpoints; if these are covered by a plastic undertray, first remove the undertray. Some might say this is overcaution to the point of paranoia, but you only ever get one chance at not damaging the sills.

I one looked under six brand new 500's in a main dealer showroom; all six had some degree of jacking damage on the sill seam.

chris3234 · Dec 31, 2019

TQ1 said:
Just to bump this post, on the newer facelift 500, is that rear point covered by a plastic undertray?

Edit: the undertray is moulded so just the jacking point is clear.

I know where the front square with the hole in is as I use this with a normal trolley jack. I'd like to be able to lift the rear of the car and use an axle stand safely under some part of the car. I presume if you were to use normal axle stands on the sill you would need a rubber puck to spread the load correctly.

I’ll buy a puck to lift the car on the sills and then use normal stands on the other points.

Jack up the rear with the jacking point in the floor pan
Then put a axle stand under the front of the rear beam just behind where it mounts to the body Works fine

WitleyPanda · Nov 7, 2020

Just changed my rear discs and in the end just used the scissor jack and then axle stands in several locations. But was interested to see where the MOT inspection lifted with the beam jack. Which was with hard wood blocks in the sill, onboard of the seam. No obvious damage. With respect to corrosion of sills, I can remember the early issues with the mini and 1100/1300 which was down to poor drainage/ ventilation and therefore water sitting in the sill.

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