GraphiteGTS
Enthusiast
Does it harm the car to drive onto a lift and support the car by the siderails (under the cats), if the weight is distributed evenly? I did so and it seemed to lift fine.
Lifting a Viper
- Thread starter GraphiteGTS
- Start date
Should be fine if you are on the 4 designated jack points that are found there...and, it is well balanced as well...just be careful when jacking at the back end and BE SURE that you are on the jack point and NOT on the exhaust hanger that sticks down there on some cars a little more aft...have SEEN this collapse a sill !!!
Jerry Dobson
Enthusiast
Under the cats? The side sill is under the cats = No good.
Jack points are safe.
Jack points are safe.
Ron
Enthusiast
Just to clarify, the jack points are the 4 oval shaped rod material welded to the bottom of the frame. Just behind the inner front wheel well and 5 inches or so in front of the rear wheel wells. Easy to feel by hand.
sbkim
Enthusiast
Quick question - is it possible to lift the entire front or the back end using a floor jack? Where would you place the jack to accomplish this? Currently, I jack the car at those 4 oval shaped rod materials one corner at a time. Of course, it looks very precarious and would prefer to lift the entire section at a time.
Thanks
Thanks
sbkim
Enthusiast
Does anyone have pictures of this?
From a previous thread:
Jacking Points
The middle of the front cross member (the meeting point in the "K" of the frame) will allow you to pick up the front of the car.
Placing a floor jack under the "S" part of the rear side frame rail (closest to the center of the car as you can get) will pick up the back of the car - although one side will come up first, the chassis is stiff enough to pick up the back end.
We pick up the back end first to give enough clearance to get to the front. This is the only way we ever jack the car to get it up on jackstands.
Jack the back end of car at the start / curvy part of the frame's "S" curve FORWARD of the rear axle. This will pick up your jacking side of the rear first, but keep going and it will pick up entire back end.
Place jack stands under FRAME RAILS behind S curve - not too far out. We only lift the car about 16 inches or so - just enough to be comfortable to work under there. We have never had an issue about the car moving in this tilted position, but again, we don't lift it to a 45-degree angle.
Jack up front of car - either by placing jack between front and rear wheels and going in that way, or, with a low enough profile jack, going in from the front. Place jack saddle at the intersection of the "K" crossmember. This will pick up the front of the car very evenly.
Place level jackstands under FRAME RAILS slightly behind where the tie down holes are but not directly underneath the "A" arm reinforcement. Again - big thing here is to make sure you are under the thick / wide section of the frame and not the front 1/2 height section of frame horn.
Both our cars have spent MANY HOURS up in the air like this - we work under them, over them, sit in them, etc. and have never felt the car was the least bit unstable. We have no marks on our sills, either.
HTH
From a previous thread:
Jacking Points
The middle of the front cross member (the meeting point in the "K" of the frame) will allow you to pick up the front of the car.
Placing a floor jack under the "S" part of the rear side frame rail (closest to the center of the car as you can get) will pick up the back of the car - although one side will come up first, the chassis is stiff enough to pick up the back end.
We pick up the back end first to give enough clearance to get to the front. This is the only way we ever jack the car to get it up on jackstands.
Jack the back end of car at the start / curvy part of the frame's "S" curve FORWARD of the rear axle. This will pick up your jacking side of the rear first, but keep going and it will pick up entire back end.
Place jack stands under FRAME RAILS behind S curve - not too far out. We only lift the car about 16 inches or so - just enough to be comfortable to work under there. We have never had an issue about the car moving in this tilted position, but again, we don't lift it to a 45-degree angle.
Jack up front of car - either by placing jack between front and rear wheels and going in that way, or, with a low enough profile jack, going in from the front. Place jack saddle at the intersection of the "K" crossmember. This will pick up the front of the car very evenly.
Place level jackstands under FRAME RAILS slightly behind where the tie down holes are but not directly underneath the "A" arm reinforcement. Again - big thing here is to make sure you are under the thick / wide section of the frame and not the front 1/2 height section of frame horn.
Both our cars have spent MANY HOURS up in the air like this - we work under them, over them, sit in them, etc. and have never felt the car was the least bit unstable. We have no marks on our sills, either.
HTH
George Murray
Enthusiast
Man...I wa starting to get excited...I thought you meant a lift kit, nerf bars, 44 in super mud thornbirds, triple shocks at each wheel...
I'm definitely selling too many lifted 4x4s
I'm definitely selling too many lifted 4x4s
BE CAREFUL locating jack points ONLY by feel until you are well acquainted with YOUR Viper's underbelly... some models have short, protruding rod end that hangs down off of the inner aspect of the rear oval jack point that points forward (about one foot in front of the rear end of the sidesill)... UNFORTUNATELY, I have seen 3 cases in which owners in a hurry (or with some other form of distraction) located the "jack point" by feel alone, and mistakingly put the jack on the exhaust hanger at the rear end of the sidesill, and upon jacking, collapsed the hanger, pipe and sidesill.
