Ok....sorry... probably a really dumb question but I don't want to damage the car so...

Yes, I've looked at the documents regarding jack points. And I can find them on the car (duh), but I want to lift an entire side to do the transfer case oil drain/fill, etc.

So... if I place the JACK at the jack point in the front (behind the front tire), where do I put the jack stand while I move to the jack to the rear jack point? Obviously I can't get a jack stand on the front jack point if the jack it there.

Keep in mind the car is so low I can't really get under it to look at all this so I'm going to have to play it by ear once I start lifting it. You guys that do this all the time are probably going, "Well just put it HERE, ya dummy!" ....but I haven't seen HERE yet.

Was just going to go buy a floor jack and some jack stands, but.... this is bugging me. I believe it was Thermo that mentioned a solid lift point about the halfway mark of the front door....enabling you to lift the entire side of the car. Thermo, if you're reading this... did I understand that correctly?

"just do it!" doesn't quite cut it with me if putting a jack stand in the wrong place is going to bend a suspension member or do some other damage. I worked on my own cars in the 70s and 80s. They had frames!

Just don't want to wreck it trying to fix it.

 

Here is a YouTube video showing a guy doing exactly what you are asking about.

 

Thanks, Rob. I've actually watched that one before. Hard to tell exactly where he's jacking and sticking the stands in there, but watching the tire move as he jacks tells me he's jacking on suspension members. Lots of cautions here against doing that.

I look at the factory jack head and it really looks like it's doing the lifting just inboard of the seam. The bearing surface is really narrow on the jack head, like 3/4 inch to maybe an inch wide.

I know it'll make more sense when I get it up where I can see better, but in order to get it up there/// I gotta jack it! hehehe.... and I don't wanna crush those seams.

Just..... buck up and pad the jack and lift it?

 

For the front I jack under the front subframe, and the axle stand I put under the rear bolt where the front subframe attaches to the body.

For the rear, I jack under the springpan, and the put the axle stand on the jacking point on the the body.

 

Hmm...springpan...never heard that term before. Where 'tis?

 

That's what the bottom of the rear spring sits on. On the XJ's and earlier cars the spring pan was a separate piece that bolts to the wishbone. That's what it's called in the parts book.

 

yeah, I been trying to google it...heheh....

I just wanna jack the damn thing up and fill the TC.... run it a around a bit and then change it. I still have to get the rear seal done, but at LEAST want to make sure it has sufficient fluid in it until we get the seal replaced.

 

OK... this is a pain in the rear end...hahah

Went to 3 places to find the gear oil. Got Royal Purple Synthetic 80-140.
Borrowed a jack... backed the car onto some 2x10 (3 thicknesses..) and got another 4 and a half inches to look underneath. Found lift point on front subframe (where jag dealer lifts it) and if I use a nice piece of wood to span the rear lower wishbone at the springpan, that looks viable.

Now... can't do anything cause I don't have jack stands and I won't get under it without them..... so... Looks like I can get them for about $40. Might just go get them. Otherwise keep hunting to borrow some.

DONE!
Once I could see what we were talking about, it was pretty easy. Much quieter.
Drain and refill transmission is next on my list...heheh