I am trying to identify the location of the reinforced, front structural member for jacking the car. I have included two photos with this thread showing what I think is the correct location. In the first photo you can see the x-tie that goes from left to right lower control arm. I was thinking that the painted area to the right, towards the front, is the correct/reinforced area of the vehicle? The second photo shows a slightly different perspective with the roll bar, x-tie and painted area to the right of view. All help appreciated on this subject.





Thanks

Tim

 

Whether or not this is the preferred way to do it, I'll tell you what I have used.

I've seen the 'reinforced cross member' (Red arrow) method for raising the front end recommended. But, after attempting this once, I noticed some severe deflection once the entire weight of the car was on it. So, I resorted to lifting each side individually from the point at which the cross member is bolted (the lower front? control arm, Yellow arrow). Just be careful not to touch the bushing on the backside of this arm. You risk piercing the bushing and 'bleeding' it. Once the front end is up where I need it, I put a jack stand on the reinforced jacking point under the door hinge and lower the jack, and move to the other side. It takes a bit longer to get raised up and ready, but I feel better about the process.

 

h20boy, thank you for the fast reply. I have to agree with you that the suspension x-tie seems way too flimsy to support the weight of the front end. Is the x-tie what is referred in the JTIS as the reinforced front structural member for jacking? I thought it was the blue painted area, further forward to the right in my photo? However, you are saying that you have had no problem employing the jack at the point the suspension x-tie bolts into the lower control arm?
I am planing to do some work on the front suspension and want to make sure that I choose the best jacking point. I know for sure not to jack under the cast aluminum subunit.

Thanks for the help.

 

It doesn't make sense it would be the blue painted area for a jacking point really...I mean, you have to remove the undertray thing to get to it.

No problems from me, just be careful what the jack piece touches. Avoid aluminum, you are correct.

 

In view of the recent interest/concerns about jacking I thought I would follow up on this original post. I finally found someone to show me where the reinforced jacking point is on the front of the XK8\XKR. I jacked my car up and snapped the pictures included here. The first pic shows the jack positioned below the reinforced front member and the last shows the same area undamaged after jacking is completed. I have found this location to be excellent if you are using a floor jack and want to jack the front end totally off the ground. However, be careful not to impinge on any of the lines or houses proximate to this area. Also be sure to chock those back wheels. When I was trying to get help on this subject the Jag dealers I spoke either said there was no jacking point or they did not know where it was. It took an independent Jag mechanic to point it out in the JTIS and under the car.

Hope this will be helpful.

 

Hey folks!! While we are at it, can someone advise us of the proper points to lift the rear of these cars as well. Thanks...this info is really appreciated. I`m planning on going to a do it yourself garage that rents bays with lifts and I don`t want to position the lift improperly....Thanks!!

 

Thanks Goldlion---I was questioning this as well. I'm also interested in the rear jacking point. I've tried the point detailed in the JTIS but felt uncomfortable as I jacked it up.

 

I've jacked up the front end of my car literally dozens of times (I like to tinker (I also use parenthesis way too much)) and I always put the jack under that cross brace that is covered by the under tray. Keep in mind, I'm putting the jack under the center of the cross-brace and jacking the entire front end at once. Once it's up I put jack stands under the hard points that are directly behind the front wheel well. The first time I jacked the car right there I could hear the plastic under tray making some cracking noises, so I stopped, checked the JTIS again, then I just figured WTF and went ahead and did it. My under tray was already all scraped up, so I wasn't really worried about damaging it. After lowering the car I looked at the under tray, and I didn't see any damage at all. Across the bottom of the under tray is a a rubber strip and even though it was compressed, it just went back to its normal position.

In regards to the rear, if you look way way back (forward?) you'll see two bolts sticking down right under the very center of the car. My floor jack is almost completely under the car when the head is positioned under those bolts, and I can only move the handle through the bottom third of its stroke until I get the car up a little way, that's how far forward the jack goes. Once again, I'm jacking the entire rear end, not just the left side or the right side. Once it's up in the air I put jack stands under the hard points just in FRONT of the rear wheels.

The hard points I'm talking about aren't the places where the Jaguar jack is supposed to go. These points are just inside that little rail. If you look under the car you can't miss them. They are solid steel and if you rap on them with a hammer you'll hear a nice solid thunk. The rear points are just in front of the rear wheel wells and the front points are just behind the front wheel wells.

Oh yeah, one last thing; don't use the oil cooler as a guide for placing the jack in the front. The oil cooler isn't centered. The first couple of times I jacked the front end one side was always higher than the other until I lowered the car onto the stands. Then I realized that the oil cooler was off to the side by a few inches. Now I use the vertical pieces of the front bumper to center the jack.

 

if you're using a lift, use the specified, reinforced plates that are basically 6-inches long up front and rear, look for my thread about jack pionts for pics

 

Maybe a dumb question, gut why wouldn`t one use the 6 inch reinforced plates as jack points as well??

 

cpm, you can use those for either a jack or a lift. Reverend is referencing a single point of lift, under the car, that can do the entire rear end if your jack is rated for that amount of weight. It is often quicker to use these single lift areas, then just put your stands under the reinforced body points.