Jacking / Lifting points on your Prius

[BethlehemPrius]

Easiest way for oil changes etc, is to just use ramps and raise the car, cheap and then have no issues with the locations :-)

[FloridaWen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eastender43 @ Jul 26 2007, 10:01 PM) [snapback]485878[/snapback]</div>

I thought you were suggesting using those two jacking points to BALANCE the car while you VERY carefully worked under it....
[/b]

I imagine that when you use a hydraulic floor jack and center it under the front "K-member" (where the white rectangle is in the drawing) the rear two wheels act as the other balancing jacking points, and for safety's sake DON'T trust a hydraulic jack (they can leak and lower) without also using jack STANDS, too !!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BethlehemPrius @ Jul 27 2007, 12:14 AM) [snapback]485947[/snapback]</div>

Easiest way for oil changes etc, is to just use ramps and raise the car, cheap and then have no issues with the locations :-)
[/b]

YES agreed.... I also have those "low profile Rhino Ramps" (molded plastic) and they work great to lift the Prius up just enough to get my "pot belly" under the vehicle when changing oil (or installing a BT PLATE) !!

The above mentioned use of the HYDRAULIC jack (and jack stands) under the "K-member" was really for doing brake or suspension work on the Prius front end when you have to remove a tire (or two).

[Steve Goldenberg]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dogfriend @ Jul 23 2007, 01:27 PM) [snapback]483638[/snapback]</div>

Oh yeah, I was going to point this out earlier, but forgot:

There is a typo under Jack Position:

Rear: Differential Carrier

There is no differential at the rear (unless you have the special 4wd version of the Prius).

There is a pedestal that is located about where the rear differential carrier would be. I'm pretty sure that is the jacking point for the rear.
[/b]

Where do you get a 4WD Prius?
steve@goldenberg.com

[dogfriend]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BethlehemPrius @ Jul 26 2007, 09:14 PM) [snapback]485947[/snapback]</div>

Easiest way for oil changes etc, is to just use ramps and raise the car, cheap and then have no issues with the locations :-)
[/b]

I have ramps too, but you can't remove the wheels when they are on ramps.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Steve Goldenberg @ Jul 27 2007, 06:09 AM) [snapback]486048[/snapback]</div>

Where do you get a 4WD Prius?
steve@goldenberg.com
[/b]

Same place you get the 40 mpg Hummers.

[dogfriend]

I needed to lift the rear of the car to install some shims on the right rear wheel. So I looked for a substitute for the Toyota rubber blocks shown in the first post.

I found some rubber blocks at the surplus store (Blue Collar Supply in Sac, CA) that looked like they might work. They were only $ .39 each.


[attachmentid=10222]

I wasn't sure if they were going to be big enough, so I got a few, thinking that I would use two or more at each jack point. The blocks are approx 1 7/8 x 2 3/8 x 1 1/8. I figured that I would look at the jack that Toyota provides for lifting the car, and then make sure that I made the area of the block at least as big as the top of the jack where it contacts the lifting point. When I looked at the jack, I realized that one of the blocks is plenty big enough; the surface area of the Toyota jack is about 1 inch square where it contacts the car.

I cut a 3/8 inch slot in the center of the rubber block about 3/4 of an inch deep and then mounted it on top of my jackstand with a couple of screws.

[attachmentid=10223]

Here is a photo of the jack stand with the rubber block in place.

[attachmentid=10224]

Here is a photo showing the jack lifting the "pedestal". I left the jack in place while I had the wheel off, but the weight was lowered onto the jack stands. You can see in the photo why you shouldn't try to lift the car using the rear axle; the crossbeam is a "U" shape with the open side towards the rear. You would probably bend it if you tried to lift the car. On the other hand, the section of the rear axle out near the shock mount looks pretty stout.

[attachmentid=10225]

[stukid]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ Jul 23 2007, 10:51 AM) [snapback]483570[/snapback]</div>

One would think that an official Toyota Dealer's Repair Dept. would have these specialized rubber blocks if their hydraulic lifts needed this adapter, just as many other tools Repair departments have, needed to do specific tasks. As an ex-Service Manager I know that in addition to the tools each one of the mechanics owned, the Dealership was also obligated to purchase specialty items for specific models of their vehicles. These were not limited to just adapters for the bearing presses or brake disc turning machines, but a lot of other items, like sockets needed to remove O2 sensors, specialized transmission/transaxle tools, even special lifts to support heavy transmissions, etc.

I always find it amusing (but really SAD) when a vehicle manufacturer goes out of their way to have a specialty tool manufactured and sold to dealers and repair shops, made to minimize damage to the vehicle being worked on, yet these specialty tools, adapters, etc. just sit on the shelf, not used.
[/b]

In defense of those of us on the repair side of dealer work, when we use the lift to raise the car, we place the adjustable arms under the body pinch welds, in the same place the jack should be placed if you need to change the tire. When properly placed, no damage is done to the car. Not all guys always do things properly. . .
Somewhere in our dealership, we have a slew of SST's (Service Special Tools), most are still in boxes, and are never used. Who knows, we may even have rack pads. In my years of working on cars, there is nothing more valuable than the correct SST at the precise time, but trying to track it down, can be a HUGE time wasting process, when with a little ingenuity, we'll get 'er done.

[geodosch]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(stukid @ Jul 29 2007, 07:17 AM) [snapback]487027[/snapback]</div>

In defense of those of us on the repair side of dealer work, when we use the lift to raise the car, we place the adjustable arms under the body pinch welds, in the same place the jack should be placed if you need to change the tire. When properly placed, no damage is done to the car. Not all guys always do things properly. . .
Somewhere in our dealership, we have a slew of SST's (Service Special Tools), most are still in boxes, and are never used. Who knows, we may even have rack pads. In my years of working on cars, there is nothing more valuable than the correct SST at the precise time, but trying to track it down, can be a HUGE time wasting process, when with a little ingenuity, we'll get 'er done.
[/b]

I know you were trying to defend what the dealers do, but your comments had the opposite effect for me. Apparently the manufacturer felt these SST's were important enough to go through the expense of designing and producing, but they don't get used because the dealer's shop can't figure out a system to locate them when they're needed.

That doesn't give me a warm fuzzy about wanting to take my car to the dealer for work.

[stukid]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GeoDosch @ Jul 29 2007, 10:59 AM) [snapback]487057[/snapback]</div>

I know you were trying to defend what the dealers do, but your comments had the opposite effect for me. Apparently the manufacturer felt these SST's were important enough to go through the expense of designing and producing, but they don't get used because the dealer's shop can't figure out a system to locate them when they're needed.

That doesn't give me a warm fuzzy about wanting to take my car to the dealer for work.
[/b]

Next time you bring your car in for a job, please don't complain that it takes too long. We work under a flat rate system where speed is emphasized, and that starts at the mfr level with warranty times. Plus many engineers who design the SST's never have to use them, and when simple gets the job done, why complicate matters to please a non informed public.

[clanthon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BethlehemPrius @ Jul 26 2007, 11:14 PM) [snapback]485947[/snapback]</div>

Easiest way for oil changes etc, is to just use ramps and raise the car, cheap and then have no issues with the locations :-)
[/b]

Which ramps do you use; the ones I have are too tall to get to the front wheels
Thanks

[FloridaWen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clanthon @ Sep 16 2007, 10:14 AM) [snapback]513290[/snapback]</div>

Which ramps do you use; the ones I have are too tall to get to the front wheels
Thanks
[/b]

The BLACK PLASTIC "Rhino Ramps" work great. I have used them on both FRONT and rear of our new '07 Prius (once installing the BT PLATE and then again changing OIL & FILTER).

[attachmentid=11480]