Floor Jack : Safe Lifting Points?

I would not jack on the bolts to the control arms if thats what they are. hard to tell as your pics are very dark.

I have been jacking up the front of the car for years with no issues whatsover on the points in the picture. There right behind the front bumper and in front of the tires on each side. They look like tiedowns or maybe tow hooks but there really strong. And really easy to jack on. My Sears jack slides right under there easy.

The problem with the specified jack points right behind the front wheels they are hard to hit perfectly and its easy to bend the fender if not perfect on the floor jack round cup. Its easier if you use the jack that comes with the car as it has a groove to fit on those rails but the floor jack has a round oddly shaped cup platform that does not fit that side rail good. I bent my fender once a little with my floor jack.

The service manual specifies the main brace in the center of the car in the front but my jack can't get under there to hit it.

 

I use the points in the service manual. My jack is a little too high to get under the front one, so I drive the front up on some RV leveling blocks so I can fit the jack under.

Long thread on it here: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-.../35358-jacking-lifting-points-your-prius.html

 

I usually jack it up on the tie downs up front than when the wheel is off the ground put metal ramps under the wheels. The kind your supposed to drive on. Its lot less dramatic jacking it up fast and sliding the stands under the tire instead of driving the car up on a stand. My driveway is too slippery to do that anyway.
I can jack it up and put stands under the wheel in like 20 seconds on each wheel. I can't remember what i do in the back but I think the bottom of that support you highlighted is correct.

Of course if its wheels off like your asking I just put jack stands under the specified jack points while jacking it at the tie downs. Like you I wondered how are you supposed to jack
at the specified jack points and put jack stands there too. Maybe if you use there scissor jack which is ridiculous to use. Which is why I found the tie downs.

And pro floor jack on the points behind the wheel is tricky as that support beam there is not made to be lifted by the odd cup size of a floor jack. Its built to receive the notch of the scissor or jack stand.

The tie downs up front are really strong. Whats cool is you just jack the flr jack up slowly to the td with your hand guiding the flr jack as you kneel down.
Don't even have to hardly bend over or get on the ground. Its really quick.

Good Luck.

 

I made a very "short" production run of these custom made lightweight aluminum "pinch weld" jacking adapters for my own use and for sale on eBay, because I couldn't find anything like them anywhere for my Harbor Freight US General flat top aluminum racing jack.

They would be great fo the second generation Prius. I don't recommend them, however, for the newer Prius with the plastic rocker panel covers.

 

The front jack locations is the same as it is on all toyotas right smack dab in the middle just beyond the bumper a foot or two that big metal bump put the floor jack there parking brake on and pump bothe front tires up and off the ground in a second and plenty of room to get at the oil access panel!

 

I don't seem to have that center metal bulge the way I had on my Camry.

 

Classic and G2 Prius do not have that front lifting point. G3 Prius does have that point.

 

Ah! Thank you for resolving my confusion. I was flustered.