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Wanted to rotate tires...

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by ES44AC, Aug 7, 2012.

  1. ES44AC

    ES44AC C.A.U.S

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    Then I realized what an ordeal it will be to even jack the car up to accomplish the task! First I put the car up on my Rhino Ramps to see if I could find the center jacking point. I could not.

    It appears to me that all the plastic junk has to be removed to make this point accessible am I right?

    Even on the ramps everything is so close to me that I can hardly move under there and I'm not overweight! lol

    Then I decided to do a search for photos of where this elusive jack point is hiding. I cam up with 2 different sketches and they don't agree. One has the point behind centerline of the front wheels and the other shows it behind centerline of the front the wheels. They can't both be right so which one is it? Or are they for 2 different models/years? Mine is a 2011.

    One of the 'other' web pages shows a hydraulic jack being placed on the sides/corners of the car with no hockey puck or anything to protect the flange that hangs down.

    I really can't see the harm in putting a floor jack under the lower ball joint to get the wheel off the ground and no higher. What's the difference in doing that and running over a bump in the road? The suspension doesn't know why it's being moved up, it just moves, who cares about the method?

    Guess I will have to wait to get to the stealer and let him do it but only because the car is still under warranty! Too bad Toyota didn't make this easy for us. <sigh>

    Below we see the jack point behind the front axles.
    user49067_pic2921_1253937302.jpg


    This one shows it in front of the axles! Clear as mud eh?
    jackpoints.jpg
     
  2. Xaran

    Xaran Junior Member

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    I pulled my wheels to repaint them, rt side front and rear and then left side front and rear by just using the one jack point in the owners manual just behind the front wheel about under the front door hinges (shown in your diagram as the front safety support) It is on the sheet metal seam and is defined by 2 notches about 5" apart. If you use a floor jack you can get both wheels off the ground easily.

    When I did my springs I did the same and then placed jack stands under it.
     
  3. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    You do not need to remove any panels under the car to get to the jack points. They are right where they are shown in your bottom photo. If you were not able to locate these jack points I think you are right in letting someone else do this for you.
     
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  4. ursle

    ursle Gas miser

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    Relax, yer' not the first person to jack up a prius, it's been done before
    I have gen 2 and 3 models and both have a unit that sticks down in the back to jack up the back, I see it in your diagrams
    The front point is shown, don't jack yer' ball joint, it'll be a neverending story that didn't work out
     
  5. gmcneil05

    gmcneil05 Member

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    I use the engine cradle rear mounting bolts on the front. You can see the two silver things behind the front wheels. I would not use the support position, I bent mine a little. Then just use the center jack point on the back.
     
  6. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    Actually you can jack the front from either place shown. The rearmost one is really the "correct" one. They show the front most one because most floor jacks will fit there without danger of sliding. Note that to actually -get- the floor jack under there you have to put the car up on ramps. The rear can be done without ramps, but if you want to lift the whole car do the front first then the rear. Remember to loosen the wheel nuts first!
    But for rotating tyres, it's probably better to just lift the side you're working on from the rocker panel points.
    The reason I say this is the tyres have to be on the ground to loosen the lug nuts. So it's faster to just work on one side at a time.
    Rotation is front to rear and vise versa. No cross rotation. In the past I've used the spare to "hold" the front wheel after removing the wheel and putting it on the rear. Then installing the rear on the front. This method is pretty safe. I'd substitute a floor jack for the stock one and use a "puck" at the seam with a slot cut in it. You can stick a jackstand under the other sill point for safety. Remember to block the other side wheels. Not fun if it rolls off the jack!
     
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  7. ES44AC

    ES44AC C.A.U.S

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    Hi ursle,

    Well of the two photos which one shows the correct location of the front one? Yes I see the back one easily but the front one not so much. I hope you agree with me that they two are NOT showing the same thing at least to my eyes.

    Tnx
     
  8. ES44AC

    ES44AC C.A.U.S

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    The color photo I attached shows the underside of the vehicle with NO panels on it. Mine as covers all over the place and there is nothing exposed that resembles a jacking point in the front. The back yes, the front no. I just don't want to put the floor jack under something it shouldn't be under that's all.
     
  9. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    The center jack points are exposed through the undercovers. They either had the undercovers off when they took the photo or it could have been a mode I(1) - no undercovers.

    I use the side jack points to rotate my tires. Good luck,.
     
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  10. ES44AC

    ES44AC C.A.U.S

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    Thanks Spidey,

    It is plain to see that the covers MUST be taken off to make the point accessible. Once I let the stealer change the oil I will paint that bloody thing with white paint so there is NO mistake where to put it.

    I have discovered yet another photo that shows the jacking area at a 3rd point different from the other two! Never thought that it was moveable but apparently it is! lol :D

    I'd love to use the side points but I don't want to bend that silly metal strip. It amazes me that some aftermarket group hasn't made a block with a slot in it to be placed on top of a floor jack pad to accept that flange. A lot easier to make one of them than to make taillights with LEDS in 'em!

    If I still worked for Amtrak I'd have one made in short order, but I have no access to metal or a welder. Sad thing is it wouldn't take much to make one :(

    Cheers
     
  11. ES44AC

    ES44AC C.A.U.S

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    Hi David,

    Thanks for all the info I may try the hockey puck idea sounds the easiest to me.

    I remember in my early days at a dealership they hired a new kid who did odd jobs as needed in the shop. The service manager told him to put a car on the rack and rotate the wheels. Minutes later he was seen with the car on the lift standing next to it, using his hands to spin one wheel and then another! He said " well you told me to rotate the tires!" True story as lame as it sounds.

    Regards
     
  12. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    Like Spidey and I have both said before, you DO NOT need to remove the undercovers to access the jacking points. I do this quite often.

    The jacking points are nice in that you can jack in one spot and then set jack stands under both wheels. If rotating tires, you just have to jack two times and then set the four jack stands and then rotate all four tires.
     
  13. has been

    has been vote for anyone except Trump

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    Relax. You'll be ok. Remember.....
    In golf: if you are undecided as to which club to hit and the one that's in your hands makes you nervous, it's probly the wrong club.
    If you're not a mechanic and you're unable to figure out how to jack up your car, maybe you shouldn't be doing it
     
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  14. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    We've seen rubber devices for the rocker panels in a local store (Princess Auto). I made my own with plywood.
     
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  15. ngc4565

    ngc4565 Member

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    Well I am certainly confused. The jack points on my 2010 Gen III are all pretty obvious just by having a look under the car. The center ones won't do you much good since they lift either the front or back wheels, and you really need to lift a side. Having lifted the sides a few times for tire rotations and snow swaps, I cannot think of a good reason that add anything to protect the lift points either.

    BTW - glad that you like the ES44AC produced right here in Pennsylvania.
     
  16. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    The covers do not need to be removed as they are not covering the jack points. It's really that simple.
     
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  17. ES44AC

    ES44AC C.A.U.S

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    Yes GE did a great job with 'em. I see you shot the 8102 PRR.. I just got the Wabash yesterday.

    Trust me the other than the side jack points the underside is all covered with plastic panels regardless of what others have said even with the car on ramps you can't see ANYTHING but plastic and retainers. The back yes the front NO.
     
  18. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    Wanna bet I can show you the front jack point without removing undercovers?
     
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  19. ES44AC

    ES44AC C.A.U.S

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    f8l,

    Too bad I just deleted the shots I had taken while the car was on ramps. That would seem to be the only way that anyone here will believe me. But I won't ramp it up just to take more to prove a point, there is no sense in pursuing this any further. You can see yours and I can't see mine, I agree to disagree.

    About 5 posts up Spiderman says " The center jack points are exposed through the undercovers. They either had the undercovers off when they took the photo or it could have been a mode I(1) - no undercovers. "
    Thanks
     
  20. ES44AC

    ES44AC C.A.U.S

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    I won't bore you with my work history, let's just say that I have worked on cars that you probably have never heard of or couldn't spell correctly. That is exactly the reason I asked the question, there's no sense putting a floor jack under an area that isn't CLEARLY a jacking point would be senseless. In spite of what everyone says mine has undercovers under the engine engine bay, I'm sure if I took them off I could see the dreaded "J" Spot. :D

    This thread has turned into a sniping session more than an exchange of information... how sad:(