pwachon Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 Folks, Is there a safe jack point under the front of the '98 'R50 where I can use a floor jack to raise both front wheels off the ground at the same time? For the rear I assume I can just place the jack under the differential (wood block/ foam to avoid denting), but what about the front? I'm looking for the quickest method to change out all 4 wheels from summer to winter wheels/tires - I'm in a situation where I might need to do this multiple times a season. If there's a better way (i.e. raising the whole left side and right side instead of front and back), I'd love to hear it. Thanks, Pierre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 If you want to do both front wheels at the same time you could do the crossmember on the subframe, but I'd worry about slighly bending it; this may be reduced if you use a ~2' piece of wood to displace the load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwachon Posted July 9, 2018 Author Share Posted July 9, 2018 Thanks trainbrain, I had thought of that but was looking for a more definitive answer - I feel like the crossmember is so far behind the engine that I'd be effectively lifting more than half the weight of the car... but a 4x4 might just to the trick... Cheers, Pierre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 I had a look at the '97 service manual and GI-39 suggests lifting the truck with a garage jack from the middle of the rear axle and the middle of the front crossmember (not the one under the tranny, the one in line with the front LCA bushings). Looks like there's even a half-circle cutout in the skid plate to make this easy. The manual suggests using a rubber or wood block between the jack stands and the sort-of-frame, but doesn't say anything about a block or pad on the jack itself. And no, I wouldn't jack from the crossmember under the trans. Like you said, you'd be lifting most of the truck, and the line drawing in the manual doesn't make it look especially stout. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 2 hours ago, pwachon said: Thanks trainbrain, I had thought of that but was looking for a more definitive answer - I feel like the crossmember is so far behind the engine that I'd be effectively lifting more than half the weight of the car... but a 4x4 might just to the trick... Cheers, Pierre. As Slartibartfast clarified, I was referring to the one between the control arms, sorry for the confusion. His explanation was good, I usually do what he said. Mine didn't have the skidplate when I got it, that cutout would definitely have tipped me off that that location was a good one (although I used it anyways). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathmaker Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 (edited) Front crossmember & rear axle, no wood, rubber or foam required, been doing it that way since the beginning of time with no ill effects. Edited July 10, 2018 by 01Pathmaker 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwachon Posted July 10, 2018 Author Share Posted July 10, 2018 Thanks to everyone who responded - my bad misunderstanding which crossmember was being discussed. Problem solved! In case you're curious, I live in the Bay Area and go skiing in Tahoe whenever I can (and make it happen when there's a storm!). 4WD and winter tires on all 4 wheels is mandatory if you want to make it past chain control in the Sierras. But under normal circumstances (80% of the time) there is zero need for winter tires. I love my Blizzaks but they melt just by looking at them - in the past, I've worn through them in two seasons (November to mid-April). So the plan is to spend 15 minutes swapping out my regular wheels for the Blizzaks when needed, and otherwise drive up with my regular tires. I expect to recoup the cost of the steelies the very first year... Thanks for the advice, Pierre. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Yeah, I'll bet snow tires wear quick down there! Sounds like a good plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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