Has anybody tried using the factory scissor jack on their ES350? The factory jack was designed so that the bottom of the pinch weld does not bear the weight of the car, but rather the car's weight rests on the inner shoulder above the pinch weld (floor of the car).

The problem is the shoulders are all gooped up with thick heavy caulking. The jack would be compressing a very uneven surface. Only the front driver side pinch weld was clean on my car.
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1. Is this a "Don't care" or should that stuff be cut away?
2. Has anyone found and successfully used a custom fit pinch weld adapter for the Gen 7 ES350 (not a puck!) that works with a jack stand? I found only ONE adapter in all my web searches. It looks reasonable but I can't believe its the only choice.

 

Use this with a hydraulic jack. Several to choose from on Amazon. The scissor jack really should just be used in emergencies. Personally, I wouldn’t cut any of that sealant away. If there’s no clean spot along that pinch weld to place the adapter, it will just compress the sealant. I don’t see a problem with it.

 

Agreed, I wouldn't worry about compressing the caulking. Better to leave it alone than trouble yourself to clean cut it.
Personally however, I try and avoid using pinch weld jacking and much prefer to use the middle jack locations at the front and rear of the car. The front is relatively easy to line up with a distinct cutout in the undercover for a jack. The rear location is not quite as obvious but there is a jacking point right in the middle along a horizontal centerline that would be between the two rear wheels. Best to have a good light and look underneath to line up a jack accurately.

 

I am pretty sure the adapter in denzlex's post will damage the outer shoulder of the pinch weld since the factory jack is meant to only press on the INNER shoulder (rocker panel area). Look at the picture of the factory jack I showed, one side of the jack point is higher than the other. The adapter you show would crush the rocker panel side. Have you used this IFTJ adapter on your 7th Gen ES350 thus proving me wrong? If so, does it support only the BOTTOM of the pinch weld?

I was not suggesting to use the scissor jack other than for an emergency, I only showed the picture to point out the geometry of the jack's lift point. It's a good idea to inspect how the car's manufacture intended to support the car with the factory jack before using anything else. One side of the scissor jack's mounting surface is clearly meant for lifting the INNER part of the pinch weld shoulder. The other side is just for lateral (slippage) support but does not press on any part of the car. The bottom of the pinch weld does not carry any weight when the factory jack is used.

 

That's sloppy application I would trim it down.

 

I agree it's probably not a problem to compress the caulk but as Lex2K said its sloppy application and it bugs me to support the car with that mess. I am not suggesting jacking up with the pinch weld, only use it for a jack stand mounting location with the proper adapter.

I am familiar with the front and rear jack points behind the radiator and below the trunk area and I would use those to raise the car and then use the factory intended pinch weld supports for jack stands.

The rear jack location below the trunk looks tricky because there is an exhaust pipe very close to it.

Does everybody's ES350 have that caulk mess or is it just me?

 

This would likely damage the outer shoulder above the pinch weld. Look at the picture of the factory jack I showed, it clearly indicates the adapter needs to have a shorter outside support which does not touch the car body in that spot. The adapter you show would press on both sides of the pinch weld evenly, thus causing damage.

Maybe the adapter you show would support only the bottom of the pinch weld which would not damage the body but its not what lexus intended for support. If the "groove" inside the metal channel is not deep enough, all the weight of the car would be on the bottom of the pinch weld which is not how the factory jack works.

 

Yes, I can confirm it contacts only the bottom of the pinch weld. The depth of the adapter’s groove is 9/16th”, where as the heights of the pinch welds are 1&1/16” in the front, and 7/8” in the rear (on the ES). Used it a handful of times on my 23 ES, and dozens of times on my 14 Camry. No damage to the pinch welds on either car.

 

Thank you for clarifying, that makes sense. Good to know its not folding over the pinch weld. It's not how Lexus intended it to be supported. I have done the same as you on other cars but not as nice as this one!

I'm going to measure my front/rear pinch weld depths for comparison and will post back.

What are you placing this adapter on, a jack stand with a flat top?

 

Yes, this.

 

Ahhh ok. That is a nice flat top on that yellow floor jack.

The only concern is if the wheels dont roll freely, the adapter will "pull" on the pinch weld and could bend it. As long as the rolling surface is smooth it should work.
There is a sickening utube video out there where the wheels did not roll with a make shift adapter (not like yours which is much better) on a floor jack with a nauseating outcome. In his case it did not bend the pinch weld, but the jack slipped due to failing to freely roll and did major damage to the car body.

Original sickening video, see time stamp 3:20:
Follow up explaining failure cause https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2pd...Dms9xRHx4RHCoQ

 

Most of the weight should be on the bottom of the rocker not the upper sides. There is a reinforcement bracket inside the rocker that goes from the center bottom to the top sides of the rocker, distributed weight from the actual pinch weld and up.

Problem with a floor jack is there is no guarantee the force will stay vertical there's a reason I see so many bent rockers.

edit - that video perfectly illustrates my point. sorry for laughing not sorry hope that guy made back the repair cost via that video.

 

I was looking for those reinforced brackets you are referring to but the stupid heavy messy factory caulk is covering them. I think you are referring to the inner (non door) side of the pinch weld, correct? Is that what you mean by the "rocker"?
I have bent some other car's pinch welds, but am trying NOT to repeat the crime now that I understand where the support is suppose to be. I think most of the problem was using a floor jack which did not roll smoothly while pressing up on the pinch weld.

 

You can't see this piece it's inside the rocker. Well you might be able to see edges of it, depends on the car. That seam sealer is pretty tough stuff it won't compress all that much.

 

I'm looking at this adapter as a possibility. Its made to support the proper spot for this car. The seller shows the exact same looking factory scissor jack as mine to make the point it's compatible and won't cause damage.

Lexus Pinch Weld Adapter