I bought some jack stands so I could get both front wheels off at once to do the caliper paint but I can't figure out how to use 'em! I know the idea, but I have to use the stock jack to get the car off the ground, and I don't see how to put the jack stand in place because the area where you're supposed to hold the car up is very small and I can't get the jack stand in place while the stock jack is in place.

 

Got the front calipers painted. What a pain in the *ss, convincing me once again why I have zero interest in doing my own car maintenance.

Initial reaction in the dim light of my garage... waste of time. Hopefully it will grow on me. I didn't want red calipers so I went with silver.

 

Place the jack stands under the CHASSIS/FRAME which runs the entire length of the car. You may have to jack the car up higher if your having trouble. Where are you jacking up the car that you can't get the stands to clear? Place the stands along side the transmission on the frame as close to the front of the car as possible. Hard to explain. Don't place them near the engine or tire area unless there resting on the frame.

Just becareful and don't go under the car with a jack only!!!!!!! Extremely dangerous!!!!!

 

I see some wide squarish 'beams' which run from just behind the front wheel to just forward of the back wheel - is that it?

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Where are you jacking up the car that you can't get the stands to clear?

I'm using the manual recommended jack point behind the front wheel. It's only about 2 inches wide, so I can't have the jack there AND get the jack stand in the same place. Plus the jack stand has a pretty deep 'cradle' so it means the bottom of the cradle won't be on the metal piece that sits on top of the factory jack but instead the upper 'arms' of the cradle will press on the car body either side of the metal edge. This doesn't seem right.

Dang, that's kinda cryptic! I don't know what you mean by 'the frame' for one thing. And how can it be close to the front but not near the engine!?

Dazed and confused...

 

Well Bit, when I did mine, I used the jack, I was not under the car or anything. When we DO use jack stands we (well we have a 3 ton jack) use the jack ponts (the ones from the manual), go as high as possible, slide the jack mounts under the car and release the jack where the mounts are, but we keep the jack there as well.

Thing is, I find the jack points weak and they bend very easily under all that pressure, it is under the car so no one can notice but it's an FYI.

 

But where do you put the jack mounts or 3 ton jack!?!!?

I also want to use jack stands because the G2 paint has 2 parts and cures fast. I don't want to be in a rush to get one wheel back on to get to then take the other one off.

 

Bit,

Lay on your back. Behind the front wheel, there should be 2 indentions along the black rail, that is the front jack points.

In front the rear wheel, there is 2 slight indentions along this same black rail about 6 inches from the wheel.

If you look at the rail, it is smooth and there are indentions along the way, do you so it.

 

I'll call ya - I *KNOW* about the indentations... that's where I have the JACK. But there's no room for the jack stand if the jack is already there.

 

OK thanks guys, the front end of my car is in the air without wheels

I jacked up the car high with the Lexus jack slightly in front of the 'indentation' (toward the front wheel) and then placed the jack stand next to the jack on the other side of the indentation as close as I could. No cracking or creaking sounds yet! :eek:

 

I understand your question...I was thinking about the same thing too but I couldn't figure it out so I just put the jack stands as close a possible behind the hydraulic jack (stock jack couldn't go high enough) and lowered the jack (very very slowly). I know, the jack stands are not within the indentations and it was kinda scary cuz it made all these cracking noises while I was lowering the jack (when all that force was exerted on that point) but it turned out ok......the point where the jack was was bend slightly but I wouldn't worry about it.