Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums  

Differential jacking?

January 30, 2005, 10:20:49 AM

I'm gonna post a poll to see how people raise thier cars.  Now, I have ALWAYS lifted the rear of my car by jacking under the differential, then using jackstands under either the axle tubes or subframe rails.  How do y'all do it?  I'm being told that my method is terribly unsafe and I should be jacking each side separately... what the hell?

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #1 – January 30, 2005, 10:35:42 AM

I jack under the differential as well. My dad is a mechanic and he does it the same way.

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #2 – January 30, 2005, 10:43:39 AM

My dad, too, worked a lot with cars and that's how I've always seen him do it.  Over at crownvic.net there was a discussion on this and everyone said it's terribly dangerous to use the diff to lift the car.  Granted, if you work under the car with just the jack there, you have a death wish, but for the minute or two it takes to lift the car u to get it on stands, I can't see a danger.

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #3 – January 30, 2005, 10:46:36 AM

Same way!! Never had a problem.   :)

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #4 – January 30, 2005, 10:54:03 AM

I've always done it that way too, if my jack handle is long enough. If I'm using a small jack, such as a bottle jack or one of those $30 trolley jacks, I do it side to side. Not for safety, though, just because the eight foot rear overhang of these things makes it hard to get at the diff

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #5 – January 30, 2005, 11:30:17 AM

ive always jacked it up by the diff. the only thing i could see going wrong other than the jack failing is the car rolling if your not on level ground for whatever reason. id never work under a car without jack stands.

the front is where it gets a little more confusing. depending on what im doing i usually jack it up on the control arms or the frame rails just behind the front wheels.

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #6 – January 30, 2005, 01:33:31 PM

For the 8.8"(or 7.5")in a heavy car like our Birds I use two jacks, one under each side. I don't really trust the pressed in axle tubes and wimpy amount of welding. While I don't see a problem while on the jack(yea I use stands), I don't want it coming apart while I'm running down the strip due to a cracked weld. On a Stang I usually just use one jack, also the old 9" rears get one jack under the center section.

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #7 – January 30, 2005, 03:27:41 PM

I wouldn't do it, personally.. (at the diff) but that's just because I'm very paranoid about anything involving raising a car and being anywhere near it when it happens. I'm also a little claustrophobic/paranoid once I get under there and start working. Yeah, I'm sure most would say it's a bit irrational, but that's how phobias work. :p

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #8 – January 30, 2005, 03:52:46 PM

I back my car up on the ramps.Otherwise,I put the big floor jack under the diff and lift away,then insert the jack stands.I had all 4 corners up on stands while I was installing the h-pipe and headers.That extra 18 inches of liftcan sure make difference.

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #9 – January 30, 2005, 07:01:43 PM

I always jack it up one side at a time, Mostly because I only have a few of the cheap $30 floor jacks and I almost never get to work on a solid surface, usually gravel.

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #10 – January 31, 2005, 12:31:51 AM

I place my jackstands on my frameconnectors,  I still jack up from the center of the dif when i use big floor jack. If using smaller jack i do it side by side but its much faster just using the dif.

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #11 – January 31, 2005, 10:03:57 AM

I usually use the diff as well, but on my Tbird/Cougar I have 2 pieces of 1" square welded along the rocker seam.  When I want to put the whole thing up in the air I put the jack under the door and crank one sire up at a time and place the stands out at the seam...keeps them out of the way under the car.  I would not do this w/out any reinforcement on the rockers though, you will crush them....

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #12 – January 31, 2005, 10:13:45 AM

I should clarify, I jack up under the diff, but I don't put the stands under the axle, but under the frame rails.

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #13 – February 14, 2005, 02:07:54 AM

Be careful jacking the diff if the front is on ramps.  The front rolls off the pads & down the ramps, the jack rolls backward, and the whole stinkin' assemblage chases your too-fat-to-jump-up arse as you roll off the driveway & it takes a left to follow you & it doesn't stop until the jack wheels bog down in the dirt.

Quote Selected

Re: Differential jacking?

Reply #14 – February 14, 2005, 07:14:03 PM

I drive the front up on ramps, then jack the back up at the center of the diff, and put the stands under.

Quote Selected