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240 Jacking from the diff?

E

Epic2112

Active member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Location
Silver Spring, MD
Is it safe to lift the rear of the car from the diff? Is there a better place to lift the rear of the car from if I'm doing work on the rear end?
 
Depends on your definition of safe, its safe for the car, but dont even think about getting under the car without stands or other means of extra support :nono: It will ruin your day to get mashed by a brick O:-)
 
Jacked my 240 up today by the diff today when I changed the rear diff oil and a brake fluid flush. My only concern is when you jack these cars up using the diff, you are actually putting the jack on the diff drain plug. all the weight of the whole car is on that bolt! Next time I will slide the trans jack a little further toward the front of the car/diff.
 
Chock the front wheels, and a folded rag between the diff and the jack saddle. Oh, and chock the front wheels, chock the front wheels, and chock the front wheels.
 
I don't believe in chocking the wheels if you are on a level surface. The car rolls alot easier than the jack, and one of them has to move when raising the car. So I pick the car. Otherwise alot of force gets transferred horizontally between the jack and the car, possibly resulting in the jack tipping or the pad slipping off.
 
tjanson said:
i don't believe in chocking the wheels if you are on a level surface. The car rolls alot easier than the jack, and one of them has to move when raising the car. So i pick the car. Otherwise alot of force gets transferred horizontally between the jack and the car, possibly resulting in the jack tipping or the pad slipping off.
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+1
 
tjanson said:
I don't believe in chocking the wheels if you are on a level surface. The car rolls alot easier than the jack, and one of them has to move when raising the car. So I pick the car. Otherwise alot of force gets transferred horizontally between the jack and the car, possibly resulting in the jack tipping or the pad slipping off.
Click to expand...

And... continue on to chock the front wheels after the car is in the air and on jack stands.


Then unchock them before you lower the car back down. :)
 
tjanson said:
I don't believe in chocking the wheels if you are on a level surface. The car rolls alot easier than the jack, and one of them has to move when raising the car. So I pick the car. Otherwise alot of force gets transferred horizontally between the jack and the car, possibly resulting in the jack tipping or the pad slipping off.
Click to expand...

+2, And same for chocking any wheels once it's supported on stands, and never getting underneath when it's supported only by a jack. I've been known to jack up each end of a car (one end at a time) to slide is slide it sideways from one bay in my shop to the other. This works much better with small British sports cars... I've also been jacking up various bricks from the diff for 15 years now, and have never encountered a problem.

To whoever was worried about all the weight going on the drain plug, I'd suggest sliding the jack back a bit so that the center ridge of the diff is sitting in the cup. If you go forward with the jack the slope of the diff can cause the jack to slide forward or to the side.
 
MalkContent said:
To whoever was worried about all the weight going on the drain plug, I'd suggest sliding the jack back a bit so that the center ridge of the diff is sitting in the cup. If you go forward with the jack the slope of the diff can cause the jack to slide forward or to the side.
Click to expand...

Meaning the cup sits on the ridge were the back flange attaches?
 
Thanks guys, I did mean safe from an oh-crap-I-just-broke-something point of view. Any time the car is raised I put it on ramps or stands, and then I use my entire body weight to try to knock the car off from a couple of directions before getting underneath it.
 
ktm450 said:
Jacked my 240 up today by the diff today when I changed the rear diff oil and a brake fluid flush. My only concern is when you jack these cars up using the diff, you are actually putting the jack on the diff drain plug. all the weight of the whole car is on that bolt! Next time I will slide the trans jack a little further toward the front of the car/diff.
Click to expand...
Use a 3/4" plywood square or 2x4 block to distribute the weight.
 
tjanson said:
I don't believe in chocking the wheels if you are on a level surface. The car rolls alot easier than the jack, and one of them has to move when raising the car. So I pick the car. Otherwise alot of force gets transferred horizontally between the jack and the car, possibly resulting in the jack tipping or the pad slipping off.
Click to expand...

Also tends to tip the jackstands when you remove the jack. Chock when you get it on the jackstands.
 
Am I retarded for jacking one corner at a time and placing an axlestand?

I don't like to jack it from the diff...
 
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