Pinch welds and jack stands

[Scott]

When raising and lowering my cars, I have always used the pinch welds as the support points for jack stands. I jack from the front and rear center support points (I have a Camry and a Civic) and lower the pinch welds directly onto the jack stands. Recently I have read that this is not the best idea because the pinch welds can bend and slotted hockey pucks/wood/etc. should be used on top of the jack stands to prevent this.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? It would seem to me that if the pinch weld were so delicate, manufacturers wouldn’t put them there. I understand how slamming the car down could bend them, but aren’t they designed to support the weight of the vehicle directly when using jack stands? Is it really better to support the car using the area on the rail immediately to the left and right of the pinch weld (i.e., were you to rest the pinch weld inside of a slotted block of wood, the weight of the car would be distributed to the left and right of the weld on the rail)?

Topic

[college man]

see if this helps.

[David]

I have always done what you suggest – jack from the front or rear jacking point, then lower the car onto jack stands positioned at the pinch welds (these are even designated by the manufacturer for most of the cars I have worked on as the jacking points) – I think the issue comes from when you try to use a jack on those points that doesn’t capture the pinch weld – as you lift, you can bend it over (since the angle of the pinch weld on the jack cradle will change as the car is lifted.

I think there are some instances where you can’t use them, so I’d check the manual for your car (my recent issue was with a Porsche boxster where they don’t have a central jacking point, so you have to improvise in order to get the car up onto stands)

[Paul]

There are rubber covers for jack stands that supposedly protect the pinch welds. But, I would not place a piece of wood or a notched hockey puck between the pinch weld and stand because it’s more likely for the car to slip and fall.

A hockey puck can be placed on the jack to protect the vehicle from the metal saddle, and a slot can be added when lifting the vehicle at the pinch weld. But, I wouldn’t trust it to support the vehicle for an extended time.

[quote=”DrD” post=160228]I think there are some instances where you can’t use them, so I’d check the manual for your car (my recent issue was with a Porsche boxster where they don’t have a central jacking point, so you have to improvise in order to get the car up onto stands)[/quote]

One alternate jack stand for such applications:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0flclqcxl0[/video]

[Erin]

In front, I put the jack stands under the subframe. Yes it is more of a pain to raise the car more but if I have to get under the car, I need room to work anyways.

I really would not trust the pinch welds to support the car.

Keep in mind that however you support the car if you are crawling under it, you are literally trusting your life to whatever method you use to support the car.
I will not trust my life to the pinch welds. Jacking it up is one thing cause if something gives and you are not under the car, the worst that will happen is you will crap your pants if something falls.

Oh also as you know – NEVER trust the jack alone to support the car. People have ended up in caskets by doing that.

[Author]

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