Duh, don't jack the car there...
3/9/12, 10:24 PM
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Duh, don't jack the car there...
So I went to jack the side front of my lowered '11 and set the floor jack pad at the aft mounting point of the K frame. Got the car up, placed jack stands under it and noticed the box frame (outboard of the frame rail) where the K frame mounts looked like it got dented in a little. I have lifted cars from this area before with no issue, but it looks like it doesn't work for the S197. It still drives straight as an arrow. So what kind of adverse affect should I have from my moronic episode? I'm sure I'm not the only one...I hope. 
3/9/12, 11:00 PM
#2
Yes I am embarrased to say I bent mine too as did a friend of mine. It will change the geometry a bit by raising the back of the K member you lose trail otherwise known as caster. The reason they make that so weak is for crash safety. In a front end accident they want the K member and the engine to rip out of the bottom of the car and go under the passenger compartment. So don't do what I did in fixing it. I made some aluminum plates machined to fit the bottom when original and bolting it in place pulled the attachment points of the K member back into position.
3/10/12, 04:35 AM
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Originally Posted by 908ssp
Yes I am embarrased to say I bent mine too as did a friend of mine. It will change the geometry a bit by raising the back of the K member you lose trail otherwise known as caster. The reason they make that so weak is for crash safety. In a front end accident they want the K member and the engine to rip out of the bottom of the car and go under the passenger compartment. So don't do what I did in fixing it. I made some aluminum plates machined to fit the bottom when original and bolting it in place pulled the attachment points of the K member back into position.
Steve
3/10/12, 08:08 AM
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Yes I am embarrased to say I bent mine too as did a friend of mine. It will change the geometry a bit by raising the back of the K member you lose trail otherwise known as caster. The reason they make that so weak is for crash safety. In a front end accident they want the K member and the engine to rip out of the bottom of the car and go under the passenger compartment. So don't do what I did in fixing it. I made some aluminum plates machined to fit the bottom when original and bolting it in place pulled the attachment points of the K member back into position.
3/10/12, 10:02 PM
#6
Once I had figured out what the relationship should be and I shaped that aluminum. With a bit if fiddling I was able to start the bolts and tightening the new larger K member bolts, the chassis that the K member end is bolted to pulled down back into place. I put thread inserts in the frame and rocker so that the whole aluminum thing ties everything together. Honestly the piece is too much work for what it does and would cost too much money. And because it interferes with the crash worthiness I would not want to take the risk of people driving with it and perhaps crashing with it. I'll give it some thought about perhaps making a tool to use to pull the K member back into shape but not something that should be left on the car.
3/10/12, 10:19 PM
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Once I had figured out what the relationship should be and I shaped that aluminum. With a bit if fiddling I was able to start the bolts and tightening the new larger K member bolts, the chassis that the K member end is bolted to pulled down back into place. I put thread inserts in the frame and rocker so that the whole aluminum thing ties everything together. Honestly the piece is too much work for what it does and would cost too much money. And because it interferes with the crash worthiness I would not want to take the risk of people driving with it and perhaps crashing with it. I'll give it some thought about perhaps making a tool to use to pull the K member back into shape but not something that should be left on the car.
1/27/13, 04:54 PM
#11
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Ugh, glad I'm not the only one - I just realized I'd jacked up my car in the wrong spot at least once on both sides in the back - here's a picture:
Really not smart of Ford to have a notch in the plastic there that looks similar to the correct spot. Not the greatest picture in the world but looking at it now, it looks like I've scraped away enough paint to have some surface rust there. So...besides being an idiot for jacking the car up there, anybody think I should be worried about corrosion there??
Really not smart of Ford to have a notch in the plastic there that looks similar to the correct spot. Not the greatest picture in the world but looking at it now, it looks like I've scraped away enough paint to have some surface rust there. So...besides being an idiot for jacking the car up there, anybody think I should be worried about corrosion there??
Last edited by kylerohde; 1/27/13 at 04:56 PM.
1/27/13, 07:11 PM
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Ugh, glad I'm not the only one - I just realized I'd jacked up my car in the wrong spot at least once on both sides in the back - here's a picture:
Really not smart of Ford to have a notch in the plastic there that looks similar to the correct spot. Not the greatest picture in the world but looking at it now, it looks like I've scraped away enough paint to have some surface rust there. So...besides being an idiot for jacking the car up there, anybody think I should be worried about corrosion there??
Really not smart of Ford to have a notch in the plastic there that looks similar to the correct spot. Not the greatest picture in the world but looking at it now, it looks like I've scraped away enough paint to have some surface rust there. So...besides being an idiot for jacking the car up there, anybody think I should be worried about corrosion there??
1/27/13, 07:46 PM
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1/27/13, 08:44 PM
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Using the pinch weld is fine, alot of people jack up the car, place the jack stand under the pinch weld. They then let it down to quickly and it causes damage. I lift at the frame rail close to the center of the car, more toward the front but the side I'm jacking, both tires come off the ground.
1/27/13, 08:48 PM
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Using the pinch weld is fine, alot of people jack up the car, place the jack stand under the pinch weld. They then let it down to quickly and it causes damage. I lift at the frame rail close to the center of the car, more toward the front but the side I'm jacking, both tires come off the ground.
1/27/13, 10:47 PM
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There are pucks you can buy that fit in the pinch weld to lift it up, just like in the first post.
Since motor is in the front I have to place my jack more to the front. So when I jack the car up both tires come off the ground pretty even. On the driver side watch out for the fuel lines and etc.
Last edited by djstorm100; 1/28/13 at 05:08 AM.
1/28/13, 03:58 AM
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