Jacking Car with trolly jack under sill

Glen Immal

Need New tyres for Car.

Just walked out of local tyre fitters after observing a staff member crush the under sill lip and cut into underseal on a different customers car with the curved pad trolley Jack. I pointed out to him the damage he was causing and was basically brushed off by both the staff member and the manager.. Manager stated its the correct way to jack car and the "Industry standard".

Now off to boards to complain...

Field east

From my experience, there is a very specific jacking point ,on all cars I have come across, for each of the 4 wheels. I assume each point is sufficiently reinforced so that the structure around each point does not get buckled or slightly out of shape. I found this out to my cost when I failed the NCT because I had to get the area around the two front jacking points ‘repaneled’ as the side/underneath area had started to rust/sound very tinny if tapped with your knuckles. Car was a Citroen. Maybe some cars thicker steel than others when being manu. Also if muck builds up inside the boxed area around the jacking point this may cause rust to develop. Main reason for this is the absence of a flap to keep the muck out. Unless the point between the two front wheels and that area behind the wheels - where the rubber type flap is screwed on is in perfect condition then muck can enter

Car can have more than 4 lifting points. Every car is different, need to know exactly these. Once I told to tyre shop worker about my car have 6 lifting points and he could save a load of time and lift only 2 times, not 4. He was so mad and told me "I have 30 years experience, you are nothing. I know everything and there is no any extra lifting points on any car..." Never visited anymore that "high experience". The car user manual is the good source for information about the car lifting points.

Some Renault models use even 8x lifting points. Very nice touch, lift the car and use the axle stand right next to the jack. Or adjust the lifting points if you planning to remove some heavy parts and get better stability. True story, they use even the cargo straps trough the car for safety. Sure, it is different question, how safe it is....

Coddle4dinner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628204#Comment_118628204

Am I having a stroke ?

Gant21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628239#Comment_118628239

Once it’s in the privacy of your own home stroke away. Turn on the wiper on your screen.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628239#Comment_118628239

I am not a doctor, please visit the real doctor. If you do not know anything about car lifting, just read the user manual. Easy?

Glen Immal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628231#Comment_118628231

yes they do.. but this character was using the trolley jack at door of workshop... I am still disgusted at both the damage caused to customer cars and their attitude.

kirving

Last tyre place I was at, a young lad nearly got sacked on the spot for lifting the full side of the car in one go, the owner completely lost the head. I was happy to see it to be honest, most places I've been are horrendous.

Glen Immal

Its a common issue in the "Trade" from my most recent research. on the Motoring Forums. One Guy reported that his camper van was damaged when the Tyre fitter tried to Jack his van using the Trim as a jacking point. What got under my skin was the absolute conviction of the Manager that they were correct. and yes the Quote "25 years in the Trade" was trotted out. he must have caused a lot of damage in that time.

Not all bad news however and my recommendations for NAAS Tyres and AutoCare. who are a more professional outfit. Pleasant staff also.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628755#Comment_118628755

Be careful, here is load of angry "mechanics" who will roast you now. Look your self how s*itty is Irish cars. https://www.ncts.ie/1096 Every year more and more dangerous. It is really shame to see around 50% failure rate on NCT. Now think, all these 50% what goes to NCT this week/next week/next month, all these cars are currently street legal!!!

Glen Immal

The NCT failure rate is down to the Car owning Public, Not to Mechanics, Most people put their car through the Test hoping for a pass and will fix just what's highlighted. Very few people want to, or are capable of basic car maintenance or preventative maintenance. For that reason the NCT is a good thing as the basics are checked at least once a year.

One of my Cars failed this year for the first time in 14 years, due to a corroded brake line and rusted discs, I was actually surprised when I looked under the car myself, how bad the entire subframes were with corrosion, The car has been essentially idle most of the last year due to Covid. but I consider the Tester let me off lightly.

Back to the subject in hand, I think most people about to drop 500 quid on a new set of tyres would object to their car being damaged by the tyre fitter, if they were aware of the potential damage being caused to the sills by careless and lazy staff.

fancy pigeon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118630306#Comment_118630306

I normally fit my own tyres, and balance them, to avoid the situation above

Once a few years back I was in a situation where I needed to get 2 tyres, or I wouldn't make it home (Galway, tyres got ripped to shreds by debris on the road) so was forced to get 2 front tyres or not make it back home. Not only were they a lot more than I'd normally pay for (mark up is understandable, but the 2 budget tyres cost nearly what I paid for the car) but also I had the joy of watching them ruin my wheels when rotating on the turntable as the mounting arm nicely put a racing line on all 6 spokes. On each wheel. Lovely

I haven't had a single car where the sill isn't damaged by some ape putting the jack in the wrong place before I got to it

ARX

Some clown in a tyre place bent the sill lip on my car with a trolley jack about half a metre behind the jacking point. I didn't much care as the car was close to the end of its life anyway, but if had been a car I cared about I'd have been raging.