I recently had some wheel/tire work done. They lifted the car incorrectly and the fenders got messed up. Now it's fixed and I'm happy, but in the future, in case I happen to do something say like a muffler install, what should I warn the shop about? I heard something about two different kinds of lifts... a unibody and something else? Where should it be lifted.... I heard something about rocker panels or such... I dunno... I;m not too savvy when it comes to under body stuff on the car. BTW, it is a 2001 Camaro convertible. Thanks.
Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :
The best thing is to have subframe connectors welded in. Then you can use the 4 points between the wheels.
Posted by pg318 (Member # 1810) on :
I love that comment in the manual "On convertible models, place the jack in a similar location." So I'll have to just look on the coupe I brought with me to the roadside, where I got the flat, for reference, and then compare to the vert's rocker... The factory jack goes under the vertical flange inboard of the rocker panel, at the point that the inner rocker panel joins in - the flange has three thicknesses at that point. You can feel the thickening, but the notch is obscured. Trolley jacks and lifts need to go onto the flat part of the reinforcing even further inboard where the reinforcing panel laps over the front subframe and the box section around the LCA bracket. The underside of the rocker panels themselves, and the flange supporting the bottom of the front fender have very little strength. If you've had the fenders repositioned after the bracket was distorted, look at the flange under the bottom carefully to check that the fender flange does not have any cracks in it.
[ 25. May 2003, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: pg318 ]
Posted by 3.8ArcticRider (Member # 1928) on :
Thanks guys. Yeah, I read the manual too and the "on the convertibles, it is placed in a simliar location" certainly had me wondering. I checked underneath and don't believe there are any cracks down there.
Posted by Cal (Member # 1493) on :
Hey, 3.8ArcticRider, how did they repair your fenders?
Cal
Posted by DGOETZ (Member # 1846) on :
So where does it tell you to jack up the car on the coupe.
Let me answer the subframes are the best place to place the lift arms and jacks. Actually there are pockets for the tire jack to engage. The subframes of the coupe and convertible are located in the same exact place. The convertible just has and extra layer of steel.
So you need to lay beside your car and see what I'm talking about. Tell the people working on your car to explain just where they are going to put the lift. Before they even get close to messing it up.
