Re: Proper Safe Jacking & Lifting ?

Posted by Joe on February 17, 1998 at 09:25:08

In Reply to: Proper Safe Jacking & Lifting ?
posted by Tim Wildey on February 17, 1998 at 08:41:31

: Should the A be jacked on the FRAME or AXLES ?
I have done it both ways depending on what is the objective.
For work on the tires, rims, hubs, etc.I usually put the jack below the subject wheel on the axle itself.A little pad hopefully keeps the paint on the axle where it belongs.
For work and adjustments on the brake system, I usually put a jackstand below each wheel, elevate all four wheels,and allow the frame/body to assume it's normal position on the springs.(this is to keep the angles and positions of the brake rods as they will be in operation.)
For work removing axles, I normally lift evenly on the frame so that when things are unbolted, they naturally fall away. In my earlier days I did this work with a single sissor jack and dunnage.Today I have a "gantry crane" made up of 2x12's and 4x4's and use an overhead hoist (or hoists). The advantage of this method is that you don't have some pile of dunnage in the way of removal of the axle assembly.
I suppose you can jack on the frame to the extent that you would lift one wheel off the ground (as we do with modern cars mostly now) but my feeling is that this has the possibility of adversely "twisting" the Model A frame.The frame is a relatively flimsy (read flexible) riveted assembly and all the stress of twist during lifting comes on the corners where the rivets are! Not my favorite methodology for this reason, not to mention that you have to jack just that much higher to distend the spring prior to lifting the wheel from the ground.
Please see my comments on "Safety" below in an earlier thread.
I don'thave any experience with an auto shop style "Lift" such as you describe but I suppose the action is the same, just on a larger and quicker and easier scale . Again, you may want to take into account first what your objective is and the easiest way to get it.
Work safely, Best regards,
Joe

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