Jacking up a Challenger from the front with a floor jack

[SNeal5966]

So now that I have a Challenger Scat Pack, M6, I am wanting to remove the CDV (pairing that up with a Barton), as well as make sure I have all the right equipment for performing oil changes and what not. My jack isn't really low profile enough, but I have been able to make it work with a pinch weld adapter by grinding down the fingers that stick up on the round saddle (it almost cleared prior to grinding, now I nearly ground off the fingers but hey it works! Cheaper than a new jack LOL).

Anyway, I came across this Gem:

And there was a second video similar to this one I found. I would need a different jack to reach that, or even the rearward cross member, which I think might be stronger? Anyway...I am reluctant to lift the car one side at a time (though I don't need to buy anything to do that), it doesn't feel very safe to me. I am wondering if anyone uses that cross member to jack the whole front end up evenly from the center like this video is showing? I have done this on all my other cars over the years so I don't see why you couldn't do that?

Anyone out there doing that? Any issues? I think a regular low profile jack would reach the front cross member, and a long reach low profile would reach the rear cross member no problem.

 

[TrackDay]

I only jack from each side. It's very easy. Just don't jack up 10" at a time before going to the other side.
Below are the factory recommended jacking points. I use pinch weld adapters front and rear on the pinch welds.
https://images.app.goo.gl/muTZKZNvHeyhcw5Y9

 

[Hunter]

I only jack from each side. It's very easy. Just don't jack up 10" at a time before going to the other side.
Below are the factory recommended jacking points. I use pinch weld adapters front and rear on the pinch welds.
https://images.app.goo.gl/muTZKZNvHeyhcw5Y9

Can you post the adapters, where you got them, and the pricing?

 

[SNeal5966]

I have pinch weld adapter, and know where those jack points are and can do that already. What I am more interested in is knowing if that front center cross member can be used to jack up the front before placing the stands. Jacking up one side at a time sure makes me nervous...maybe that's an unwarranted fear! lol

EDIT: Those diagrams are helpful, and I have seen them before, but those are written for putting it on a 2 post lift...I guess they assume nobody works with a floor jack anymore...

Maybe the best thing to do would be to buy some quickjacks

 

[JRabq]

Can you post the adapters, where you got them, and the pricing?

Here's the ones I use. Challenger on fits, well, the Challengers. The U niversal one is narrower and fits narrower front lift point on Charger.

 

[SNeal5966]

Due to the low cost, I bought one i found on Amazon. Turns out it works very well, fits the challenger pinch weld very well, has the blastic bottom so it doesn't wreck the pinch weld, the magnets are strong enough to hold it in place, etc....I am very pleased since it is so much cheaper too. Also, added bonus this one is available in blue, which nearly matches my B5 Blue car! These are about $15 now, when I bought mine they were about $12.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073SR1TW2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[SNeal5966]

OK so back to the original question.....is there any reason we can't jack the car up from the front at the cross member, described in the video?

 

[motorhead]

OK so back to the original question.....is there any reason we can't jack the car up from the front at the cross member, described in the video?

If it isn't designated as a load bearing member (meaning it is reinforced to support the load without collapsing) then I would avoid it. However, if the hole in question is the one circled below then it may be workable. It just looks like a PITA in my HC to access, requiring you to pull out all of the aero panels.



Personally I bought some cheap "race ramps" that clear the splitter and raise the car up ~5" to give me basic access. From there the obvious issue is getting a balanced lift point or doing a balanced lift (left to right). It is my understanding that these pucks will fit nicely into the front sub-frame rails: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=corvette+jacking+pucks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
And from there you just need to use two jacks (L/R) and raise the car carefully in slow increments.

Everything else in my fleet has a full frame and my last unibody car was an '02 Camaro so this is a pain I know all too well. I have never been a fan of pinch-weld jacking.

 

[Jimmy N.]

If it isn't designated as a load bearing member (meaning it is reinforced to support the load without collapsing) then I would avoid it.

That cross member isn't very sturdy. Ask me how I know.

No, I didn't try lifting from it, but when our Redeye 1.0 arrived at the dealer, that cross member was crunched.
Not that I saw it in person, but what the photos showed wasn't very inspiring from a strength standpoint.

 

[Confuzed1]

I see a lot of people using the pinch weld adapters and Loe profile jacks to raise their cars one corner at a time. It works, but I just don't like the idea of raising the car using pinch welds....I'm sure they're fine for raising the car to do a quick tire change or something like that. These modern cross members are made of aluminum and really can't be used to support the whole weight of the front of the car. I'd be too concerned the frame would get tweaked a little, or even worse, bend and collapse.

I got a set of race ramps last year and never looked back. I can roll up on them in 10 minutes if I take my time and be under the car in 12....can't do that using pucks and jacks. Then if I need to raise a wheel up, I have plenty of room to position a jack under a control arm enough to take a tire off.

 

[SNeal5966]

I see a lot of people using the pinch weld adapters and Loe profile jacks to raise their cars one corner at a time. It works, but I just don't like the idea of raising the car using pinch welds....I'm sure they're fine for raising the car to do a quick tire change or something like that. These modern cross members are made of aluminum and really can't be used to support the whole weight of the front of the car. I'd be too concerned the frame would get tweaked a little, or even worse, bend and collapse.

I got a set of race ramps last year and never looked back. I can roll up on them in 10 minutes if I take my time and be under the car in 12....can't do that using pucks and jacks. Then if I need to raise a wheel up, I have plenty of room to position a jack under a control arm enough to take a tire off.

Interesting but that cross member is steel not aluminum for what it's worth...

 

[Confuzed1]

Interesting but that cross member is steel not aluminum for what it's worth...

I'll stand corrected in that one then, but I still wouldn't use it. Heck - I couldn't reach it with my low profile jack anyway without jacking up at least one of the front corners as it is. I still say ramps are the way to go with these cars.....although I'll admit the cost of the race ramps is pretty outrageous.

 

[SNeal5966]

I'll stand corrected in that one then, but I still wouldn't use it. Heck - I couldn't reach it with my low profile jack anyway without jacking up at least one of the front corners as it is. I still say ramps are the way to go with these cars.....although I'll admit the cost of the race ramps is pretty outrageous.

It's weird to think that wouldn't be strong enough though considering that this is what takes the load from the suspension to hold the car up....as well as the load from the engine....

 

[TrackDay]

Can you post the adapters, where you got them, and the pricing?

I use the ZL1 Addons adapters but I got the ones that use 2 screws to attach to the pinch welds. That way they are always there. I am aware that some people are afraid the screws will create points where rust can start. I rarely drive my car in the rain. It's not a concern for me.

 

[TrackDay]

I agree with the posts that mention the undertrays that have to be removed to jack from the front and that these points are not designed to be used as lift points.
There should be no concern with using the factory lift points with jacks.

 

[Confuzed1]

It's weird to think that wouldn't be strong enough though considering that this is what takes the load from the suspension to hold the car up....as well as the load from the engine....

Not if you compare it to the frames (K members) that are under older cars. I don't hesitate to use the older K frames as a jacking point on those to lift the entire front end of the car. These newer cars aren't even close to the same. But hey, let us know how it works!

 

[vortecd]

We spend so much on a car and can't buy a couple of jacks? I have 2, 2 ton aluminum jacks I use so I can jack both sides up at once. Been using them for many years. I couldn't see not not doing it this way ever again

 

[SNeal5966]

Not if you compare it to the frames (K members) that are under older cars. I don't hesitate to use the older K frames as a jacking point on those to lift the entire front end of the car. These newer cars aren't even close to the same. But hey, let us know how it works!

Well I don't just randomly try stuff without researching it which is why I am on here consulting every one that has owned and worked on these cars since I am new to this car.....I have owned it all of a month!

Y'all have scared me away from trying it really....

 

[Jimmy N.]

It's weird to think that wouldn't be strong enough though considering that this is what takes the load from the suspension to hold the car up....as well as the load from the engine....

It's engineered to do that, yes, but consider that those forces are entirely different from a vertical force applied to the center.
Actually, a piece of 1/8-inch cable would probably do the job, but wouldn't help any with chassis rigidity.

 

[motorhead]

We spend so much on a car and can't buy a couple of jacks? I have 2, 2 ton aluminum jacks I use so I can jack both sides up at once. Been using them for many years. I couldn't see not not doing it this way ever again

Short of an oil change or swapping wheels what business do we really have hanging out under these cars anyway? I didn't buy this car to spend my evenings and weekends working on it.