Chapter One / Jacking up the 308 GT4 Ferrari

Harbor Freight sells a floor jack for $69. with a 3" saddle height. I just got one, and it works great with my '83 308 QV. ITEM 91039-4VGA, www.harborfreight.com.

 

Great info, Any new chapters? I'm just starting work on my 80 308 GTSi. Full engine detail.

Peace out,
Marc

 

Chapter 2 is out, and it is "How to change your oil".

 

Please dont take any offence to your procedure, but I jack mine up quite differently. I also wish I had a lift, I been doing this jack stand thing with cars far to long, most of my adult life.

First off I really dont like to lift cars sideways anymore, they have at times seemed to become unstable. I now always lift from the ends. Two years of jacking up these 308s I dont screw around so much anymore, at first I was kinda freaked out, but not now.

I put the floor jack at the rear, under the rear crossmember for the rear engine mounts, and jack it up as high as the jack will go. I then put jack stands (tall 6 ton chinese) under the frame rails alongside the engine about where the frame "Y's" and set the car down on the stands GENTLY!. The frame is smooth and "can" slide (this is bad) on the jacks. If I get it right, as the car settles onto the stands, the front of the car lifts as the weight of the rear of the car balances over the jacks taking weight off the front.

Now I have the front of the car sitting much higher than normal, and I can slip the floor jack under the belly and with a peice of wood to offer protection, I lift the car at the point where the cooling hoses come out at the front. There is a cluster of frame tubes there, very very strong, in fact the coolant tubes themselves are within a frame tube member. I jack the car carefully and place jacks as shown previously, inside the front suspension arms on the frame rails. I have got it down so I can have the car up on stands in about 10 minutes. I would not, as Verell has alluded to, place the rear jacks any farther forward than the rear of the "Y". Farther forward and the car will be balancing its entire weight on only the rear stands and the car could teeter totter. Not only could this kill you, but Robert and others like myself will want to buy parts off your car from your survivors to help pay your expenses. And who knows, we might save enough to afford a lift

 

Thanks very much for this. I'm going to study my 308's frame a bit, to connect your description to its structure. Photos of this procedure would be great, if you should get the time.

 

Rob,

Then when you drive the car's front wheels up on the ramps, then jack up the rear, the rear doesn't try to wander on the floor jack? I'd be a bit weird about lifting the only "braked" (either with e-brake or trans in gear...or both) end of the car off the ground............but I may be way off on this. I'm going to be jacking up the GTSi for the first time and obviously want to do it safely...and without torquing the frame or the car. I know that improper jacking can also put stress on bodywork, paint, etc.

 

Ah, gotcha thanks.

 

Wheel chocks are much better than e-brake or engine compression brake!

 

Very true.

 

Good information here and very helpful. I look forward to using some of what has been posted now that the sand and salt are on the roads.

It may seem obvious but there are times where you do not need all four wheels clear but need clearance under the car. I often put the front up on ramps and then jack the back up and put it on jack stands. I use two jacks to keep it balanced. I like the stability of the ramps on the front.

The other trick is to put a some 2 x 4s on the floor to raise the rear wheels a little to provide clearance for the jacks. Alas, my jacks are old and sit too high to fit under without a little more clearance.

I am interested in trying out the front jack stand points mentioned by Verrell. It would save removing the cover just to support the car.

Thanks all!

 

I know this thread is NOT about lifts, but after years of floor jacks and jack stands I got one of these a couple of years ago and it was about the best $2K I've ever spent.

I have a very low ceiling in my garage, so a tall lift won't work, but with this you can quickly get the car up to work comfortably on a creeper underneath or raise the car to a comfortable working height for topside work.

http://www.gesusa.com/BendPak-LR-60P-Lift-p/119602.htm

 

I was looking at that, and wondering about side-to-side stability. It's a great idea for a lift. It's been stable for you?

 

It looks like the jacking point that I want for the 308GTS is the intersection of frame tubes, almost in line with the rear edge of the door, just inboard of the little bracket that seems intended for the scissor jack? That looks ideal, nearly the center of mass for the car. Is that right?

 

The center of mass, as you put it, is in the center of the glove box lock between the seats on my 328. Right about where my wallet is if I am sitting in the seat. Funny how Enzo did that.

It is true that the CG of the car is about 46" forward of the center of the rear axle.

I actually weighed my car with a 1/2 tank of gas and calculated it.

Sometimes being an engineer is a bit sad even if it is a bit useful as well.

 

Great information, thanks.

 

Any chance you could who where you place the floor jack when lifting the back of the car to change the oil, please? I've been centering it on the heat shield but wonder now if that's incorrect.

Thanks a million and I had read your earlier post multiple times.

When I go home tonight, I will take a picture of where I have been placing my floor jack to raise the back end to change the oil, to see what you/anyone else thinks, please?

Maybe I buy a pair of ramps and then put the jack stand under the side jacking points?

Big thanks!