Topic

Firstly, jacking up the car makes it unstable, now matter how you do it.

Only use the supplied scissor jack for emergency wheel changing, in the event of puncture. DO NOT USE this jack if you intend getting under the car.

I use a hydraulic trolley jack to lift the car. THIS ONE

The car should be supported on axle stands or proper ramps, with the wheels still on the ground being chocked to prevent possible movement.
If intending to work under the car, jack up the car on a solid flat surface, and support the car securely.

To sum up - use a jack only to raise the car, support it on substantial axle stands/ramps. Chock the grounded wheels to prevent movement.

If possible leave the car in gear with the handbrake applied. (Obviously this is dependent on what you are trying to do on the car.)

Having said that these are the jacking points.



My Mk2 F has an additional, very handy central jacking point at the rear too, highlighted in orange here.



I only use the 2 central jacking points as each raises one end of the car.

Personally, I would never use the sills to jack up the car, except in dire need.

Clive's car raised on the rear sill jacking point using the MGR scissor jack.


...and now supported by an axle stand.


Clive's car supported by ramps.




Trolley jack used on the central rear jacking point. Two axle stands are under the subframe to support the weight.




Clive's car with the scissor jack on the front sill jack point.


Broon's front wheels supported on ramps.


Bryan Young's Axle Stands under the subframe to allow the front suspension to be stripped.

Great how to, very, very useful

Here's the central jacking point on Darren's TF.

Good Information!
When I paint my subframes I intend to paint the central jacking points bright yellow so they are easier to spot.
I would only use the sill jacking points in an emergency and then only on a flat paved surface.
When I got my MGF I found damage to the sills obviously caused by the car collapsing on the jack when it kicked out.
This was accompanied by damage to one of the alloys from someone beating it with a tire iron. The rear wheels were corroded onto the hubs quite solidly and would have been almost impossible to remove by the side of the road.
Any talk of jacking points would be incomplete without mentioning that a thin film of anti-sieze compound should be applied to the hubs to prevent the wheels corroding on. Careful jacking is pointless if the wheels won't come off!

It's interesting that when I change between 16 and 15" wheels it's the 15s that tend to stick on while the 16s come off easily. So, yes, they get copperslipped now!

I LOVE the central jacking points, what a fantastic design idea! I realised what they were a couple months after buying the car and have been using them ever since.

David Aiketgate wrote: wrote:

It's interesting that when I change between 16 and 15" wheels it's the 15s that tend to stick on while the 16s come off easily. So, yes, they get copperslipped now!

Talking of which. What is the preferred method for getting 'stuck' wheels off?

There's no rear central jacking point on my 04 TF.

Not sure if it is worth mentioning, but if you need to lift the car high enough to remove the engine/subframe none of the jacking points are up to the job, so you need to use a spreader beam of some sort to spread the load across the floor pan.

Never new there was central jacking points until david showed me,and its easy when you want boths wheels off the ground,dont forget axel stands !!!

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CJJ,

Good idea, but how do you fasten/secure your wooden spreader beam to the car? I would be concerning that the spreader beam may slip when the car is jacked to such an extreme angle if not physically attached to the car somehow.

I also always chock at least one wheel when I have the car jacked up I use some chunks of timber i keep stacked in a corner of the garage for this. This way you get a rigid triangle structure, one end raised and the other chocked.
I have always raised the TF using a load spreading timber and the hydrailic jack under the sub frame.
BTW , When placing axle stands dont rely on tarmac in the summer to support the car either, people have been killed when the weight punches through it.
Re getting alloy wheels off, I was lucky with my car, the hardest I had to work was a club hammer via a block of wood, then its wire brush followed by a film of copper grease.. You should do this as soon as the car lands on your drive, its too late with a puncture at the side of a fast A road. With rusted on wire wheel splines people have had success loosening the spinner and driving round slowly in circles. this might work on alloys, if someones brave enough to try it, please let us know

mowog73 wrote: wrote:

CJJ,

Good idea, but how do you fasten/secure your wooden spreader beam to the car? I would be concerning that the spreader beam may slip when the car is jacked to such an extreme angle if not physically attached to the car somehow.

It didn't move. It's all a case of keeping an eye on it, same as any lifting operation.