skimmer

I purchased a 2002 MP5 last December. I want to start doing my own oil changes and tire rotations. First time I looked underneath, I couldn't clearly see good spots for a floor jack. Took it to the local JL one more time and asked if I could go down below and look at the bottom.

On all my other cars I have used a front cross member to raise the front all at once, and either a cross member or diff to raise the rear. Jackstands along the side rails where the manual says to jack it for a tire change. The front cross member is kinda thin, but it goes across the bottom of a big meaty "u" shaped pipe thingy, so it looks like it will be okay.

I would appreciate it if anyone who has used this cross member to jack the front could let me know if you had any trouble with it bending?

Thanks in advance.

nramsey

I'd be cautious. I was just under the car the other day doing an oil change checking out the same thing, and I couldn't see a beefy enough frame member under the front to use for jacking. We tried to jack my buddie's Accord up using a piece like that in the front of the Protege (the U shaped member) and it ended up bending/crushing a bit. Not good. I just use Rhino Ramps to do oil changes. Hopefully I won't need to do anything requiring the front to be off the ground and both wheels off any time soon Hope others have some ideas.

skimmer

Caution is definitely in order, which is why I put up the post. The inverted "U" shaped piece is not going to bend, it looks strong enough to support a tank. It's the thin flat piece that connects the two ends and forms the cross member I am concerned about.

At the very least, I will put a piece of wood onto the floor jack to distribute the load across more of the member.

nramsey

Actually it was that inverted U piece that bent when we tried to jack my friend's Accord. Don't know if the Protege's is stronger or not. Let us know what you find!

sandman

Checked the shop manual for recommended jack and stand points:

Jacking:

Front:
- at the center of the front crossmember
Rear:
- at the center of the rear crossmember

Stands:

Front:
- Both sides of the vehicle, on the side sills
Rear:
- Both sides of the vehicle, on the side sills

NOTE: From the diagram included, the side sills are not the little railing that the stock jack uses - they are the next 'railing' in when looking at the underside of the car.

I don't have a scanner here at work, but when I get home, i'll scan the pages and you guys can see exactly where the jacks and stands should go.

Hope that helps.

nramsey

Thanks Sandman. I can't quite picture what "front crossmember" they are referring to so the diagrams would be quite helpful.

skimmer

Thank you VERY much, Sandman. I guess I better go invest a few bucks in a shop manual.

sandman

I recommend that to everyone - even if you never really do a lot of mechanical type work on your car - it's worth it just to learn all about it and you can at least know what you're talking about when you're talking to your mechanic.

I've learned so much about my car already it's not even funny, and i'm not even a fraction of the way into it.

nramsey

Where did you get the manual and for how much? I got the factory manual for my '91 Miata for $50, but I wasn't aware they had the factory manual available to customers on such a new model...thought it usually took a while.

sandman

got mine right from the dealership - cost me 90 CDN

don't have the sku# but it's in your manual if you want to look it up.

Pictures are forthcoming!

sandman

Here's the pictures:

I don't understand what this picture is trying to say - but it's supposed to be the jacks position on the front crossmember.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...8/fd8aed6d.jpg

You want to put your jack basically right on the point that the #3 is pointing to.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...b/fd8aed6b.jpg

Another shot of where the jack should go on the front crossmember.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...4/fd8aed69.jpg

Front side sills:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...f/fd8aed68.jpg

Rear Crossmember Jack Position

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...c/fd8aed66.jpg

Rear Side Sills

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...3/fd8aed65.jpg

Hope that helps!

skimmer

Basically, the pictures tell me I need more info. They don't show the flat piece across the bottom that I saw on my car. The thing the "3" is pointing to is what I have been referring to as the U-shaped thingy. I'm not sure I can get a floor jack up into the nook where the 3 is pointing to.

Dang. You have the same year as me, even the same color.

Anyway, I'll get a manual, and if need be go up on ramps and look it over real good before I commit with the floor jack.

Thanks again.

stocker

Just a quick note, I rotated the tires on my P5 last night. What I did was take a block of hardwood, like maple and saw a gap in it. Then I placed this on the outer sills where the stock jack goes. there is a reinforced chunk of steel just inside the sill that the stock jack sits on. The block allows you to take advantage of this. I put the jack stand under the suspension support arm. (where the number "94-131" is in picture two.)

I tried the location mentioned in picture 4, BUT IT BENT! I would not recommend this location. I would use the block, put a jack stand where the rear cross member is and leave the jack in place so you have two points of contact.

Just my $0.02
Stocker.

PS I had to kick my front tires to breack them free too.

sandman

It bent?!?!? WTF?? Why would mazda recommend that point if it's soft enough to bend?? GRRRR. Sorry dude! I didn't know that would happen!

Thanks for the tip on the wood block - i'll have to try that!

nramsey

Yeah, I don't know why they would recommend that spot. The Miata has a similar box structure there and it also crushes very easily...definately not strong enough to jack the car. MIGHT be ok to put a jackstand there, but I wouldn't.