Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: aspares on Friday,February 07, 2020, 04:58:23 PM
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What is best place to jack the Europa up and what is best place to put the stands??
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I first use the scissor jack behind a front wheel to raise one side of the car. Then I put a floor jack under the front of the backbone at the 'T'. I jack the front of the desired height and put put stands under the ends of the 'T' under the bottom suspension pivots. If I need to raise the rear too, I jack up the rear under the lower links and prop up the rear at the rear hoop.
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I keep my car parked on 2 x 10 wood pads so that my floor jack will fit under the front end.
The rear I jack under the engine and have never noticed any problems or movements with the motor mounts. I place jack stands under the frame near the front of the engine, but this is variable. I use 2 x 3 wood blocks against the frame metal. Wedge shaped wood blocks would be a small improvement I have yet to try. Sandy 2721R
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Generally it is not a good idea to jack up the engine to lift the car. That said, the Europa is so light, it is probably not an issue. Just wanted to state it in case people go to jack other cars that way.
For the front I have a special long and low jack that slips under the nose and I lift on the T section of the chassis. I then place jack stands with thin wood spacers under the outer edges of the T. At the back I do this:
https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-PRTWCMN/A
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JB, did you make your jack for the front end? If so, would you care to share the plans or a picture?
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I have happily used these two floor jacks on my Europa:
OTC 5203
Powerful and easy to get into low places. Doesn't lift that high though.
AC Hydraulic DK13HLQ
Lifts very high indeed and easy to get in low places. Low capacity of 1.2 tons -- won't lift the rear of my Disco for example.
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I put chocks behind the rear wheels, then I use a scissors jack under the front cross frame, behind the chassis closing plate, to get it high enough to put a bottle jack in for a higher lift. I put the front onto stands under the outer edges of the cross frame. Then I use a floor jack to raise the rear by the hoop at the back (S2) and put stands under the frame behind the axles.
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Just never put stands under the radius arms (large, long box section arms that the rear upright bolts to), they won't be happy.