How to use jack stands?

[BlueWRXPride]

If I'm ever working on a car, like doing a brake job or whatever, I jack the car up with a floor jack, and then put it on jackstands so it is safe. With the M3, there are just 4 specific jack points. So if I use a jackpoint to raise up one corner of the car, how can I then transfer that point to a jackstand? Is there some part of the suspension I could use to put a jack stand under when I remove the floor jack to raise the other side?

 

[markb1]

If I'm ever working on a car, like doing a brake job or whatever, I jack the car up with a floor jack, and then put it on jackstands so it is safe. With the M3, there are just 4 specific jack points. So if I use a jackpoint to raise up one corner of the car, how can I then transfer that point to a jackstand? Is there some part of the suspension I could use to put a jack stand under when I remove the floor jack to raise the other side?

Unfortunately, Tesla doesn't seems to design their cars for this. (This is true of the X and S, as well.)

Here's one solution:

Jackpoint Jackstands

Or get a lift:

QuickJack For Residential Use - Home Car Lift

 

[355rockit]

Or get Rennstand

 

[gtmotor]

Or get Rennstand

+1 those are awesome!

 

[sreams]

If you jack up the right rear of the car, the right front comes up as well. You can then put a jack stand there. Just did this to bleed brakes on my 3.

 

[T5Quad]

If you jack up the right rear of the car, the right front comes up as well.

Does that mean we can get by with just one jack and one stand for rotating tires?

 

[gecko10x]

I think I'll have to try this before buying anything else. I'd prefer not to have two floor jacks; one takes up enough space.

 

[Oyster Bait]

The structure isn't infinitely rigid. Lifting at a single point runs the risk of twisting the body which might break the rear window. On this thread, post 67, on the Model 3 Owners Club Forum, a member speaks of a service center without a lift that does service using four jacks simultaneously manned because of this risk.

 

[BlueWRXPride]

There's a service center that has no lift???

 

[Dan203]

If I'm ever working on a car, like doing a brake job or whatever, I jack the car up with a floor jack, and then put it on jackstands so it is safe. With the M3, there are just 4 specific jack points. So if I use a jackpoint to raise up one corner of the car, how can I then transfer that point to a jackstand? Is there some part of the suspension I could use to put a jack stand under when I remove the floor jack to raise the other side?

What do you plan to do to the Tesla? Because of regen Tesla brakes typically last 100k+ miles. Unless you plan to keep the car past that you shouldn’t ever have to do anything to the car beyond refilling the wiper fluid and rotating/replacing the tires.

A lift or special jacks seem like a waste of money.

 

[Dolemite]

Any way to get safely on 4 jack stands?

 

[Thumpernator]

Any way to get safely on 4 jack stands?

Yes. Read the previous posts.

 

[Dolemite]

Yes. Read the previous posts.

 

[SlimJim]

Or use two Jack's.

 

[RustyShacklefo]

Found this image, which suggests it's ok to put jack stands anywhere along the side rail - if I understand what they mean by "safe stabilization points". Not clear why it's ok to support there if not ok to lift there ... (I have a Model Y, but found a similar image for the Model Y)

OTOH, it's from a Tesla "emergency response" document, so maybe they mean a vehicle that's literally lying on its side.

 

[RustyShacklefo]

Here's a tip might be helpful here ... I had a slow leak (thankfully ended up not being a hairline crack in the rim). I jacked the corner up using a platform jack and a puck. But then I realized my jack has a slow hydraulic leak and the car would settle to the ground (resting on the brake disc) by the time I got the repaired tire back the next day. No approved spot to put a jackstand under there. So I just jammed a block of wood into the mechanism of the platform jack, and that prevented it from settling far !

 

[nstig8]

What do you plan to do to the Tesla? Because of regen Tesla brakes typically last 100k+ miles. Unless you plan to keep the car past that you shouldn’t ever have to do anything to the car beyond refilling the wiper fluid and rotating/replacing the tires.

A lift or special jacks seem like a waste of money.

Maybe you live somewhere that never gets below 40° and don't ever plan on taking your M3P to any of those places, but many of us have a real winter and put winter tires on the car so twice a year I have it jacked up to swap wheels/tires. This is also when I rotate the tires. I assume you pay someone to do that for you?