MASTER THREAD: Jack Points — location, use, damage, pads, etc.

[kbecks13]

You have to buy them if you want them. (And Tesla doesn't sell them.)

Because you don't need them

 

[Bigtuna00]

And you don't need to buy them if you any kind of normal jack.

 

[TonyJag]

SafeJax Story for TMC, Rev1, with pictures embedded.

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View attachment 542745
Figure 4. Saddle Base Adaptor Showing ball detent intended to hold it place. I will likely add magnets.
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Please comment and especially let me know if you are going to try this with your jack(s). If you have the same jacks as mine, I could provide more details and dimensions.

I will actually need these jacks when my new Martian MW3 wheels arrive and will post how that works along with any refinements.

UPDATE:
As mentioned above. I did add 4 small but strong neodymium magnets so it sticks to the jack saddle much better. The ball detent could be left out. The magnets are 5/16" in diameter and 0.88" thick. Alternatively Ocean State sells them in 5/16" in diameter and 1/8" thick, which would be even better, but I only had 2 left. First, using a Flat-bottom drill, I made 4 holes about 1/4" deep spaced near the corners of the wooden saddle base adapter. Then i drilled further pilot holes for the short steel wood screws. These screws were turned in

just enough so the magnets ended up flush. Then the magnets were press-fit into the holes. That was enough to hold them, but to be safe, I also roughed the bottoms of the magnets with emery cloth, then glued them in with Liquid Nails perfect adhesive. They work very well.

 

[Cce32]

The telsa pads should work, but they don't fit into the recessed jack points so you have to make sure they’re correctly aligned on the frame. I had purchased some, but exchanged them for recessed version for this reason. The recessed pads with standard model 3 pucks are easier to align and you get slightly more clearance than using the tesla specific jackpoint pad.

I wish I had read this prior to doing the exact same. Wasted money on return shipping :-(

 

[drew.cleaver]

I finally gave up and ordered Safe Jacks. Going to be worth it.

 

[Dolemite]

I finally gave up and ordered Safe Jacks. Going to be worth it.

Have they shipped? If not I’d recommend canceling your order.

 

[drew.cleaver]

Have they shipped? If not I’d recommend canceling your order.

They’re on backorder a few weeks actually, what makes you say that? :/

 

[VT_EE]

I got the Safe Jack Rennstands and they work great.

 

[Dolemite]

They’re on backorder a few weeks actually, what makes you say that? :/

1. The car is insanely stiff w/ a 50/50 weight distribution. So you’re lifting a rigid square on a flat plane point-by-point. What this means is that somewhere during the process, you’re inadvertently lifting one of the other jack points off it’s corresponding jack stand. After which you better be quick and attentive when you lower the car to ensure it goes back down on BOTH stands correctly. How this qualifies as “safe,” I’m not sure. You can see an example of this during that boring i1Tesla guy’s YouTube review. He seems to downplay it, but it’s a serious problem.
2. The jack stand “pads” themselves are too small and hard for the jack points on the car. They WILL deform the jack points on the car. Functionally, I don’t think this creates a “real” problem, but it’s definitely not right, and 100% poor design and lack of testing.
3. If you have an epoxy floor in your garage, like me, the stands won’t be able to “bite” into the floor like they’re designed to. They’ll skip along the floor as you’re lifting the car, ruining the coating and creating some seriously ass-clenching moments.

I really wanted these to work, but I just couldn’t stomach the fact that they’re simply an OK idea that doesn’t work well. There’s no way other manufacturers haven’t had this idea before. I’d imagine they did, but ditched it due to the limitations I’m describing in (1). There’s no simple way around that. But the owner probably doesn’t give a damn and went through with it, anyway. Plus they’re insanely expensive for what they are - which is a common theme across everything they sell on their website.

For what it’s worth, I contacted the owner of the company several times and thoroughly documented everything I was doing while explaining the problems. He 1) confirmed that I was doing everything right, and 2) told me multiple times he’d “come up with a solution.” I never heard *sugar* back.

That was the last straw for me - I sold them at a heavy loss to a friend of mine and bought a QuickJack. I’d recommend you learn from my experience, skip the aggravation, and do the same.

 

[Lunares]

Is a normal jack sufficient to get the car high enough to adjust the tierods?

Looking to bring my toe back in line with the @MountainPass camber arms without having to find a place with a lift. Not sure it's safe to do so with just a jack up front though!

 

[Glamisduner]

It's never "safe" to just use a jack.

 

[Dave EV]

Is a normal jack sufficient to get the car high enough to adjust the tierods?

Looking to bring my toe back in line with the @MountainPass camber arms without having to find a place with a lift. Not sure it's safe to do so with just a jack up front though!

Often you can adjust toe without even lifting the car if you're nimble enough, though I haven't tried on the 3.

Edit: had a look in the garage - not that easy with the wheels pointed straight. Might be able to with the wheels turned, otherwise ramps, or a 2x6s or two to drive up on should work.

 

[drew.cleaver]

[QUOTE="Dolemite, post: 5108818, member: 115428”]
I sold them at a heavy loss to a friend of mine and bought a QuickJack. I’d recommend you learn from my experience, skip the aggravation, and do the same.[/QUOTE]

Dang. I really wanted to just get a quikjack but was trying to be “reasonable.”

Of course, they shipped already way ahead of schedule to deliver Friday.

 

[Dolemite]

[QUOTE="Dolemite, post: 5108818, member: 115428”]
I sold them at a heavy loss to a friend of mine and bought a QuickJack. I’d recommend you learn from my experience, skip the aggravation, and do the same.

Dang. I really wanted to just get a quikjack but was trying to be “reasonable.”

Of course, they shipped already way ahead of schedule to deliver Friday.[/QUOTE]
As was I - less tools, complexity, fits any car, etc. Best of luck!

 

[JRP3]

If you have an epoxy floor in your garage, like me, the stands won’t be able to “bite” into the floor like they’re designed to. They’ll skip along the floor as you’re lifting the car, ruining the coating and creating some seriously ass-clenching moments.

Seems as if that could be solved by gluing some rubber to the bottoms.

 

[Dolemite]

Seems as if that could be solved by gluing some rubber to the bottoms.

Even if the bottoms sat flat - which they don’t - the forces involved are so great that no such bandaid would last. I’d put some Gorilla tape on the “pads” and that didn’t even last past a couple of uses. It’s a lot of weight and a lot of movement.

 

[JRP3]

Tape is much too thin. Maybe use a thicker rubber pad and bolt or rivet it to the bottom along with a good adhesive. It's not an unsolvable problem.

 

[drew.cleaver]

I ended up being able to cancel my order and got a QuickJack bundle on sale from Costco for $1150 on the way! Thanks for the advice!

 

[Lunares]

Anyone using quick jacks with a lowered car? if so, how lowered and how much clearance do you have? Website says <3.5 inches and I'm worried my lowered car wouldn't have them work

 

[drew.cleaver]

Anyone using quick jacks with a lowered car? if so, how lowered and how much clearance do you have? Website says <3.5 inches and I'm worried my lowered car wouldn't have them work

I should know soon. Another reason I hated 25” track tires lol. Someone on youtube had some nice plastic or rubber ramps I would love to have if needed...lumber has given me a few fits and cause minor damage popping up.

I could just remake them a bit longer and taper the edges but would rather have something that packs and travels easy less the splinters.