What the puck?

[fholbert]

I feel I may be getting bad pucking information. I’ve owned several cars in my life, this puck thing is a new one for me.

1. Typically jack points are built into a car, why is the Tesla different?
2. Do I really need to buy a set of four pucks and carry them in the car all the time?
3. In California, you can’t change lanes without hitting a Tesla. Don’t shops have their own pucks?
4. Can’t the Puck be installed permanently on the car?
5. Is it true, the Austin built ‘23 MY requires a different puck size than all the other Tesla’s? Can’t pucking be…
6. I’d think a block of wood does everything a puck does?
7. Are pucks required for this type of lift?

 

[jcanoe]

Most vehicles have a pinch weld along the side of the vehicle. The owner's manual of the vehicle would show where to place the jack. Tesla vehicles doe not have a pinch weld. There are 2 points on each of the frame rails where a lift arm should be placed.

You do not need to carry a set of lift pads; at most one lift pad will suffice when using a low profile floor jack. (Tesla Mobile Service does not use lift pads.)

Some shops may have the lift pucks, call ahead. A floor lift has moveable arms with build in pads.

No, you would have to insert the puck when using the floor jack.

Yes; the Austin built Tesla Model Y (the one with the single piece rear casting and the 4680 battery cells) appears to have a 20mm hole at each of the 4 lift points; other Tesla Model Y have a 25mm hole at each of the lift points.

I would not trust a block of wood not to slip out of position when lifting even half of the Tesla Model Y vehicle's weight (4500 lbs)

I don't see why lift pads would be required with a quick jack or any floor lift. If you look at the construction of a low profile floor jack they will often have a metal cup at the end of the lift arm. The cup at the end of the lift arm can surround, capture a single lift puck. Most lift pads/pucks are sold in sets of 4 with no instructions for how they should be used.

Some other brands, i.e. Porsche uses lift pads on some of the Porche vehicles.

The Tesla Model Y Owner's Manual does not address the use of lift pucks; only stating that you should ensure that the lift pads are positioned at the correct lift points (Lift pads are part of the moveable arms of a floor lift.)

A scissor jack should only be used for emergency roadside repair. Most scissor jacks are designed to engage a pinch weld and are not designed for the lift point of a Tesla vehicle (a few spare wheel and tire kits for the Tesla Model Y come with a scissor jack fitted with an adapter piece to fit the 25mm hole of the Tesla lift point).

If you plan to rotate the tires of your Tesla Model Y, at home, then invest in a good quality 2 or 2.5 ton rated low profile floor jack. Then you would find a single lift puck to be a useful accessory when lifting the Tesla Model Y.

 

[MY1stEV]

1. Tesla's have jack points, but unlike a traditional ICE car, there is a huge battery spanning most of the bottom of the car that comes very close to those jack points. The pucks are to create a margin of safety between the jack, the jack point, and the battery. You don't want to put any concentrated force on the battery.

2. You may never need them, but they are relatively cheap and you just stash them away in a sub-trunk should you ever need them some day. You really only need 4 if you're completely lifting the car off the ground. If you are just doing a tire rotation with a floor jack, jacking the car side-to-side, you only need 1.

3. In California, it's highly likely most tire shops would have a set, in Wyoming, not so much.

4. In theory, with a little JB Weld...

5. Yes, they reduced the size of the hole for some unexplained reason.

6. Yes, but the rubber pucks are less error-prone. The pucks snap into the holes and then you jack the car. With a block of wood, you would need to place the wood blocks on the lift and make sure as you lifted the car that they stayed aligned with the jack points.

7. As long as you are careful not to put any pressure on the battery, pucks aren't needed, but going back to answer #1, they create a margin of safety to prevent a very expensive "oopsie".

 

[fholbert]

Yes; the Austin built Tesla Model Y (the one with the single piece rear casting and the 4680 battery cells) appears to have a 20mm hole at each of the 4 lift points; other Tesla Model Y have a 25mm hole at each of the lift points.

Thanks.

Where does one buy pucks with a 20mm hole. Looking on Amazon, it seems sellers are oblivious to the smaller holed Y models.

 

[fholbert]

4. In theory, with a little JB Weld...

5. Yes, they reduced the size of the hole for some unexplained reason.

JB Weld may work. I don't see where it's a ground clearance issue.

I'm pucking shopping Amazon now. I see puck sets that come with a tire plug kit. Like that, but not seeing where sellers call out the size.

 

[fholbert]

Having a smaller puck than most everyone else is the story of my life...

 

[Black306]

You’re suppose to give a puck……to the shop working on your car. Unless you’re out of pucks to give.

 

[jcanoe]

Thanks.

Where does one buy pucks with a 20mm hole. Looking on Amazon, it seems sellers are oblivious to the smaller holed Y models.

That is the question of the moment. If you wait a few months the overseas sellers will have figured it out. They will probably start selling lift pucks to fit the smaller opening.

In 2020 I purchased (1) low profile aluminum lift puck from Reverse Logic Limited. Reverse Logic no longer lists the Tesla low profile lift puck on their site. The site shows lift pads for Corvette, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz. I don't know the current status.

Reverse Logic Limited

AZTool1 lists the Reverse Logic low profile lift pad for the Tesla Model 3, Model Y. You can only purchase these as a set of 4. This lift pad almost certainly is designed to fit the original 25mm diameter size lift point locator hole.

AZTool1 Tool and Equipment

You could fashion a lift puck using a hockey puck, some hardware fasteners and nylon spacer. This could suffice until you can find a more robust lift puck.

 

[fholbert]

That is the question of the moment. If you wait a few months the overseas sellers will have figured it out. They will probably start selling lift pucks to fit the smaller opening.

You'd think they would figure it out quickly, I assume many orders are being returned due to size.

 

[jcanoe]

You'd think they would figure it out quickly, I assume many orders are being returned due to size.

Most 2023 Model Y are Long Range Model Y, Performance Model Y. These Model Y vehicles continue to have the 25mm lift point locator hole. At some point this will change; then most Model Y will be of the newer design.

I would not be surprised if some eBay seller does not start selling a 20mm lift puck for the Austin built Tesla Model Y. For under $10 you could make one with a hockey puck and a few hardware store parts.

 

[fholbert]

Any reason this one won't work?

A little more money and doesn't come with a fancy bag.

https://www.amazon.com/POTAUTO-Universal-Aluminum-Jacking-Compatible/dp/B087DYCMZY

 

[fholbert]

Here is another one. Taller puck, longer shaft.

https://www.amazon.com/POTAUTO-Aluminum-Jacking-Adapter-Protects/dp/B08MPM9JQ2

 

[Mateo83]

You have to look out for yourself. Can't assume any shops give a puck about you our your car.

"Typically jack points are built into a car, why is the Tesla different?" -Tesla has a big ass battery you shouldn't use a jack point

 

[jcanoe]

The original Reverse Logic lift pad for the Tesla Model S, X had similar height. When the Model 3 was released, later for the Model Y Reverse Logic started offering a low profile lift pad so that a low profile floor jack could fit under the Tesla Model 3, Model Y vehicle with the lift pad inserted at the lift point. You want to use a low profile floor jack and a low profile lift pad so you don't have any issue getting the floor jack under the vehicle when one tire is flat.

 

[kaizen099]

Its a good idea to have them, in case you need roadside assistance or are in an area where Tesla aren't common. I have a set. 2022 Model Y LR

 

[fholbert]

The original Reverse Logic lift pad for the Tesla Model S, X had similar height. When the Model 3 was released, later for the Model Y Reverse Logic started offering a low profile lift pad so that a low profile floor jack could fit under the Tesla Model 3, Model Y vehicle with the lift pad inserted at the lift point. You want to use a low profile floor jack and a low profile lift pad so you don't have any issue getting the floor jack under the vehicle when one tire is flat.

Another concern of mine is the shaft of the puck being too long and hitting the battery structure above.

I looked at many of the 24mm wide pucks, they are often much longer, some as much as an inch.

 

[jcanoe]

It is easy enough to place a pencil in the lift point locator hole and gauge how deep the nub on the jack pad can be without bottoming. The battery housing is inboard of the frame rail and lift points (but not by much.)

Also, see post #25 (thread below.)

No Spare Tire - I Have a few Questions

The diameter of the nub on the Reverse Logic low profile lift puck is 22mm (there is a rubber gasket that ensures that the pad does not fall out of the 25mm locator hole.) The depth of the Reverse Logic low profile lift puck is 16mm. This is 4mm shorter than the adapter on the StanceMagic scissor jack that came with the Tesla Model Y spare wheel/tire kit I purchased on Amazon.

 

[ngng]

If you're worried about a shop damaging your battery maybe consider taking your vehicle to a different shop. Any shop worth their salt will have something the place between the jack point and their lift arms.

 

[455dan]

Its a good idea to have them, in case you need roadside assistance or are in an area where Tesla aren't common. I have a set. 2022 Model Y LR

I bought a set as well.

My 2 post lift which has square pads do not fit in a small enough area to lift Only on the pin /puc area.

New car- what's 25 bucks in the long run.

 

[fholbert]

Guess I’m going to buy 4 - 20 mm pucks that don’t come in a case. Then buy a case with 25 mm pucks and throw the larger pucks away So I can use the case.