# Jacking points on VW Passat 96! help anyone?a



## stlnet (Dec 31, 2007)

I'm so sick and tired of not knowing where to put my damn jack support when I raise my car.
First of all, it's a syncro, so I have no rear axel that I can place the jack under.
Yesterday I had planned on removing the wheels from my car, to detail them and the wheel wells. Once I lifted the car with my floor jack, I came across a problem. The area of intended use for a jack is only about 3-4" wide. That is, only in this 3-4" area can I use my floor jack to lift my car. There are 4 such areas on the car - one for each wheel. So once I lift my car with the floor jack, how do I then put the jack stand in this same 3-4" area? The width of the jack saddle (the area that actually comes into contact with the car) takes up the entire 3-4" area. I don't know how to get the jack stand in there, and I don't want the load of car on an area other than the intended 3-4" area. I've got to be overlooking something simple, but don't see it. 
Do I just leave my car on the floor jack while I detail the wheel and well? I'm concerned that the floor jack is not intended to support the weight of the car for 30-60 min (not sure how long I would need) before lowering the car, and going to the next wheel. Nothing in the user guide tells me how long the jack is designed to support the weight of the car. It is a 2.25 ton floor jack.



_Modified by stlnet at 1:00 PM 5-31-2008_


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## quattrofun5 (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: Jacking points on VW Passat 96! help anyone?a (stlnet)*

You are correct that the jack is not designed to be a substitute for an actual stand. While the jack itself is more than strong enough to lift and hold the vehicle, you can't lock it in place (and it is on wheels) so it is a safety issue...if the car shifts, it can topple off a jack and well that's one way to kill yourself.
Generally, the stand area will be somewhere near a suspension pick up point - depends on the suspension design. In the front, you can sit it on a cross member (if there is one) or where a trailing arm connects to the chassis - places where the structure is strong so it's not a problem to place the stand away from the actual jacking point. The only places to avoid are areas where it's just sheet metal (floor pan) but those are typically under the middle of the car where you won't need a stand anyway.


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