Hi, lurking newbie here. Got the family an '88 wagon last month, first Volvo since growing up with '73 145. Where is the best place to jack up the car and place jackstands (front and/or rear)? The rear factory location is a little unstable with my floorjack.

Peter
Portland, OR

Two other safety rules I observe.

1) After putting the car up on jack stands, (i.e. in the final position in which you will be working on it) always check to make sure your jack
stands aren't tipped and are resting squarely on the floor. The car often
settles and shifts as it is lowered onto the stands, and the setting of the
first stand you place can be affected by lowering the car onto the second
stand.

Since it can be hard to see under the car, I check this by placing the
trouble light on the other side of the stand, and checking to make sure I can't see any crack of light showing under any of the jack stand legs.

2) I also use a back up system of 2X12 planks, placed under the middle of each side of the car. Just go to Lowe's and get a couple 2X12 planks and have
them saw them into foot long sections. Then stack as many as will fit under
the side of the car (roughly 8) and slide them forward or back (depending if you
are working on the rear or front of car, respectively)so that they just touch
the underside of the car, with the blocks places so that the contact point of the underbody is in the center of the block as you look side to side. Also, make sure that the grain runs side to side, so that the sharp edge of the body sheet metal "tuck under" won't split the grain if the car settles.

Agree with cautions expressed already and can report I've never encountered any problems with the strength of the jack mounting points on a 240. I have crunched frame rails a bit sticking wood blocks under them however.

Was wondering what bricksters thought of a method I've seen used at a u-pull-it yard. They use 8 wheel rims to support a car, 2 rims at each corner. One rim is flat, the other sits vertically on the flat rim and "locks" into the bottom of the car. The cars seem to sit rigidly on this set-up. Of course, they have you sign an injury claims waiver before entering the yard.

Agree with cautions expressed already and can report I've never encountered any problems with the strength of the jack mounting points on a 240. I have crunched frame rails a bit sticking wood blocks under them however.

Was wondering what bricksters thought of a method I've seen used at a u-pull-it yard. They use 8 wheel rims to support a car, 2 rims at each corner. One rim is flat, the other sits vertically on the flat rim and "locks" into the bottom of the car. The cars seem to sit rigidly on this set-up. Of course, they have you sign an injury claims waiver before entering the yard.

I find the U-Pull it "8 rim" system amazingly casual and dangerous for an industry that obviously has substantial concern about liability. The cars don't sit on rims that are "locked" into the underbody, they balance on four tippy stands with tiny, rounded contact points. I much prefer yards that don't do that. If I have to get under a car, I'd rather jack it up and slide a couple of rims/tires on their sides under the side of the car.

the way they stack cars at junqeyard scares the urine out of my......
--
www.fidalgo.net/~brook4

I cannot type it any better than Zee. Been doin' it to the 240 - 260 with much safety....

And that's the key.

Make sure the floor jack is well centered.
Use HD jacks and stand.
Do not fully trust either. (use back-up blocks if possible/leave jack in place and never, ever get under car with jack alone - jill, maybe, never jack)
Never put greater than 25 ft/lbs on any fastener while under car with single set of stands,
Always stand back and shake care REAL hard after jackstanding BEFORE climbing under.

And so on.

Be safe.

Desclaimer: I'm a crack pot, so if you hurt yourself (or not) you can't sue my honky white USA (Italo-dutch-scottish-anglo) ass.....sorry.
--
http://www.fidalgo.net/~brook4/oilslubesfilters.html

I use my 3-ton Sears floor jack under the rear end "pumpkin" to raise the car, then place jack stands under each jack point in front of the rear wheels. the bolt-like piece of these jack points snuggly into the cups of the jack stands.

I lift the fron of the car by placing the saddle of the jack under the frame (cross member) behine the engine, just past the oil pan beyond the rear edge of the rock shield.

Jack stands go under the jack points behind the front wheels.
--
1989 740Ti 1986 240DL 1984 244GL

This is what I was looking for, the pumpkin seemed like it would lift the whole rear. It sounds like I haven't been nearly paranoid enough about backup protection. Thanks, now I am...

Peter
Portland, OR

I have always wondered if these jack points are strong enough to support the weight of the whole car, after all they are made up of only bent sheetmetal. Sure, they can support the weight of one corner of the car as intended for changing tires etc. but the full weight of the car, even though you are spreading it out over four points, I don't know. My question is,I guess is will it do any structural damage to the area around the jack points as it appears to only be welded to and made of sheetmetal. What about seam splitting of the caulk etc. Although the car does flex anyway ehile driving even though you can't feel it. Am I reading too much into this?

'am I reading too much into this'

Maybe. BUT, better safe than sorry.

I have never put any car up on four jackstands at once. Can't do it.

One end of the car is always sitting on the ground on its wheels with the wheels blocked. Stability is the reason.

If I must take wheels off, I put something solid under the car in addition to the jackstands to catch the car if it does fall off the jackstand. I prefer solid wood blocks, like sections of tree stump, or sections of 12x12 (railroad tie)

I have laid the wheel, with tire, that was off the car, under the car when I had nothing better.

The point is that something solid can provide the few inches that could save your life or limb.

I could care less about stressing the car body.

91-240

Just for the sake of stirring debate:

I would argue that a car on four jack stands is more stable (and hence, safer to work beneath) than a car on two jack stands and two pneumatic tires, even if the tires are blocked.

Regarding the strength of the jack points, it is true that holding the full weight of the car on four jack points does put a lot more load on each point than hoisting one corner to change a tire. However, I have worked on several 240s and have never had a problem with damage.