Jacking up a car incorrectly

[amirzed]

Had someone try and change the wheel on my mum's passat this weekend, they jacked the car up using the jack from the boot and then said it wasn't too stable and could they have the instructions.

I sent them to the tyre shop at this point to get the wheel changed by someone else.

Turns out they lifted it by just putting the jack onto the plastic sill without removing the obvious cover, the sill now has a half golf ball shape dent in it.

Do i fix it? Do i not? Does it matter even though nobody can really see it??

Edited by amirzed on Monday 17th January 12:51

[einstein75]

amirzed said:

... could they have the instructions.

Classic!

[SEE YA]

They should make changing a tyre part of the car test maybe.

I showed my wife how to change a tyre, and put a trolley jack in the car safer way to change one.

Edited by SEE YA on Monday 17th January 13:13

[SimonV8ster]

How did they jack the car up with the jack in the boot ?

[amirzed]

SimonV8ster said:

How did they jack the car up with the jack in the boot ?

I was waiting, for that, thought it'd be reply number 1...

Should be ok now!!!

Edited by amirzed on Monday 17th January 12:52

[steve singh]

SEE YA said:

They should make changing a tyre part of the car test maybe.

I showed my wife how to change a tyre, and put a trolley jack in the car safer way to change one.

Change a tyre or wheel? Changing a tyre would be impressive on the hard shoulder

[WeirdNeville]

Check what's behind where they've jacked it - have they actually lifted the car on some single sheet of tin, or a bumper bar that's not a jacking point? It could be that they've bent something quite important/expensive and then the plastic has popped back into shape hiding the damage.
Cars are heavy, and quite weak in directions they're not designed to take stresses. They can easily be 'folded' over a jack under their own weight if you get it wrong. Sills in particular can go, and chassis rails may not be designed to take the weight of the car concentrated on a jack plate.

I'd be looking very closely at it and wanting money if soemthings damaged!!

[SEE YA]

steve singh said:

SEE YA said:

They should make changing a tyre part of the car test maybe.

I showed my wife how to change a tyre, and put a trolley jack in the car safer way to change one.

Change a tyre or wheel? Changing a tyre would be impressive on the hard shoulder

There always one

[steve singh]

SEE YA said:

steve singh said:

SEE YA said:

They should make changing a tyre part of the car test maybe.

I showed my wife how to change a tyre, and put a trolley jack in the car safer way to change one.

Change a tyre or wheel? Changing a tyre would be impressive on the hard shoulder

There always one

Chill - only pulling your leg

[SEE YA]

I know

[masermartin]

Some gorilla in a tyre change place has used trolley jacks or a two-post on the front chassis legs on my Ghibli, mashing them nicely. Going to cost a bit to reshape them.

Don't assume a tyre place will be any better - they won't waste time checking for the jacking points either.

[Rockape]

I dont't trust tyre places now and always always watch the fitter. During the last visit I was watching from the waiting room and I glanced into the workshop to see the tyre fitter putting the jack head under the plastic sideskirt and starting cranking the handle. I banged on the window and he stopped and came and asked "is that sill plastic mate"....... Thanks but no thanks and I went elsewhere.

[steve singh]

Over the weekend I had the front tyres changed on the GTI and the fitter just tightened the wheel bolts using an air gun - didn't even bother with a torque wrench until I called him back and told him to use it !

Happened twice now...you have to keep an eye on them!

ETA: Thinking about it the worst one was a national tyre place that went to jack up my 996 and proceeded to whack the jack into the side skirt despite me telling him the car was low and a normal jack wouldn't get under (M030 suspension).

Edited by steve singh on Monday 17th January 13:51

[SEE YA]

My wife had the boys in blue and white put a tyre on her car they fitted it back to front on her car.

I complained to there main office nothing happened but there loss now.
They said nothing would happen and it was safe.
So I said why is it marked on the tyre which way to fit it then?.

My business goes elsewhere ££££ + after many years going to them.

[amirzed]

WeirdNeville said:

Check what's behind where they've jacked it - have they actually lifted the car on some single sheet of tin, or a bumper bar that's not a jacking point? It could be that they've bent something quite important/expensive and then the plastic has popped back into shape hiding the damage.
Cars are heavy, and quite weak in directions they're not designed to take stresses. They can easily be 'folded' over a jack under their own weight if you get it wrong. Sills in particular can go, and chassis rails may not be designed to take the weight of the car concentrated on a jack plate.

I'd be looking very closely at it and wanting money if soemthings damaged!!

cheers, i'm going to take it to the dealers today or tomorrow - already rung them and they said it's reasonably common to get some sort of damage from this

[r11co]

Extremely common problem on Alfa GTs and 147 GTAs. The sill extensions are metal and have a mark on them pointing to the actual jacking point which is on the seam where the sills join on to the bodyshell, but idiotic tyre fitters assume the mark is the jacking point and crush the sills. Costly mistake.

Edited by r11co on Monday 17th January 16:04

[Shuvi Tupya]

SEE YA said:

steve singh said:

SEE YA said:

They should make changing a tyre part of the car test maybe.

I showed my wife how to change a tyre, and put a trolley jack in the car safer way to change one.

Change a tyre or wheel? Changing a tyre would be impressive on the hard shoulder

There always one

Do you ride a unicycle?