Getting the Car up on Jackstands

[Old Guy]

I decided that I finally should get around to changing out my coolant hoses and thermostat. The new parts have been sitting in a box for three years now. The plan is to get the car up on jack stands at the jack points and I have seen photos posted of the NSX supported like this. I have supported the car on jack stands using the brake rotor hats as the support points. Fairly easy to do that; but, I am not super enthusiastic about that option because the hats are not very wide resulting in a relatively small contact area on my particular stands. Not keen about getting under the car and yanking on the hoses without a really secure support.

The thing about using the jack points is that they are significantly lower than the rotor hats meaning the car has to get a lot higher in the air to fit the stands. I figure I can use my floor jack on the center jack point and get the jack stands on their lowest position under the two jack points on one side ; but, when I go to the other side the car is going to be tipped over enough that I don't think my floor jack will get under the sill with the rubber pinch weld adapter in place. Even if it did fit, the whole idea of then jacking up the second side with the other side on stands just seems like a bad idea - I can just see one of the stands starting to slide across the garage floor as the car starts to raise. If I could jack from the front or the back I think I could do this; but, I don't think that is an option on the NSX. My son's RSX actually has a center jack point in the front which he uses to get the front of the car up on jack stands.

So I appear to be old guy challenged and can't figure out how to safely get from here to there. Right now I am thinking a trip to Home Depot, purchase a 6x6 timber and cut it into blocks to fit under all four tires. A Quick Jack thingy (or similar) would be nice; but, not an option because I already have too much junk in the garage.

 

[Honcho]

Let me allay your concerns.

It's perfectly ok to jack up the NSX one side at a time. Just make sure you carefully place the jack stands on the lowest height setting. I try to put the car's jacking tab right in the middle of the "U" of the stand.

I use a low-profile jack today, but for years I had a standard height jack and it would not fit under the "tilted" side of the car. I would use the Honda jack to lift it high enough to get the main jack under there. Another method that worked well was to put the wheels under some 2x6 so that there was enough space to slide the jack under even when the car was tilted to the side.

Once you get the car set up on the four jack stands, lift each side 2 or 3 inches at a time until you get to the desired height. By "rocking" the car back and forth this way, you never place it in a position where it tilts so much that it could slide off of the stands. It's a little more time/effort, but it's much safer.

Also, try to use jack stands that have a locking pin that goes completely through the lifting rod. As I get older, I'm thinking of upgrading to this style as it is about the safest you can have. Nevertheless, I always make sure to give the seating tooth lever a good smack to make sure the cam is fully seated in the tooth before lowering weight on the stand. FWIW, this has kept the car rock solid stable for the 4 years it was on stands during my refresh.

 

[Old Guy]

I was already thinking that raising the jack stands 'one step at a time' was a basic requirement. The 2x6 under the tires for the first lift had not occurred to me. That would provide the room to slide the floor jack under the sill on that side after the car was tilted and have the added benefit that the tilt on the first lift on the far side would be reduced by the thickness of the 2x6 which would make me feel better. Maybe a couple of pieces of 2x6 under each tire just for an extra level of comfort

 

[99 rs]

It does indeed look sketchy. As Honcho stated raise one side up to the lowest axle stand setting. Then do the other side. Then go back and forth to raise higher. I do it in 2 steps with 6 tonne stands.

https://imgur.com/VIDgcBV

 

[Wild Turkey]

+1 on @Honcho & @99 rs. The NSX design is brilliant with the center jack point and front & back stand points. I've not seen another car with this approach, probably because it would need ++ frame reinforcement to put a jack point there.

I also use 6-ton jack stands; they're taller & have wider bases. Mine go to 23" which is good to work under, way better than those "portable" (portable my ass) lifts along the entire side of the vehicle that block access. No trouble pulling the steering rack. So high that I lower it a bit if working from above as well. But 6-ton stands at their lowest setting tilt the car too much on the 1st "step". My lift goes like this: Raise L side onto a pair of 2-ton stands; raise R side onto 6-ton stands, lowest setting; raise L side onto 6-ton stands, highest setting; raise R side onto the 6-ton stands, highest setting. <5 minutes.

FWIW, I reefed on my car with all my might before working on it (level concrete floor in a garage, wouldn't do this on anything else.) I couldn't budge it, even with the 1/4" rubber I use between the stands and the car.

I'm not convinced the pin-based stands are safer than ratcheting, but to each their own. Either way, be VERY sure they're set properly. There's also a debate about flat vs. grooved stands. Both work fine. The factory jack applies force beside the locating bar; the bar is not reinforcement but probably to avoid the jack slipping sideways if the car is angled. This is verified if you look at the X-section of the aluminum frame member.

I'd pass on the home-made 6x6 solution. Even driving on 2x6's in the close confines of my garage would give me pause. A $200 low profile jack is definitely worth it to make your life easier. (Canadian Tire Low profile jacks on sale. I love my #009-0239-6, but #009-1036-2 is so much lighter.)

Here's 1/2 way up, L 2-ton stands extended to match R 6-ton stands' lowest setting. & how to find that pesky super-slow tire leak.

 

[Old Guy]

I was not planning on trying to drive up on the 2x6s. I was thinking an initial lift with the jack on to two stacked 2x6s to get that side approximately 3" higher. From my days of Honda Pilot ownership, I have a big pig Princess Auto floor jack. Definitely not light; but a huge amount of vertical lift; but, also a very tight fit under the NSX even when it is level.

Waiting for some parts for another project car so I can finish it off before I do the NSX work.

 

[nis350]

Let me allay your concerns.

It's perfectly ok to jack up the NSX one side at a time. Just make sure you carefully place the jack stands on the lowest height setting. I try to put the car's jacking tab right in the middle of the "U" of the stand.

Just to clarify, so the jack point/tab doesn't contact the top of the jack stand. The 2 contact points would be to the left and right of the jack point/tab. Would this cause any damage to area surrounding the jack point/tab?

 

[Wild Turkey]

Unlike unibody cars, which have a reinforced pinch weld where you need to apply the force and weak areas around it that will be crushed, the NSX jack point is just a locator so you know where to apply the jack. The NSX beam is a massive element. If you look at the OEM jack, you'll see that the groove in it is deeper than the jackpoint tab. Thus the lifting force is applied to the beam left and right of the tab anyway, not to the tab itself. You also won't crush the tab jacking it directly, so you're good to go wherever you go.

 

[nis350]

Unlike unibody cars, which have a reinforced pinch weld where you need to apply the force and weak areas around it that will be crushed, the NSX jack point is just a locator so you know where to apply the jack. The NSX beam is a massive element. If you look at the OEM jack, you'll see that the groove in it is deeper than the jackpoint tab. Thus the lifting force is applied to the beam left and right of the tab anyway, not to the tab itself. You also won't crush the tab jacking it directly, so you're good to go wherever you go.

Thanks for the clarification...

 

[ralph cerbone]

Just follow Honcho's post ,that's how I did mine My garage is a mid fifties design so it's small , the floor is cracked and settled on on the right side . After finishing the hoses underneath I am on my creeper and hit the left front jack stand , it slid out , car did not move, placed it back under jacking point . Showed this to a friend that is a shop owner , pretty impressed how rigid the body design is , still talks about it down his shop.
After I changed all the hoses I cut them open , there was no cracking inside or degradation of the hoses . I suspected the engine compartment hoses would be brittle from heat but they were not . They were 15 yrs old , but for peace of mind just change them .

 

[FlopShot]

So just did it this morning so I could remove all 4 wheels, second time I've done this. Jacked up one side using center jack point, then put stands on lowest setting under the front and rear jack points. But discovered something new ever since I put on new side skirts 2years ago. With the car tilted over, couldn't fit the low profile jack under the side skirt. But was able to get it under the front jack point, which then let me lift up that front corner just enough to get my second jack under the center jack point, then lifted that side of the car to put stands under. Those center jack points are there for a reason, so don't be afraid to use them.

 

[TANTO]

FWIW I cut 6" by 6" 1/2" thick pads out of old school gym pads and use them on top of the stands. It protects the pads on the bottom of the frame and makes the type of jack stand top a lesser issue. Personally I like stands that have a flatter top than typical. With many stands as the angle gets steep all the weight goes onto one ear of the stand - Bad Juju IMO. The pads allow the car to rotate on top of the stand a bit so the "angle" effect is lessened also. Those old school pads may be hard to find now. I believe Tractor Supply has a stranded pad that looks really tough and likely would be good. Plan on some serious elbow grease cutting them, but they hold up pretty well. If you have a painted floor you could also use larger versions of these pads under the stands depending on the stands base. Yes jacking this baby up high is stressfull and requires some care, i've had a stand scooch on me a couple of times. Thats a heart thumper. I have a Max-Jax setup but i only use it for major work.

 

[FlopShot]

FWIW I cut 6" by 6" 1/2" thick pads out of old school gym pads and use them on top of the stands. It protects the pads on the bottom of the frame and makes the type of jack stand top a lesser issue. Personally I like stands that have a flatter top than typical. With many stands as the angle gets steep all the weight goes onto one ear of the stand - Bad Juju IMO. The pads allow the car to rotate on top of the stand a bit so the "angle" effect is lessened also. Those old school pads may be hard to find now. I believe Tractor Supply has a stranded pad that looks really tough and likely would be good. Plan on some serious elbow grease cutting them, but they hold up pretty well. If you have a painted floor you could also use larger versions of these pads under the stands depending on the stands base. Yes jacking this baby up high is stressfull and requires some care, i've had a stand scooch on me a couple of times. Thats a heart thumper. I have a Max-Jax setup but i only use it for major work.

Just buy the "jack stand rubber pads" on EBay. These work perfectly on the jack point rails of the NA1 (so I assume the NA2 also). And they are cheap, like under $10/pair. Different styles depending on the jack stands (or lift jack) that you are using, I have the ones pictured for my 4 jack stands, and I have the puck style for my lift jacks.

 

[Honcho]

Just for clarification, I don't drive the car up onto the 2x6. I lift the car with a jack and lower the tires onto the planks.