Floor Jack Under Differential Housing

[Bingster]

Can you use a floor jack under the differential housing to temporarily put axle stands under the car?

[Plymouthy Adams]

but of course.....given you have a floor jack with a sufficient pad....for the record, most do...

Edited June 12 by Plymouthy Adams

[Bob Riding]

that's how I've always done it- makes it easy to put a stand under each side of the pumpkin

[keithb7]

Indeed. I do it all the time.  Sometimes I insert a nice 4” block of wood between the jack cup and axle housing. Speeds up the lift process, and gets the car up higher before the jack maxes out. 

Just make sure mother-in-law is not in the back seat still. 😁

Edited June 12 by keithb7

[kencombs]

Probably been done a billion times.   At least several 1000s by me.  Same with the center of the front axle on PUs.

[desoto1939]

But no one stated the obvious things to do before jacking up the car from the rear.

The real first important agenda is to have someone at home and tell them that you are working on the car with it up in the air just incase if something back happens.

I have a two way baby monitor system so my wife has one end with her at all times incase if I need her help for incase of an accident.

Be prepared!!!!!!!!!!

 

1. Put wheel cocks in front of the front tires to prevent the car from rolling forward since the rearend will be off the ground and the trans can no longer prevent the car from rolling.

 

2. If you are working with the rear end up in the air then loosen the lug nuts/bolts so that when the car is up on stands you lessen the possibilty of the car falling off the stands.

 

3. try to predetermine how high you want the car off the ground and preset the jackstand height. This way you just have to slide them under the axle and not fool around when the car is up in the air. Set the heigh to the lowest point to limit how high the car is off the ground based on what you need to fix. 

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Bingster]

Thanks for all the info.  My main intention is to raise up the rear wheels before I start the car for the first time. I don't know if and what gear it may be in. I'd hate to have it rolling across the yard.

[Sam Buchanan]

1 hour ago, Bingster said:

Thanks for all the info.  My main intention is to raise up the rear wheels before I start the car for the first time. I don't know if and what gear it may be in. I'd hate to have it rolling across the yard.

 

You can't just roll the car back and forth to find neutral?

[Los_Control]

I think it is a fine idea to set it on jack stands for first start .... also can check the gears while at it and see if something else to add on the list of things to do.

[Bingster]

The tires are flat.  We could try to rock it back and forth but it'd be easier to just slide it.