Ok, So the thing is, I seem to hear a lot of different things about where to place jacks and jack stands.

Where should they really be put? And can someone put pictures of where they are really placed?

 

Check your owner's manual. On the pinch-welds just aft of the front wheel well and just in front of the rear wheel well.

 

what you should do is drive your front tires on some blocks or a ramp and jack it up from the subframe. then you can put the jackstands at the jack point mentioned above.^

 

I have asked this same question and have gotten the same answer. I don't like having the car rest on the pinch welds however. One problem is the that the profile of the jack stands is a lot different than the pinch welds. Are there any other points that folks use for the front of the car and what are the pros and cons?

This last time, I ended up using two jack stands under the subframe. Seemed to work out fine but...

Also, for the rear, do you use the diff to jack it up? I've done it, but am a little nervous about putting that much pressure on the diff.

If you want to jack up both front and rear, how do you guys go about it? I can't get my jack under the subframe unless I raise the front first a little by either driving it onto a couple of 2x4's or jacking from the side enough to slip something under a wheel. Once the front is raised, I can't get my jack under the diff from the back of the car.

I could sure use an idiots guide to jacking the FD, complete with pictures. I'm not terribly bright in case you haven't guessed already.

 

I reinforced the full length of my pinch rails by putting a 3/8 thick metal piece on each side of each rail .Bolted like a sandwich ,the pinch rail in the center with countersink allen bolts . I can jack anywhere and put jack stands where ever I want . I did this 12 years ago ,Life is simple .

 

I've never seen a pair of ramps that fit under the car.....? I have some low-profile ones that are STILL about 3 inches too tall for the car to clear.

 

u need to have a stair case looking setup of wood leading to the ramp.

 

Anyone have pictures of where they put their jacks and jack stands or their custom fits?

 

I'd love to see pictures of that. I don't have the metal working skills to do it, but I bet I could find someone to fab it for me and I could install it. My pinch rails are bent up and trashed as it is.

 

The FSM specifies to use the diff when raising the car from the rear. So you're ok in doing it that way. Using a rubber pad on the jack is always a good idea though.

Also, I've made some simple wheel jacks from 2X8's for when I need the car raised but don't need to remove the wheels. In this pic the rear is as you see it, but the front is on stands so I can do my engine pull.

 

I use a 2x4 wood block on the jack when I use it. The jack digs into the wood so it can't slip. I really like your home made wheel stands. Simple and effective. I'm guessing they are 2x8 or 2x6?

 

Dang, you beat me to it while editing. Yeah, they are 2X8's. First I raise the rear by the diff and lower the car onto the stands in the pic. Then I move the jack behind each front wheel next to the body weld and jack them up one side at a time and set the fronts on addition wooden stands(I've made four of them). It puts a little twist on the car but the suspension compensates, as it should, and causes no harm. If I need the front higher than that, I then move my jack under the subframe an raise as required.

 

When I jack up/stand my car I put a 1 ft 2X4 right behind the pinch rail and rest it/jack it from there. Right behind the front wheels or right in front of the rears. It spreads the load along a large section, which is reinforced by the rails while preserving the rails.

 

you know, ive always used the pinch welds... never had an issue with them either, whether its on a life or jack stands... its always worked fine for me...

 

Don't put jackstands on the pinchwelds :smack: or waste your time reinforcing them. You have FRAME RAILS, the strongest part of your car is RIGHT there. Use it.

 

Uh, you don't have frame rails. This is a unibody car...no frame. As discussed earlier, it has pinch welds that MAZDA recommends as proper strong points. But no frame rails. Learn it.

 

This is what I use - I built my own out of 2x6s and 2x4s. Once up on the ramps I lift with a floor jack at the subframe and put jack stands under the suspension pickup points. Move the ramps out of the way (they're long), replace them when time to bring the car back down.

 

Wow. Yes, you have a unibody and there is a frame. A unibody is a car with a single frame (reason it's called a UNIbody) You have the frame under the car and you should use that for jack stands. Learn it.

 

xD oh god... stop arguing xD

anyway, ive always used the pinch welds, its what Mazda suggests and ive never had an issue with it... they havent bent or been deformed... so i dunno

 

Can someone post pictures on where the jacks and jack stands should go if I just want to jack up the car?

 

What Sgtblue means is there aren't "frame rails" on unibody cars like there are on trucks, that's the point of calling it a unibody. It has reinforced areas under the rocker panels where you put the jack. Other than those it's all floor pan except for maybe a cross member or two.

 

What about putting jack stands under the cross member in front? I did that once and didn't have a problem, but I could have been lucky.

 

Do you have a picture of your pinch rail reinforcements? Or better yet, can you make a set and sell it to me? =)

My pinch rails are all dented and deformed every time I use the jack! >.<

 

I should remove the reinforcements from the pinch rails that have been there for 12 years and use the frame rails ,stupid me .

 

That's a great idea. Wish I could claim I thought of it. I may do this with mine. My pinch rails are all beat up already, but this would a) hide the damage, and b) prevent any more deformation.

The only complication is that the OE jack won't fit any more. I'll have to think of a way to accomodate that.

Dave