Jacking an S1 Esprit

[Guest surferphil]

Jacking an S1 Esprit? Where do I safely jack and place Axle stands?

I have seen the LEW page but it's for a Stevens and the underside doesn't look like my car.

Is there any lotus reference for this, I have looked in the Service Manual but can't find it!

Thanks,

Phil

[GavinT 109]

Rear:

Look under the gearbox and you will see a metal cross member that the lower links are attached to. Cut a length of 2 x 4 to the length of the cross member, place the 2 x 4 under the cross member, place jack under cut length of wood in the middle and jack away. Once at desired height insert axle stands at either end of the 2 x 4 and withdraw jack.

Front:

Insert jack and a short length of of 2 x 4 under the lower wishbone below spring. Jack wheel and raise the front corner of the car until you can insert an axle stand at the lowest setting and another piece of 2 x 4 under the front chassis cross member as close as possible to where the front wishbones are bolted to the frame. The 2 x 4 must be positioned across the frame, in a front to rear direction, so that it extends beyond the box section of the frame. Lift one side / one wheel at a time and raise the car small amounts at a time.

I have taped some foam on to my 2 x 4s to help minimize any scratching. You will need a low slung jack and axle stands as standard height ones are too tall.

Hope this helps.

Gav

Edited June 26, 2009 by GavinT

[giorgio67 182]

.........Rear:

Look under the gearbox and you will see a metal cross member that the lower links are attached to. Cut a length of 2 x 4 to the length of the cross member, place the 2 x 4 under the cross member, place jack under cut length of wood in the middle and jack away. Once at desired height insert axle stands at either end of the 2 x 4 and withdraw jack.

Gavin,

this is exactly what Lotus Guru Tim Engel (ciao Tim) described as the worst way to jack the rear end of an Esprit.

The cross member are not designed to load the car's weight so it is very prone to bent.

Personally I have seen a lot of Esprit on the web with the cross member slighty bent due to this practice, and this create a problem with the rear camber.

I don't want to be critic regarding your advice but in my humble opinion I would never use this way for my car.

The rear sections of the sills are just designed for the task.

Ciao

Giorgio

[GavinT 109]

I have jacked my car using the sills and I was very concerned to hear all the creaking noises that were admitted from the body as it took the weight. I also read somewhere that someone lifted the car using the sills and then opened the doors to do some work inside. They could not close the doors again because the body had flexed. Once the car was back on all 4 wheels the doors would close again. If the body is flexing that much then ultimately you will end up with stress cracks. By using a cut to length 2 x 4 you are spreading the weight across the length the cross member and it will not bend. For sure if you jack using no 2 x 4 then it is more likely the cross member will bend as all the weight is on one small area. My cross member is not bent.

Perhaps there is no completely safe way to jack up the rear of an S1/S2 without stressing some area that we would not like to stress. So 'each man to their own'.

Edited June 27, 2009 by GavinT

[USAndretti42 308]

I was never happy using the sills as a jacking point. I believe the later cars had metal spreader plates built into the sills to provide more secure jacking points. When I first had my S2, though, I did put the axle stands under the rear of the sills to give room to get under the car to change the timing belt.

I am sure that using wood like Gavin suggested spreads the load enough to prevent any damage. I used wood over the top of my axle stands to spread the load and I didn't have any problems with opening and closing doors.

[giorgio67 182]

Gavin,

I think this argument is very interesting, so go ahead!

I totally respect your point of view but I disagree what you said, sorry.

The fact that the bodywork makes rumors doesn't mean that it will suffer, it's designed for the job.

Any car jacked up from the correct points (generally under the sills) has body flexing and door opening problems during the procedure. I have changed a wheel on a VW polo some time ago and I have found the same door opening problem..

Anyway, I have found very interesting what Tim said about that so I report his message without his permission but the message is on Yahoo groups so I don't think will be a problem for Tim.

..................

.....Tim,

> Could you expand on why you don't like to lift the car from the

> transmission lower cross linkage bar?

>

> As I understand the rear end (remember it while at work), the lower

> linkage bar is designed to hold the rear end of the car up by

> providing laterial support to the hub carriers in both vertical

> movement & cornering. That bar is attached to large castings on

> either side of the transmission housing. These large castings are

> disigned to support the rear of the transaxle, the lower links of the

> rear suspension, and the rear brakes. These castings are directly

> mounted to the rear most frame cross member via large rubber mounts.

>

> Do you believe that the castings are the weak links? Or the rubber

> mounts?

>

> When I've attemped to lift my car from the "correct" jacking points,

> I've heard a lot of fiber crunching noises and becamed very scared.

> I've never tried it again since.

Phill,

It's my opinion. It's not a matter of A follows B... it's not a matter

of do this and something WILL break. It comes under the same category as

guys down-shifting to save on brake wear. ??? The brakes are designed

for the task, are easily serviceable, and are cheaper than either the

clutch or the engine. So what are they saving?

Sorry... sidetracked already...

I'm most concerned about the rubber tranny mounts, and to a lesser degree,

the "lower linkage bar".

In the S1/S2, the tranny mounts have an earned reputation for failing.

When they do, they cost silly-money to purchase (in relation to what you

get) and are a pain to install (or expensive to install if you pay someone

else to do it). I've replaced the tranny mounts in my S2 twice in the ten

years I've owned it. Including the mounts that came with it... that's 3

sets in ten years. Well, actually eight years. I did the last replacement

2+ years ago.

The front engine mounts get all the bad press for being failure prone, but

frequently they fail because the tranny mounts failed first and allowed the

engine to move forward (the rubber extrudes/shears and the inner sleeve

moves out). The forward displacement puts the front engine mounts in shear

(a load they are not designed for) and they quickly fail when they get hot.

Especially the left mount next to the exhaust.

The engine stay that was introduced in the S2 and retrofitted to most S1's

helps keep the engine/tranny from moving forward, but it's a pretty whimpy

piece. My 1980 S2 came with one and it hasn't been particularly helpful in

keeping the tranny mounts from extruding. A year or so after replacing the

tranny mounts the last time, the engine stay broke, snapping at a weld. I

replaced it with stronger bits. I also put steel shims on either side of

the tranny mounts so they can't move fore and aft anymore. That transmits

more noise into the cabin, but the engine hasn't moved.

So anyway... I don't like to put any more abuse into the rubber mounts than

necessary, and I don't consider lifting the car (or at least the heavy end

of the car) to be necessary when other lifting points were specifically

provided.

You said:

> As I understand the rear end (remember it while at work), the

> lower linkage bar is designed to hold the rear end of the car

> up by providing laterial support to the hub carriers in both vertical

> movement & cornering.

No. The springs support the car vertically, taking the loads directly to

the chassis at a strong point where the crossmember meets the trianulated

side rails. The only vertical vertical loads supported by the aluminum

elephant ears and tranny mounts is the weight of the engine/ tranny/ brakes.

The "lower linkage bar" doesn't contribute to that effort and doesn't

support any vertical loads to speak of.

Since the springs are angled outward at the bottom, they do generate a

small "horizontal" force component that puts the lateral links and the lower

linkage bar in tension. And the lateral link's slight angle to the "lower

linkage bar" results in a small downward tug on the linkage bar... but no

significant vertical body loads are supported by the linkage bar.

The lower linkage bar does take the lateral cornering load. But most of

that load is reacted in the short distance between the suspension pivot

point and the attachment point to the elephant ear. The center span of the

"lower linkage bar" sees very little load at all... and virtually zero load

in bending. It is not meant to take the high bending load that results

from lifting the rear of the car via a jack placed in the middle of it's

span. I've seen a number of these bars bent, and although I didn't

witness the acts that bent 'em, I'm willing to bet it wasn't cornering

loads or body weight supported via the tires.

If you are going to place a jack on the linkage bar, then move the jack off

center and more directly under one of the elephant ears. Or use a timber

to bridge between the two ears and help support the linkage bar.

The static engine/tranny load shared by the elephant ears is minor... no

big deal. Their heavy task is to support the cornering loads, which they

pass on to the chassis via the tranny mounts. An S2 with A/C, leather, etc

is about 2450 lbs. I'm guessing (forgot ?) that about 65% is on the rear

wheels, or 1593 lbs. If street tires develop about 0.8g, that means

maximum cornering loads without impact are around 1274 lbs.

So, you ask, if the tranny mounts are designed to take 1274 lbs cornering

loads, and I autocross with sticky tires capable of over 1g, why am I

concerned about lifting the car via the tranny mounts? Aren't I splitting

hairs?

Maybe. But I contend that the tranny mounts are not properly designed for

all the loads applied... that they are a design flaw. I feel the use of

cylindrical bushings in the tranny mounts was inappropriate and that they

cannot properly deal with the axial loads (engine's tendency to move

forward). It appears that proper consideration wasn't given to the axial

loads when the mounts were designed, and the engine stay Band-Aid applied

after the fact is not a sufficient fix. The bushings/ mounts fail and I'm

tired of messing with them. If the only loads on the bushings were radial

(transverse plane -- engine/tranny weight, cornering loads), then it might

not be an issue. But the tranny mounts are inadequate when at their best;

and when old or abused, they aren't worth ____.

So, I try to baby mine and cut them all the slack I can. I can either jack

centrally on the transaxle/ linkage bar, or move over 2.5- 3 feet and jack

on the built-in lifting point on the body. I choose the body. The

fiberglass is very thick and strong there. With a rubber faced jack pad,

or a piece of wood on the steel jack face, no body damage will occur. I

creak and grown when I move too.

Regards,

Tim Engel

and also..

Well, you can critique my method:

>

> I have several pieces of 3/4" and 1" presswood and

> plywood that I cut to place between the jack and frame

> when jacking the car.

I also use a pad between the jack (or stand) and the car whenever

possible... either wood or one of the rubber coated lifting heads available

for the jack (my preference). However, that's based more on a desire to

protect my baby than any real need. If you are jacking directly on the

chassis, or even on the reinforced jacking points on the body, it's not

really necessary from a structural damage stand point. Nicks and

scratches, yes, but not damage.

> I never lift just the front of the car. Either just the rear or

> the whole car, by raising the rear followed by the front.

Why not lift just the front?

> I place the jack with a small piece of wood under the

> rear brace under the transaxle (the piece Chapman

> insisted was not necessary), raise it, and then place

> jackstands either on either side of the jack (below the

> mounting points for the lower rear links),

(Snip)...

Oooh. Well, I would never do that... lift the car via the motor/ tranny

mounts. Especially in a S1/S2 Esprit. The S1/S2 mounts are problematic

just dealing with keeping the engine and tranny in place. The tranny

mounts in particular are expensive and a pain in the butt to change, so I

don't abuse them any more than necessary.

The approved rear lifting points for an S1/S2 Esprit are on the body, just

ahead of the rear wheel wells. The fiberglass in that area is 3/8 " to

1/2" thick, and feeds loads upward to a body mount on the chassis directly

above. Anywhere between the aft end of the body tub and the approx 4" dia

access hole is fair game. Actually, you can place the jack a little

forward of the access hole too, but the further forward you go the closer

you get to the CG and the greater is the tendancy is to lift the entire side

of the car rather than just the rear.

Place the jack so that there will be room next to it for a jack stand after

the car is raised. Never work under the car while it's supported only by a

jack ! If you're raising the car to a considerable height with just one

jack, do it in stages. Raise the first side about half way. Then take

the other side up to full height. Finally, raise the first side up to

match the second side.

Note that the jacking points are on the main body tub and NOT on the sill/

rocker molding. Never allow any jacking loads to spill over onto the sill

molding.

On S3/ Turbo Esprits, it is acceptable to jack on the rear crossmember hoop

that passes under the transmission, and picks up the tranny mounts and rear

suspension's inner mounts. However, do not jack on the hoop if the upper

crossmember has been removed. Never remove the upper crossmember when the

car is sitting on it's wheels and never support the car's weight via the

lower hoop when the upper crossmember is out.

If all you're doing is changing tires, it's acceptable to jack on the lower

latteral link right at the extreme outer end... as close to the end as

jack/ tire sidewall interference will allow. Do not jack mid-span on the

lateral link. Do not leave the car jacked in this manner for an extended

length of time, since it's rough on the rubber bushings.

> or under the wide cross-section of tube just forward of

> the engine. Depends on the work I'm doing. (Snip)...

One of the advantages of placing the jack stands out on the body is that it

frees up the space under the car for crawling around. Especially if you're

working on anything at the front of the engine like the timing belt or water

pump.

> For the front, I then roll the jack in at an angle from behind

> one of the front wheels (i.e. the side, below the door).

Snip...

Jacking the front is a little trickier since most trolley jacks won't fit

under the nose (especially since my car is lowered). The trick is to steer

the wheel to one side. That will allow you to sneak a trolley jack in past

which ever edge of the tire is pointing out.

Then it's acceptable to either put the jack head on the control arm near the

spring/ shock mount, or on the end of the chassis crossmember, inboard of

the lower arm mount where it's boxed by a closed end wall.

If you're just changing a tire, a few strokes on the control arm will lift

the tire high enough for changing. If you intend to raise the front of the

car to put it on stands, raise the car high enough to permit, 1) inserting

a second jack from the front of the car and at the center of the chassis,

or 2) placing a short jack stand near the jack you're using so it can be

removed and repositioned on the center of the chassis crossmember. Then

jack the front of the car up to the desired height and place stands at

either end of the front crossmember near the boxed end-wall (inboard of the

suspension arm pickups).

> Someone I know once supported the rear of the car by the body, with

> jackstands and pads placed just in front of the rear wheelwells, where the

> body converges to a round point, with a drain hole. He said it is okay to

> do that for a short time, but a longer period of time might be bad for the

> body. I opened and closed his doors while the car was like that, and they

> didn't line up as well (i.e. the body was flexing). Well, I will never do

> that to my car.

Supporting the car on jack stands placed on the body jacking points ahead of

the rear wheels doesn't pose a problem. The body may flex a bit, but it's

not going to fold in half (I being facetious) or take a set. It's in much

less danger of damage than the motor/tranny mounts are in if you jack on the

rear suspension brace under the transaxle.

Regards,

Tim Engel.

I think that what Tim said about the engine/gearbox mounts are true, I have try to lift my assembly while was dismantling my chassis and I have clearly understand how much stress you put in the mounts in this way.

Just my little opinion, but I agree totally with Tim.

Regards

Giorgio

[GavinT 109]

Thanks Giorgio, I too have read Tim's posts on the other forum. And although I see where he is coming from I personally feel it is OK to jack using the cross member if you take the proper precautions. There are a number of respected LEF members who jack using the cross member as I have seen photographs of their cars when they have done so. I shan't name names but let them comment if they wish too. As Trevor pointed out, later models had a plate installed to strengthen the sill which means the sill was weak and not up to the job. With all that said, I would rather pull the gearbox mounts, a rather quick and straight forward process, and have new bushings installed than deal with stress cracks and other related bodywork issues. As I said before 'each to their own'. It's never an argument but a discussion on different points of view.

My suggestion would be to let Phil jack his car up by the sills and see if he is comfortable with the noises that the bodywork will start to make. If he is then fine, if not then it's time to use the cross member with a 2 x 4 under it.

Edited June 28, 2009 by GavinT

[Tony K 128]

Giorgio,

When it comes to technical aspects of the early Esprits, I respect Tim more than anyone else. And when it comes to the 907, Tim is THE 907 guru. He's the only person from whom I've asked for advice/help/reference regarding the 907 in years (and it's been about 4 years since I last did).

However, this discussion of jacking an S1/S2 is one place where I and many owners disagree with Tim (although most choose to remain politely quiet). I'm not sure whether his theory is even sound, but either way, in practice, lifting and supporting an S1/S2 by the "top hat brace" (the U-channel under the transaxle) is totally safe. You will not harm your transmission mounts. They are always under some vertical stress when the car is sitting on the ground at rest; the springs are not doing all of the work -- whatever you want to argue, the transaxle is either hanging from the mounts or being pushed up on by the lower links; it's not just floating there or suspended by outward pulling of the lower links. When you are jacking the car by the brace, you are either giving it slightly more of a stress it is constantly under, or you are relieving it of that stress; if it's the former, then it's designed for it and if it's the latter then you're doing it a favor. (And if you have the wheels AND transaxle hanging (i.e. jacking by the sills), then the springs and transaxle weight are both pulling/pushing down on the transaxle mounts, so you're doing what Tim is warning about, only in the opposite direction.)

Additionally, every time you accelerate or decelerate, or hit a bump, you are stressing those transaxle mounts in a more shocking way than lifting the car ever could. Those mounts are pretty tough, and whatever stress those mounts may feel when you lift the car is minimal compared to the other stresses they take. Remember, this is a car that you can (although NEVER should) jack up by it's exhaust downpipe -- it's that light!

The brace between the lower links is no more prone to bending than any part of the frame is. Myself and many owners have been lifting the car by that for years. Really, it's fine.

Now, if you want to talk about raising or supporting the body by the area just inside of the sills all the way at the rear edge of them, that is the ONLY place on the whole body where you stand to do that without damaging the body, but it's really only MARGINALLY safe to do so for a short period of time if the car has the engine in it. Additionally, I would never do it for a LONG time if the frame is attached to the body. Don't be surprised to hear fiberglass cracking if you do. If you let it sit on the sills for more than a couple of days and the car is complete or nearly complete, don't be surprised to find the doors difficult to open, as the body will have flexed.

And if you want to talk about stresses being placed on mounts, holding the car up by the sills is a nightmare, as you now literally have the weight of the frame and all of the engine/transaxle/ancillaries HANGING from half a dozen bolts that are held by nothing but fiberglass. Talk about a lot of pressure on a few small points! To make it worse, the majority of the weight is out behind the jacks, giving it more leverage than if it were between the front and rear.

Is it okay to lift an S1/S2 by the body just ahead of the rear wheel and inside of the sill? The best answer is yes, in an emergency or when there is no other option, for a short time. I think the owner's manual even tells you to put the scissor jack there for changing a tire on the roadside. But lifting or supporting the car by the body should really be avoided if at all possible.

Obviously, the best likely place to support the rear of the car is by the frame on the tube that goes across just below the #1 cylinder. If I were to leave an S1/S2 sitting on jack stands for a long period of time (months or longer), that's where I'd put it. For anything less, you really have nothing to worry about placing a jack or stands under the "top hat brace" under the transaxle.

Finally, going back to the transaxle mounts, Tim warns like they are some failure-prone, expensive, terrible item to replace. Let's get a reality check here: First Tim autocrosses (or used to autocross) his S2 . . . all of that fore/aft tearing stress, and then he calls the gentle pressure of the body and engine resting on the transaxle mounts "abuse"?!? The typical/normal failure of S1/S2 transaxle mounts is for the rubber bushings to pull forward out of the metal castings. This usually happens after driving with a BAD MOTOR MOUNT(s). The motor mounts are $15-25 USD and take about an hour to replace. When the motor mounts go bad, the engine shifts forward and pulls on the transaxle mounts. Remedy here is to check your motor mounts regularly, replace as needed (it's the one under the exhaust mount that always goes bad, obviously), and install the engine stabilizer rod update/recall that Lotus added in late S2s (it is a rod going from the frame to the bellhousing, and it limits the forward pull and upward lift of the engine). If you neglect your own S1/S2 long enough for your motor mounts to go bad and transaxle to pull the bushings forward from the mount, removing and reinstalling them only takes a few hours, and there is a good chance you can just press the rubber bushings back into the castings (if you're too cheap to just buy new ones). Furthermore, I'd rather be replacing transaxle mounts than repairing gel coat cracks and body mounting points. I'd rather stress some rubber bushings that were DESIGNED FOR THE PURPOSE OF TAKING STRESS than stress THE CAR'S BODY. I'm sure Tim has been able to abuse and destroy transaxle mounts doing autocrosses or track days, but that's what's killing his transaxle mounts, not picking up the back of the car with it. Tim is the single greatest source of knowledge for S1/S2 mechanicals that I know, but in this one instance, the collective knowledge/experience of the majority of knowledgeable S1/S2 owners, and just plain "see for yourself" will tell you that Tim is wrong. Trust the usually silent, occasionally vocal majority here.

[giorgio67 182]

Tony,

great answer thanks!!!

What can I say...???

I will continue to lift my car under the sill but I'm now conviced that it will be good also the other way.

PS:

what type of optic have you used for the pic?

If it's not special...your "top hat brace" is curved......

Ciao

Giorgio

[Tony K 128]

Hi Giorgio,

Not my car -- someone else's I was servicing. Brace is straight as an arrow; what you're looking at is lens distortion from a cheap camera (unless you think the sump and frame are curved, too! ) . . .

Cheers,

Tony

[GavinT 109]

Interesting Giorgio that you will take note of what Tony says but not me, and will argue with me but not argue with Tony. What Tony has said is exactly the same as me. Yes, in a more in depth way but it still comes back to being the same. Take proper precautions and it is OK to jack via the brace / cross member / top hat.

I use a 2 x 4 cut to length of the whole brace / cross member / top hat instead of just blocking under the mounts.

Edited June 29, 2009 by GavinT

[Tony K 128]

P.S. -- by the way, people used to call it the "top hat brace" because the shape of the U-channel looks like a top hat (upside down).

And whenever I raise any part of the car, I try to distribute the weight as much as possible. For example, under the front, I have a board cut that matches the entire front "T" portion of the frame, so that all of the vertical portion shares the load. With the back, as in the photo above, I used to have a board that fits in between those two pieces of wood to spread the force of the jack; now I have one board across the entire brace instead of three pieces like when the photo was taken. Any part of the frame is susceptible to being damaged by a jack.

[giorgio67 182]

Interesting Giorgio that you will take note of what Tony says but not me, and will argue with me but not argue with Tony. What Tony has said is exactly the same as me. Yes, in a more in depth way but it still comes back to being the same. Take proper precautions and it is OK to jack via the brace / cross member / top hat.

I use a 2 x 4 cut to length of the whole brace / cross member / top hat instead of just blocking under the mounts.

Gavin,

it's not true.

I have take note of what you say and Tony just give the same point of you so if i agree with Tony I agree with you...

Please, accept my apologies!!!

Ciao

Giorgio.

[GavinT 109]

Please, accept my apologies!!!

no apologies necessary

just need Phil to post and tell us which way he is going to lift his car.

Edited June 29, 2009 by GavinT

[giorgio67 182]

right mate!!!

Cheers

[Guest surferphil]

Thanks for all the points of view! I really appreciate everyone's contribution, a brilliant debate quite simelar to the one I was having in my head (which led to this post).

The lack of clarity on the internet and in the service manual, and pehaps the lack of an owners hand book have lead to my confusion.

I have to say, as someone who has worked with GRP extensively (and my own structural tests over the years) made me very nervious about jacking up the body. It's the most irriplacable and volatile part of the car in this instance.

Gavin made good sense with the rienforcing the strut with a length of thick timber and that is what I shall do. I'm not too bothered about the front as it is much lighter but always take caution with my cars.

Thanks again.

Phil

[winners 16]

See my reply to "Original handbook" post.

Mark

[Matt-watts 117]

I have enjoyed reading this post !

I totally agreed with Gavins method in his 1st post and his description was 1st class and am very glad Tony had his say in backing up Gavin

I would only use the sills for changing tyres at the road side with the stock jack

Matt

[7veloce 0]

In the S1 Owners Handbook on pages 13-14, "....the jack should be placed beneath the front lower wishbone to rise a front wheel...or forward of the rear wheel arch (body tub) ..to raise a rear wheel." I think if lift your S1 via these points you can get the car high enough to put jack stands beneath. For the front, you can put the jack stands near the ends of the front cross-member. As for the rear, you may place jack stands beneath solid part of the rear chassis, perhaps beneath the ends of rear cross tube where supported by three other tubes from top. I hope this will help.

[GavinT 109]

Tom,

When placing the axle stands under the front cross member make sure you place a length of 2x4, or something similar, between the stand and the chassis to spread the load. Don't just put the axle stand under the cross member is it will deform it. The box section strength is at it's corners and not on the flat surface. Here's what I did:

Edited February 3, 2012 by GavinT

[7veloce 0]

Gavin,

Thank you for the photos. Would you please provide the measurements for the front and rear 2x4 set up? I would like to make a set for my S1.

Tom

[ramjet 1,086]

Phew!

I thought you guys may have been openly talking about how to steal an S1.

[Iconic Ride 267]

No worries. I'm only after the rims.

[GavinT 109]

Tom,

For the front cross-member: 2x8x27.25

For the top-hat/u-channel bracket under the trans-axle: 2x4x18

If your going to leave the car on axle stands for an extended period I would suggest blocking up the suspension to equal that of the normal ride height of the car. This will avoid any miss-alignment of suspension components resulting from the suspension being left at full drop.

[7veloce 0]

Gavin,

Thank you for the measurements below. I will make a pair for my S1.

--------------------------

Tom,

For the front cross-member: 2x8x27.25

For the top-hat/u-channel bracket under the trans-axle: 2x4x18

If your going to leave the car on axle stands for an extended period I would suggest blocking up the suspension to equal that of the normal ride height of the car. This will avoid any miss-alignment of suspension components resulting from the suspension being left at full drop.

Edited February 5, 2012 by 7veloce